Intern Perspectives: 3 ways to make an internship invaluable
An internship is a wonderful way to gain experience and insight into the working world, acting as an introduction to greater responsibility, with a range of tasks and set amount of time to address each to meet the needs of the business. While it can be tempting to put your nose to the grindstone and ignore everything outside your role as you adjust to professional life, you’ll miss out on some of the most important aspects of an internship. Really, you need balance. Here are 3 things that you can do to get the most out of your internship at Veritas Technologies: Ask for help Sometimes the solutions to your problems are a simple web search away. However, sometimes additional assistance is what you truly need. In these moments, you can and should take advantage of the incredible breadth of staff at the company – Veritas is full of engaged, helpful individuals. At the beginning of my internship, I was afraid to ask for help because I didn’t want to bother anyone. I was often able to make progress and fix things independently, but at a painfully slow pace. After a few days, I realized I couldn’t do everything by myself and asked my mentor for help. From then on, almost every time I asked for assistance he had a way to solve my problem or knew someone who did. Over the course of the internship, reaching out to others when I felt truly stuck likely saved me three or four weeks’ worth of time I would have otherwise spent troubleshooting. Learn about the business An important aspect of an internship is learning details of the business at hand. My manager told me something at the beginning of my internship that stuck with me: “There are a lot of people that are very good at the technical aspect of their jobs, but the ones who have moved up in their organizations all have a strong understanding of the business.” Even as an engineer, understanding the business is important. Appreciating the issues you’re addressing and the customers who experience them will help you tailor the software to meet their needs. If you don’t understand your customer, you may spend days writing code for a feature nobody wants. Talk to People One of my favorite things about interning at Veritas is the smart and thoughtful people. If you’re like me, you’re seeking to build professional relationships; the Veritas University team hosts engaging events where you can meet other interns and Veritas staff; from social opportunities to technical talks, you’ll have the ability to truly get to know the whole of Veritas Technologies. As a software engineer, I didn’t know much about those outside the engineering areas of the business – the daily demands of their roles, for example. To provide insight to other areas of the business, my internship group set up informational interviews with a director of program management, sales engineer, product manager, technical director, and many others. This experience was eye-opening, offering a view into the different career paths within a technology company, and an appreciation for how much work goes into designing, developing, marketing, and selling hardware and software.Intern Perspectives: Highlights from Intern Summit Week 2018
Intern Summit Week 2018 was held at the company’s Mountain View HQ from July 31 st to August 2 nd , and provided an opportunity for interns to showcase their achievements over the course of the summer. For me and my fellow Roseville-based interns, it was a chance to meet fellow interns from the Mountain View and Santa Clara offices and broaden our network within the organization. The Innovation Pod Competition The Innovation Pod Competition was a momentous highlight of Intern Summit Week 2018. In support of the program, a panel of distinguished judges, including Veritas’ David Noy, Jane Zhu, Abhijit Dey, Cameron Bahar, Geeta Pyne and Yoon Chung, witnessed a 15-minute presentation from each of the 12 CPO intern teams. The judges expressed being impressed by the caliber of the interns and their achievements, and several teams identified opportunities for future collaboration after seeing each other’s work. Given the quality of all the presentations, I resonated with Jane’s closing statement: “Everyone was truly a winner!” Executive Speaker Series and Poster Session Jyothi Swaroop, VP of Product & Solutions Marketing, was our guest for the intern executive speaker series during Intern Summit Week. He shared career planning tips with the interns, using his own experience transitioning from engineering to marketing. Jyothi noted the importance of crafting a succinct message as a core tenet of any marketing effort – timely advice considering that all the intern pods must now be giving some thought to how their ideas can be productized and “made market-ready.” Later that day, the teams’ communication and design skills were put to the test as we condensed our work into a trifold poster board and pitched to those visiting our booths. Veritas’ Greg Hughes and Mike Palmer even stopped by the poster session! Socializing during Intern Summit Week 2018 We rounded-off a memorable week celebrating our shared success with a barbeque followed by a scavenger hunt around the Mountain View campus. A couple of surprise additions included a flash mob and the “VeritOSCARS,” an event where interns nominated each other for quirky titles. I won the VeritOSCARS title, “Most likely to remind a teacher about homework.” In that spirit, let me remind my fellow interns about things they should do in their last few days at Veritas Technologies: Complete your final timesheet. Address the remaining Veritas University program checklist. And most importantly – thank everyone who made this internship a fun, memorable experience!
Intern Perspectives: Meaningful lessons from Veritas PMs
For the last two years, I was certain I wanted to be a data scientist or software engineer; to have the kind of job with a posting like, “Preferred degrees: Computer Science.” Maybe in 10 years, be a genius hacker hunched over rows, like cornfields, of green Courier. Even stand on the shoulders of Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerburg, probably wearing the same shirt every day in pursuit of lifestyle efficiency. But then a summer passes as a part of Veritas University, and I’m wondering if I could interview for a PM position, with no MBA, sort-of-okay social skills, and a squeaky voice. All without embarrassing myself and dishonoring my family. Because this summer I met Veritas PMs Deepak, Karan, and Yoon – simply, they are incredible. Deepak was the PM for the Bee CX pod. He was so skilled at pool, he brought a cue glove to work. He wants to work in technology to change the world for the better, and taught me the theory behind choosing branching factors in corporate hierarchies. Karan was my pod’s PM for the first two weeks. He’s the sort of person who is genuinely delighted by technology, and truly aced the PM role; a lead intern, but also very quiet back-home guy. I think we split from the same thread. Yoon is a PM for Veritas Technologies. When he discovered it was one intern’s birthday, he sought a cake to celebrate her special day with two hours’ notice. And before my fellow interns and I presented for the CPO pod competition, Yoon took an extra minute to show us how to hold the mic diagonally to get strong sound. His thoughtful approach to engaging colleagues is admirable, and I hope to take on these qualities as I progress in my own career. So, while I met genius engineers across the organization and exit my Veritas University internship feeling inspired by the breadth of incredible talent at the company, I was most impressed, unexpectedly, by the people with people-centric jobs. Thank you, Veritas, for teaching me something new about the world of technology, and more so, the people who make it what it is.Intern Perspectives: What I’ve learned as a UX Designer at Veritas
Entrepreneur and startup expert, Eric Ries, defines startups as “organizations dedicated to creating something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty.” In my 9th week at Veritas, I can confirm my focus project with Veritas University readily fits Ries' definition. I’ve learned to: Be adaptive When my teammates and I first began dissecting our internship project, we were lost. The problem/solution pair felt unclear, and I remember pondering, “How should we approach the problem?” and, “Can we really deliver something within such a short period of time when we must do so from scratch?” With my academic background, it was difficult for me to answer these questions without immediately wondering if we had enough time for research. The first and most important thing I’ve realized is the importance of adaptivity; while my prior knowledge shapes my approach, it may not be applicable in an industry setting. The ideal way of eliminating the gap between the two is to combine the major takeaway and apply it to the real world. In school, we spent 7 hours creating an affinity wall workshop for the purpose analyzing interviews, but in the real world, the whole process may need to be completed in 2 hours’ time. Understanding the core benefits of a theory and adopting it wisely is essential to the success of a project. I’ve learned to: Be humble and inclusive Working with great people is another factor that has made my internship at Veritas exciting and fun. Collaborating with engineers and MBAs has enabled me to better understand varying viewpoints, and together we can ensure we pursue a well-rounded goal. Talking to mentors and other experienced UX professionals has benefited me in both design and testing. In building these relationships, I’ve realized a UX designer’s measurement of success is intrinsically user-focused; it’s all about users’ acceptance of your designs. My internship at Veritas CX has honed my ability to be more inclusive – to be curious and question the reasons behind design decisions. My favorite quote from my experience with Veritas University supports ongoing curiosity, too: “I know you are resilient because you are a designer.” Curiosity is forever! I’ve learned to: Be bold and innovative When it comes to enterprise application design, people often choose to stay safe. I have to admit I did the same before my internship with Veritas. We were told interns could drive their projects, though in my first designs I played it safe. The senior management were supportive throughout the design review process, but thoughtfully pushed me to strive for a bolder outcome. Making bold moves invites uncertainty – something wonderfully accessible as an intern with Veritas University. I’ve realized the value in testing bold ideas; if it fails, move on to the next. I am grateful I chose an internship with Veritas University. In the program, I work on a project that allows me to think out of the box and enjoy flexibility. I’m especially thankful to work with great people at CX and the feedback they’ve provided. I treasure the “three be” methodology learned, as well as the sweet memories created among my project team, creating something incredible together.
Intern Perspectives: The unexpected tie between my internship with Veritas and foosball
Over the past few weeks, I have been playing foosball with my Veritas University internship team; or more appropriately, I have been learning how to play foosball. Admittedly, I am one of the weakest links within the group, along with my team mate, Joe. But again, we’re learning. I’d never played foosball before joining the Veritas University internship program, and when we first joined forces, Joe and I practiced a lot. We needed to. We’ve slowly improved, playing Rahul and Wyatt, daily. Up until recently, we nearly always lost to them, and sometimes badly. But again – learning. It seemed like one day the tide shifted; our effort was paying off. Suddenly, we were dominating the table and won the majority of the games from then on. Within our Veritas University team, we were the best. Then today we reached outside our team and played some of the UX interns – we got our butts kicked. We played three games. By the close of the third game we started doing a bit better, but still the loss was impending. We’d fallen from a top our throne of foosball greatness, and we were humbled. Foosball and my Veritas internship My foosball experience perfectly sums up my time at Veritas. Every day I’ve learned something new or hit a personal milestone, only to reach past it and realize I still have so much to learn. Being surrounded by so many brilliant people and challenging problems at Veritas has inspired rapid growth. I came to Veritas nervous about working in Silicon Valley. I thought I was a decent engineer and leader – and in my bubble, I was. But when I extended beyond my comfort zone at Veritas, I got my butt kicked. At Veritas, I’ve never been the best engineer or leader in the building. I brought my “A game,” of course, and learned from the mistakes of yesterday, but still, there has always been someone better. Learning at Veritas – a cross-company effort The best thing about losing at the foosball tables was the interactions after the loss; those who beat us often lent a tip on improving. And you could observe and learn the tricks or maneuvers that made them great at the game, too. This approach applies to our work in the Veritas office, as well. Veritas’ senior engineers have dedicated ample time to demonstrating how to out-maneuver those sneaky bugs in our code and be better engineers. The UR team, MBAs, and Veritas leadership always seem to have a compelling lesson to teach. Whenever I’ve made a mistake or couldn’t get something to function, there has been a lesson to be learned that helped me improve as a professional. I’m grateful for the opportunities Veritas has afforded in the Veritas University internship program. And all of these foosball losses and engineering hurdles? I realize each is a learning opportunity accumulating in one big win. I’m ready to use the skills I’ve gained at Veritas to take on my next opponent in life, whatever that may be. #LifeAtVeritas #TeamVtas #VtasNextGen
Intern Perspectives: It’s all about people at Veritas
It’s all about people at Veritas. From my first interaction with the company to today, I’ve realized Veritas’ dedication to hiring and promoting a thoughtful workforce. Everyone I’ve encountered across the organization is bright, friendly, and humble – willing to go above and beyond to support others. Veritas cultivates an environment where ideas flow freely; all parties feel heard and respected, resulting in great products and lasting relationships. And I’ve witnessed this in each phase of my Veritas journey, from recruiting to working with fellow interns and executive interactions. Recruiting Last December I attended the Veritas campus information session and was immediately impressed. Not only was it the most fun information session I’d attended, but the Veritas University team was excited to be present, sharing videos of past interns and inviting conversation. They even held a raffle for prizes. In my first interview I was paired with a Senior Director in Product Management. They were down-to-earth andoffered opportunities to pose questions. And throughout the interview process, the Veritas University team took care of us as if we were already a part of #TeamVtas. It felt as if they wanted me to make the right decision, even if it meant interning elsewhere. Fellow Interns I got to know many of my fellow interns soon after I joined Veritas given the range of social events planned through the Veritas University program. Since Veritas puts so much emphasis on hiring people who align to the company’s values, I found it easy to connect and build strong relationships with my fellow interns. I’ve gained what I believe will be lasting friendships through Veritas, watching World Cup soccer matches together (and mostly rooting for the underdogs) and even attending a Giants baseball game. My internship project team is also great, with each individual bringing value to the team. Again, because of the principles Veritas emphasizes during hiring, the sense of ‘team’ was almost instantly present. Executive Interaction Finally, I’ve been impressed by the effort of Veritas executives to speak to interns throughout our internship. We all know senior leaders have full schedules – dedicating hours to engaging interns truly demonstrated how much Veritas values the Veritas University program. Each executive speaker shared their experiences candidly, showing genuine interest. Some of the speakers even had lunch with us, providing the opportunity to talk to them freely and ask questions. I was even pleasantly surprised to see an undergraduate intern on my project team successfully arrange a 1:1 with Veritas CEO, Greg Hughes, by simply e-mailing him. No kidding! My 9-month journey with Veritas has been amazing – starting from the 1 st informational session to the close of my internship next week. I’m grateful to have been a part of #TeamVtas, and know I will use this experience as a reference point throughout my career forwhat good looks like in an organization.
Intern Perspectives: Choosing an internship with Veritas
In March 2018, I was pressed to choose an internship. Following conversations with those who had been a part of the Veritas University program, I was convinced to join with a focus on project management. In the discussions, three details stood out: each past intern highlighted the importance of team diversity at Veritas, the exposure to senior management they’d experienced, and the independence they held in decision making during their internship. Exposure to senior management Over the last seven weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to sit next to the CEO and provide my perspective on the direction of the company. Following the meeting, Veritas’ Chief Product Officer sent a direct message on Slack responding to my queries and asking about my internship project. I’ve gained insight to decision making at the topmost level, with many meetings closing with a recommendation and introduction to another leader. The learnings through these interactions have offered far moreawarenessof corporate life than the year of case studies encountered during business school. The management encourages and welcomes interns to engage and offer details on the Veritas University program. One example that sticks out was the extension of a meeting by a VP so he could share of his experience as an intern and provide recommendations for my Veritas University project. I know he maintains a full schedule yet went out of his way to be supportive; this quality of humility is seen across Veritas leadership. Diversity and intern support Every company claims to be diverse, so I was skeptical I’d experience anything unusual at Veritas. However, when I was introduced to my team, I was pleased to be paired with a group hosting a broad range of academic backgrounds. The university relations team did a great job in composing a strong team – diverse across education, experience, gender, and individual strengths. Apart from the immediate team, each intern has multiple mentors and an assigned collaborator who is well-pared to our work experience. I cannot emphasize enough the tremendous progress made in our project as a result of the expertise of each member of our team. As a business major, one skill that is most important to me is to drive consensus and motivate a diverse team; my time at Veritas has been a crash course in this effort, and I am receiving all the support necessary to succeed in my efforts. The liberty to make decisions Upon joining Veritas University, I was told two things by my mentor: Veritas wants you to enjoy your internship, and projects go live at the close of the internship session. I was excited to discover the CTO would be overseeing my project and assumed I would be required to follow detailed instructions throughout. However, the next thing my mentor told me was something I will never forget: “Deliver the project the way you see fit.” He noted I should be creative and had his support. Everyone on my team is considered a project decision maker. My mentors and collaborators guarantee we are exhaustive in the creative process, but ultimately, we feel incredibly empowered. I am pleased to have chosen Veritas for my internship. I’d joined business school unsureof the career path I wanted to take, and my experience at Veritas has demonstrated the value of a product management. This is what #LifeAtVeritas hasprovided me – a direction. #VtasNextGen
Intern Perspectives: A warm welcome to the Veritas University program
"A priceless experience” is a funny phrase, sometimes used as a selling point for a multi-course meal or tourist vacation package. However, my first six weeks at Veritas have been just that! Only halfway through my Veritas University internship, I’ve experienced advances in my professional skills, both on and off paper, and made connections to others in the technology industry with interests and needs like mine. The internship program has provided a tremendously positive learning environment, helping me to build my resume and network among peers. Prior to becoming part of the Veritas family, I underestimated how much an internship would add value to my early career. The credit, no doubt, goes to the approachable, resourceful, and warm welcoming team at Veritas. The interns are carefully placed on teams across the company, and included in team meetings, where their opinions are earnestly sought after and considered. I realize this is the exception among internships, and I am grateful for the opportunity to receive this level of engagement. Being an intern at Veritas offers insights to how a company actually works – one of many ways Veritas upholds its core principles of “empowering its employees.” While I expected an intern might be left to figure the company dynamics on their own, given the time required to on-board an individual, the transition into various phases of my internship have been collaborative and smooth. The guidance and support received by Veritas interns is constant, and yet we are able to identify and express ideas of our own – and idea sharing is always encouraged. Veritas interns are asked to “think outside the box” to come up with our own strategies to address real company matters, and we have regular check-ins with managers, mentors, and recruiters to share. Our managers frequently provide feedback on what we can do to make the most out of our twelve weeks at Veritas. And then there’s the grand finale: We are all looking forward to the Intern showcase at the end of our Veritas University program. At the Veritas University Intern Showcase, all interns have an opportunity to display and discuss their work with Veritas employees in order to gain recognition as well as feedback on our efforts. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. I’m already done with the first half of my internship and very excited about what’s to come on #TeamVtas!
