Interview with Santa Clara HQ Lead Intern, Christopher Daniels
Over the next couple of months, Veritas is welcoming interns to its summer session. At Veritas, interns have the opportunity to immerse themselves in their assigned business group; from participating in daily meetings to engaging the decision-making process on ongoing projects, interns from the Veritas University Program become a rich part of our company from day one. As a part of Veritas University, each office selects a lead intern. This year we had the pleasure of sitting down with our Santa Clara HQ lead intern, Christopher Daniels. In his #VtasNextGen interview, he shares his passion for managing intellectual property, and how this ultimately led him to pursue an internship with #TeamVtas. Santa Clara HQ Lead Intern, Christopher Daniels Richelle: What college do you attend? Christopher: I currently attend Florida State University and am set to graduate in Fall 2019. Richelle: What's your major? Christopher: I’m majoring in political science and business. I do enjoy the legal field and have some background in that area. Richelle: Why Veritas? Christopher: I actually wanted to be an intellectual property lawyer and I know that Veritas handles a lot of intellectual property in general. Over time, I transitioned from wanting to work in the legal industry to working more so in the IT industry. Veritas was the perfect fit for me. Richelle: What will you be focusing on this summer? Christopher: I’ll be primarily working in data management regarding compensation, benefits, and termination. I’m looking forward to a great summer! It’s going to be a lot of Excel spreadsheets—that just sounds great! Richelle: What are your goals for this summer? Christopher: I’m hoping to gain even higher proficiency in Excel and potentially a full-time offer – I would love to be a part of #TeamVtas! This is a great area, a great company to work for and I just love it here.Welcome, Veritas University Summer 2019 interns
In June, Veritas welcomed its Summer 2019 intern class to Veritas University—the company’s long-standing internship program. Veritas University was designed to provide insight into a broad selection of business groups at Veritas—from engineering to product development to solutions marketing. #VtasNextGen will have the opportunity to collaborate with #TeamVtas on personal projects in their respective areas of study, as well as work alongside Veritas leaders to gain the skills associated with navigating the day-to-day realities of an industry leading technology company. Here’s to a compelling, productive summer as a part of #LifeAtVeritas on #VtasNextGen!#VtasNextGen participates in HRO volunteer effort
On July 3, a collection of #VtasNextGen interns from our Heathrow office participated in an Interns Give Back event at Harvest Time International. The volunteers helped the organization sort through clothing for local families. When the event concluded, I had the chance to sit with lead intern, Jessica Elek, to speak with her about the event: Elias: Have you participated in a volunteering activity such as this in the past? Jessica: Yes, I’ve done a beach trash collection in the past during middle school as a part of the Save The Earth club. Elias: Why did the interns participate? Jessica: This was one of our bucket list items – to do a community give-back event. Elias: Why would you recommend community give-back events like this? Jessica: I would recommend this type of community event for everyone. Contributing to families and individuals in need helps you appreciate what you have and gives you a greater sense of community. Elias: What do you like about the Veritas Intern Program, or #VtasNextGen as we call it? Jessica: The Veritas Intern Program is fabulous. It’s given me a well-rounded career experience over the past month, and I’ve been able to do more than just the intern position I was hired for. To hear more from our Heathrow Office Lead intern, Jessica, check out her VOX account: @jessicaelek Jessica Elek, Sarah Crabtree, Saniya Islam, Lya Cortez pictured (in order left to right)
Intern Perspectives: A day in the life of a Veritas University intern
Starting life, we wonder what we want to be when we grow up, perhaps pondering, “Maybe an astronaut or firefighter?” It seems many people knew what they desired, though I was not one of those kids. Initially, I believed I wanted to focus on space exploration—to help the world discover the unknown—then shifted my interests to dermatology. While there is no guide on how to adult, we somehow identify a fit, though often with a lot of trial and error. You may be wondering how I ended up at Veritas Technologies in Human Resources. I realized the one common theme between everything I wanted professionally was helping people. In Human Resources, I’m able to help employees understand their benefits and seek opportunities to truly enjoy their work. More to human resources than what meets the eye Throughout my internship at Veritas Technologies, I’ve been a lead intern, guiding others to prepare events to ensure interns have a fantastic time! And there are a few things I have learned along the way that could pertain to anyone. Finding the right environment Whether you are accepted in a full-time role or internship, make sure it is the right environment for you. Give it a couple of weeks to get the hang of your job—it takes time to get used to a new environment and responsibilities. Remember that you are not alone, and do not overload yourself in the first couple of weeks. Speak with your manager routinely and update them with your progress—clear communication is key. Be honest about how you feel, because they are here to help you. If you do not like the environment, change it up where possible; when we are able to focus on tasks that interest us, we thrive. When employees are happy, the company often benefits! Your managers are here to help A manager is someone you can go to as a guide you along the way. Think of them as a mentor—one who hired you for a reason. Get to know your manager, remembering they are human too, and will appreciate your clear, honest investment in your role. Be forthcoming with your manager, sharing insight into your experiences in your position—it will build trust. You can help build trust with your manager by completing the tasks you are assigned, being attentive to the areas where you excel and where you can improve. In time, you can discuss these details with your manager to guarantee your efforts best benefit the business. Respect Everyone You never know what truly is going on in someone’s day; resist assuming, and instead ask. Learning about someone’s job, what they do, and what goes on in their day will help give you a better perspective and understanding of that person. Remember, everyone is important to the company and everyone has a role to fulfill. Try to build connections by talking to different departments by setting up opportunities to learn more of your colleagues. You wouldn’t imagine the amount of people I have talked to just from a smile and a simple, “Hello—how are you doing?” In this final month of my internship with Veritas Technologies, I can confidently assert my eyes have been opened to new professional ideas and opportunities. And I’d like to express gratitude for everyone on the HR team in Heathrow, with a special “thanks” to Melanie Nasso, Emer McCaul, and Angie Ritti; not only were they incredible mentors, they now feel like a workplace family. And in your own fresh career efforts, get out there and show the world what you can do! #TeamVtas #VtasNextGen
Intern Perspectives: Building a professional skill set with a foundation of company culture
When I began my search for a software engineering internship, I was focused almost exclusively on the technical experience I could gain. Fortunately, as I took on my summer internship with Veritas Technologies, I quickly realized the role of other factors in bolstering one’s professional skills. Building a cultural foundation My interview with Veritas came the day after a particularly brutal March Minnesotan blizzard dumped half a foot of snow and ice on the state. Despite my best preparatory efforts with a shovel, my car didn’t even make it to the end of my street before getting stuck on a particularly slippery patch of ice. Following a phone call seeking help and a few pushes of some helpful neighbors, I arrived at Veritas offices nervous of how I would be received. I was immediately put at ease, met with understanding upon my first handshake. This positivity continued as I began working as a software engineering intern. Whether it was a question about the software at hand, or simply asking the best place to grab lunch nearby, each time I had a question someone was eager to help. Soon I was working on developing software with technologies I hardly knew existed days prior. Though I have only been an employee at Veritas for 6 weeks, every day I am met with familiar faces—each one a reminder of the collective wealth of knowledge and expertise the employees at the company hold. Discovering the value of networking firsthand by working with those around me is likely just as valuable as any technical skills I have grasped. And this positive impression of Veritas is reflected across the organization; I was surprised by the number of employees who have spent a large portion of their careers at the company. Engaging work and developing industry leading technology are listed as compelling factors, but the overwhelming reason for their motivation is “the people.” Guidance for incoming interns The culture of a company is incredibly important—positive work environment provides employees with the foundation for success. The supportive culture Veritas maintains has made my time as an intern undeniably rewarding. Taking on an internship, you will likely have many questions. And there are many digital public resources to help you set expectations and proceed with confidence. This said, communicating with a colleague, manager, or mentor can help provide clear, targeted guidance. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, as there are many systems in place to help you succeed. Like me, you may even discover asking for help does a lot to support the development of productive professional relationships!
Intern Perspectives: My summer in Professional Services at Veritas
In Spring of 2019, I was frantically searching for a summer marketing internship to gain some real-world experience and wasn’t having a ton of luck. I interviewed with a few different places, most of which consisted of phone interviews that lasted around 10 minutes. When I was given the opportunity to have a phone interview with Veritas, the resulting conversation shocked me; the interview lasted 30+ minutes, and my interviewer sought to understand my interest in the opportunity on a personal and professional level. I found myself relaxing as it felt less like an interview and more like a conversation with an old friend. Scott Kingsley eventually became my hiring manager! On my second day at Veritas as a Professional Services Marketing Intern, I was introduced to Scott’s manager. Considering Veritas is a large company, I did not anticipate this—especially when I was just starting out! What continues to amaze me about this company is the genuine kindness from everyone, no matter their position in the company. While I would’ve expected to feel slightly intimidated and nervous to meet my boss’s boss, our interaction was far from nerve-wracking. I was fortunate enough to sit in on another meeting with her and Scott this past week and it was truly exciting to hear about her ideas and projects I could help with in the future. I was also fortunate to be a part of my manager’s weekly team call, which included Veritas employees in the United States, United Kingdom, and India. This opened my eyes to the true meaning of a global company and what a dedicated employee looks like. During my internship, I was primarily working on projects for my managers—a remote employee in Tampa, a vendor in Colorado, and a Veritas employee in Los Angeles. This meant I was not directly reporting to anyone who resided in the HRO office. This particular aspect of my internship taught me true integrity and has further enhanced my self-discipline; outside of the phone calls I had about the progress of my projects, I was pretty much on my own. I had to remind myself of my goals and focus on staying on task. One of my internship projects included video editing via Adobe PremierePro. Prior to this internship, I had zero exposure to Adobe products. When I was given my first audio and video files to sync together, I wanted to figure it out entirely on my own. I spent about 6 hours editing the first 30 seconds of a video. When I finally caved and asked a question, the solution to my problem was ridiculously clear and I was embarrassed. What took me 6 hours to do with my first video edit took me about 30-45 minutes for future projects—and that was to edit an entire video, not just the first 30 seconds! That experience taught me the importance of not hesitating to ask questions. Had I not been so stubborn about asking a question in the first place, I could’ve been so much more productive that day. I no longer hesitate to reach out if I need assistance, as I constantly remind myself that this internship is meant to be a learning process and that I’m not expected to already know how to do everything. Looking back on my experience, the best parts of this internship were the people and the positive atmosphere. Connecting with the other Veritas interns and employees was an invaluable part of this experience and I am thankful for the relationships I’ve made. I can’t stress enough how important it is for a company to make their interns feel valued. The people I got to work with genuinely wanted my opinion on things that most companies wouldn’t bother asking an intern about. For that, I am eternally grateful. I can't wait to see what else I can do for and learn from this company as my internship continues!
Intern Perspectives: The Complete Veritas Experience
The Recruitment Process In March, I came across a posting on my college’s career website for a summer internship at Veritas Technologies. An internship working in HR Analytics in Silicon Valley, my dream location! After a few rounds of phone interviews with the Veritas recruiter and hiring team, I knew that Veritas is where I wanted to work in the upcoming summer. When I received word from my recruiter that they were offering me the position, I was ecstatic! Overall, the recruitment process was smooth, informative, and helped to set clear expectations of the internship experience. The Workplace Environment – Day 1 When I arrived at Veritas Technologies, here in Santa Clara, CA, the beautiful, reflective design of the building amazed me. After spending a couple of minutes taking pictures and enjoying the view, I made my way inside for orientation and was met with another spectacular sight, the elevators! Talk about new age and high tech, the elevators were a far cry from those used on campus at Florida State University. The elevator system at the Santa Clara Square campus features elevators that do not have floor buttons within the actual elevator itself. When you want to use the elevator, you select the floor you wish to travel to in the elevator lobby. The elevators figure out how many people are going to each floor at a given time and assign one of the four elevators to a computed route to be as efficient as possible dropping its passengers off. When I arrived in the Veritas lobby, I was directed to Security for badging. During this interaction, I was amazed, yet again, at the atmosphere and office décor, an open plan with tons of natural light, color, and inspiring workspaces. From there, the University Relations team guided me to a conference room where I was given an orientation alongside one other intern. The orientation provided me with an overview of the typical day at Veritas, what the company does and insight into our leadership. My manager, Andrew Brecht, rounded out my first day by introducing me to the HR team and to many of our stakeholders. He also ensured I had all the tools and equipment I needed to get started. The team I work with and share open space with are incredibly helpful, energetic and absolutely love what they do. The team is approachable, fun and incredibly supportive of my learning experience while interning at Veritas. One of my favorite things about my workplace is where I sit. Instead of being shuttled off to some conference room to share space with other interns, I have a workspace with a beautiful view of the mountains and I am one row away from the 5th floor break area providing me unlimited French Vanilla Lattes. The Job When I began my first day of work, I was half right about my expectations of what I would be doing. The reason is that the work I do is on par with the job description, however, I did not expect to enjoy it to the degree that I do nor feel as inclusive and important as Veritas makes me feel. When someone hears about an internship, they tend to think that interns will complete petty, tedious tasks like going on coffee runs, picking up copies, or other small, unimportant tasks. With Veritas, it is the exact opposite and I cannot be any more gracious that it is framed that way. I work with the same big data and analytics that the HR team does; my assignments and projects are delivering deep insights into the employee experience at Veritas. I am exposed, on a daily basis, to Veritas executives and expected to support the HR strategy to improve the employee experience. My voice is heard and appreciated. My human capital analytic projects and assignments require innovative thinking, exploration, and use of new tools, and building the people story through data visualization. I am surrounded by supportive, HR professionals who encourage me to keep digging to get to the root cause or solve. This continues to be an amazing experience! I am excited to continue this journey, to connect and to grow my potential through this experience! #VtasNextGen
