Atlanta, GA | Posted: May 16, 2013

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Lisa Grovenstein
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10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Internship

Georgia Tech's Division of Professional Practice, in conjunction with former Google interns, shares advice on maximizing any internship experience.

Summaries

Summary Sentence:

Tech students talk about their experiences as interns at Google in anticipation of the movie "The Internship," which filmed on Tech's campus, opening June 7.

Full Summary:

Tech students talk about their experiences as interns at Google in anticipation of the movie "The Internship," which filmed on Tech's campus, opening June 7.

Media

• Daniel Castro
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• Hannah Pileggi
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• Hannah Pileggi and Hendrik Mueller
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• Pushkara Chaganti
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• Zuiena Kabir
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• Parikshit Ram
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• Basheer Tome
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• Deepal Jayansinghe
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• Bharath Ravi
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• Balaji Palanisamy
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• Balaji Palanisamy, Deepal Jayasinghe and Parikshit Ram
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Daniel Castro

• Hometown: Panama City, Panama
• Major at Tech: Computer Science (People/Media threads)
• When did you do ‘the internship’? Summer 2011, Summer 2012
• What did you learn? The things I had worked on throughout my first 2-3 years in college were actually valuable skills in the industry. I had never worked in the industry before, so I was frightened that I wasn't going to be able to contribute to a company as prominent as Google. I'm happy to say that the things I learned at Georgia Tech and specifically at the College of Computing helped me tremendously in excelling at Google.
• How do you get the most out of any internship? Ask every dumb question. You have to realize that the company wants you to feel at ease and help you succeed. Get the silly questions out of the way until you feel that you are able to accomplish your project. It will save you a lot of hours.

Hannah Pileggi

• Hometown: Pittsburgh, Penn.
• Major at Tech: Human-Centered Computing (specialization in social computing)
• When did you do ‘the internship’? Summer 2012 (in Sydney, Australia)
• How do you make the most of any internship? I went to Google with the mindset that I would make the most of the entire experience — both in and out of the office. The networking and personal growth opportunities are almost as important as the things that happen in conference rooms and at your desk.
• What are the benefits of participating in an internship? Internships are a chance to be exposed to an incredible company but also to feel comfortable asking questions and working to grow.

Pushkara Chaganti

• Hometown: Hyderabad, India / McDonough, Ga.
• Major at Tech: Computer Science
• When did you do ‘the internship’? Summer 2012
• How can others snag an internship with Google? Keep calm and show your passion. Google cares about passionate people who can show that they learned something and are willing to learn a lot more.
• What was memorable about the experience? All the relations and connections — I’m now in contact with some amazing fellow interns as well as managers, senior engineers and vice presidents.

Zuiena Kabir

• Hometown: Melbourne, Australia
• Major at Tech: Human-Computer Interaction (Master’s)
• When did you do ‘the internship’? Summer and Fall 2012
• What was memorable about the experience? Seeing Sergey Brin and Larry Page in person on a weekly basis, and the food. There are 26 cafes to choose from so there’s something for everyone, whether you're in the mood for Japanese, Mexican or Indian.
• How do you make the most of any internship? Always maintain a constant communication channel with your supervisor. This will help you understand whether you're on track to meet the set goals.

Parikshit Ram

• Hometown: Durgapur, India
• Major at Tech: Computer Science
• When did you do ‘the internship’? Summer 2008, 2009, 2010
• How can others snag an internship with Google? Coming from a good school like Georgia Tech definitely grabs the attention of a Google recruiter. After that, you have to demonstrate your capabilities for the position you are applying for.
• How do you make the most of any internship? Make an effort to interact with people in the company other than your mentor. The more people you interact with, the more you learn. Keep in touch with your mentors, because they could be your references when you are in the market for a job.
• What are the benefits of participating in an internship? Getting work experience, beefing up for your resume and making connections that might lead to a full-time position once you are in the job market are few of the benefits of an internship. A lucrative internship, like one at Google, does not hurt your bank balance either, and can be a good funding source for the long trips around the world you have been waiting for.

Basheer Tome

• Hometown: Conyers, Ga.
• Major at Tech: Industrial Design
• When did you do ‘the internship’? Summer 2011, 2012, 2013
• How can others snag an internship with Google? Have a website and a portfolio. Make things. Do neat projects. What they want to see isn't just someone who's knowledgeable, but someone who's passionate enough to apply that knowledge in interesting ways.
• How do you make the most of any internship? Get out and meet as many people as possible and make good friends.

Deepal Jayasinghe

• Hometown: Colombo, Sri Lanka
• Major at Tech: Computer Science
• Dates of The Internship: Summer 2012
• What was memorable about the experience? Learning how Google search and all the related processes (such as ads, images and news) work.
• How do you make the most of any internship? Have a concrete plan for the project you are working on, and frequently discuss it with your mentor to make sure you stay on the right track.

Bharath Ravi

• Hometown: Bangalore, India
• Major at Tech: Computer Science
• Dates of The Internship: Summer 2012
• How can others snag an internship with Google? First, be good at what you do. Google looks out for computer engineers who are good with the fundamentals: algorithms, coding and basic concepts. Second, be polite and open to suggestions. Google interviews don't always look for a final right answer; they also look for how well you communicate and how well you handle suggestions and hints from the interviewer.

Balaji Palanisamy

• Hometown: Pondicherry, India
• Major at Tech: Computer Science
• Dates of The Internship: Summer 2009
• How can others snag an internship with Google? Google interviews typically test your programming and analytical skills. Often the questions are open-ended and the goal is to see your thought process and ability to think on your feet. It is important to show in the interview how rationally you think and approach your solution, even if you are unable to get to the perfect solution.
• How do you make the most of any internship? An internship is a nice opportunity to learn about the workplace and the company. It also helps you discover your own skills and talent. You will get to meet a lot of new people. Enjoy it. It's fun!

Related Links

• Georgia Tech and "The Internship"
• Division of Professional Practice
• Georgia Tech Career Services

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Keywords

careers, google, Internships, The Internship

Status

• Created By: Kristen Bailey
• Workflow Status: Published
• Created On: Apr 24, 2013 - 8:07am
• Last Updated: Oct 7, 2016 - 11:14pm