Software Development Engineer - Intern Review

On a daily basis, I would have a standup to give updates on tickets worked on yesterday. If tickets were finished, then we would be assigned new ones. This is also when updates about new requirements would come in. The rest of the day was dedicated to working and completing these tickets.

I was given significant responsibility during my internship. I was part of a newly founded team. Due to this, I had significant tasks which directly correlated to tool usage and subsequently impact. Additionally, since some teammates were on rotations, at one point in time, I was the main point of contact for any queries around the tool we were developing. During this team, I also spear headed cross-team collaboration to refine project requirements, and report back to the team.

I learnt and developed many soft skills during my experience. Expedia encourages networking as much as possible, hence, over the 10 weeks I spent a lot of time reaching out to those in higher positions and gaining their insight. Furthermore, I gained a lot of skills in speeding up the development experience. The notion of 'learning to learn' was greatly encouraged during my time and I found my productivity increasing the longer I was there.

There was significant support during the internship. Expedia operates the internship program by having two people support you: a mentor and a navigator. A mentor's responsibility is meant to help you navigate the company independent of role, whereas a navigator does the same but within your team. Both individuals were incredibly helpful and always willing to hop on a call/meet in person to discuss and questions and clear doubts. There was also a great deal of events held by the careers team which allowed the cohort to gather and share opinions throughout.

Company culture was open and engaging. Expedia's atmosphere was rigorous yet welcoming. Throughout onboarding, they express the importance of getting to know your team outside of the professional setting to decrease friction while working. This was reflected during my time there as I found myself reaching out to various individuals, some quite high up, and I always found myself welcomed. I rarely felt intimidated.

I enjoyed the placement immensely. It exceeded any expectations and I had and more. I absolutely loved the involvement of the careers department and how everything circled back to making interns feel welcome and not overwhelmed. The work itself was engaging and felt meaningful. Despite my team being almost entirely remote, most team members were engaged enough to hop on a call at a moments notice. Outside of work, most individuals/interns were willing to socialise. Given the office's location in London, and benefits and perks such as discounts, we were never limited in this capacity.

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