In what felt like the blink of an eye, the calendar turned to September and summer was (officially) over. Given the speed at which it passed, you may have missed our Summer Intern blog series where we introduced our 2019 class, and followed them for a ‘Week in the Life’, and got an inside look at the program. Each post explores what it’s like working at UPMC Enterprises in various departments.
With fall in view and our interns heading back to school, we thought we’d officially close out the summer with one last post to hear what our interns learned and what advice they have for the 2020 class of UPMC Enterprises.
Like what you see? Applications for our 2020 Internship program are live until November 1st – don’t forget to apply now.
What was your favorite part of your internships at UPMC Enterprises?
“Definitely the work environment. I felt like I was part of the team and enjoyed the work I was given, as well as the workflow aspects of working with others in the office.” – Josh Gillette
“Being able to learn new things while gaining real-world experience.” – Michael Schultz
“Meeting, working with, and learning from extremely intelligent and kind human beings.” – Valerie Kristofic
“The best part of the internship is getting to pick apart a really complex problem from all the perspectives within health care AND have a chance to get a little creative and think about what an ideal solution could be.” – Divya Reddy
“Being able to meet new people, work on large-scale projects, and contribute to the company in a meaningful way.” – Gabriela Feitosa Rezende
What was the biggest takeaway or key learning from your internship?
“Be confident when stepping into the unknown, whether that’s a programming language or project as a whole.” – Ian Spryn
“Never be afraid to speak up or ask questions. One of the most common mistakes is making false assumptions that could have been cleared up with a quick question.” – Logan Stahl
“My biggest takeaway was understanding how communication and collaboration with others can benefit the development and direction of a project.” – Justin Deible
“Learning that asking questions is 90% of the battle.” – Emily Wasylenko
“Don’t be afraid to reach out to the people not in your department for coffee in order to learn more about their capacity and position.” – Austin Armstrong
What one piece of advice would you give future interns?
“Get to know the other interns. Being social not only makes the experience more fun, but gives you the opportunity to learn from one another.” Josh Risinger
“Talk to people. It’s no secret that everybody at UPMC Enterprises is clever and you can learn something from everyone.” – Brendan Dowling
“While it’s important to be invested in the code (or your project), take the time to have fun with the other interns and fellow employees.” – Emily Wasylenko
“Ask questions. About anything and everything, even if you think you should know the answer.” Valerie Kristofic
“Do know at the beginning, that things might seem confusing and even daunting. Give it time (more than just a few days!), and know that when you work with the right people, those concerns will fade away as you begin to understand the workings of the project.” – Ian Spryn
