News

The Value of an Internship

December 19, 2022

Recent graduate Shoham Shitrit ’22, a computer science major, can testify to the value of an internship. Shoham spent the summer before his senior year at Microsoft in Seattle.

“My internship was extremely valuable to me, both from skills gained and learning what it’s really like to be a software engineer—the good, the bad, and the ugly,” he says. “I learned what it takes to write code that affects millions as well as communicating with teammates about issues and achievements.” Best of all, he accepted a full-time position on Microsoft’s content management system team after graduating.

A good way to start your search for internships is to speak with an advisor at the Gwen M. Greene Center for Career Education and Connections, which funded summer internships for 92 University undergraduates this past summer. Sophie Sweet ’24, a chemical engineering major, interned in Shepherd, Montana at Floating Island International, which makes floating islands created from recycled materials. Sophie’s jobs ranged from property stewardship and writing grant proposals, to research on new nanobubble technology and stocking fish. “It’s a small business, so I got to do a lot while I was there,” Sophie says. “My internship forced me to be resourceful and adaptive because I had to work with what was on the property.”

Shoham says he was turned down for every internship he applied for except the one at Microsoft. “The process can be arduous, but be persistent,” he says. “No matter how many companies say ‘no,’ remember you only need one company to say ‘yes.’’’ Learn more.