This summer I worked as a Web Developer Intern at Nvidia’s Department of Marketing Operations (DMO) and it was like no place I’ve ever worked.
I was supposed to intern at the headquarters in Santa Clara, but due to the Covid-19 crisis the internship program was converted to a virtual internship for all interns. I was grateful that the company chose to maintain the program, yet still wondered how everything would pan out. When on the first day of the internship I received a huge package from the University Recruiting Team (UR) containing a monitor, laptop and many other devices I needed, it was clear I had nothing to worry about.
UR worked hard to ensure we still had a rewarding intern social experience, despite the fact that all 800+ of us interns were working from remote locations all over the world. They hosted weekly game, cooking and speaker events to help us meet each other as well as executives from the company.
Working as a web developer in a marketing department was a unique experience because it allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the value-chain of the company together with a much better appreciation of the settings within which decisions are made. My manager, Faylene Bell, synched up with me regularly to ensure I was engaged with my projects and kept me updated on other projects taking place on the team. From learning the fundamentals of Agile web development to understanding the impact that laws such as GDPR have on our work, I learned that web development in a marketing organization means you have to be observant and prepared to constantly adjust to a dynamic business environment.
What I liked most about my internship at NVIDIA was the stellar mentoring I received. I felt valued as an intern and was always encouraged to share my ideas and suggestions. Furthermore everyone on the team was happy to meet with me for ‘virtual coffee’ and I was able to learn more about their roles at the company. At an UR event, I even had the opportunity to speak to the CEO of NVIDIA, Jensen Huang, and shared some ideas for the company with him of which he was very receptive!
I was amazed how effective DMO management was at creating a real sense of community in a virtual setting. What a blessing on my journey to a professional experience like no other!
Sabrina Koumoin