Revolutionary Perspective: My Summer Internship Experience
11/16/2023 10:24:00 AM | Men's Track/Cross Country, Academic Services
In our next edition of Revolutionary Perspective, we learn about Kevin Conlon, who is a senior on the GW men's cross country and track team. Conlon spent the summer as a software engineer intern at Tegus in Chicago.
Name: Kevin Conlon
Year/Sport: Senior | Men's Cross Country & Track
Major: Computer Science
Internship: Software Engineer Intern
Company/Organization: Tegus
Type: Financial Technology
Location: Chicago, IL
Questions:
1. How would you describe this internship experience to others?
For the duration of my internship, I was fully integrated into a team of software engineers where I was able to contribute production code. It was a hybrid role, so I worked three days in the Chicago office and two days remote every week. Through this experience, I was able to learn the day-to-day roles of a software engineer and collaborate with my colleagues to write efficient, scalable code. I learned a lot from my mentors and was able to improve my professional and technical skills. I think it was the perfect first internship for me. I enjoyed the work that I was doing and the environment that I was in, but still felt challenged to learn daily. In my free time, I was able to explore Chicago, which was very fun!
2. What was the process of acquiring your internship? Application, interview, networking?
I had the privilege of applying for this position through a referral, which led to a first-round behavioral interview with a Tegus talent acquisition specialist. Following that initial step, I advanced to two intensive two-hour technical interviews that assessed my programming and debugging skills. Finally, the process culminated in a behavioral interview with the Director of Engineering. Shortly after, I received an offer.
3. What are your lessons learned from your process?
Through this application process, I realized the real value of networking and its role in career development. If not for someone in my network reaching out to me, I may not have considered this internship. I also learned that interviews can go both ways, wherein it is important to see if you are a good fit for the company and role, but also if the company and role are a good fit for you. I enjoyed my interview experience with Tegus and was drawn to the responsibilities they outlined for me, so accepting this internship was an easy choice.
4. Tell us about any new skills, techniques, and knowledge you gained this internship.
I picked up a number of new technologies during my internship including Vue.js, Ruby on Rails, GraphQL and Typescript to name a few. Firsthand, I learned what the day-to-day responsibilities of a software engineer are and new problem solving techniques, as well as how to conduct myself in a professional environment and the flexibility required to work on such a large scale project.
5. What is your greatest takeaway from your internship experience? Or What is the greatest lesson you've learned from your internship?
My greatest takeaway from this experience is the importance of good communication and self-advocacy. At any given point in my internship, I was working with other engineers to solve complex problems. A big part of this process is being able to clearly and effectively communicate what you are doing, why you are doing it and why you might need help on certain aspects of it. Through this internship, I was able to improve these skills with practice and Mentorship.
6. How does this experience inform your next step in your career path?
I enjoyed the work and environment I was in this summer and am currently applying for software engineering roles.
7. What recommendations do you have for other students looking for jobs and internships?
I urge other students seeking jobs or internships to continue to grow their network and put in the work to maintain connections. If given the opportunity, I also highly recommend living somewhere new for a summer internship! I had so much fun exploring Chicago for the summer and it really made my experience everything that it was.
To access additional resources for your own job or internship search login into Handshake. Scroll down to see upcoming career events and click on "Career Center" to make career coaching appointments, access resources, and search for jobs and internships. Don't forget to sign up for Industry Newsletters with the latest opportunities: Arts/Media/Comm |  Business/ Finance/ Consulting | International Affairs/Intelligence | Public Health/Health Sciences | STEM | US Government/ Human Services/Law
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Name: Kevin Conlon
Year/Sport: Senior | Men's Cross Country & Track
Major: Computer Science
Internship: Software Engineer Intern
Company/Organization: Tegus
Type: Financial Technology
Location: Chicago, IL
Questions:
1. How would you describe this internship experience to others?
For the duration of my internship, I was fully integrated into a team of software engineers where I was able to contribute production code. It was a hybrid role, so I worked three days in the Chicago office and two days remote every week. Through this experience, I was able to learn the day-to-day roles of a software engineer and collaborate with my colleagues to write efficient, scalable code. I learned a lot from my mentors and was able to improve my professional and technical skills. I think it was the perfect first internship for me. I enjoyed the work that I was doing and the environment that I was in, but still felt challenged to learn daily. In my free time, I was able to explore Chicago, which was very fun!
2. What was the process of acquiring your internship? Application, interview, networking?
I had the privilege of applying for this position through a referral, which led to a first-round behavioral interview with a Tegus talent acquisition specialist. Following that initial step, I advanced to two intensive two-hour technical interviews that assessed my programming and debugging skills. Finally, the process culminated in a behavioral interview with the Director of Engineering. Shortly after, I received an offer.
3. What are your lessons learned from your process?
Through this application process, I realized the real value of networking and its role in career development. If not for someone in my network reaching out to me, I may not have considered this internship. I also learned that interviews can go both ways, wherein it is important to see if you are a good fit for the company and role, but also if the company and role are a good fit for you. I enjoyed my interview experience with Tegus and was drawn to the responsibilities they outlined for me, so accepting this internship was an easy choice.
4. Tell us about any new skills, techniques, and knowledge you gained this internship.
I picked up a number of new technologies during my internship including Vue.js, Ruby on Rails, GraphQL and Typescript to name a few. Firsthand, I learned what the day-to-day responsibilities of a software engineer are and new problem solving techniques, as well as how to conduct myself in a professional environment and the flexibility required to work on such a large scale project.
5. What is your greatest takeaway from your internship experience? Or What is the greatest lesson you've learned from your internship?
My greatest takeaway from this experience is the importance of good communication and self-advocacy. At any given point in my internship, I was working with other engineers to solve complex problems. A big part of this process is being able to clearly and effectively communicate what you are doing, why you are doing it and why you might need help on certain aspects of it. Through this internship, I was able to improve these skills with practice and Mentorship.
6. How does this experience inform your next step in your career path?
I enjoyed the work and environment I was in this summer and am currently applying for software engineering roles.
7. What recommendations do you have for other students looking for jobs and internships?
I urge other students seeking jobs or internships to continue to grow their network and put in the work to maintain connections. If given the opportunity, I also highly recommend living somewhere new for a summer internship! I had so much fun exploring Chicago for the summer and it really made my experience everything that it was.
To access additional resources for your own job or internship search login into Handshake. Scroll down to see upcoming career events and click on "Career Center" to make career coaching appointments, access resources, and search for jobs and internships. Don't forget to sign up for Industry Newsletters with the latest opportunities: Arts/Media/Comm |  Business/ Finance/ Consulting | International Affairs/Intelligence | Public Health/Health Sciences | STEM | US Government/ Human Services/Law
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