Jami

Why did you decide to intern at Radialpoint?

I had the choice between Radialpoint and a company with over 5000 employees with a rigid work environment (fixed schedules, procedures, etc.). The two companies were polar opposites, and I chose Radialpoint because it was smaller, had a lot more interaction between staff and had more agile processes, which means that work gets done much faster.

Give an example of something you learned on the job at Radialpoint that you were never taught in school. How has that knowledge better prepared you for your future?

In my internship, I learned a lot of soft skills, most importantly, communication. In University, the teams are made up of people of similar ages, knowledge, experience levels, but at Radialpoint the dynamic is very different, since there are people with a wide range of skills. I was able to really benefit from the experience of senior developers.

What advice would you give a student who is considering their Intern/career opportunities?

I think it’s important to visit different types of companies – big and small, in different industries, with different philosophies. Since an internship usually lasts only four months, this is your chance to take risks and learn what kind of job you do and don’t want. It’s a lot easier to take that risk now, instead of getting a full-time job and realizing that this isn’t what you want to do.

Compared to your other internships, how has this one been different?

My other internship was with a bigger company, but the department was much smaller and I felt that my projects had less impact on the business. My team at Radialpoint is much bigger and it’s really interesting to see how everyone’s part fits into the whole product. I also like the company’s high standards for hiring people, which makes me trust my coworkers’ judgments because I know that they’re talented and competent.

What was your favorite part of the Radialpoint intern program?

What was most important to me was that I felt like I was a regular employee and that Radialpoint valued by talent and knowledge. Attending Tech Talks and having lunch with the CEO was a really interesting way to learn about the company’s history and strategy. I also really liked the little benefits, like yoga, massages and being downtown where I have such a varied choice of cafes and restaurants to go to for lunch.