I have been looking frantically for ‘internships’ for my next University year. I spend a year in the computing industry working for a real company on a real project, earning real money and hopefully setting me up for my career after I leave Uni.
I originally applied to (a very large non-Microsoft company) – as you do. Being my super-duper numero-uno choice for a placement, I applied for their Software Engineer intern in London on their first day that they started accepting applications – 1st November ’07. Look at me trying to be organised!Â
After a good month of no response from them, I was forced to begin looking elsewhere for placements.
I picked a local company to Reading that specialise in financial institution web design (banks basically) which I’d prefer not to name in case i get sued for libel or something. When they gave a set of guest lectures, they appeared to be a young but relatively experienced web company which was uber-local to the University – perfect!
After applying to their intern scheme, and a few emails between me and a big cog in the company, I’d secured an initial interview. After this first interview I believed I performed reasonably, and when they offered a second ‘more formal’ interview, I thought it could only mean good things.
The second interview then passed, and they told me that they would get back to me with a decision by the end of the month (January).Â
29… 30… and the 31st of Jan passed and no response – I feared the worst.Â
These fears were confirmed in the worst possible way by me discovering that one of my course
acquaintances showed me his acceptance email from them. Not the best way to find out you don’t have a job…
acquaintances showed me his acceptance email from them. Not the best way to find out you don’t have a job…
Shortly after I got feedback from the internship officer at Reading. She said that the company could not fault my interview, but only said I ‘had asked for too much money during the interview’. Bullplop! They asked me what the average internship wage was, in which I responded with £14k minimum (which is coincidentally what the Big M offer…), and the offer that came through as acceptance was for £13k. Rudeness!
Anyway, I digress… After this setback, I was forced yet again to rethink my options, and after a meeting with my internship officer, she secured me an interview with a large pharmaceutical company based in the States, but with offices near Reading.
After the painless interview, I believed that I had performed well (but I thought the same before). My placement officer told me that the decision would be relayed to me later in the evening of the interview (last Wed).
At 9pm I checked my inbox, and not only found a ‘Congrats’ email about the previous pharmaceutical company, but also a response from (a very large non-Microsoft company) !! WOOP WOOP! I saw it and literally leapt into the air in celebration.
The email explained that I wasn’t suitable for the Software Engineer internship, but the Associate Product Manager job was! This intense job allows an intern to direct the shape a handful of their products: released, unreleased, free, or multi-billion dollar a year – It’s all the same!
I am understandably ecstatic at the prospect of this, and I can’t wait until I have a chance to show off what I can achieve for the company.
Updates will follow, I guarantee.