This post is by Jessica Jong, an Employee Communications Intern at Informatica’s Redwood City HQ office. Jessica is a rising senior at Santa Clara University where she studies Communications. When she is not working at Informatica, you can find her spending time with friends, searching for a new book to read, or eating good food.
“The right time is any time that one is still so lucky as to have.” – Henry James
This quote greets me from my wall every morning as I prepare for my commute into Redwood City. To me, it is a constant reminder to seize the day, to try new things, and to learn as much as I possibly can so long as I am lucky enough to.
In one week, I have managed to bumble my way through several strange conversations, awkwardly introduce myself to multiple people, and ask a lot of questions. Yet, not once have I felt uncomfortable or out of place. Through a whirlwind of introductions, handshakes, group activities, and speaker sessions, I have found myself privileged to experience Informatica’s work culture firsthand.
To me, Informatica’s work culture is encapsulated by the sense of calm that settled in me despite being in an unfamiliar place surrounded by unfamiliar faces. It is captured by eyes crinkled in laughter, friendly upturned lips, new friendships, and great insights.
Of course, nervousness still bubbles up when I need to ask my manager a potentially stupid question, or when I accidentally spill water across my desk. As I experience the world of HR for the first time, sift through Life@ content, and learn more about how the company works, I am fearful of making mistakes. In fact, committing a grave error may be an intern’s greatest fear. However, that fear is muted by the overwhelming support and help of my mentors and other FTEs.
It has only been one week, but I have already learned a lot. As interns, we have been privileged to hear the stories of Mike Pickett, Dominic Sartorio, and Margaret Breya. From their sessions, I have picked up invaluable pieces of advice that I will carry with me beyond this internship. Here are a few of my favorite ones:
- The most memorable moments are the ones that can either go terribly wrong or terribly right
- Suck this experience dry, because this is your only chance to be here right now, at this moment
- Challenge yourself to do three things that scare you every year
- Don’t be afraid of failure, just admit your mistakes and learn from them
- Say yes to everything
There are a whopping fifty-one interns on Informatica’s Redwood City campus this summer. I haven’t met all of them yet, but I’m so excited to see all the places we’ll go.
* Life@ is our employees’ source for news and information on Informatica’s business, culture, and people.
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The post Life at the Intern’s Desk: Oh The Places We’ll Go appeared first on The Informatica Blog - Perspectives for the Data Ready Enterprise.