We Are Intel
Learn about Intel culture and the individuals who do something wonderful everyday
1008 Discussions

US College: Meet some of our interns! (Part 4)

US_College_Recruiting
0 0 103
This is it, the last intern we’ll be profiling on the blog, but we promise that she’s just as great as the other three you’ve already met: Steve in HR, Erin with Intel Customer Support, and Raymond with the Intel Architecture Group. Here’s Antoniya, a Graduate Technical Intern in our Software and Services Group!

AntoniyaMy first experience as an intern at Intel was actually three summers ago. My assignment as a Graduate Intern Technical was at RidgePointe, a small Intel site on the edge of the Microsoft* campus in Bellevue, WA. Just before I started, the apprehension of the unknown was a little overwhelming, mainly due to the fact that I was in graduate school but had never had a real job. I had no specific expectations but I most certainly imagined a cutthroat atmosphere.

Imagine my surprise when I found out I was going to be sitting a couple of cubes away from my manager. My boss working in a cube! I had never until that moment imagined a workplace with such lack of separation based on chain of command. My manager and fellow staff members were quick to put me at ease by informing me about the Open Door policy at Intel. They assured me that it is ok to ask questions and that there would always be somebody to respond and try to assist me. In addition, I was assigned a Buddy who was going to help me with the integration and who would be there to listen and advise me. Everybody’s casual attire and informal attitude quickly changed my initial perception and expectation of a formal work environment. Instead, I sensed a very positive and relaxed atmosphere.

My experience during my first internship at Intel was so interesting and rewarding that I decided to come back for another internship, only at a bigger site in Chandler. This time I didn’t have the same concerns but I was definitely curious whether working at a larger site would hinder bonding with coworkers in any way. I should admit, I was a little intimidated by the sea of cubicles but I learned to navigate the cubicle labyrinth very quickly since there were guiding points, such as pole labels and cube name tags, everywhere. I also soon found out that my new coworkers were just as approachable and as fun to work with as the ones from the previous year. In fact, people were stopping by my cube just to say “hello” or introduce themselves regardless of whether I was directly involved with them in a project or not. I guess that was just part of Intel’s culture.

Here I am, interning at Intel for a third summer, and things are only getting better. The fact that my group knows me already and that Intel generally treats its graduate interns as real employees, helps me quickly get back on track and focus on the projects at hand. I can honestly say that I feel at home and that getting immersed in Intel’s culture and work environment is almost an effortless process.“

So there you have it! Those are the four interns we’ll be following along over their internships. Next time we check in with Steve, Erin, Raymond and Antoniya, we’ll hear a little bit more about the projects they are working on as well as any memorable moments they’ve encountered!