Internship Experience: Intuit Credit Karma

  Introduction Life in a professional setting is a journey where assumptions are constantly tested. Our pre-existing notions shape initial interpretations. Understanding emerges when these assumptions are validated or contradicted. This re-evaluation is critical for personal growth, fostering a nuanced reality. My recent experiences offered concrete instances where assumptions were confirmed or overturned, reshaping my understanding of productivity, professional value, and technology. Challenging Perceptions of Productivity My initial assumption about productivity was tied to visible hours: observing coworkers leave by 2 PM led me to wrongly conclude they were disengaged or taking advantage. This conviction was fundamentally contradicted by my manager, who explained these individuals had earned significant trust within their teams and frequently finished their work from home, demonstrating both flexibility and efficiency. This experience highlighted that productivity is fundamental...

Introduction As an intern, I believe my most valuable qualities revolve around how I approach challenges, manage expectations, and build solutions. These attributes are not just about completing tasks, but about contributing positively to the team and learning effectively along the way. I strive to be a reliable, thoughtful, and impactful part of any project I join, always aiming to deliver my best work while continuously growing and adapting. Since day one, this dedication shapes my approach to every task and interaction, driving me to achieve meaningful outcomes. Independent Problem-Solving One of my core strengths as a software engineering intern is my independent problem-solving. My first instinct when facing an issue is to troubleshoot it myself by consulting documentation, searching online, and testing hypothese s.  After exhausting these avenues, I approach my manager, clearly explaining the problem and my attempted solutions.   This process, as exemplified when a Jira ...

From Classroom Theory to Real-World Practice As I get deeper into my internship, I’m seeing a familiar pattern, one I first noticed during my time at Runestone Academy. There's a significant gap between learning in a classroom and performing in a professional role. My experience for the past two years was indispensable, giving me the foundational theories and skills I rely on daily. However, putting that knowledge into practice within a corporate structure requires a completely different mindset. The key differences I’ve observed fall into three distinct areas: the pace of work, the dynamics of teamwork, and the nature of projects. A Deliberate Pace At Berea College, the entire culture felt built around speed. Juggling multiple classes with tight deadlines meant that efficiency was key. I saw it in everything my classmates did, and I adopted the same approach. I brought that "go fast" attitude into my internship, assuming that quickly completing tasks would demonstrate my...

Introduction: Three Peaks to Climb It would be a lie if I said I think there is a single biggest challenge in this internship. As I stand at the beginning of this 13-week journey, looking ahead at the weeks to come, it feels like all the potential challenges are big ones. Pinpointing just one as the “biggest” seems to dismiss the significance of the others. After some thought, I’ve realized that my biggest challenge is actually a collection of three distinct, yet equally important, hurdles that I will need to navigate. They each represent a unique area for growth, and I am ready to face them head on. Beyond My Project: Understanding the Engineering Puzzle The first challenge revolves around truly understanding what my team does. I am an intern on the Compute Platform team, and to say their work is complex would be an understatement. My internship project is specific and well defined, which is great for allowing me to focus and contribute. However, I know that my project is just one...