Copyright© 2007 Avaya Inc. All rights reserved Avaya – Proprietary & Confidential. For Internal...

Copyright© 2007 Avaya Inc. All rights reserved Avaya – Proprietary & Confidential. For Internal Use Only.

Internship Strategies and Resources

Joann Ordille

Avaya Labs Research

[email protected]

Julie S. Weber

University of Michigan

[email protected]

2Copyright© 2007 Avaya Inc. All rights reserved Avaya – Proprietary & Confidential. For Internal Use Only.

About Joann Ordille

• Education– BA, Applied Mathematics and Philosophy, The George Washington University

• Learned about computer science as an application of mathematics– MA, History and Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh– MS and PhD, Computer Science, University of Wisconsin

• Key: Computer Science – is infinitely interesting– provides unparalleled opportunities

• PhD Employment– AT&T Bell Labs Lucent Bell Labs Avaya Labs Research

• Life– Travel: Europe, Asia, Australia, North and South America– Sport: long distance road cycling, scuba diving, downhill and cross-country

skiing, figure skating, open wheel auto racing (see and hear: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNuy8-ZT2zk)

– Restore antique houses


About Julie Weber:

• BA in Math & CS, Wellesley College, 2003

• MS in CS from Tufts University, 2004

• PhD Candidate @ Univ. of Michigan, 4th Year

• Internships:

– MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Summer 2003 - Spring 2004

– Google NYC, Summer 2006

– SRI International, Summer 2007 • Why a PhD?

– Inspiring professors, teaching• Hobbies:

– Soccer, ultimate frisbee, bowling

– Travel


Outline

• Internship goals

• Internships, step by step

• Strategies for succeeding in your internship

• Resources for finding an internship


Internship goals

• Master Students and PhD students have overlapping but different goals in pursuing internships affecting:

– Where you apply

– The place with the best fit

– What you accomplish


Establishing goals in seeking an internship for a Masters student• Possible goals

– Obtaining marketable experience

– Expanding knowledge and contacts

– Having fun

– Making money

• Things to target

– Preferred subfield, e.g. communications, web applications, database applications

– Preferred programming environment, e.g. java

– Areas forming an experience base for later full-time applications

• Wider scope of possibilities than PhD internships


Establishing goals in seeking an internship for a PhD student• Possible goals

– Working with an expert in your area– Rounding out experts advising you on your dissertation– Experiencing different research environments– Expanding knowledge and contacts– Having fun and making money

• Things to target– Preferred research subfield, e.g. networking, testing, programming

languages– Preferred working environment, e.g. government lab,

communications company, software company– Preferred internship outcome: program, paper– Areas providing credentials for later research positions

• Consult with your research advisor• Could be a Masters internship early in your academic work


Elevator Talk

• Three sentence description of your research/interests

– the problem you are solving

– why the problem is important

– why your solution separates you from the rest of the pack

• Must get right to the point, the elevator ride is short.

• Additional tips

– Put a tag line on it: GE brings good things to light.

– Be tangible and passionate

– Can be adapted to speed dating


Internships, Step by Step

• Preparing for the internship experience

• Finding the right internship opportunity

• Making contacts

• Applying

• Interviewing

• Choosing the best internship for you

• Interning!


Preparing for the Internship Experience

• Think about your resume/CV

– How best to present yourself

• Gain good rapport with potential references

• Practice answering technical questions

– Review algorithms & data structures

– Talking it out, asking informed questions

• Sign up for mock interviews

• Practice your elevator talk


Finding the Right Internship Experience

• Where are the best jobs?

• Solicit recommendations and suggestions from advisor(s), cohort, alumni

• Departmental postings

• Career fair

• Other events

• Online resources

• People you know


Making contacts

• Potential contacts

– Group leader for desired project

– University alumni

– Other acquaintances

• How to move forward with a contact

– Express interest in his/her project

– Ask about internship opportunities and potential projects

– Ask for tips for applying

– Discuss your research


Applying for an Internship

• Deadline: usually in early February

• Procure good references, tell them why you’re pursuing an internship

• Have resume/CV critiqued by:

– Career center

– Advisor/peers

• Updated website

– Publications/projects

• Prepare materials for on-site visit

– Presentation/demo

– Questions to ask current interns and/or employees

• Be sure to follow up!*


Optional Practical Training (OPT)

• For international students with H1 status, internships count toward OPT time (12 months of practical training)

• Student may be expected to know Visa status when applying

• There may be a workaround…


Interviewing

• Types of Questions:– Character

• Ex: What is your greatest strength/weakness

– Research• Ex: Tell me about your work

– Creativity• Ex: How would you design a spice rack for a blind cook?

– Algorithmic/exam questions ;)• Ex: Given a single coin, generate a function that returns a

number between 1 and 3 with equal probability

• Role Play by Joann & Julie

• Role Play by everyone else


Interviewing

• Relax!

• Talk it out

– Logical thinking/problem solving

– Coding

• Ask informed and clarifying questions

• Relax!

• Be yourself

– Show motivation and interest

– General personality fit

• Interview them

– Ask about a current project & potential intern projects

• Follow up!


Choosing the Right Internship for You

• Type of work

• Atmosphere

• People

– Resources

– Cohort

• Project prospects

• Location

• Negotiation


On the Job!

• “Think of your internship as an extended job interview”

• Be professional

• Procure good contacts

• Make sure you’re doing the work you hoped to do

– What are you learning?

• Distinguish yourself

• Ask for feedback after the internship


On the Job!

• SRI International vs. Google

– The feel of a research lab

– The feel of Google

– Mentoring

– Projects

– People

• Diversity (gender, age, activity level)

• Proximity


Takeaway Message

• Prepare early

• Practice for interviews

– Talking through problems is key

– Ask clarifying questions

• Relax during interviews and be yourself

• Follow up

• Treat the internship as an extended job interview


Strategies for success at your internship

• Work independently

• Show initiative

• Discuss your ideas

• Ask for help

• Interact with the entire team

• Find out (or agree with your mentor/supervisor) early on what the final requirements are:

– Working program?

– Talk?

– Paper?


Strategies for success (continued)

• Time is short! You typically have only 10-12 weeks.

– Plan your project in phases with intermediate checkpoints• Each checkpoint should have some deliverable such as a survey of

the area, an analysis, a design, a program

• Remember that if you have to give a final talk that will take up your last week

– If you fall behind on an intermediate checkpoint, you need to reevaluate your plan with your supervisor/mentor

• Can something be shortened or left out?

– If you run out of time for an aggressive timeline, the result of your project will be your intermediate deliverable (but you will have a result to show!)

• Especially important to have your mentor agree to your plan if your mentor is “busy.”


Strategies for success (continued)

• Meet as many people as you can

– Ask to speak with other researchers/staff in your area of interest (1 person for 1 hour each week?)

– Attend talks, meetings and other opportunities to network

• Continue your relationship with your mentor/supervisor after completing your internship

– External mentor to help you with concerns in graduate school

– Talk at conferences

– Help with eventual job search and references


Meeting people (networking) at your internship• Meeting, lunch, social events, talks, hallway conversations

• Identify people of interest in the organization and ask to spend an hour discussing their work and career options

– Prepare a set of questions such as:• What’s your current project? How did it start? How is it organized

(how many people, how they work together, who leads, etc.)?

• If this is researcher, use your knowledge of the area or read one of her/his papers as background and plan to discuss the area in general.

• If you are looking for a targeting a particular kind of job in the future that this person knows about, you might ask:

– What education and experience are needed?

– What do the jobs normally include?

– What is the typical entry level job for a masters student (or PhD student)?

– What is the career development path?

• I think any full-time person would take time for student if at all possible, so take advantage of that to learn more about the field and make contacts.


Resources

• ACM Internship Listings– http://www.acm.org/crossroads/resources/internships.html

• Research Labs with Participants at this Cohort (additional options for Masters Internships are noted)

– AT&T – personal contact best for PhD Internships• http://research.att.com/ (select Join Us)

– Avaya Labs – personal contact only application route for PhD Internships• http://avaya.com/ (select Avaya Lab on bottom bar, then Locations and Careers)• Masters: http://avaya.com/ (select Careers on bottom bar)

– Google• http://www.google.com/jobs/intern.html

– IBM – personal contact best for PhD Internships• http://www.research.ibm.com/about/career.shtml (Co-op and summer on right)• Masters: http://www.ibm.com/ (select Jobs at IBM, then Country, then University)

– Microsoft• http://research.microsoft.com/ (select Careers, then Internships)• See also http://labs.live.com/• Masters: http://members.microsoft.com/careers/default.mspx (select Internships)

– Sandia National Labs• http://education.ca.sandia.gov/ (select Internship tab, for California positions)• http://www.sandia.gov/ (select Students, then Student Internship Programs, for New

Mexico)


Additional Research Labs (Industry)

• Additional options for Masters internships at the companies are also provided after “Masters:”

• Accenture

– http://www.accenture.com/Global/Services/Accenture_Technology_Labs/default.htm

– Not sure if they have research oriented internships. Use the contact on the above link to ask.

– Masters: http://www.accenture.com/ (Click on Careers, Locations, United States, Students)• Alcatel-Lucent (home of Bell Labs)

– http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/ (select Careers at the bottom, then Opportunities for Students)– PhD opportunities are under Research Partner– Masters: additional opportunities listed in same location

• D. E. Shaw http://www.deshaw.com/JobOpportunities.html

• eBay (new research lab: http://innovation.ebay.com/research.cfm)

– http://www.ebaycareers.com/university/internship.html (“research” in the keyword and find R&D listing)

– Masters: search all internships

• France Telcom (the Orange Group)

– http://www.francetelecom.com/en/group/recruitment/student_section/links/

– (See also http://www.francetelecom.com/en/group/rd/activities/vision/implantations/boston.html, http://www.francetelecom.com/en/group/rd/activities/vision/implantations/san_francisco.html )

• Fuji Xerox

– http://fxpal.com/ (Select About Us, then Employment, then Internships)


Additional Research Labs (Industry)• Fujitsu Labs

– http://www.fujitsu.com/us/ (select R&D, then link under Work for Us, can also browse by country)

– Masters: http://www.fujitsu.com/ (browse the country of interest)

• GE Labs

– http://ge.com/research/ (select Careers, then Campus Connection, then Student Opportunities)

– Masters: http://ge.com/ (select For Students, then Internships and Co-ops)

• Genentech

– http://www.gene.com/gene/careers/index.jsp (select Internships)

• HP

– http://www.hpl.hp.com/ (select Careers@HP Labs)

– Masters: http://hp.com/ (select Jobs, then Students and Graduates, currently link is bad)• Intel

– http://intel.com/ (select Technology and Research but no explicit internship application info)

– http://intel.com/ (select Jobs on the bottom bar, then Student Center)• Mitsubishi

– http://www.merl.com/ (select Employment)


Additional Research Labs (Industry)

• NEC– http://www.nec-labs.com/careers/internship.shtml– Masters: http://nec.com/ (select Jobs)

• Nvidia– http://www.nvidia.com/page/university_relations.html– Not clear that they have a research lab, but they do sponsor fellowships and fund faculty.

• Nokia– http://research.nokia.com/ (Follow the link for Careers)– Masters: http://www.nokia.com/careers

• Siemens– http://www.siemens.com/ (Search for Research and Development, search for Internships)

• Sun– http://research.sun.com/ (select Internships)– Masters: http://www.sun.com/corp_emp/zone/internships.html

• Xerox– http://www.parc.xerox.com/ (Select Contact Us, Employment, Interships)– Masters: http://xerox.com/ (Select Careers on bottom bar, then University)

• Yahoo– http://research.yahoo.com/data_and_code (select Summer Interns)– http://careers.yahoo.com/university.html (select Interns)


Additional Research Labs (Government)

• Argonne National Lab (ARL)– http://www.anl.gov/ (select Careers, then Educational Programs)

• Brookhaven National Lab– http://www.bnl.gov/education/ (select Education on the left, then Students)

• Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBL)– http://www.lbl.gov/ (select Education Outreach, then Student Opportunities)

• Lawrence Livermore National Lab– http://www.llnl.gov/llnl/education/ (select Undergraduate/Graduate Opportunities)

• Oakridge National Lab (ORNL)– http://www.ornl.gov/ (select Jobs, browse under Student/Faculty Opportunities)

• Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNL)– http://www.pnl.gov/ (select Jobs, then Science and Engineering Education Programs)

• US Army Research Lab (ARL)– http://www.arl.army.mil/ (select Outreach Programs, then Internship Co-ops)

• US Naval Research Lab (NRL)– http://www.nrl.navy.mil/ (select Contact NRL, then Human Resources)– Unclear how to find an internship. Call HR and ask.

• National Institutes of Health– http://www.training.nih.gov/student/sip/

• Institute for Defense Analyses– http://www.ida.org/ (select Careers, then Graduate Students, then Interns)– Inquire early (before deadline), because you will need to obtain a security clearance– Also inquire about any opportunities in related organizations

• Note: Fermi National Lab, Los Alamos National Lab, and National Renewable Energy Lab emphasize physical sciences but may take interns in some specialized subfields of computer science.


Additional Research Labs (Non-profits)

• MIT Lincoln Lab

– http://www.ll.mit.edu/ (Select Careers, then Summer Programs)

• Mitre

– http://www.mitre.org/work/ird.html (select Employment, then Student Opportunities)

– Masters: http://www.mitre.org/ (select Employment, then Student Opportunities – same as the above)

• SRI

– http://www.sri.com/ (select Careers, then Students)


Other Resources

• Graduate School Information brochure and other information:

http://www.cra.org/highlights/student.html

• How to succeed in graduate school: http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds1-2/advice1.html

http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds1-3/advice2.html

• Fellowships (dated but provides useful leads)

http://cag.csail.mit.edu/~amy/fellowships.html

• Sample Interview Questions

http://www.softwareinterview.com/

http://www.acetheinterview.com/questions/cats/index.php/microsoft_google

http://www.drizzle.com/~jpaint/google.html

and much much more…

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