18 Jun Summer Internship Program Kicks Off at Criterion
By Solène Watson, Marketing Intern
Monday, June 14, marked the formal start of Criterion’s Summer Internship Program. On that day, I and the five other interns got to attend our Internship Orientation. Through my computer screen, it was nice to finally be able to put faces behind all the names of people who have helped me join the Criterion Internship Program.
As each of my fellow interns introduced themselves – Annie, Saurab, Brian, Wazir, and Rhea – a common goal surfaced in the response to the question, “What do you want to get out of your internship at Criterion Systems?” All six of us mentioned that gaining experience in the real world and working on projects outside of academia was something that we were looking forward to. Personally, I am excited to explore many aspects of Marketing and Communications to be able to determine what part of it I am the most interested in. Annie added that this internship represents a great opportunity for her to explore the different fields of tech; she also said that, coming from high school as she is, it is also a greater responsibility, which she is excited to undertake. Saurab is looking forward to getting all the practical knowledge he can, improving his technical skills, and learning new ones. He is positive that this opportunity will put him in a very good position in terms of his career development.
During the orientation, we got a detailed introduction to the company and the team who volunteered to participate in the program. I was able to get a better understanding of the company’s values and witness the tight community that the employees have, making this opportunity even more inviting than it already was. My apprehension of it being a virtual internship was tamed when I got a taste of the relationships and interactions between the colleagues and what the company culture looks like.
As I am the only marketing and communications intern, getting introduced to a project where I will be able to collaborate with the other tech interns on was very exciting. I will be able to contribute some of the skills I have learned in school to help them present their tech project to the company’s leaders. From the perspective of the tech interns, the projects seem challenging and fun at the same time. Even though Annie feels like this is all new for her coming out of high school, the project was made clear and she is ready to start her research on it. Saurab thinks the project is fascinating. When it was first introduced, he felt overwhelmed and thought, “I have not learned that much in school.” He knows, however, that at Criterion he will have all the support he needs to complete the project.
We are all incredibly grateful for this opportunity to work along professionals. The introduction has been the perfect start to our program. I am truly excited to gain professional experience from this internship program and to be mentored by exemplary people.