By Beleyou Kebede (QST’20)
This summer, I had the pleasure of working as a Facebook Digital Rights Operations Intern in California.
CCD: Tell us about your experience. What were your responsibilities?
I had a great experience interning at Facebook! In my position, the responsibilities were mainly focused on improving user experience of the Facebook family of Apps. My various projects were very hands on and aligned with the teams goals, which allowed me to see the real impact my work would make.
CCD: How did you get the position? What resources at BU or elsewhere did you use?
I heard about this opportunity from a fellow BU student who was an upperclassman at the time. While talking casually in conversation, she mentioned she had interned at Facebook and I asked for more information about the opportunity.
If anyone is interested in learning more, feel free to look into the Facebook University Program online or reach out to me directly.
CCD: What was the best thing about the experience? What challenges did you face during your internship?
The best part of my internship experience was definitely the people I got to meet and the relationships I built. Working at Facebook opened doors to a whole new industry I didn’t even know about before coming to college and helped me keep an open-mind about what I want to do in the future.
A challenge I had to overcome during my internship was the feeling of imposter syndrome. When you work for a company with some of the best talent and brightest minds you often second guess how you ended up here (or at least I did.) The pressure to do well could get overwhelming sometimes, but I had a great network of supporters from my recruiter to my manager to other fellow interns, so I never felt alone.
CCD: What was the most memorable moment of your experience?
The most memorable (also stressful) moment of my internship was the day of my final presentation. I was so nervous to present in front of the global team, I wasn’t sure I’d remember everything I wanted to say or how to make it relevant and engaging for everyone attending. That day, my manager sat me down and reminded me I had already done the work, all that was left was telling people about and being proud of what I had accomplished. This was truly a life lesson for me because often times I find sharing my experiences or presenting on something that I have done to be challenging. Remembering that as long as you are prepared and have done your due-diligence, sharing with others is the easy part and arguably the most important part in order for your work to make the most impact possible.
CCD: What advice would you give to another student about making the most of an internship, job, or other career-related experience?
Network!!! I can’t stress this enough. While in your internships, talk to your co-workers and ask them how they ended up in their current positions, what companies they worked at previously, what they studied, and of course what they do now. As an intern, people understand that you are there to learn and are often very willing to take an informational interview or casual coffee chat with you. Being an intern provides you with the unique professional opportunity to ask questions to just about anyone in the company so make the most of it and build long lasting relationships!
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