Navigating the Professional Landscape: Reflections on My Esri Internship Journey
Internship season is a stressful time for any undergraduate. Having to conduct school while putting time aside to research companies and go through interview processes can seem daunting. The pressure does not end there; having to spend all summer feeling like you are under a microscope or one long 12-week interview makes you think you have no room to fail and grow.
During my time as an undergraduate, I had quite a few internships under my belt before I started applying to Esri. However, I had yet to feel the gap between academics and the professional world had been bridged. Internships are essential in developing and shaping young professionals. However, I felt the pressure to know how the professional world works and do well, which left me feeling like I could have gotten more out of my previous internships.
Doing my undergraduate studies at the University of Redlands, Esri was a company I had heard about since my first year. By my junior year, I knew Esri was where I wanted to start my career. Because of this, I was excited to apply for the internship but also very nervous, as this was very important to me. After applying for the Esri summer internship, I went through three rounds of interviews and was given the fantastic news that I got accepted! Going into the internship, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to do well and stand out; however, I had no idea what the summer would have in store.
Esri Internship Experience
At first, Esri can feel very overwhelmed. Not only is it one of the top technology companies in the world, but the internship program is filled with super bright thinkers (Image sitting next to students from UCLA and MIT)!
When you are at an impactful company like Esri, you feel you must be the smartest in the room, or the imposter syndrome comes flooding in. This was the biggest misconception I had to overcome. I remember Leslie, our Program Specialist for Early Careers, ending onboarding with Esri president Jack Dangermond's famous quote, "Don't be interesting, be interested." That's when I decided that I wanted this summer to challenge me. Even if I didn't end up at Esri, I wanted to learn and grow as much as possible and leave with a better sense of myself and where I fit into the world of GIS.
Esri takes the time to invest in its interns by offering opportunities to learn and grow through projects and events that I have never seen with any other company. The interns could attend seminars like What's Next Wednesday and Tech Tuesday daily and even got to attend this year's UC Conference for a day!
2023 Esri User Conference
Each department gives their interns a capstone project pertaining to the position's scope of work, which the interns get to showcase at the end of the summer. My capstone project was configuring elements for the project manager hub site, which was my first exposure to HTML coding. Not only did we get a capstone we also got the opportunity to participate in Esri's 8th annual Hackathon. My group Heatwave Hackers created an accessibility focused app that creates safe routing for exploration and community. Our group made it to the finals and got the amazing opportunity to present our app on the Esri stage in front of all the Esri Employees!
My Hackathon group: Heatwave Hackers
You can check out our app curb-cut here & the PM hub here.
Each intern also got a mentor to help them navigate their time as Esri. My mentor, Whitney Elmer, went above and beyond to put time aside to teach me workflows, check up on me, and make sure I was mentally doing okay. Having her support helped me to blossom over the summer.
This framework solidified my reasons for being at Esri, which fueled me with even more passion to get out of my comfort zone and learn as much as possible—taking the time to not only ask critical questions but to listen and apply what my colleague was saying helped me be successful during my internship. Dropping the mindset I came in led me to cultivate strong self-discipline because I was not afraid of failing anymore, as I knew it would lead to growth.
Esri's Collaborative and Dynamic Environment
Esri does a fantastic job at creating a dynamic and collaborative environment that allows students to feel comfortable getting out of their comfort zones and getting involved. This environment helped me cultivate my GIS and professional skills, which I will carry throughout my career. The encouragement from my team to get involved with things outside my comfort zone, like the hackathon and department projects, really challenged me and helped me gain so much knowledge.
Esri can create this environment by having an organizational structure that is teams of teams. This structure allows for open communication among teams and encourages collaboration. Regular team meetings and communication tools like Microsoft Teams made it easy for me to ask my colleagues questions about workflows and career advice. The inclusive decision-making when it came to making decisions allowed me to feel comfortable speaking up in meetings and forced me to think through a problem-solving lens. Having cross-functional collaboration created a dynamic environment of problem-solving and learning.
The amazing thing was I did not even realize how the work environment was helping to develop me into a young professional.
Esri gives you all the tools to be successful; it is up to the interns to decide how to use them. I appreciated this because it allowed me to figure out what workflows work best for me instead of conforming to just the workflow for my role. This framework allowed room for more creative thinking, meaningful work, and a better understanding of where I could be most impactful in this field. The internship felt like something other than a 12-week interview but a safe space to learn and grow. My mindset and framework shifted so much over the summer because I got exposed to real-world challenges, diverse perspectives, and the practical application of my academic knowledge.
First Day of Esri Internship
Key Elements That Helped Me Be Successful During My Internship
Things that I believe helped me thrive during my internship and get the most out of Esri's experience was
- I embraced a learning mindset by getting involved with the Esri community and putting myself in situations (Like the Hackathon) out of my comfort zone.
- I have the self-discipline to go out of my way to network, ask critical questions, get involved in projects outside my scope of work, and shadow departments to better understand workflows.
- I was seeking constructive feedback from colleagues to better my workflow and thinking framework.
- I was building Networks with people across all different departments to stay informed about industry trends, advancements, and best practices and exchange resources, information, and skills with others. And I honed my communication and interpersonal skills while building a support system of like-minded thinkers.
- Having a good attitude and mindset while being open to learning and trying new things.
Opening the Door to a Full Time Position at Esri
The Esri Internship was unlike any I had ever encountered. Not only did I finish the summer with a better understanding of myself and where I fit into the world of GIS, but I also yearned to better the industry. At the end of the summer, when my manager asked if I wanted to interview for full-time, I was no longer afraid; I had grown confidence in myself and what I could bring to Esri and was excited for what the future would hold.
My internship experience was a transformative journey that significantly contributed to my academic and professional development. I have had the fantastic opportunity to work alongside experienced professionals who generously share their knowledge and expertise. The mentorship I received has shaped my perspective and guided me toward effective decision-making.
In conclusion, the Esri internship has been a pivotal chapter in my career that has equipped me with the tools needed to thrive in the ever-evolving field of GIS. I am thrilled to announce that I have been offered and have accepted a full-time position in professional services with Esri! I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the Esri internship program, not only career-wise but also in my thinking. I carry these experiences and skills into all my future endeavors and am confident that the lessons learned during this internship will have a lasting impact on my career.
Learn about Esri Student Programs here.
Presenting at the YPN Redlands Chapter meetup about my project during my Esri internship.