Meet Enova’s 2020 Summer Interns
This is the third of a three part series where we explore our 2020 summer internship program. In Part One, we share how we made the decision to move our internship virtual and how we adapted it so it could be successful while remote. In Part Two, we delved into the intricacies of adapting the internship program for a remote setting. In Part Three, we’ll dive into feedback from some of our interns on their overall experience.
(Fun fact: Enova had a 75% full time job offer acceptance rate from its 2020 intern class!)
Curious to learn more about all of our 2020 interns and their projects? Check out our Enova U website!
Meet Oliver Li, Strategy and Operations Intern and Rising Senior from University of Michigan
Why did you initially want to join Enova for the summer?
“I initially wanted to join Enova for the summer to try out a more business-facing role. I’ve had more technical experiences in the past but felt disconnected from the projects. I didn’t feel like I was able to bring my own recommendations or thoughts to the forefront of discussion. Thus, the Strategy & Operations role seemed like a great fit for me!”
We shifted to an entirely virtual program for the internship this summer. What was your favorite aspect?
‘My favorite aspect was being able to meet so many people. I honestly thought it was easier to meet more people than I might have in the office because scheduling 30 minute 1-on-1’s on calendars was so simple, quick, and easy.”
What are your big takeaways from your summer with Enova?
“My biggest takeaway for the summer is that I’m able to solve problems without knowing everything. There were a lot of times where I felt uncomfortable not knowing the full picture, but in business you have to move fast and make educated decisions based on what information is available.”
Meet Brea Beals, Analytics Intern and graduate student from University of Chicago
Why did you initially want to join Enova for the summer?
“I originally wanted to work at Enova because it seemed like a great place to develop my skills as a data scientist and work on a real-world-project that could add value to a business. Enova seemed like a workplace that would challenge me while also providing the support I needed to grow as a professional.”
When we told you we were moving to a remote format, what were your initial reactions or thoughts about the change?
“Honestly, I was a bit disappointed at first. Everyone I had met in my interview process seemed really nice and the work environment at Enova seemed really fun. But in my first week, it became very clear that everyone at Enova was dedicated to supporting me and giving me as much of a “normal” experience as possible.”
How did your manager and team communicate with and support you?
“My manager and I checked in every day to make sure I was supported and help me with anything I was struggling with. I also had amazing support from my entire team. They were always there to answer any questions I had and point me in the right direction.”
Meet Henri Hegemier, Software Engineering intern and Rising Senior from Denison University
When we told you we were moving to a remote format, what were your initial reactions or thoughts about the change?
“I was unsure how the social aspect of the experience would work, but I think that Enova handled it really well and I got to know plenty of awesome team members! I also thought transitioning the software engineering two week training to a remote format went very smoothly.”
How did your manager and team communicate with and support you?
“My manager, Alison, met with my intern team each morning. She was always available and super happy to help when we had questions. Our team decided early on that we would do most of our work together in a Google Meet session, and that really helped us communicate and stay on top of things during the internship. Alison’s code reviews were also very helpful for us!”
We shifted to an entirely virtual program for the internship this summer. What was your favorite aspect?
“I really enjoyed every aspect of the program, but the two things that stuck out to me were the weekly intern hangouts on Fridays as well as being able to work on a real product and getting an authentic experience as a software engineer. Despite being virtual I felt like I was able to both make an impact and get to know the other interns and team members.”
What are your big takeaways from your summer with Enova?
“With the right support and communication, many of the things that I anticipated being difficult as an intern – such as getting acquainted with a large existing codebase or learning two new programming languages – were almost flawless. That’s something that I will for sure keep in mind.”