Sushant is the grand prize winner of Summer 2016’s #UMBCintern contest! To see his entries and all of the other wonderful submissions, check out the hashtag on Twitter.

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Name: Sushant Athley

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Videology Group Inc.

Position Title: Software Developer Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Computer Science Master’s

Expected Graduation Year: June 2017

Briefly describe your internship, co-op,  or research opportunity, including your day-to-day tasks, responsibilities, and assignments.

I joined the team at Videology as a Software Developer Intern. Videology is a converged advertising technology company. My daily activities involved working in a geographically distributed team, consisting of engineers in Minsk (Belarus), Baltimore, Reston, and Austin to build new features into their core advertising platform. My team had around 7-8 developers.

Describe the process of obtaining your internship, research, or co-op opportunity.

I first heard about Videology from a friend of a friend who had interned there last summer. I got excited after hearing about the people and culture and the work that was being done at Videology. I immediately looked up the recruiting HR person on LinkedIn and shot them a personalized email describing how I would make a good fit at the organization. They promptly agreed to schedule a telephonic screening but I insisted that I would prefer to come down in person to their offices and meet the team in person. I underwent around 4-5 rounds of interviews which were primarily technical. After a few days I got a call back that they would be extending an offer.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization/company?

As an intern I enjoyed the flexibility that Videology afforded me to work on various different teams and projects during my internship. Everyone was very helpful and forthcoming in aiding me understand the nuances of the business and answer any and all of my questions.

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I brought in a fresh perspective on how software development was being done in the Engineering division at Videology. After having worked in a handful of smaller teams in the past, I could offer a unique perspective around how we could move faster without compromising on quality or cutting corners.

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?

My advice would be to utilize your alumni contacts when it comes to applying for any kind of job. Also before applying, you should be sure that the work being done there aligns with your strengths and future roadmap.

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