An Intern's Perspective -- Part 3: That's A Wrap

[Nicolette Lee (Nicolette Lee)]

Q: What are some ‘Life Hacks’ you’d like to share with other interns?

Life Hack No. 1: Be open to criticism. Your coworkers have a lot to teach if you are willing to listen. Don’t take criticism as something negative, but rather view it as feedback that is essential for growth.

Life Hack No. 2: Always work hard. You peers will notice and will be more excited to recommend you in the future. A solid work ethic will lead to success. This is true in all aspects of life not just at work.

Life Hack No. 3: Take on every opportunity. You never know what you will love unless you try everything. Plus, taking on many different opportunities will only lead to more experience and knowledge. Everyone knows that knowledge is power.

Life Hack No. 4: Network. One of the best skills in life is knowing how to talk to people and make those important connections. Connect with the people you meet on LinkedIn as well.

Life Hack No. 5: Manage up. Don’t be afraid to work with your manager to adjust your schedule, change your workload, or inquire about an opportunity. Managers are there to work WITH you and help you achieve success.

Q: How has our culture influenced your job search? Ie. Flexwork, video

Polycom’s culture has validated my desire to work for a company that understands flexibility in the workplace. I have always been fascinated by the Remote Year program and aspire to travel the world. I love that Polycom supports employees who have this desire to travel and gives them the tools they need to work from anywhere. My job search checklist will definitely include this flexibility and freedom in the workplace.

Q: After spending nearly two months with Polycom, did your perception on future of work alter? How/why?

My perception of the future of work has been significantly expanded. Prior to my research, I had only considered the future of work as a concept of the future and did not look at it in terms of where we are now. The future of work is here. Although it will continue to evolve, there is evidence that the future of work is impacting the way we work currently. People are adapting to change and collaborating in new ways in today’s workplace. I cannot wait to see where this future of work takes us.

Q: Do you feel like you’ve had the support necessary to do a great job? What resources should companies provide interns to ensure success? Is there anything we should have done differently to support you?

My team is incredible. They are always willing to lend me a helping hand and give me feedback when needed. They help me learn and challenge me to do my best work. In my opinion, my team did everything in their power to support me and to help me have the best experience possible. Companies should always provide a mentor to interns to ensure success. Someone who can give direction and help interns meet their career goals is very important. Often times new interns do not know what to expect when entering the corporate world for the first time. Having a mentor to put them on the right path and to help them learn from their mistakes is crucial to ensuring success. Polycom gave me amazing managers that I could work with, ask questions, and learn from. I wouldn’t change a thing!

Q: Are there any things you learned or experiences in particular from your time at Polycom that you think will be valuable for your future career?

Resilience: I recently attended a Panel discussion hosted by the Women of Polycom. This conversation gave me an interesting perspective on being resilient in the face of change. I think I will carry this message with me and demonstrate resilience throughout my future career. “Resilience is used to describe leaders.”—Amy Barzdukas

Global experience: I was able to connect instantly using video and get updates from team members in APAC and EMEA. As an aspiring traveler, I loved getting to work with our team members in other regions of the world. I think that there is a lot you can learn by working with people from around the world. Having global experience helps you appreciate cultural differences and understand a little more about the people that you encounter.

Confidence: The Polycom internship program allows you to build confidence in your abilities to attribute to a team, produce quality work, and to try new things. Before joining Polycom last summer I was not as confident as I am now. I know that through working with my corporate colleagues and working on various projects I have gained confidence in myself. I now know that I have something to offer in a Marketing organization and that I am well on my way to being successful in business.