If you're reading this, there's a good chance you are already familiar with our team blog, and maybe you have even read our popular 'Intern's Intern-view' blog post. Before joining Nota myself, I remember reading over it many times, eager to acquaint myself with the company. I'm now one month into my job in the People and Culture team, and slowly but surely, starting to find my feet.
Today I spoke with Hyunjae Kim, who was an intern in the Intelligent Transportation Team (ITS) team, and Seohyun Kim, who was and intern in the People and Culture team. We created this session as a follow-up to our 'Intern-view', to see what life is like for our interns after their internships are over. We hope you can learn from their experiences, and pick up some valuable tips should you ever find yourself in a similar position.
Hello Hyunjae and Seohyun, thank you for sitting down with me today!
Could you tell us a little about what you were doing during your internship, and what you are doing now? 🙂
Hyunjae: Hello, nice to meet you! I'm Hyunjae, formerly an ML engineer intern in the ITS team. During my time as an intern, I helped to develop deep learning models and gained valuable experience in data-related pipelines and deployment processes. Recently, I returned to school, where I am studying computing and technology to pursue a more concrete career path.
Seohyun: Hi I'm Seohyun Kim, and I used to be an intern with the People and Culture team. I was actually the first person to be interviewed for an 'intern-view', so it is nice to be welcomed back as an 'out-tern'. During my internship I assisted with recruitment, and today I work for a new company where my responsibilities have expanded to include onboarding, new employee training and planning internal company events.
I, the writer, should briefly introduce myself too. I'm Yejin, and I'm currently an intern in the People and Culture team, just like Seohyun was. I've been with the team for one month now, and this content was actually devised with me in mind, no pressure...!
When I thought about writing something for the team blog, I asked myself, “What's the most interesting and useful idea to me right now?' , and I landed on the concept of speaking to 'out-terns'. I was eager to learn from those who came before me, and that's how today's interview was born. Let's get into it. 🧐
Looking back
Hyunjae, looking back on your internship,
could you share some of your experiences, specifically what, if anything, did it change about you?
Hyunjae: First of all, some of my most enduring memories are the many opportunities and positive feedback I received from my colleagues. Though I was only an intern, I felt like a fully fledged member of the team. Through the practical experience I had, I was able to decide if this line of work suited me, and learn what skills were most important for the role. I was able to visualize the career I wanted, which led me back to school for further studies.
Furthermore, I learned that when you are working for Nota, there are no silly questions. What I mean to say, is that my colleagues helped me and provided answers to all of my questions, no matter how trivial they might have seemed at the time. It helped me to understand the company and connect with my coworkers, and I still appreciate their efforts to this day.
The more people are able to communicate with one another, the more trust and synergy is built between them. The team members were so kind and welcoming to me that I was able to adapt to the company ethos quickly. This even extended to the internal Slack channel, where I would often overuse emojis to hide my embarrassment when I asked yet another question...(laughs)
Seohyun, you worked in recruitment during your internship, and in your current company, you are working to improve company organization and cohesion. Is there a reason you chose to work in roles that are more related to 'people'?
Seohyun: I'm a firm believer in the notion that the company chooses the applicant, and the applicant chooses the company. With this in mind, I wanted to help improve the Nota hiring experience during my internship. A better hiring experience will lead to a better company culture, which will help develop Nota into a more inclusive and mature company.
As an extension of this idea, I became interested in branding, internal education and organizational culture planning at my new company. While at Nota, I primarily communicated with applicants, but in my current role, I am focused on improving company cohesion by working with new members during their onboarding process, helping them to acclimatize.
Today, I think about the best ways to have teams pulling together in the same direction, improving cohesion and understanding is my ultimate goal. To achieve this, an environment of openness and understanding is necessary, and this is what I enjoy creating the most. My internship at Nota was my first step towards realizing this.
What do you think? Both responses give a lot of food for thought. In my current internship, I find the most value in my work through collaboration, both with my colleagues, and applicants at the start of their journey. When an applicant visits our office, I start to get butterflies in my stomach, remembering how it was for me, and hoping that it goes as well for them as it did for me. Isn't that why something like a People and Culture team exists? To be there for people, helping them in their journey, whatever stage they might be at.
The First Day
All three of us have something in common, our internship with Nota was our first ever internship.
Do you have any thoughts or advice for newbies who may one day find themselves in the same position?
Seohyun: Don't worry about it! “This too shall pass...”.
Could you elaborate?
Seohyun: Sure. It isn't easy going into a company as a new intern, you might be nervous, and you might even begin to doubt yourself, but you don't have to worry. If you approach it with passion and positivity, work life can even magically become fun (laughs).
If I have one regret from my internship, it would be that I didn't open up as much as I should have. I sometimes had ideas or proposals, but was too reticent and shy to offer them. So now, when I have something I want to say or do, I don't hesitate.
How about you, Hyunjae, what would you like to add?
Hyunjae: I'd like to echo what Seohyun said. Don't be afraid! If you have something to say, or a question to ask, do it! As an intern, there will be many things you don't know and are curious about. Whether it be related to daily life or work, the more you ask and open up, the more fulfilling and rewarding your Nota life will become. The best advice I can give is to jump in with both feet, ask questions, engage in conversations, and above all, don't be shy!
Wrapping up, do you have any more words of encouragement or advice for those who are considering an internship with Nota?
Seohyun: Go for it! I learned so much in my time as a Nota intern, every day was something new. Nota has an open and welcoming working atmosphere, friendly, helpful colleagues and the chance to learn more about the industry and yourself. From my own experience, it really is the ideal place for an internship.
Hyunjae: I agree with Seohyun. During my internship, I had so many outstanding people around me, and I was able to grow so much in such a short period of time. Looking back now, I have to laugh at the nerves and concerns I had beforehand.
After I received this interview request, I tried to find the most memorable photo from my internship. As you can see, it is a portrait of myself that my colleagues drew. We all took turns drawing different parts of each other, and this is one of the results. We had a lot of fun working on the portraits, but the most important takeaway for me was the realization of the importance of working together. If you, or anyone you know, is considering an internship, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. You will gain so much valuable experience while having a lot of fun with the great team at Nota.
.
.
I can only echo what Seohyun and Hyunjae have said. Though I am still in the middle of my own internship, I can speak to their positive experiences. I feel like I am being intellectually stimulated and learning something new every day. No experience is wasted, everything can be a learning experience with the right mindset, and this is how I am approaching my life as an intern.
A mere few months ago, I was just someone looking for a new opportunity when I happened to come across the Nota team blog. Fast-forward to today, and I am in the middle of an exciting and rewarding internship. With the remainder of my time, I hope to write and communicate with more prospective Nota interns, providing help, guidance and insight as best I can. For all the interns past, present and future, I will do my best!