The goal of any internship is to prepare a student for a full-time job. We had the opportunity to speak with Numann Cheema, Associate Test Automation Engineer; Katy Uchiyama, Associate Automation Engineer; and Elina Chhabra, Developer, about how their Billtrust Summer Internship Program experiences led them to becoming full-time employees.
Why did you choose to continue working with Billtrust after your internship?
Katy: The company culture was a huge decision factor for me. The fact that I began as a fully remote intern, and was still able to witness company values in action, made me think that if people ever did get back to the office, my positive experience would become even more positive!
Numaan: My manager was a living embodiment of Billtrust’s company values, and he had a huge impact on me. Another factor for me was the flexibility. The company had no problem with me being fully remote, which showed me that they cared about my comfort.
Elina: For me, the tipping point of my decision was the welcoming culture. Everyone I worked with was very supportive, and I got the opportunity to work on projects that made an actual difference for our customers. It was very clear to me that Billtrust cared about their employees, technologies and customers.
How did your internship with Billtrust prepare you for your full-time role?
Katy: While the work I do now is different, my internship with Billtrust gave me experience within a typical development team structure. My internship also allowed me to get comfortable with corporate life.
Numaan: I learned how to collaborate with a diverse team. In college, everyone’s ability on a project team was similar. That’s different from the corporate world where teams consist of people of different skill sets and experience levels. I also learned how to ask for help and collaborate with my team members, strengthening my own skills and the team as a whole.
Elina: As a student, I was on my own schedule, working until 2:00 a.m. if I had to. My internship helped me learn how to stay organized and focused within a timeblock of work which was something I had never done before.
What advice can you give to prospective interns?
Katy: It is normal to feel intimidated, but remember that you are not a bother. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Also, if you are interested in other areas of the company, reach out to other teams. In my experience, any Billtrust team was happy to include me in meetings to gain experience in their field. All I had to do was ask!
Numaan: I have never encountered a single person at Billtrust who did not take time out of their day to answer one of my questions. Managers are always willing to chat and provide tips if you just ask them. Also, an internship is supposed to be challenging. If you feel as though your assigned work is too basic, don’t be afraid to ask your supervisor for more challenging assignments.
Elina: It is natural to be overwhelmed initially. You will hear words and acronyms that you have never heard before, but in no time you will adapt and become a person who uses those acronyms and Billtrust-specific words. Take notes during meetings, ask questions, and ask follow-up questions because help is all around. If you succeed, the team will succeed.
What was your transition to full-time like?
Katy: It was seamless! I made it clear from the beginning of my time at Billtrust that I would love to become a full-timer, and the Talent team helped me through the process of finding a perfect-match position. Billtrust’s warm culture made it easy for me to feel welcome as I moved from the team I interned with to the team I work with now.
Numaan: I still had a year of school after my internship with Billtrust, so I was not expecting a full-time offer. This being said, at the end of my internship, I did not want to abandon the work I was immersed in. After communicating this to my manager, he offered me a part-time position through the rest of my schooling and told me we would reevaluate after graduation. This motivated me to stick with Billtrust.
Elina: I was super happy to get an offer from Billtrust. I loved what I was doing, the teams were so supportive, and the technology used was the latest one. So the moment I got the offer, I knew I didn’t have to explore anything else. Since the internship represented the reality of a full-time position, coming back full time was not a big hurdle, and I perfectly fit in the mold of a developer even though I had joined a totally new team and started working on a totally new technology.