Class of 2018 Interns: Summer in Review

It seems like just yesterday I was introducing my fellow summer interns. Now, we’re getting ready to conquer the world – and our Fall schedules. Before everyone went back to school, I was lucky enough to catch up with them and reflect on the last 12 weeks. Here’s a look into what we’ve been up to:

Chris: Sales Operations Intern

What I learned: I’ve developed new Salesforce skills and sharpened my Excel skills. 

Piece of Advice: Adapt to change. There’s always a new way to look at things.  

Favorite Five9 Memory: The intern lunch with Rowan, Five9 CEO. He’s such a smart guy; it was cool to pick his brain. 

Lisa: Professional Services Intern

What I learned: I was able to develop a lot of hard skills, like data analyzing, and improved my Excel skills. I gained a lot of communication skills. Most of my team works remotely so the majority of our meetings were held over WebEx. It’s different than face-to-face communication but an equally important skill.  

Piece of Advice: Stay organized and have fun! It’s important to do something that you enjoy. 

Favorite Five9 Memory: The LinkedIn seminar – when LinkedIn came in and taught us how to build our profiles to their full potential. I didn’t know internships offered that type of opportunity. 

Patrick: IT Intern

What I learned: Time is crucial. There’s not enough time in the day to get everything done – plan ahead. Read your email! In school, you don’t always have to – here, you do. Ask for help when you need it. The importance of getting along with coworkers for a productive work environment. 

Piece of Advice: Don’t be afraid to just get in there. I was afraid at first, but getting exposure to as many people in the company is a big deal – especially in IT. You want to have the presence that you’re willing and able to help people. And be patient – you have to learn. 

Favorite Five9 Memory: Just getting to know my team better. At first, I felt nervous – maybe they wondered, who’s this kid? But after working with them, we’ve built a friendship. Having this bond with my team is probably the coolest thing.

Lekya: Cloud Operations Intern

What I Learned: PHP language, web designing, through being a part of bi-weekly meetings with the team I had the opportunity to influence innovative ideas for the production of successful outputs. 

Piece of Advice: Be confident in what you do. Be flexible enough to collaborate with other teams. Always try to learn from the mentors; ask them for more work. Learn new technologies instead of focusing on what you already know – that’s how you grow.

Favorite Five9 Memory: Bocce ball with the IT team, bowling with the interns, lunch with Rowan, and bi-weekly meetings with my manager and team! 

Joe: Financial Planning & Analysis Intern

What I learned: I learned a lot about the structure of corporate finance and the day-to-day reports. In school they don’t teach you the specifics of a company’s finances. But one of the most important things I learned was to deal with ambiguity with confidence. There were times when I said, I don’t know how to do this, but I can this. And I did – that’s how you learn. And lastly, ask questions. Sometimes people fear they’ll come off as incompetent, but that’s not true. Asking questions is how you’ll grow.  

Piece of Advice: Take on as much responsibility as you can. Go for it and ask for more. Experiences like these are what you make of them.

Favorite Five9 Memory: Friday lunches with my team. I didn’t realize how important this was until halfway through. Building relationships and spending time outside of the work setting – it creates a sense of unity and understanding. 

Abby: Human Resources Intern

What I Learned: I've learned a lot about the backend aspect of the recruiting process, specifically what happens behind the scenes with recruiters and the expectations hiring managers set for their potential candidates. The HR team has taught me about the value of creating a good team and maintaining a cohesive dynamic amongst the teams, which already exist within the company. I've gained a better understanding of the value of teamwork and what it means to work well with others to fully achieve your collective goals.

Piece of Advice: Be proactive in learning everything you can about all aspects of your team and what they do. Moreover, be active in reaching out to learn from other teams at Five9 because as an intern, you have the unique opportunity to be in a company where everyone (regardless of their seniority level) is approachable. Everyone is willing to help you find your passion and share their experiences with you, so don't hesitate to reach out.

Favorite Five9 Memory: My favorite onsite memory with Five9 is our day-to-day "dorm" room the TA team created in Janette's office. Hilariously, we went through so many different emotions together working in one office and it was always exhilarating when hiring managers come and go with their different issues regarding their open reqs forcing us to problem solve on the spot.

Hayden: Demand Generation Intern 

What I Learned: I was tested, meaning that I was assigned things I’ve never done before and then was given the freedom to do it. When I had to, I taught myself and I learned I was capable of doing all those things. I learned to use about 20 different software applications. That has been invaluable; they don’t teach that in school. 

Piece of Advice: It might not be the classroom, but it’s still a learning environment. Don’t be afraid – it’s okay to make mistakes. 

Favorite Five9 Memory: All the connections from the team outings. I learned how to network while outside the office and had fun doing it!

Jason: Software Development Intern 

What I Learned: The most valuable thing I learned was persistence – to not just give up after finishing a project.

Piece of Advice: Don’t be afraid to ask for help and make connections with your coworkers. They will probably have encountered most of the problems you will face and can offer help. 

Favorite Five9 Memory: The Five9 Golf Club. I’d like to golf more so this has been a great start. 

Mady: Corporate Marketing Intern 

What I Learned: There was a lot I didn’t know about marketing when I started in June (and I’m still learning every day). Partner and portfolio marketing, demand generation, analyst relations – so much was new to me. Over the summer, I’ve been able to gain insight into these departments and more. Outside of marketing, working in a corporate setting has taught me to better prioritize my time, utilize my resources, and to love Slack. 

Piece of Advice: Interning is a really unique opportunity – especially at Five9. People want to help you learn and succeed. Take the time to sit down with as many of those people as you can. Work hard, ask questions, and have fun! You get out what you put in so make the most of it. 

Favorite Five9 Memory: The time spent with the corporate marketing team – at Yo’s, SoulCycle, or at the office. I made connections and friendships that I was not expecting to find as a result of my internship. And the many intern events- LinkedIn seminar, lunches with Rowan and Scott Welch, and bowling. We all have different interests and backgrounds but cliqued really well.
 

Back to school for some of us, continuing to work at Five9 (part-time and full-time) for the rest of us. You can expect a lot from the Class of 2018 Interns of Five9, just wait and see!