Author: Nathan Parcells

Calling all Hackers: Help Code Some Disney Magic

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

-Walt Disney

What if you could intern at the most magical place in the world? What if you could work at a company filled with some of the world’s most innovative, creative and technical talent? What if you could help bring joy into the lives of millions? Since 1923, The Walt Disney Company has been entertaining people – young and old – from all over the globe! Now, they’re inviting you to become apart of the magic.

Walt Disney is looking for a few extraordinary interns to immediately join their corporate teams in Burbank, Glendale or Seattle.
 Students interested in these paid internship positions should be enthusiastic about the Disney brand, enrolled in college, available year-round and possess a strong technical or analytical background.

What about the perks?

Disney interns may enjoy perks like access to exclusive events, discounted admission to theme parks, sneak previews to new and upcoming attractions, educational training opportunities and the chance to network with Disney leadership.

Learn more about Disney’s company culture and available internships and jobs.

SF Summer Intern Program: The Intern Games Re-Cap

To wrap up the summer in style, we partnered with Salesforce to host the biggest event of its SF Summer Intern Program yet: The Intern Games. Amidst a blend of patriotic Olympic spirit and survival of the fittest in this year’s Hunger Games series, Bay area interns from Google, IBM, Klout, Twitter and more spent the afternoon in Mission Bay Park battling each other in physical and mental games. Eleven districts, 12 stations, and tons of awesome schwag.

Interns had fun looping, relaying, engineering and racing their way to the tug of war finale, which put District 3 on top as the winning team. Congrats, guys! We owe a huge shoutout to Salesforce for being a fantastic partner in creating the perfect event to send off our beloved Bay area interns before they hit the textbooks or head off to full-time jobs. Here’s to an endless San Francisco summer — we’ll see you guys next year!

Check out the rest of our Intern Games photos on our Facebook page.

Africa’s Talking: Interview with Sam Kiiru

Meet Sam Kiiru.  He’s a native of Nairobi, Kenya and a student at Princeton University where he’s pursuing a degree in Computer Science.  He’s interning this summer at Africa’s Talking, an IT company that works to connect Africa’s mobile phone users.  I was able to connect with Sam to ask him about what he’s learned from his summer internship experience.

Will: Welcome! I’m Will Barbour and I’m a Marketing Intern here in San Francisco. We have a very special guest with us today all the way from Nairobi, Kenya thousands of miles away is Sam Kiiru. He’s a Computer Science student at Princeton University and he is interning with a company called Africa’s Talking. So, Sam please tell us a little bit about Africa’s Talking.

Sam: Africa’s Talking is what you would call in Kenya a premium rate service provider. What we do is we interface with mobile service providers in the country and sell what we call premium services, which are essentially bug, sms and variations of that, services like ussb and other services like calling and many other services that involve playing around with any of those three.

Will: Why did you decide to intern there?

Sam: Last year I worked with IBM’s Global Business services. I was working at the Nairobi office that just opened and one of the things I realized is that there was a huge gap between the local development community for platforms to build on. We found that Kenyan developers had really great challenges in terms of infrastructure to build on.

Africa’s Talking has this really interesting concept that the infrastructure of the future, of web development and software development in Africa, is on the mobile phone. I was really interested in following up with my work from last year to this year, and I was also seeking the start-up experience, which I’ve got a lot of.

Will: What have you gained from your experience this summer?

Sam: I’ve learned that you work a lot in startups. I think it’s underrated how much work you have to do at a startup: working from 7 to 11 and not sleeping because you’re afraid something is going to break. That’s really awesome. Second, it’s really nice to see how leadership works in these really close settings. Being in a flat environment is also really nice.

I’ve also learned how when you’re a small company, bigger companies can really let you down. Processes that work on their side can kill you on your side and you need to deliver to your clients. I’ve learned the value of personalized client experiences. Clients are more willing to let something slip by if you’re small and you tell them what’s up every minute. And I’ve met really interesting people. This is just not the most conventional environment to be in.

Will: How has your internship impacted you and the way you look at your future?

Sam: I think my internship has changed the way I view my future in several ways in my life. The first is my relation to business. I think I’ll move more into business than academia. I think there are more real problems to solve there.

Also it’s influenced the choices I’ll make in my academic life. I think I will study Computer Science to enable people in the developing world to develop better software. And this doesn’t mean developing software for the developing world. It means focusing on layers in computer science that really can be leveraged by everyone, like cloud computing and networking. And I also think I’ll change where I settle. I want to settle somewhere with a large population or help my country get a larger population because from my business experience I’ve seen that a small company has a small market, which is a huge problem when you’re trying to build something important.

***This is an installment from the series, Mastering Summer Internships. These articles will show how to make the most of your summer internship experience and be a rockstar intern in your company. 

How to Spark Thrilling Conversations

You may be wondering, “what does starting a conversation have to do with Mastering Summer Internships?” By now, we’ve already discussed the value of networking, but we haven’t yet discussed how networking is something you can do at all times. Have you ever considered that the people waiting in line with you to get a burrito, sitting beside you on the bus, or walking beside you on the street could have the potential to lead you to your next job, teach you about something new, or be the connection that leads to the success of your summer?

We’re constantly within inches of rich gold mines all around us, but we rarely have the courage to start these conversations.  We’re afraid the person beside us will think, This guy’s crazy.  The best way to address this fear is to ask how we react when someone tries to start a conversation with us. Are we annoyed or delightfully surprised? I know I’m usually overjoyed when someone starts a conversation with me. In an environment where everyone seems to have blinders on, it’s like being offered a sip of cool water when someone starts talking to you. Of course, there will occasionally be someone who will give you the cold shoulder, but I bet even they are touched somewhere deep in their heart that’s three sizes too small.

Now that we’ve busted that myth, let’s dig into how you can start a conversation.

1) Ask them for help or advice.

This will make them feel valuable by giving them an opportunity to share their knowledge. Some examples of this are when you’re standing in line wondering what to order at a restaurant, ask the person next to you, “Excuse me. What do you recommend ordering here?” While standing in line for the bus or subway, ask, “Does this bus go to Mission St.? I just wanted to make sure.”  It doesn’t matter if you already knew the answer; your goal in this initial stage is simply to break the wall of silence between you.

2) Start with the basics.

Let them know you’re interested in getting to know them by ask them where they work, for example. You can also mention something they’re wearing. If they have a Boston Red Sox cap on, ask, “Are you a big Red Sox fan?”

3) As I’ve mentioned before, find their passion point.

The best part of a conversation is when you see the light spark in someone’s eyes as they start to tell you about what they love. Their passion point could be their job, their family, or their favorite hobby.

4) Satisfy your curiosity.

Reflect on what you truly want to know about the person you’re talking to. What are they an expert on that you’d like to learn more about?

5) Ask questions that revolve around them.

If they talk 90% of the time, that’s great! Studies prove that people love talking about themselves.

6) Names!

Ask them for their name and offer them a firm handshake. I’ve found that it’s better to ask someone their name once the conversation has been rolling for a while. If you introduce yourself initially, you can then experience a lull in the conversation because there’s no bridge from that topic. Also, once you know someone’s name there’s more of an expectation that you’ll keep in touch.  For tips on remembering people’s names, click here.

7) Enjoy the conversation.

Don’t focus on impressing who you’re talking to. You are your true self when you’re having a good time, so just smile and appreciate the conversation you dove into.

8) Keep connecting with them. 

Add them on Facebook and LinkedIn. Send them a quick message mentioning how much you enjoyed meeting them.

You could meet someone who leads you to your future job or you could meet your new best friend just by starting up a conversation with the person standing right beside you.  Getting in the habit of starting conversations with the people all around you will serve you throughout life, and I guarantee it will make waiting for your burrito much more enjoyable.

SF Summer Intern Program: Berkeley Bound Re-Cap

This past Saturday WayUp went Berkeley Bound as part of its SF Summer Intern Program! Interns from companies across the Bay like Facebook, Cisco and Twitter teamed up to get a taste of the Berkeley lifestyle, from traveling up the Campanile tower at UC Berkeley, to cooling off with $1.00 cones at John’s Ice Cream to climbing the top of Indian Rock and catching a breathtaking view of the city’s natural landscape.

If you missed out on Saturday, keep your eyes peeled on your inbox for upcoming SF Summer Intern Program events! Check out the rest of our Berkeley Bound photos on our Facebook Page.

Write Memorable Thank You Notes: 8 Steps

Have you ever experienced the joy, excitement, and anticipation that stir within you when you gently tear open the top of a letter? There’s something magical about holding that textured paper in your hand, knowing that someone hovered over that same paper writing a message meant to be read only by you. Your co-workers and supervisors will remember you fondly if you give them carefully-written thank you notes. Within these notes will be the last words you say to the people you’ve been working with throughout your summer internship. This article will show you what to say and how to say it in each thank you note you write.

1) Buy small, simple stationery

Make sure the notecards are small because your message will be brief, and you don’t want to only use half the space of the card. Simplicity is the key ingredient to an effective thank you note design. You want your words to shine, and they can’t do that when they’re drowning in the lime green stationery you bought.

2) Write in blue ink

Marc Pitman has found that blue ink makes your letters stand out and remind the reader of its personal touch. This may be because black ink is generic and is associated with type on a computer screen.

3) Plan out each sentence

You can’t backspace what you write, so plan each sentence before jotting anything down. Rushing the process of writing a thank you card is like rushing through building a house of cards; if you’re in a hurry, you’ll make the whole thing crumble. One typo or awkwardly-worded sentence could ruin the whole letter.

4) Use their name

Dear Sally,

Dale Carnegie said that people love to hear their own name. This couldn’t be more true than when you’re personally thanking someone. Use “Dear.” It may sound old-fashioned, but it has a fondness and familiarity to it.

5) Express your appreciation

Thank you for teaching me how to write effectively and contact potential leads through phone calls and emails.

Write in the present tense. Don’t say, “I just wanted to write to say that…” Be straightforward and specific. Highlight certain skills you’re thankful that person taught you.

6) Explain its effectiveness

I know these skills will greatly serve me in my future job in sales. I now understand more than twice as much about sales than I did when I started this internship.

Be honest and don’t exaggerate. It’s better to mention a specific aspect of your summer internship that you appreciated than to write overarching, vague expressions, especially if they aren’t true. You can always mention what you learned, even if you don’t think you’re going to use that knowledge in the future. Make sure you maintain focus on the giver and their generosity. The only time you should you reference yourself is when you’re talking about how you benefited from something they did.

7) Refer to the past and the future

I enjoyed working alongside you this summer, and I hope we’re able to see each other in the near future. I’m looking forward to seeing you in North Carolina when you come for the Internship fair.

Mention certain memorable experiences you shared or qualities you admire, “I’ll always remember the company trip to the baseball game that you organized for us.” or “Your ability to brainstorm and your passion for expanding the company were amazing to see.” As a Community Director Ashley Moseley says, “a little flattery can go a long way.”

8) Thank them again and sign off

Thanks again.

Cheers,
Billy

“Cheers” is slightly formal but is also friendly and alludes to celebration. “Best” is very formal; “Best Wishes” sounds more considerate. “Sincerely” is too generic and “Kind Regards” isn’t much better.

Get in the habit of writing thank you notes. It’s a skill that will serve you throughout your career. People will appreciate these notes and remember you for them if you write them with this outline:

1) Use their name

2) Express your appreciation

3) Explain its effectiveness

4) Refer to the past and future

5) Thank them again and sign off

Thanks again for reading my post!

Cheers,
Will

P.S. It feels good to be thanked, doesn’t it?

The Intern Games

Calling all Bay area interns: Join us for an epic field day full of obstacle courses, mental puzzles, free food and more. Whether you’re heading back to school or taking on a full-time job, end your summer on an awesome note — competing with over 200 interns from companies small and large throughout the area!

Key Details:

Date: Saturday August 4th, 2012
Time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Location: Mission Bay Park SF

Who: Hackers, Hustlers, Marketing Gurus & all Rockstar Interns

To get signed up register below:

* Required



3 Steps to Asking For a Letter of Recommendation

Does the idea of asking for a letter of recommendation make your palms sweat? It really shouldn’t. If you’ve made a strong connection with your supervisor throughout your summer internship, then they’ll be happy and maybe even honored to write a letter of recommendation for you. However, before you ask for this letter, you need to know who you should ask, how you should ask them, and what to offer them afterwards. Here are the steps to doing so.

1) Plan

Choose carefully who you want to ask for a recommendation. Having a superb letter of recommendation instead of a mediocre one could be the difference between landing a job or being rejected. Why do you love working with this person? Why do you respect them and value their opinion?

2) Phrase carefully

Set up a meeting with your manager and after discussing your current assignments and hearing their input, ask them about writing a letter of recommendation for you, but do so with care.  Phrase the question to them so they don’t feel obligated to say yes. For instance, ask, “Have we worked together enough this summer that you think you could write me a strong letter of recommendation?”  This is much better than “Would you please write me a letter of recommendation?”

3) “Thank you!!!”

Regardless of the answer your supervisor gives you, show them how grateful you are for how they’ve helped you grow this summer. Stay tuned for an article set to go live later in the week that will give you more detailed information on how to say thank you in a note and in person.

If your manager has agreed to give you a letter of recommendation:

1) Be specific

Give your supervisor the details of the job you’re applying for. If they know what specifically you’ll be doing as part of the job, they’ll be able to customize their letter to make it appeal to that particular employer.

2) Give them tools

Provide a template for your supervisor. Give them as many tools as you can.  Provide them with a list of bullet points outlining what you’d like the letter to say. Which one of your qualities and skills does this letter need to highlight? Note what you accomplished in the summer, including all projects you created and were a part of. Be as detailed as possible. You don’t have to put words in their mouth; just give them an outline for the full picture of who you are and what you’ve done. Ask what other ways you could make the process easier for them and be willing to help.

3) Check in consistently

Make sure your supervisor is comfortable throughout the process. If ever you sense that they don’t want to write the letter for you, tell them they don’t have to go through with it. If they aren’t enthusiastic about writing you a letter, you don’t want them to do it.  If they aren’t writing with passion, it will only hurt your chances of landing the job.

All the work that you did during your summer internship will pay off as your supervisor praises you in this letter of recommendation. If you have a stellar letter of recommendation in your application, it will be a huge benefit to you.

Want to find out more about National Intern Day and how you can win a cash prize? Head over to nationalinternday.com to get the scoop.

SF Summer Program: Berkeley Bound

The WayUp SF Summer Intern Program is Berkeley bound this Sat. July 14!

Ever wanted to cross the bay and check out how awesome Berkeley is? We know it’s on your must-do list for your summer in SF!

This Saturday from 1 pm – 4 pm, we’re hosting an afternoon exploration of the city, including a tour of the UC Berkeley campus, a taste of downtown food scene (Cheeseboard pizza, anyone?) and a glance into the local college students’ favorite spots.

Did you know UC Berkeley’s Sather Tower is the third tallest bell and clock tower in the world? Or that the university is home to skeletons of both a Tyrannosaurus Rex and Pteranodon? (Not sure which we’re more excited about!)

The tour starts at 1 pm outside of the Downtown Berkeley BART Station. If you haven’t had the chance to visit Berkeley, this is your golden opportunity to see it with other SF interns just like you!

Look Around and Look Ahead This Summer

I remember an upperclassman telling me during my first year of college to “enjoy every minute because graduation is right around the corner.”   When you consider how fast this summer has flown by, you’ll be able to see how the next year or two of college will fly by and all of a sudden you’ll be searching for a full-time job.  Have you reflected on your summer internship experience and considered what you want your future to look like? Analyze your internship while you’re still able to observe your experience rather than waiting until you’re gone and not having anything to reference when you’re searching for a job. Believe it or not, the first few years of working are surprisingly important. Don Peck was quoted in the National Journal saying, “about two-thirds of all lifetime income growth occurs in the first 10 years of a career.”

Look around

Here are some criteria that you can use to analyze your current internship. All your answers to these questions will lead you to discovering what you prefer in a job.

1) Work environment

Is your work space comfortable?
Is it quiet or talkative?
Is there a dress code?

2) Co-workers and Staff

Do you get along well with your coworkers and your manager?
How would you describe the relationships between people at work? Are they friendly, relaxed, stressful, tense, etc.?

3) Working hours

Are you required to come to work at a certain time and leave at a certain time?
Do you jive well with the hours you work in or would you prefer to work at a different time?

One of the best ways to get a deeper look on your job is to ask your co-workers to describe what it’s like to work there full-time. Ask them questions like: “What challenges and joys does this job have?” and “What’s your favorite thing about working here?”
Remember that the most important criteria for a job is that you love it. Is it really worth spending 40 hours a week at a place you hate?

“Never continue in a job you don’t enjoy. If you’re happy in what you’re doing, you’ll like yourself, you’ll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you’ll have more success than you could possibly have imagined.” – Roger Caras

Look ahead

Here are some factors to consider when deciding where you want to work after graduation.

1) Location

Do you want to live in a rural or urban area?
What kind of environment do you want to live in?
Click here for some recommended cities to live in as a recent grad. Click here for more detailed factors to consider when deciding where to live.

2) Plans for the Distant Future

Ask yourself where you want to be in 10 years. What job would help you arrive there? This picture of yourself should include your career goals along with things like whether you want to have a family with children.

3) Purpose

What do you want to accomplish at your work?
What do you want to contribute?
Where do your gifts and the world’s needs meet?

Find what you’re passionate about and pursue it. If you do so, the job will come.  Remember: that the options are endless! Maybe you want to do your own things and become an entrepreneur.

Maybe you want to have an adventure after college or contribute to a community by doing Teach for America, Americorps, or the Peace Corps.

Start looking for your area of destiny, your future career path within your summer internship.  The best way to figure out where you’d most enjoy working is to squeeze all you can out of your experience this summer