Internships are learning experiences, but they’re also (usually) full-time jobs. And whether you’re a marketer or an engineer or a recruiter-in-the-making, you’re not just there to learn about your field. You’re there to practice it.
And at WW—the rebranded, newly tech-focused company once known as Weight Watchers—interns aren’t making any coffee runs. Under the guidance of mentors and expert managers, they’re working on projects that have a real impact on the WW product.
But don’t take our word for it. Hear it from the interns themselves. Here are five ways WW interns have seriously impacted the company—and their careers—for good.
1. Creating An Accessibility Lab To Open Their Product To Even More People
Leah wants to make the world more accessible—and her summer internship at WW gave her the opportunity to do just that. As a member of the WW Accessibility team, Leah was able to work on a proposal for a game-changing project: a dedicated Accessible Innovations Lab.
The project, at first, seemed a little daunting.
“This was my first time creating a proposal, but my manager provided invaluable mentorship and guidance throughout the process,” Leah said.
The lab would be a space where product and tech people could come to test their various designs and theories with accessibility devices to determine compatibility and optimize for accessibility. Beyond the benefits to the WW community members, Leah was able to learn some important foundational skills.
“We approached this problem in the same way that Product Managers do,” Leah said. “After speaking to numerous experts within WW, I was able to use the RICE prioritization model, create a viable product roadmap, classify our project’s MVPs (minimum viable products), KPIs (key performance indicators), and use them to plan for future iterations.”
2. Building Three New Features In An ‘Agile’ Environment
Srineetha worked as a Product Management intern on the Studio Tech team. They manage the WW app with millions of users around the globe.
“I had an amazing learning experience with a steep learning curve where I learned about everything from requirements gathering and UI/UX design to engineering and QA in an agile environment,” she said.
Agile is a method of tech product development employed by some of the world’s most lauded tech companies. Learning to be a Product Manager in an Agile environment makes Srineetha a competitive applicant for future roles at WW and beyond. And all that learning wasn’t taking place in a classroom setting, either.
“My manager was extremely supportive and gave me the freedom to lead the process, which I’m grateful for as I’m a strong believer in learning by doing,” Srineetha explained. “One highlight of my internship was deciphering the B2B side of the studio business by talking to stakeholders from across the world.”
3. Learning A New Programming Language And Working On The Android App
Swetha spent her summer internship working on the Android development team as a Software Engineering intern.
“I even had the opportunity to learn a new language called Kotlin during my very first task,” Swetha says. “My team was very supportive, which allowed me to make important contributions.”
Her professional development wasn’t just confined to technical skills either. Through networking events and Lunch ‘n Learns, Swetha was able to interact with and learn from various C-suite executives like the CEO, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Technology Officer. She and the other interns also participated in mock interview sessions to hone their skills for the post-grad job hunt.
“As a young female engineer in tech, I’ve found WW to be an inspiring work environment to be in,” Swetha said. “I’m confident that the skills and experience I’ve gained will help me find success after graduation.”
4. Contributing To The Codebase Of A Multibillion-Dollar Company
“One thing that separates WW from other companies is that we have a chance to contribute to the codebase of the company,” said Songren, a former AI Full Stack Software Engineering Intern.
A codebase is the selection of source code that serves as the foundation of a company’s tech product. And as a multibillion-dollar wellness technology company, contributing to the codebase isn’t a task they take lightly.
“Interns are not treated differently. Instead, we work closely with full-time employees,” he added.
Over the course of his internship, Songren was able to work alongside industry experts in the fields of AI and engineering—and the code he worked on became a part of that foundational codebase. How’s that for making a mark?
5. Improving The User Experience, By Talking To Actual Users
“This summer, I worked with the Experience Research team to conduct qualitative research by interviewing WW members,” another former WW intern, Ashten, said. “It’s been really rewarding to hear how WW has changed the lives of so many individuals.”
Even more so than that, Ashten gathered invaluable user experience data that she later had the challenge of compiling into actionable, impactful recommendations.
“Learning more about members’ needs through these interviews helps the Product and Tech teams design tools for wellness that really work,” Ashten said.
This hunt for valuable user data also provided her with a wealth of interesting and educative experiences.
“One of the highlights of my summer was attending studio workshops in the Bay Area,” Ashten says. “Although I arrived with the intention of simply recruiting members for research opportunities, I left feeling inspired by the community, the coaches, and the experience of seeing WW’s mission in action.”
Want to get inspired—and inspire others? Check out internship opportunities at WW on WayUp!
