1. My cubicle at work (taken on one of the first days before I had a chance to add too much to it!). You can also see some of the writing on the whiteboard walls behind it.
2. Class picture from new hire orientation. This was a 3 day orientation that all interns and any other new hires in SECU went to.
3. A couple of the other interns and I during a leadership call.
4. Picture of the headquarters where I work.
Interning at SECU has been an interesting and fast-paced experience. While a typical day can vary vastly, there are some parts that remain similar. I get to work around 7:45-8 each morning and leave around 4:30 each afternoon. I work in headquarters in the digital suite where the digital banking/experience team is housed.
At 9, our team of 6 has a quick “stand-up” meeting, where we go around and share what we accomplished the day before, and what we are hoping to accomplish that day, as well as track our work and progress on major projects. After that, my day is split between doing work for the digital team, and a group internship project with some of the other interns.
For the digital team, I do a lot of research and data analysis of digital banking/user experience aspects to compile reports on new or alternative options SECU can implement into their digital strategy. For example, one project I will be working on today is pulling data to compile a report on what self-serving option (chatbot, live chat, email, etc.) could be added to SECU’s websites/apps.
The intern group project is with 5 other interns (there’s 12 of us total) and we are responsible for creating a presentation on improving member experience at SECU in general, and we will eventually present to the senior leadership at the internship’s conclusion. Outside of that, I shadow in meetings or listen on calls, and attend leadership speaker series with the other interns a few times a week.
The workplace culture here is collaborative and creative, and everyone is very friendly. In my division specifically, we have a modernized environment with things like white board walls that people brainstorm on. The work my team does requires a lot of communication and flexibility, as a lot of our major projects can have unexpected issues that need to be fixed quickly in conjunction with outside vendors to ensure member data is secure, and their digital experience is not negatively impacted.
I have used a number of things from my computer science and leadership classes to understand and analyze data and app design, as well as team collaboration and communication in group projects. This internship has pushed me to learn more about data analytics and tech industries, and the collaboration of them with financial institutions. I am grateful for the opportunity to be learning new skills and looking forward to the rest of the summer!
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