Interning at SECU has been a great experience. I have learned so much and gained many skills that I can take with me as I return to campus and think about future career paths. Having the opportunity to intern in Digital Banking was particularly helpful because I took away both technical and business knowledge and skills. One of the biggest things I learned was working using Agile methodology, a modern team software development approach, and this is something that will be very useful to know in the workforce.

Additionally, the projects I worked on taught me many skills like data analysis, user interface/user experience tools, vendor communication, and information/cyber security. As an information science major, I feel like I heard so much about jobs and career paths related to software development. As a result, I didn’t even realize teams like this that blend technical components and knowledge with business communications exist, and now knowing this has helped me realize the vast opportunities available in any field, even when it seems limiting. I’m happy to now have a better understanding of this as I go forward looking for internships and job paths.

My biggest piece of advice for students who will intern in the future is to not limit your work to your specific team/division. Some of my biggest learning experiences were from having conversations or shadowing people in departments different than mine. I was amazed at the level of collaboration between teams in a large institution, and just speaking with people in different departments gave me insight into career paths I can now explore going forward. With that, many of the supervisors or people in your team are eager to share career advice, connections, or their own stories of how they got to their position if you just ask them. Never be afraid to ask questions, and you will surely get more out of your internship experience no matter the field it is in!

Life as an intern has been really fun! The company & other interns have made it a very enjoyable experience. There are 11 other interns in different departments of SECU, but we all work together on 2 big projects that combine aspects of all our departments, which is really neat. By doing this, I’ve not only learned more about SECU departments and how they work together, but also really bonded with the interns. We usually eat lunch together each day and even have gone out to restaurants to celebrate intern’s birthdays.

I’m living and working right outside of Baltimore, so there’s lots of fun things to do nearby like visit the inner harbor and DC! My specific team has been great at making me feel welcomed and included by giving me feedback on my work and inviting me to observe or learn from their projects. My direct supervisor has one-on-one meetings with me each week and it’s really helped me adjust to the company quickly so I can get the most out of my time here!

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!

My name is Brooke Nixon and I am a rising sophomore from Finksburg, Maryland. This summer, I am a Digital Experience intern at SECU Credit Union headquarters located in Linthicum, Maryland. I am a double major in Information Science and Psychology with minors in Spanish and Leadership Studies.  I found my internship on Indeed and applied there.

During my first week, I spent the first 2 days with the team starting to get acclimated with the work environment and planning out projects, and the last 3 days at an onboarding orientation for all new SECU hires. A fun memory from that first week was during orientation when we were put into groups and had to make a 5-7 minute skit to show some of what we learned about SECU to the senior leadership team. My group did a parody skit to The Office complete with a stapler in Jell-O and dressing like the characters that was really fun!

Digital Banking Intern, SECU Credit Union