My virtual internship at Google

Name: Pedro Castro

Hometown: Miami, Florida (Born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador)

Major: Management Information Systems & Data Analytics

Where did you intern? What did you do there? From May to August 2020, I worked virtually at Google as a gTech Global Customer Care intern as part of the Building Opportunities for Leadership and Development (BOLD) Internship Program.

How did you get your internship? Last year I was able to participate in a four-day program focused on skill development and exposure to the tech industry and Google’s culture. Following that, I applied to the BOLD Internship, had a long interview process and finally got the offer!  

What projects did you work on? My responsibilities included managing customer inquiries by e-mail, implementing creative ways to improve our customer relationships and increase business growth by optimizing our advertisers’ Google Ads campaigns. In addition to my core role, I spent 20 percent of my time working on a project with the main goal of optimizing a Search Performance Ads Report for our Global Team.

How did your internship connect back to your coursework? Something I really liked about the internship is that I was able to use my entrepreneurial drive, expert systems/product knowledge and problem-solving skills learned during school, which enabled me to learn everything faster during trainings and give amazing results.

How was your experience working on a virtual environment? It was definitely challenging but better than expected! Working from home is not easy, especially with all distractions we have, but you need to put effort and be able to focus. I had to plan my days and made sure that I followed all events calendars. I blocked time for personal core work, networking events, projects (time management was key for me). It is very hard at the beginning, but once you set up your hours and follow your calendar you should be able to adapt and deliver great results!

What was the coolest thing about your internship or that happened during your internship? I was able to meet people like Susan Wojcicki (CEO of Youtube) and also have 1:1 with directors, and VPs of the company. So much great advice from successful leaders!

What did you like most about your experience? The people. As previously mentioned, I was able to connect with VPs, directors, Googlers, interns and I can’t explain how interesting each person was. I tried learning something from each person, and I am happy that I was able to connect with so many great people from all over the world!

What did you learn about yourself? I learned that there is nothing better than being yourself. I learned that I am unique, and also created the following personal statement: “I focus on solutions while using my clear communication and motivation skills to listen to others, work together and get effective results.”

How did the position increase your professional confidence? I noticed that I am capable of doing anything. I also learned to never be afraid of asking questions and learned that if you focus and prioritize your work, you will be able to deliver great results!

How did you expand your professional network? I was able to meet 10+ Googlers a week working from all over the world and different positions. One day I was able to connect with more than 35 Googlers!  

How did it help you prove yourself in the “real-world?” I noticed that I am capable of doing anything I can. I also learned to never be afraid of asking questions and learned that if you focus and prioritize your work, you will be able to deliver great results!

What advice do you have for those beginning the internship process? Start early, explore (diversify), be flexible and always do your best! Also please reach out to me if you ever need internship guidance or any question you have! I would be more than happy to help.