InnoCaption

Engineer Intern

September - December 2021 • Irvine, CA

What I liked

There were many things about this internship that I really liked. First of all, I really enjoyed the team environment. Going into this internship I really felt intimidated and inexperienced, but the rest of the engineering team were very encouraging and helpful. They were very patient and understanding with all of the mistakes I made or concepts that I did not understand and it really made my learning experience there comfortable and enjoyable. Not only that, but the rest of the team was very welcoming and also seemed to share a genuine passion in the work we did. During lunches or social events, I never felt like I was excluded or ignored and I will forever cherish those moments I've had with this team. As a learning opportunity, this internship was an amazing experience. As stated earlier, the engineering team was extremely supportive and patient with me as I became more and more acclimated to working in a professional environment. I also believe that working for a small startup like InnoCaption had many benefits compared to larger companies. With a smaller company, I felt like it was easier to ask for help and get genuinely useful advice or solutions. Also because the team was so small, I felt like the projects I worked on throughout this internship had actual impact within the company. This internship really challenged me and forced me to learn many things out of my comfort zone, which I really appreciate.

What I wish was different

The two big issues I had with my experience was my location and schedule. Because I lived close to an hour away from Irvine, I had to spend most of my internship remote. I also did not prepare to take an internship while also being a full-time student, which combined with my lack of time-management skills, heavily impacted both my grades and sleep schedule. However, these issues come from both my living situation and a lack of preparation, which has nothing to do with the internship itself.

Advice

Although you shouldn't be afraid to ask questions, make sure to Google your problem and do your own research beforehand. Also, when asking questions, explain the failed approaches in solving the problem, so that the person helping you doesn't waste their time by doing those same things again.

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Engineer Intern

June - September 2021 • Irvine, CA

What I liked

Interning at InnoCaption was an amazing experience. Everyone was super passionate about helping the deaf/hard of hearing community and it bleeds through in all their work. What I liked the most was that the stereotypical company hierarchy doesn't really exist--I had lunch with the CFO, the Director of Marketing, and the Director of Regulatory Affairs pretty much every week--because the company is so small. It didn't feel cold or stale at all, and it was a very good company culture.