By: Jordan Strobing, Software Engineer Intern – Fidelity LEAP Program
Being a part of Fidelity’s Internship Program has been a wonderful experience over the past couple months. From day one, I have experienced endless amounts of support, a flexible schedule, and a tech project that has allowed me to use my existing skills while growing knowledge in new areas.
As someone who had no experience prior to this internship, the company, and my team have done a great job making me feel comfortable and confident in my new role as a Software Engineer Intern. During orientation my first week, I learned many things about Fidelity as a company and how the internship program worked. We had a “hybrid” schedule, which gave me the perfect balance by allowing me to choose which days I wanted to work on-site and those I would work remote. I really enjoyed my time in the office, especially during Intern Connect Weeks, which were held a few times during the summer, interns were encouraged to come into the office so they could attend various events the company held specifically for us. I worked at the Smithfield, RI campus, which was filled with amenities including an on-site fitness facility, expansive walking trails, a beautiful indoor/outdoor cafeteria space, complimentary snacks and much more. Interns were given a designated workspace to promote networking as a community.
After gaining a better understanding of where I worked, I was introduced to who I would be working with, my team. I was placed in the Legal, Risk, and Compliance business unit as part of the Supervision and Surveillance team. The culture on the team was fantastic! Everyone I interacted with, from senior level leaders to full-time associates, always encouraged me to speak up and ask questions. If they couldn’t help, they directed me to someone who could – these resources throughout the company are endless. As the summer continues on, I have been able to collaborate in-person making learning and building relationships across the team much easier. Working alongside each of my team members, has given me a great perspective on how to be an engineer in a professional environment.
As a Software Engineer Intern, I was tasked with recreating an outdated system application using a modern set of technologies. This required me to learn a heap of new technologies that I had no experience with. I was very excited to get started, as learning new technologies is something I really enjoy. The team set me up with tons of resources and multiple points of contact to leverage as needed. They wanted to make sure I had everything I needed to be as productive as possible. I was also lucky enough to have a manager that consistently supported me. After working on this project, I have learned several technologies, a new programming language, and was able to work with large collections of data, automate processes and build a user interface for the application. All of this allowed for me to take away the knowledge of how software is built at a granular level.
Overall, I’ve greatly enjoyed my experience interning at Fidelity this summer. From the efforts that everyone put in to ensure that I was and continue to be successful, the abundance of great people that I got to meet in such a short time, and the thoughtful and impactful work I was assigned to, was exactly what I was looking for in my internship search. Fidelity’s Internship Program has equipped me with experience, a new network of professionals, and skills to ensure I become a successful Software Engineer in the future.
