High marks: School’s out but real-world learning is in for these students

For college students, National Intern Day is a time to reflect on what they have learned and accomplished during their summer internships. For companies, it's an occasion to recognize the dedication and hard work that students have contributed to their chosen fields.

While businesses provide students with real hands-on work experience and networking opportunities, students provide fresh perspectives and an eagerness to learn industry knowledge. Internships create meaningful relationships for both students and companies, rooted in driving innovation forward to pave the way for future leaders.

Though National Intern Day is recognized in the U.S. on the last Thursday in July, we’re committed to celebrating all our global interns. At Kyndryl, our interns are active collaborators in projects across fields such as data science, corporate affairs, information technology, marketing and finance.

Here, six Kyndryl interns share their experiences and how it has helped jumpstart their career journey.

What is the most valuable thing you learned during your internship in CIO?

I have learned that creating a successful social media campaign involves many moving parts. As a result, it’s crucial to continuously adapt and evolve with the changing dynamics.

How will this internship help jumpstart you career?

This internship provided me with valuable hands-on experience and practical skills in my field. It has also allowed me to build a professional network and gain insights into industry practices, which will be beneficial for my career growth.

What is the most valuable thing you learned during your internship in data science?

My most significant learning experience has been more personal than technical. I realized the importance of always giving your best effort in everything you do. The effort you put in and your attempts strongly impact how far you will go.

How will this internship help jumpstart your career?

Kyndryl has positively and permanently impacted my career trajectory. I gained hands-on experience with technical work, learned a lot through available resources that led to multiple certifications and received valuable developmental feedback from mentors. This experience has not only prepared me for the working world but has also made me a highly competitive and well-rounded candidate.

How will this internship help jumpstart your career?

This internship has broadened my perspective on diverse marketing disciplines like solutions marketing and account-based marketing, which goes beyond what I learned in my general marketing classes at college. Shadowing the field marketing team has helped me to be continuously curious about the inner workings of tech and marketing, from strategy to execution.

What are your career goals in the IT field?

My goal is to become deeply involved in the strategic, solutions and alliances aspects of marketing IT, where I can create an impact within the organization and beyond. I aim to lead by example and empower others, just as I have been inspired by the incredible leaders at Kyndryl this summer.

How will this internship help jumpstart your career?

This opportunity will jumpstart my career by enabling me to thoroughly learn the fundamentals of computer networking, helping me progress toward becoming an expert in the field.

What is the most valuable thing you learned during your internship in cybersecurity?

I learned how modern IT infrastructure works. Understanding the dynamics of the cloud environment is a crucial skill for working in this industry.

Describe a project you worked on during your internship.

I contributed to the development and presentation of a long-cycle analytics solution. The solution aims to aid safety officers in making informed decisions about what industrial workers such as firefighters should do based on long-term exposure to toxic chemicals. We are helping to test the current asset and to create a client demo for go-to-market.

What are your career goals in the IT field?

I want to remain technical in my early career and slowly transition to more business-oriented roles. I found many of the questions I asked during meetings leaned toward understanding how solutions can improve business processes, recommendations to improve products and how businesses function.

What’s one piece of advice for anyone considering an internship?

A Kyndryl executive told me to “be a sponge,” meaning be eager and ready to learn and engage with anything and anyone that interests you, beyond your role. This advice has helped me connect with people I want to work with and the projects I want to work on.

Describe a project you worked on during your internship.

I've been fascinated by my project on water stewardship and biodiversity. I didn't expect sustainability to be so important for tech companies globally.