My experience from the Citi WIT Internship
When I was younger, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. It was one of those jobs that was heavily talked about. However once I turned 12, I realized that human science is not a field that I would like to have as a career. When I heard of computer science the thought of a person in a tiny cubicle working long hours with nothing but a laptop is what used to cross my mind and I assumed engineering was just repairing machines. I was frustrated not knowing what I wanted to do with my future so I started trying out different courses in middle school to find something that interested me and Principles of Information Technology sparked an interest towards technology and changed a few of my thoughts regarding computer science and engineering. I chose the STEM endorsement in my school to further pursue my interest though I was still hesitant about a career in tech.
Those were my thoughts before I entered the Women in IT (WIT) Citi internship. Though the WIT internship changed everything. I realized that working with tech doesn’t necessarily mean working with only a laptop, it means interacting with many new and interesting people, solving different problems, being vocal and so much more. I got to hear from so many different people who worked at Citi and told us why they like working with tech. I also got to hear from college interns who gave some really good tips for college and shared some of their personal experiences. I learned how an employee at citi fulfilled her desire to be more hands-on by getting to see the results of her code appear with one click. I also learned about Java, Angular, Agile and frameworks. And one major thought that stuck with me is that the technology field is filled with people with so many different backgrounds. I heard from people who were dancers, had a biomedical degree, who were into woodwork. I realized that it’s not impossible to work in tech and have side hobbies as well. Another major aspect of WIT internship that I liked is getting to talk and interact with amazing and talented girls not only from Dallas but also Jacksonville. It was so fun to solve the brain teasers with them. I also got to learn about personal finance thanks to Duy and Michelle which really helped me to get a good insight into how I will be managing my money in the future.
Personally I’m so glad I did this internship. It had a huge impact on me. Even with Coronavirus as a huge challenge, Duy and Michelle made this internship a huge success. Thanks to this internship my interest in technology has grown so much and I have built a good network of amazing people as well. I would recommend the citi WIT internship to every girl as it will not only teach you different things but also help you understand what it really means to work in tech.
-Apurva Betgar