Reflecting on Three Summers at Salesforce

Meet Samarth Tuli, the three-time Security TPM Intern at Salesforce, hailing from Northern Virginia and studying Computer and Data Science with a minor in Technology Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation at the University of Maryland College Park. With three summers of experience in the Futureforce family, he's a seasoned pro and has some fantastic insights and advice for interns. Get ready to dive into his story, learn from his ups and downs, and discover invaluable tips for thriving in the tech industry—this interview is all about keeping it real and getting inspired!

Q: What kept bringing you back to Salesforce?

A: Salesforce is deeply invested in creating a unique career experience through committed mentors, training opportunities, interacting with stakeholders from different teams, and allowing me to explore different career roles ranging from an SWE Intern to a Technical Program Manager intern. This persuaded me to choose Salesforce as my employer for three consecutive internships.

I have always felt part of an integrated team both as a member of the Futureforce family and Security organization. Through these networks, I built relationships with Salesforce leaders at all levels that advocated for my success and endorsed me. I had access to several unique learning and training opportunities that enriched my knowledge about security, CRM, cloud computing, and key TPM skills. I was challenged and motivated by my managers, trail guides, and team members that inspired me to go above and beyond my assigned projects/goals to achieve the highest success. These factors all motivated me to return to Salesforce each summer.

Q: How has your experience changed every summer?

A: My project responsibilities and the level of leadership I assumed grew during my different internships. In my first internship, I was focused on learning about the secure development life cycle whereas in my second internship, I concentrated on learning about the different programs that fall under Identity & Access Management and foundational TPM skills. In my current internship, I am now leading the development of several TPM deliverables and gaining alignment with stakeholders in the Data Security team programs.

Each summer I had a different Futureforce intern cohort theme, including Keep Learning, Build the Future Together, and Interns with Impact. Each theme was integrated into the intern learning and networking opportunities, VTO events, and the projects I worked on. Furthermore, I interacted with a variety of teams across Salesforce during my different internships ranging from the incident detection and response team to all the Security teams in the IAM and Data Security portfolios.

Q: Why did you ultimately pick Salesforce?

A: Salesforce’s CRM market leadership, unique culture, and investment in employee development are the three main reasons that attracted me to pursue three summer internships and a future full-time career here. The company’s core values and mission to solve client business problems leveraging technology attracted me to Salesforce. Salesforce leaders lead by example and have given me ample opportunities to make a tangible impact to improve the security posture of our clients by working on innovative projects. Additionally, the company’s culture of flexibility, empathy, embracing diversity, and investment in interns, developing them into tomorrow’s leaders, has always intrigued me about each summer’s internship program.

Working here has provided me the opportunity to expand my network with teams all across Salesforce’s Security org including Defensive Security, IAM, Data Security, GRC, and Network Security. The Executive Speaker Series, Impact360 product week, roundtables, Pitch Competition, Demo Days, and hackathons were also events organized by Futureforce that enhanced my experiential learning.

Q: How was the application/interview process?

A: To offer a unique candidate experience unmatched in the industry, the Futureforce program team greatly invests in recruiting top talent, attracting diversity, hosting intern outreach sessions, and a streamlined interview process. Every Salesforce recruiter is dedicated to supporting time in attracting the right talent, initial screenings, interviews, the offer process, and intern onboarding.

My first internship recruiting process as an SWE Intern in the Defensive Security team consisted of a coding challenge, a first-round behavioral interview, and then two technical interviews with my future manager and trail guide. After the first internship, I was invited for a second internship as a Security Technical Program Manager intern in the same Security org. Multiple exploratory behavioral interviews with several TPM directors resulted in my choosing to work with the Identity and Access Management Team. At the end of my second internship, I received a return offer to be a Security TPM Intern in my senior year and work with the Data Security team this summer.

Q: What advice would you give to current or future interns?

A: Teamwork, embracing the Salesforce culture, exemplary performance, solid networking, and charting the course of your dream career role is what I would recommend to both current and future interns. Ask your manager and trail guide meaningful questions about your project requirements, feedback on your current performance, learning opportunities, and areas you need guidance on during your weekly check-ins. You should also do this with your recruiter during your midpoint and final evaluation checkpoints. Demonstrate ownership of your projects and deliverables, invest in your experiential learning, and have a growth mindset and passion for solving business problems by leveraging technology.

Network within and outside your team and learn the business and the different career roles within Salesforce. Learn about Salesforce’s portfolio and solution offerings, client account teams and their marketing strategy, and how solutions are put together to solve business problems. Take the Salesforce training and certifications on Trailhead to enhance your skills. Build strong connections with leaders that will advocate for you and provide feedback to maximize the success of your deliverables and Demo Day presentations. Additionally, networking with other interns and participating in Futureforce events will expand your peer & client relationships.