A great career in tech begins with a single step – or internship! Over the past few years, ByteDance has welcomed hundreds of talented interns, and is always on the lookout for more. We spoke with Verren Pramita and Jiaxiang Yu to learn more about their experiences interning at the Singapore office, and what's great about interning with ByteDance.
Why did you choose an internship at ByteDance? What is your role here?
Why did you choose an internship at ByteDance? What is your role here?
Verren: My friends who already worked at ByteDance always said good things about the internship program. I also witnessed more and more talented engineers going to ByteDance over the years, and within a short period of time it became one of the most popular and desirable tech companies to work for. I interned at ByteDance as Big Data Engineer because of all the learning opportunities it offers.
Jiaxiang: I am the Backend Engineer Intern for Data Platform. I chose the internship because of my interest in distributed systems and databases. Moreover, my team offered a great environment to explore, learn and apply my knowledge to real projects.
Tell us about the work you do.
Tell us about the work you do.
Verren: As a Big Data Engineer Intern, I help develop and maintain big data infrastructure and warehouses. My main responsibility is to ensure that data flows in a timely and reliable manner to the business users.
Jiaxiang: My team is building a database management system for online analytical processing. When the size of the data being analyzed is huge, it can take a very long time. This is where we can come in – helping enterprises speed up their analysis and decision-making process. My primary work is designing and implementing features that meet the needs of the clients, as well as improving their user experience.
What do you enjoy most in your work?
What do you enjoy most in your work?
Verren: It is not boring! Different projects have different requirements, and planning a unique technical design for them can be fun.
Jiaxiang: The most enjoyable part is the reviews. It is common to have different ideas or discuss various options. Members of the team are encouraged to discuss and share their views on what design we should proceed with. During this process, I learned about the importance of articulation. It's not only important to be brave enough to challenge a proposal, but to explain with logic and evidence why an alternative is better.
What's the most valuable thing you've learned during your time as a ByteDance intern?
What's the most valuable thing you've learned during your time as a ByteDance intern?
Verren: Other than the necessary technical skills, being involved in the research of pipeline development has given me the ability to make sense of the tech tools I've used in my previous internships. For example, I've learned why companies in certain industries use certain tools over alternatives. It definitely gives me knowledge beyond what I learned in school.
Jiaxiang: To seek truth and be pragmatic, which is one of ByteDance's core values. I was really fortunate to meet my mentor and learn that I should try to get to the bottom of an issue, rather than having a temporary fix that can hide the problem. Where possible, it is important to dive deep into the relevant information. During my bootcamp project, for example, I had a question about Redis i/o multiplexing. Instead of simply explaining the mechanism on a high level, my mentor walked me through the actual code implementation and deepened my understanding. It was a great lesson and I really appreciated it.
What are your favorite things about the culture here?
What are your favorite things about the culture here?
Verren: The people I work with here are probably the smartest people I have ever met! At the same time, they are so humble that I don't feel embarrassed or nervous about asking questions. I like how my teammates always strive for an environment that encourages learning.
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in interning at ByteDance?
What advice would you give to someone who is interested in interning at ByteDance?
Jiaxiang: Apply for a six-month internship if there is an opportunity, since three months is too short! Kidding. If you have any questions about your application, the friendly campus recruitment team is available to assist. You can also approach your friends, seniors or your connections on LinkedIn and ask what they do and how they feel about working at ByteDance.
If you're eager to challenge yourself and make your inspiration infinite, a ByteDance internship is for you! Apply to openings on our career site and make sure to follow ByteDance on LinkedIn for the latest updates.
If you're eager to challenge yourself and make your inspiration infinite, a ByteDance internship is for you! Apply to openings on our career site and make sure to follow ByteDance on LinkedIn for the latest updates.
