Terps at Work: Yakeen Jain

When I got the offer I was really excited as I I had never thought I'd get a chance to work in an autonomous car industry. It has now opened up a new career path for me.

How did you find the internship/co-op? What was the interview process like?  I applied for this internship directly on the company website. The interview process had three rounds of technical phone interviews.

What have been the most interesting aspects of your internship?  I think the most interesting and coolest part of my internship was sitting in the futuristic "self-driving" car.  Being an employee, I got the access to ride in the Waymo car in and around Mountain View.  I really believe in making transportation a safer experience and this car will help us get there.

How would you describe the company culture? What was the most helpful thing your supervisor did to make you feel comfortable at the organization?   Waymo was formerly a part of Google and I think there is a tremendous similarity between our culture and Google's.  A few things which I really liked were: open spaces with different work area setups, easy access to the leadership, commuter resources, and a lot of other free perks.

Was there diversity among your colleagues within the department and throughout your internship/co-op experience?  Yes, Waymo had a pretty diverse set of people at all levels of the organization.

Did the internship provide a solid education in professional ethics? If so, how?  Yes, I think it was truly helpful learning about the work ethics at an American company.  Being an international student, it is essential to experience that as it helps us prepare ourselves for a future in an American company.

How have your career or academic goals changed as a result of this internship experience?  When I got the offer I was really excited as I I had never thought I'd get a chance to work in an autonomous car industry.  It has now opened up a new career path for me.

What advice would you give other UMD engineering students seeking an internship or co-op position?  For the international student community: Just hang in there!  Don't take a rejection personally.  You will be surprised at how much you can achieve if you just hang in there.