Coming Full Circle: A Lifelong Ohana
The 3 Reasons Why I Keep Coming Back to Intern at Salesforce
By: Elena F.
This is my third summer at Salesforce. Yes, THIRD! And there’s three main reasons why I keep returning. My internships here have not been consecutive, but once you join the ohana, coming back feels like you’re coming home. Each summer has been in a different department, with a different team, with a different manager. I’ve learned a lot along the way, met so many inspiring people, and have had a blast doing so.

1. The Experiences & The Learning Opportunities
During my first summer at Salesforce I was the youngest intern. I had just finished my first year of college and I was wide-eyed and excited. I didn’t think at 18 years old I would have the opportunity to meet this many influential leaders, make friends from across the country, and leave an impact in just twelve weeks.
I got a lot of autonomy. I got to be the strategist. I got to be an influencer. My manager believed in my ideas and she let me run with them. I didn’t just stick to the plan, I got to craft additional projects and goals for myself during my first summer.

Not only did I accomplish several projects, I got to work on a series of really essential skills. I did several presentations to my team, my manager, and even to executives. I got to sit in on many meetings and collaborate with different groups. I got to be a point person on projects, take initiative, and give several business pitches. This boosted my collaboration, public speaking, and other professional skills. I got to take an idea and see it through to execution. A lot of people can have really good ideas, but that does not mean they know how to fully execute them.
In all three of my summers here, I got to participate in the Lunch and Learn series. Executives across the company take an hour out of their day to give a talk to the interns, answer some Q&A and enjoy lunch. Some of these lunch and learns have been as small as 5 interns to 1 executive and others have been large sessions open to the entire intern class.
Hearing these executives talk about their journeys taught me several valuable lessons that I carry with me. One of the most important things I learned here at Salesforce was that you have to be a lifelong learner. Things keep changing and evolving and to stay competitive, you have to constantly be learning new things. You learn the most from the people around you.
2. The People & The Mentorship
Salesforce has quality people. It’s not just about their degrees or translatable skills, it’s about their passion and authenticity. I have made good friends in my internships and we all still keep in touch. I have been fortunate enough to have managers and mentors at Salesforce that care about me as a person. They have championed me and advocated for me and that’s the type of people you need to surround yourself with.

You do become one ohana. The people around you matter. They are the ones that challenge you; they are the ones who listen, care, and help you develop and grow. If it had not been for my first manager, I may not have met my second and third managers. They care about your personal growth, not just the work you’re doing for their teams. And with a company like Salesforce, you need to grow as the company grows.
3. The Growth & The Company’s Impact
What company has over 26,000 employees and still feels like a start up? (This is not a trick question.) I want to be at a place that has an upward trajectory where growing, expanding, and innovating are constantly on everyone’s mind. There’s no end point. It’s just constantly go-go-go!
Salesforce is constantly growing and evolving. When I first interned here we probably had around 150 interns globally, now we have over 500! There’s no stopping that kind of momentum.

There is no denying that the culture here is infectious. The aloha spirit is evidenced through our volunteering events and our pro-bono work. Everyone is encouraged to give back their time, skills, talents, and resources. We have a leader (many leaders in fact) that do not only believe Salesforce will impact the enterprise business space, but it will impact society, politics, the economy, and people around the world. Whether this has been through our fight against legislation in Indiana around the LGBTQ community, our efforts around equal pay, or our 1–1–1 model for Salesforce.org, this is a company that deeply cares and is active in the causes that are important to its employees and its customers.
As someone who truly believes in the value, importance, and duty of service, I could not have asked for a better company to work at. When you can wake up in the morning and feel proud of where you work, the people you work with, and the impact your company is making on the planet…well, that’s just a really rewarding feeling and you know you’re in the right place.
