The BostonHacks Intern Life COVID-19 Edition: Alex Doval, Microsoft New Technologists Intern

Hello there! Please introduce yourself, your role at BostonHacks, and where you interned this summer.

Hello! My name is Alex Doval. I am from Miami, Florida (305 till I die) and I am a junior in CAS studying computer science. Currently at BostonHacks, I am part of the sponsorship team (best team ever!). This summer, I interned at Microsoft as part of their New Technologist Program where me and my team created an app prototype called Dive that focuses on connecting people with their culture.

What was the application process like and how did you prepare for the interview?

Shockingly, the New Technologist Program did not have any interviews for its applicants. The first round was your resume and a video describing yourself. Then for the 2nd and last round, each applicant was given a series of questions to write an essay for each. One of these questions was a technical question. Microsoft usually gives you a week to do these questions. I would say to make sure you set time aside to do them and have friends help proofread them.

What are some tips you have for those who would like to intern for New Technologists in regards to the application or interview process?

For these questions, I recommend that you focus on showing off who you are as a person and your goals. The New Technologists program’s goal isn’t to find the most qualified students for the jobs, but the students with the most potential! Be sure of each essay, to show off a unique quality about yourself. Additionally, for the technical question they ask you, write all the possible approaches you took to solve the problem (even brute force!) and explain which is the best approach. This question is aimed to understand your thought process.

What is it like to work remotely for New Technologists?

It was a rewarding experience working remotely. Even though my team and I were scattered throughout the country, we were still able to become close and form a friendship that will last a lifetime. I recommend organizing virtual events with your team outside of work such as board game night.

Additionally, Microsoft Staff helps out with accommodating to the remote setting. They sent us all laptops and if we needed it, they would send WiFi routers. They also organized virtual events for us to understand how Microsoft works and the possible careers they provide.

What does an average day look like for you and what are some of your responsibilities?

First thing I do in the morning is to check in with my team to go over our goals for our project. Then, we divide the work among us. I usually was paired with doing front-end for the app. So, I usually created new pages for our app using Typescript and React. I would work on the pages for 3 or 4 hours. Then, I check in with my supervisor to receive feedback on the work I created. I would then spend the rest of the day applying the feedback they gave me to my work.

What are some of the perks of interning for New Technologists?

You get a lot of cool Microsoft gear (additionally a pair of Bose headphones). Lol, but most importantly, Microsoft connects you to their network. You’re given two coaches (one engineer and one program manager) to help you develop your product. You’re also given your own mentor. What’s really amazing is that these mentors can connect with you with other Microsoft employees who are working in fields you’re interested in. For example, I was interested in video game development and my mentor connected me with someone who worked on the Sims!

How did interning for New Technologists help you grow personally and/or professionally?

The New Technologists Program really helped me accept failure. Before the internship, I was scared to do new exciting things over the fear of failure. This program helped me realize that failure is actually how you learn. Because of this, during the internship, I played with new approaches and innovative ideas thanks to Microsoft’s mentorship.

Do you have any advice for those who would like to intern for New Technologists or any advice about interning remotely?

My advice for anyone applying to the New Technologists and to any internship in general is shoot your shot because you never know what could happen. A year ago, I was considering switching to business, because I couldn’t land a job in tech. Now, I completed my New Technologist internship and I am returning next year to Microsoft as a software engineer intern. Additionally and most importantly, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. Don’t ever think to yourself that you are not qualified for an internship or you can’t do it. If you believe you can do it, I promise you that you will achieve great things. If you ever doubt yourself, just remember that the first step to success is always started within.

Any final thoughts?

Thank you so much for the Interview! And to anyone that read this, you are amazing! Shoutout to BostonHacks for being the best club and hackathon. And Mega Shoutout to Xavier for being the goat.