A Week In the Life of a Software Engineering Intern

Weeks 3–5: “… figuring out semi-hacky ways of getting around roadblocks is just part of the fun.”

Weeks 3 & 4

These two weeks have been a transitional period where I began taking on more responsibilities as I got used to Zillow’s stack. I also began working on my summer project, which I will be showcasing at the end of the summer! My project will have a significant impact at Zillow and millions of users will be able to see my work so it was important that I met with team members to go over the full design scheme of what I will be working on.

The first part of starting up my project was learning more about the infrastructure. I soon realized that sometimes you may be limited in what you can do, but figuring out semi-hacky ways of getting around roadblocks is just part of the fun.

Week 5

This week, my focus shifted on to creating a Spring API for my project. This was a very entertaining and productive week for me so I feel like I reached a major milestone in my project.

Another fun outing also happened this week! We were treated to a beach trip and I got to play spike ball for the first time. Being able to just chill with my fellow co-workers has been a great way for me to get immersed in the culture at Zillow. I was also really lucky in that Spencer Rascoff, CEO of Zillow, took an hour of his time to chat with the interns. I have to say, I am liking my time here more and more!

… and in case you’re wondering what Spike Ball is: