A Summer Internship from Home
Despite the unusual circumstances created by a global pandemic, DraftKings was thrilled to virtually welcome twenty-four interns from twenty-one different universities across the country this past summer. These interns had the opportunity to work in various departments, including Analytics, Business Planning, Engineering, Legal, and Marketing. While working remotely from all around the United States, our interns were immersed in a ten-week summer program that challenged them to grow personally and professionally. While integrated into their various teams, interns took ownership of independent projects, met with assigned team “buddies,” and attended virtual events. After their internships, interns walked away with a valuable learning experience and a deeper understanding of working at DraftKings.
Over ten weeks, interns were each assigned a project designed to add value to the business. While interns received a large amount of work autonomy with their projects, they also had resources within their teams available for guidance. To assist with project work, interns collaborated with their managers to set project goals and received feedback throughout their project. Additionally, interns worked with their assigned buddies to answer questions about daily tasks. Buddies also offered advice about navigating professional challenges and growth opportunities. After spending the summer working on their respective projects, interns had the opportunity to present what they had accomplished during their time at DraftKings in front of their peers and leadership. Each intern was given ten minutes to highlight the business value they added, the challenges they faced, and the takeaways from their internship experience. Overall, the interns did a great job presenting their work, as evidenced by the 180 DraftKings employees viewing the intern showcase presentations. Below are a few examples of projects presented during the ‘Intern Showcase’:
While unable to be physically present in the office, interns had the opportunity to attend virtual events throughout the summer. Events ranged from weekly professional development trainings and Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging sessions, to coffee chats and game nights. During professional development sessions, interns learned about different business areas from company leaders to gain a greater holistic understanding of DraftKings. During Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging sessions, interns learned about DraftKings’ ongoing inclusion efforts and how they can be allies in the workplace.
While DraftKings would ordinarily plan a summer outing for interns, the campus team had to get creative within a virtual setting this year. While unable to meet each other and socialize in-person, interns had the opportunity to interact with one another through weekly coffee chats, social media contests, and game nights. During coffee chats, interns were paired up with other interns and encouraged to chat about their respective projects and exchange advice. Intern game nights also proved a fan favorite, with interns being encouraged to get to know each other in an informal setting and compete in games such as Jeopardy to show off their DraftKings knowledge and battle for DraftKings swag.
Despite the challenges of a virtual internship, the intern class was extraordinarily resourceful and made the most out of their summer! We wish our interns the best of luck as they return to school this fall!
If you are interested in interning at DraftKings during the summer of 2021, please reach out to either Amanda Westphal (awestphal@draftkings.com) or Corey Allen (coallen@draftkings.com). We are currently recruiting for entry-level Software Engineers, Software Engineering Co-ops, and Software Engineering interns.
Contributed by Amanda Westphal, Corey Allen, and Dagny Belak
