Week 3: Fluff

Officially done with Week 3 of my software engineering internship at Merck! It could be because I’m writing this entry a week later than I was supposed to, or that we had our first PAID DAY OFF on Wednesday, or that I came in super late on Thursday because of my miscalculation on train departures, or that time is just flying, but this week didn’t feel as real. Fluffy, kinda.

I follow a 3–2 hybrid schedule, which means I come into the physical Merck office 3 days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursdays), and work from home on Mondays & Fridays. As I’ve come to learn, although you’re probably doing more work work on the days you’re at home, it kinda just feels like a normal summer day, with a handful of calls sprinkled in. So, I took the liberty of going to NYC on my Monday, working from some small cafés/libraries I found around the city. Good day.

The days that followed went super quick, because we had Wednesday off for Juneteenth, and then kinda celebrated Juneteeth the following Thursday in the office (free food, presentations, the works), and then Friday we’re working from home again. It’s interesting how little of your day you’re actively working (or maybe that’s just me, LOL). Days in the office are littered with routine coworker interactions, exploring different study spaces/cafeteria foods/buildings around the office campus, and eating with someone new every day. But it doesn’t feel any less rewarding, to be going on these “non-work related” adventures, as I’m learning just the same.

That being said, there were some memorable moments I’d like to recount.

First is a Generative AI bootcamp that I was invited to attend by my manager’s manager. Albeit not too involved in the program proceedings, I was able to meet some other interns that help put the event together, and learned more about the line of work they were in. Plus, there was lots of free food, so I consider it time well spent.

I also attended a “Mentor/Mentee Networking Session” later that week, where an assortment of interns & company leaders enjoyed light-hearted, educational conversations, over lunch. I was able to meet another great group of interns (separate from my cohort), learning more about their experiences at Merck thus far. It was pretty challenging for me to insert myself in work-related conversations at this event, especially those that had built some momentum, but I was fortunate enough to also learn more one computer vision project some senior director was in charge of, giving me a taste of what other projects within the IT division entailed.

I also attended my first Employee Business Resource Group (EBRG) event, i.e. a group coffee chat with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) EBRG. It’s juxtaposing that I found the people to be pretty heterogenous; amongst my group of 4, there were women based all over the East Coast, working in completely divergent departments, and all at different stages in life. It was hard to find common ground, but in some sense, that also merited an interesting conversation. I was able to hear from a peer who was 1 of 9 siblings, and another who had been working in Merck’s manufacturing division for over 15 years.

Oh, I should probably mention my project somewhere in here. Yes, there’s been some progress — I finally started writing code! I’ve reached a point where the KT’s are phasing out, and the development is phasing in. I spent a large chunk of my Friday twiddling with APIs and leisurely programming in Visual Studio Code. I felt purposeful. By the end of the week, I was able to put together a preliminary script, a product of pure experimentation.

Alright, roll the end credits. Takeaways:

1. Make a plan in advance for what you intend to get done during the work day.
2. Surround yourself with people that are understanding, compassionate, and driven (shoutout Tanvi, if you’re reading this).
3. If you’re in the office, take advantage of it. Don’t work at your desk all day, go out a bit! explore! take a walk! meet a friend!
4. If you’re not in the office, take advantage of it …