Tech Internships @ Hudl
With the height of career fair season, we’re reflecting on all the excitement we get to share with the tech students who might join us for the summer. But how do we explain in a 5-minute meeting why interning at Hudl is different than any other internship? How do we make them feel like they’re part of the family in that short amount of time?
I recently sat down with members of our engineering team, many of whom interned at Hudl before joining us full-time, to explore why they chose Hudl and dive deeper into our internship experience.
We Give Our Interns Real Responsibilities
“ I wasn’t working on an intern project. I wasn’t given “intern-sized” tasks. I was given tasks they would give to an entry-level full-time person. They trusted me to do the same work they would trust a full-time hire to do. People invest themselves in making sure our interns have a good experience while they’re here. It’s only three months, but we want our interns to acclimate.” — Jordan Degner, Engineering Manager, UNL — Raikes 2014
“You’re embedded on one of our normal teams, pushing out code almost right away that will be used. A lot of interns release features or fixes for our users within a week or two. An internship with Hudl is the same as being a full-time employee at Hudl. You get to learn all the technical components as well as the soft skills to be a well-rounded employee. You have a lot of opportunities to contribute, and we encourage you to speak up in meetings.” — Rees Klintworth, Engineer II, UNL — Raikes 2016
“Something I really valued as an intern was that my voice was heard and valued. I had just as much input on technical direction and what we were prioritizing then as I have as a full-time developer now.” — Ashlyn Lee, Engineer II, UNL — Raikes 2017
We Trust Them
“ This is my first job outside of school and we are trusted to do our jobs well. People aren’t looking over your shoulder. You’re expected to contribute and you’re expected to be fully present. It makes you much more versatile.” Jordan Degner
“The level of autonomy that is given here is incredible. I can track tickets and user interviews. I have access to every code repository. You have access to make changes and you’re trusted to do that. There are no arbitrary walls that prevent you from doing what you need to do. We hire people we trust to do the work and make the changes.” Paul Poulsen, Engineering Team Lead, UNL — Raikes 2015
We Help Them Grow
“The most obvious ways I’ve grown have been through my technical skills. My confidence has been boosted a lot — particularly with women in the industry, it’s a lot more common to have imposter syndrome. I have been able to see the work I do every day impact the business. I make an impact on how we do business and get that feedback from my managers and peers. We’re close-knit and we get involved. It shows me that I can actually make it in this field and be good at it.” Ashlyn Lee
“Hudl puts a large emphasis on soft skills when growing its engineers. We have distinct metrics, and about three-fifths have little to do with hard skills (like programming). It’s more about collaborating, communication and mentorship.” Paul Poulsen
We Solve Real Problems
“ You don’t have to know a lot about sports to have a good time here. I didn’t know the rules of football or basketball when I started working on those products, and that work has been the most fun I’ve had at Hudl. Some companies are laser-focused on trying to get people to click a button and buy something. Hudl is solving unique, interesting and challenging problems for coaches.” Matt Munger, Engineering Manager, UNL — Raikes 2012
We’re the Best Place to Intern
“There are a few things that Hudl does really really well. We care about our values more than anyone I’ve ever talked to. Our values aren’t just things we put on the wall and never talk about again. I find myself talking about them every day. We recognize people for exemplifying those values, and our ‘We’re a Family’ value extends to our users. I’m not just coding in a black box. I have the opportunity to talk with users … something I’ve been able to do since I was an intern. I understand what the designers are doing and why, as well as what’s important.” — Ashlyn Lee
“The big thing I learned about myself after interning for both startups and larger established companies was that I wanted to make an impact. I didn’t get that at the bigger companies. You own a tiny sliver, but tracing your impact is very difficult to do — especially in a role straight out of school. Those factors led me to choose Hudl, a company that was a little bit smaller and a startup at the time. There were several times while I was a student at Raikes that people from Hudl would come and talk about the company. I was in the camp of ‘I’m not a huge sports fan,’ but after I understood how much of an impact I’d have on the product, I knew this would be a great option. For me it still holds true. You can come in and immediately make an impact. It’s a crowdsourced effort at the team level that still puts a lot of power in your hands as a team member.” — Matt Munger
Parting Advice to Anyone Interested (Especially Freshmen)
“Explore your passion. Software is such a big field, learn what you can outside of classes. If you have time to work on other projects, do it. Beyond that, don’t ever think you’re too young to have have an internship.” — Rees Klintworth.
“Focus less on particular technology and more on how software is built. We really value people who can contribute to the whole process. How well you work with teams and practice empathy are almost more important than how well you know JavaScript. Those things are easy to learn, but being a good teammate is critical.” — Jordan Degner
“Try to answer the questions you don’t have answers to. What does it look like to work at a big company? What does it look like to work at a small company? It’s about understanding how companies work so you can figure out what you like and what you don’t like. That was a huge help for me: figuring out how companies value their employees.” — Matt Munger
Whether you’re a freshman looking for your first internship, or a senior looking for post-grad opportunities, we hope you find a company that aligns with your core values and the way you work best!
If you’re interested in joining the Hudl family, we’re hiring!
