An unforgettable design internship experience at Thumbtack
If I could sum up my internship experience at Thumbtack in just one word, it’d be “growth.” Is it a coincidence that I’m on the growth team? Maybe. But lucky for me, I don’t have to sum it up in one word. So let me tell you more about it.
Joining Thumbtack
Graduation was approaching, and I was determined to land an opportunity that would allow me to advocate for users through human-centered content. I stumbled upon the listing at Thumbtack and was intrigued by their mission, collaborative and inclusive culture, and distinctive designs. Without a doubt, I knew I needed to be a part of it — and indeed, I was.
With open arms and welcome packets prepped and ready to go, the design team was just as excited as I was for my internship. My main focus was to improve my craft and expand my knowledge and expertise in content design. Little did I know that my internship would provide me with several opportunities to take charge and be a leader.
Impact | Making it count
During my first week, I shared with the content design team that I was interested in DEI initiatives and possibly teaching one day. Within less than a week, my mentor, Katie Anne, asked me if I wanted to join and lead our team through a self-guided accessibility course through UX Content Collective. This was when I realized that Thumbtack cultivates growth by listening to what their employees are passionate about and providing them with the opportunities to grow in that area.
At first, the thought of leading a team as an intern (and introvert) sounded overwhelming, but I knew I was capable since my mentor provided me with the opportunity. I was happy to take the lead but quite shocked by the level of trust and ownership. I was in charge of how our team would get through this course together. Learning about how we can make our product more accessible to our customers and pros here at Thumbtack has been extremely valuable — and fun! Everyone is very supportive and engaged, allowing me to feel a sense of belonging and like I’m truly making an impact.
Speaking of making an impact, I also had the chance to lead a core project on Thumbtack’s member referral program. I wasn’t expecting to work on such a high-impact project, let alone lead one. I worked closely with a product design intern to bring our redesign vision to life. Throughout the entire process, I drove the content decisions and made the project uniquely ours. The level of ownership I had over the project allowed me to feel more confident in my work and capabilities.
Not only was I entrusted with leadership opportunities, but I was also asked to take part in something important to me. During my interview, I mentioned that I was drawn to Thumbtack because their design team met with youth from underrepresented communities to discuss design as a career as part of their DEI initiatives. As someone who grew up in an underrepresented low-income community, these initiatives matter to me.
Fast forward to the end of my internship, my mentor asked me if I wanted to participate in a Women in Design discussion to share my POV as a young woman from an underrepresented community. I was amazed that she remembered. It feels amazing to be a part of a company that acknowledges my background and encourages me to take part in conversations that matter to me.
My takeaways and learnings
My time here has been an adventure — one filled with opportunities to grow as a designer, become a leader, advocate for users, and even craft tweets for Thumbtack’s design Twitter account. And oh! I can’t forget about the constant usage of quirky and clever puns like TACKtern and TACKronyms. These puns may or may not now be a part of my vocab.
The people and the culture are so positive and empowering. It’s contagious, and I wouldn’t have felt as confident and capable as I did if it wasn’t for the collaborative, inclusive, and supportive culture.
And after chatting with fellow design interns, it turns out I’m not the only one who feels strongly about Thumbtack’s culture. Here’s what they had to say:
Karlia Brown (She/her), Market Research Intern
Was your internship experience anything like what you thought it would be like?
Because it was remote, I was expecting more of a hands-off internship. I wasn’t expecting to check in and work with my mentor as much as I did. She’s fantastic. I also wasn’t expecting to go through the onboarding process with the incoming staff. But it makes sense now, having been at Thumbtack, because we as interns get access to all of the same benefits and everything that long-term staff does.
What have you enjoyed most about your internship?
It’s between my mentor, Adrian, the research team, and the design team. Everyone’s been so welcoming, and I’ve made a lot of connections that will serve me in the future. Another thing that I’ve enjoyed a lot is the level of ownership I have over my work. I wasn’t expecting as much freedom of creativity. I feel supported, but I also feel trusted, and that’s been a nice balance that has led me to feel more confident in my skills. I feel like there’s a lot of faith in me to do my job here, which makes me feel a lot more confident.
Which Thumbtack value do you resonate with the most and why?
Definitely, “Say what you mean.” I have a sticker with that value on my notebook. It’s been helpful going through this internship with that value in mind because it has made me feel more encouraged to share what I want to get from this internship and be straightforward about what’s working and what isn’t. This value highlights that everyone is welcome at the table to talk, ask questions, and speak up. Seeing that in practice at the Research, Design, and All Thumbs meetings has made me feel more confident about saying what I mean.
Janice Chow (She/her), Product Design Intern
What’s the best part of your internship?
The best part of my internship was the supportive and fun team culture; everyone genuinely wants one another to succeed. The culture empowered me to put my best work forward and constantly seek feedback. I also had the chance to attend the in-person offsite before I started, which gave me more confidence because I already knew who my colleagues were.
Which Thumbtack value do you resonate with the most and why?
I resonated with “Own it” the most. Before my internship started, I expected to shadow my mentor and work on lower-impact projects. I wasn’t expecting to have the opportunity to take full accountability for a high-exposure project and own the user experience and design. It was very exciting to work on the customer referrals project, which sits at the top of the growth funnel and is key to driving new customers.
How has this experience helped you grow?
I learned so much from working with talented designers and cross-functional partners, including product managers, engineers, and analysts, from problem-solving to consolidating feedback to preparing and presenting for a design critique to explaining my design rationale. I’m also thankful to my mentor Anaïs, who’s very knowledgeable and guided me throughout my time. This experience has truly made me a better designer.
Interested in joining Thumbtack? Visit thumbtack.com/careers to learn more about open roles and Summer 2023 internship opportunities!
