Let’s Duo It Again: Why I Returned to Duo for a Second Internship

3 years ago 63

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When I announced that I was returning to Duo for my second internship, I was met with a great deal of congratulations — and occasionally with surprise. In a few cases, I even experienced some soft criticism about this decision. “You should be trying to have a variety of experiences,” some said, “Your early career is a time to explore.”

However, I must take this advice with a grain of salt. By returning to Duo, I would say that I am having a variety of experiences, and I have lots of opportunities to explore! The work I’m doing this summer, both technically and organizationally, is markedly different from last summer. Beyond this, my work will continue to evolve as I communicate both my short- and long-term goals with my extensive support system.

Also, variety alone isn’t enough. To make informed decisions about the future, we need to consider which experiences will likely bring us the most value. That’s what led to my decision to return to Duo. The work I’m doing this summer is a strategic step in the right direction for what I aim to do in my future career.

Last summer, I worked with an excellent team on a rewarding project. I was involved in the frontend development of the new Universal Prompt, implementing features that are seen by users millions of times daily. Throughout the summer, I gained immense experience in both the hard skills of programming as well as the intangible skills of structuring my time and working within a team setting.

In addition, the summer taught me a lot about myself and helped me understand what kind of work excites me the most. The most interesting problems that I faced included how the new Universal Prompt would work in front of the users. At the end of the day, any decisions that we made in this area had to be reinforced by some kind of data. When we had more data to work with, the decisions would become easier, and we could develop the product much faster. This work specifically sparked my interest in the engineering behind data-driven solutions.

At Duo, when anything sparks your interest, you’re generally free to pursue it. When I expressed my interest in working with the Data Engineering side of the business, I was quickly set up to do so. Honestly, in terms of switching teams, I felt like I had pretty much carte blanche access to the entire organization. Everyone is open to discussing

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