Software Development Engineer Intern Review

I'm a software developer, so my day-to-day tasks consist of writing code, reviewing code changes, participating in discussions to plan future projects, and attending meetings to improve my skillset.

This year has been a fantastic opportunity for me to improve my skillset. Throughout the year, I've worked on dozens of technology stacks using various languages and frameworks. The main technologies I've improved in are React, Spring (Java), Kotlin and graphQL. In addition, I started the year with little experience in big companies, so I have strengthened a lot of soft skills throughout this placement, particularly communication.

I was pleasantly surprised with the level of responsibility I received during my placement. It does vary by team within Expedia Group, but I was given responsibilities this year which I previously would have only expected to be given to those with significant experience. Thankfully, my team's methodology allows everyone to pick up tasks with even weighting regardless of experience.

I have been surrounded my support over the last year. In Expedia Group, each intern is assigned a "buddy", which is a member of the team who supports them throughout the year with regular check-ups and technical support whenever needed. Both my manager and buddy were incredibly supportive this year; My buddy provided me with loads of help over the first couple months and would assist me in tasks whenever needed.

The culture at Expedia Group is incredible. It's one of the best things about the company. There is a general feeling of support among colleagues, even those you haven't met. Since coming back into the office, there have been almost-weekly social events including free food/drinks to encourage people to socialise. Something in particular I appreciate about the culture here is that people are encouraged to make mistakes, which is especially encouraging for an intern.

I thoroughly enjoyed this internship. Not only did I massively improve my skillset as a software developer, but I joined a supportive community where I met many friends I plan to stay in touch with as I continue in my career.

Yes

Expedia Group is a great place to grow, with a very manageable work-life balance, and a great company culture. My only potential criticism of Expedia Group is that there are frequent reorgs happening throughout the company; As I am finishing up now, my team is about to enter the 3rd reorg since I joined. This can be a good thing if you enjoy you opportunities for growth it presents, but I wouldn't expect to stay in one team for too long here.