A Summer Internship with Samsung

At Samsung, we take pride in our remarkable interns. Coming from varied backgrounds including various countries, universities, and majors, our interns are a strong addition to our diverse workplace.

As an intern on the Employer Branding team at Samsung Electronics America, Natasha Harvey knew her experience would be eye-opening but was surprised to find how much she was truly able to contribute to Samsung Electronics America.  Natasha contributed the below article to the U.S. Newsroom to give others an inside look at what it’s like to work for Samsung.

Why I chose Samsung

As a market leader in consumer electronics, Samsung is at the forefront of the technology industry. I wanted to experience the scope and breadth of working for a global organization. My summer at Samsung is the third summer internship experience I’ve had in college, and it was the largest organization I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of. The motto for my intern class was “Do Something Big” and I was sure I would have a wide-reaching impact during my summer.

Because of its well-known brand name and large employee base, I was ecstatic about how much exposure I would get but also wary of how large of an impact I would be able to make, given the company’s size. But throughout the summer, I quickly learned I would be provided a plethora of opportunities, and it was up to me to take advantage of them or not.

Tim Baxter (far left), President & CEO of Samsung Electronics America sat down with the summer intern class 2017 interns to learn more about their experience at Samsung.

Laura Agharkar, University Relations Manager at Samsung told us, “The opportunity is what you make it. Those that embrace the highly dynamic, ever-changing environment, flex and adapt, and are not afraid to speak up to express their opinions and challenge the status quo will get the most value from their experience here. As a whole, Samsung is extremely invested and interested in hearing what our interns have to say. The perspective that they bring, the fresh ideas and clear opinions are valued.”

I found all of this advice to be true at Samsung. The internship program provided me with a multitude of opportunities including exposure to top executives both within Samsung and other industries, the ability to work cross-functionally between departments, and the encouragement to make your mark.

“Working at Samsung is the perfect opportunity for me to work on projects supporting the latest innovations and also showcase my talent and technical expertise.”

-Viswambharan Katsuri Rangarajan, e-Commerce Platform intern, University of Southern California

The Samsung Difference

Everyone who’s done an internship knows they’re aimed at providing a unique view into an organization and industry so students can try it out and see if it’s right for them.  At Samsung, my internship was that and so much more. As Tony Cicio, VP of The People Team described it: Samsung interns are solving real business problems and gain exposure to all aspects of the dynamic environment.

“The point of difference to me is one in which you are doing real work that is going to make a difference,” said Cicio. “We’re a very flat organization that runs on limited resources and the expectation is that anyone that’s here is part of the Samsung family. You are going to be able to contribute, you’re going to have a meaningful relationship with us, and you’re going to have an impactful experience as an employee of the company, not just as an intern.”

Former Samsung interns came to speak about their experiences at Samsung and give advice to current interns on how to make the most of your summer.

Inspiration from Innovation

The Samsung Summer Internship program embeds students in the heart of the business, immersing them in work related to sales, marketing, supply chain, legal, public relations, operations, strategy, engineering, finance, and human resources. Not only do interns take ownership of projects within their specific business area, but they gain exposure to all aspects of Samsung including the dynamic people, innovative technologies, and executive leadership.

As the Employer Branding intern within the Talent Acquisition department, I was able to work with colleagues in multiple departments including marketing, web development, and legal throughout my summer. Additionally, all employees are exposed to the cutting-edge technology developed every day at Samsung, and get the opportunity to test it out for themselves.

Viswambharan Katsuri Rangarajan, e-Commerce Platform intern entering his final semester as a graduate student at the University of Southern California, explained that one of his favorite aspects of working for Samsung was getting to use the brand new technology. “With the new augmented reality glasses and the barrage of upcoming products, working at Samsung is the perfect opportunity for me to work on projects supporting the latest innovations and also showcase my talent and technical expertise.”

Interns participate in their very own Day of Service, planting apple trees in a community garden.

Samsung’s Success is its People

One of Samsung’s core values is “people” and that focus is apparent throughout the company. I felt that, regardless of level, company leadership, managers, and peers displayed a certain degree of dedication to you and those that you interact with, whether they be employees, customers, or stakeholders, to provide a wealth of opportunities to reach their full potential.

According to Agharkar, “Samsung is all about the people that work here. Our interns always agree that they are quickly folded into their teams, treated autonomously, with respect and offered an experience filled with a whole lot of fun and learning. Interns are truly entrenched into the business and considered part of the team, exposed to all levels of stakeholders from Executive to cross-functional peers.”

Throughout my summer, the University Relations team planned numerous events to ensure our intern class made the most out of our experience. On a weekly basis we participated in lunch-and-learns in which we interacted with Samsung leaders, networked with different levels of the organization, and learned about the leader’s role and business they led within Samsung. Additionally, intern networking events, focus groups, and a final end-of-summer social event are planned to give you the chance to bond with your fellow interns.

“You are going to be able to contribute, you’re going to have a meaningful relationship with us, and you’re going to have an impactful experience as an employee of the company, not just as an intern.”

– Tony Cicio, VP of The People Team

Final Presentations

There was a visible and genuine commitment to providing my intern class with the greatest exposure to business environments, which allowed us to meet numerous influential individuals to expand our network. In fact, to culminate the internship, we were all asked to give a final presentation to various business leaders about our summer projects to showcase the impact we made.

”Being able to present my work to Samsung leaders and VPs was a really exciting experience for me,” said Jenny Han, Public Relations intern and incoming senior at Columbia University. “I was able to show them all of the hard work I had put into my projects throughout the summer and it made me feel like I had really made an impact at Samsung.”

Leveraging a Samsung Internship

The value of a summer internship at Samsung is incomparable. Due to the experience my team provided me and the impact they allowed me to make, I was ecstatic to extend my internship through the Fall semester and work remotely at school to continue contributing to this awesome team.

Through the Samsung internship experience, not only does the company get to see if you are the right fit for them, but you get to decide if working for Samsung after graduation is the right opportunity for you. The fast-paced tech industry requires employees to be agile and quickly pivot strategies and, while many at Samsung will admit the pace isn’t for everyone, being able to experience it firsthand lends massive benefits. In the end, any intern will find a summer with Samsung is no doubt the best way to prove your unique value for a full-time job after graduation.

About the contributor

Natasha Harvey, Employer Branding Intern for Samsung Electronics America

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Natasha witnessed the tech boom throughout her childhood and looked forward to one day joining one of the innovative and fast-paced companies that contributed to it. Now, as the Employer Branding Intern for Samsung Electronics America, Natasha utilizes her experience in marketing along with her passion for tech to bring creative ideas to this organization. She is looking forward to graduating from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business with a double major in marketing and sustainable business this winter