| Duration | May - Aug 2022 (12 weeks) |
|---|---|
| Role | Student Training in Engineering Program Intern |
| Team | Nest Software Platform |
| Tools | C++ • GitHub |
During the summer of 2022, I had the opportunity to be a part of the Nest Software Platform Team at Google. The team works on building features incorporated into a wide array of Nest products including cameras, doorbells, and Chromecast with Google TV.
The project I was responsible for focused on the functionality of live-view video encoding and conversion on an internal developer tool. In this refactor plan, I re-designed the implementation process flow and worked directly with an open-source software API for video and audio processing. Before diving into the program, I conducted a thorough research on the library and the relevant internal codebase, drafted a design document, and reported findings and implementation plan to my managers during meetings.
To maximize my time at Google, I also practiced writing well-organized software tests, applying Google's testing framework by studying guides and examples. After completing the project, I also worked on unit test writing for the refactored program and was able to gain a deeper understanding of the applications of data and function types in the C++ language.
Apart from the project, I volunteered as an Intern Champion to assist the Intern Team in holding off-site social events for the interns. As one of the event organizers, I had the opportunity to interact with people directly and be involved in activities and official meetings outside of my project work. I truly enjoyed the process and this is undoubtedly one of the highlights of my internship ✨
The first intern social event I hosted! 🎉
My hosts and interns who I became really close with 😆❤️
I was also able to build close relationhips with not only my managers but people outside of our team through cross-team collaboration and entertainment. We spent our lunch breaks playing foosball, chess, and rhythm games together - just taking a break from work and getting to know each other a bit more 😉
This internship helped me improve my algorithmic thinking and problem-solving skills. When I encountered a technical or logical problem, my hosts expected me to think through it myself and frame questions with context before asking. Hence, I picked up the habit of documenting notes, self-studying online resources, and learning to ask "good" questions; this might not be the shortest path to answers yet it allowed me to develop work independence, and technical and communication skills as I progressed. I have also gained an insight into how engineering teams function and collaborate throughout the product design and development process in a large corporation. I look forward to applying the skills I learned this summer to my future work!