Reflecting on his internship at BCG Digital Ventures, Sanjeet Dutta didn’t hesitate when asked how his professional adolescence had carried over into the start of his career.
The recent Cornell graduate’s experience with the Los Angeles-area consulting group taught him how to work through ambiguity, he said, offering a glimpse into his colleagues’ entrepreneurial spirit in the process. One project in particular afforded him the opportunity to shepherd an idea from conception to approval — allowing him to collaborate with multidisciplinary experts within the organization.
“As an intern, it felt great to be involved from ideation to implementation and have your perspectives valued,” Dutta said. “Rather than being siloed to the engineering discipline, I had the ability to learn from various people with different skills — a benefit that gave me a holistic view on how my work impacts other areas of the project and vice-versa.”
He wasn’t there to simply fetch coffee for school credit. By the end of his internship, Dutta felt confident interacting with senior leadership, working side-by-side with his more-experienced teammates to help the company execute its vision.
It’s no wonder Dutta felt compelled to join BCGDV following graduation. Now a data scientist with the company, Dutta eagerly accepted a full-time position following his trial period so he could continue his professional development.
With the calendar turning to spring and a new batch of internship candidates ready to embark on their careers, there are plenty of companies looking to facilitate similar journeys for promising young professionals. That’s why Built In LA met with two local tech professionals to learn about what interns can expect at their companies and the opportunities that will best prepare them to enter the workforce.
Tell us about the internship programs at MobilityWare.
Our internship program lasts about two months during the summer, providing current students with the chance to jump right in and be part of the mobile gaming world. From day one of our program, interns work side-by-side with our internal teams. It gives them an idea of what they can expect in a full-time position after graduation. This summer, we’ll have students joining us as engineers, analysts, product managers, designers and more. It’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity for aspiring gaming professionals to gain valuable on-the-job experience from some of the best in the industry and a point of pride for us at MobilityWare.
What are some of the coolest projects your interns have gotten to participate in?
Some of the feedback I’ve heard from previous interns is that by the end of the program, they really felt like they were a part of our team. One of the main reasons for that is because these interns get partnered with a mentor to work on projects and tasks that the rest of the department is involved in. We don’t separate the interns and give them small assignments to complete on their own. They get to work with our existing employees on meaningful projects where they can really have an impact.
We’re happy to provide our interns with guidance and an opportunity to test some of their own ideas and bring them to life.”
How have your internship programs helped your interns grow professionally?
The gaming industry is competitive, and being able to get hands-on experience at an established studio while they’re still in school helps set these students up for success after graduation. While they work with us for the summer, we’re happy to provide our interns with guidance and an opportunity to test some of their own ideas and bring them to life. Over the years, we’ve had a significant number of interns come back and join us — and many of them still work with us now.
Describe the internship program you participated in.
I joined the BCG Digital Ventures summer internship program with a background in computer science and engineering management. I was intrigued by the company’s entrepreneurial culture and passion for innovating. During the program, I had the opportunity to work alongside influential business leaders launching new products and ventures, as well as collaborate with multidisciplinary experts within my organization. One of the key differentiators between BCGDV and traditional technology companies is the opportunity to interface with different functional teams, such as designers, product managers, growth architects, operations leaders and others as you work to launch your venture to market. Outside of work, there were tons of organized activities to network with colleagues and develop meaningful relationships.
What was the coolest project you worked on in your role as an intern?
I learned so much during my internship at BCG Digital Ventures. One of my favorite projects was when I got assigned to a venture in the consumer industry and learned about the technology stack, built a proof of concept for the infrastructure of the venture, presented it to client leadership, received approval and was able to start building the alpha version of the project. I was amazed because I didn't expect to see progress so quickly. The team innovates with speed here, testing and learning from challenges early and fast. I had a great support network of senior engineers and venture coaches who helped me push myself to think outside of the box and upskill myself.
Interning at BCGDV helped me navigate how to work through ambiguity. When you are developing a new product or business, there are a lot of unknowns, and you can’t expect quick solutions. It takes thoughtful partnership with various stakeholders to get to the best outcome. After completing my internship, I was much stronger and more comfortable navigating ambiguous scenarios and asking questions to challenge myself and others.
As an intern you are trusted and empowered to interact with senior leadership.”
How has your internship helped you grow professionally?
After my internship, I accepted a full-time role as a BCGDV data scientist. The program gave me a glimpse into my colleagues’ entrepreneurial spirit, and the energy was contagious. Working here has helped me bolster my leadership presence, especially in the area of stakeholder management. As an intern you are trusted and empowered to interact with senior leadership. Building ventures requires everyone involved to be actively engaged and sharing perspectives on what will work best for new business endeavors. You have to research, test, fail, succeed and continuously work alongside client partners to bring them on the journey and help them understand that what you’re building is of value to the business and meets their needs. The engineering discipline can be very complex, and the ability to explain processes not just to a CTO, but to describe the technology in a business context for a marketing professional or talent leader is important. Prior to my internship, I was head-down in technical work, but I learned that my job goes beyond my day-to-day responsibilities. Exploring different initiatives and reaching out to peers to learn about their work and discuss personal development opportunities is all a part of the growth.
