September 19, 2016
This summer, we welcomed our 2016 intern class to help out in a variety of different departments at Credit Karma. Our interns play a vital role in the success of our mission to make financial progress possible for everyone. Our interns bring new insight and a fresh perspective and we value their daily contributions!
This behind-the-scenes report is your chance to get to know our amazing interns, the work that they’ve done this summer and why they love working at Credit Karma.
Allison, Events Intern
School: Wheaton College near Chicago, double majoring in Communication and Psychology
Hometown: Fremont, CA
Why did you want to intern at Credit Karma?
I wanted to intern at Credit Karma because when I first read the “About” page on the website, I was immediately drawn to the phrase “friendly finance.” Especially as an incoming senior in college who is just starting to think about managing her own finances, I loved the idea of making finance more available and understandable for everyone! Then, I ran into the culture page, and was so impressed by how CK truly lives out a healthy work-life balance. From my interviews and what I saw on the website, I got the impression that this would be a transparent, open, and friendly place that would give me the opportunity to be challenged and stretched.
What is your favorite part about interning at Credit Karma?
My favorite thing about interning at Credit Karma has been observing how all the different departments of the company influence and collaborate with each other. It really shows the importance of each team, and shows that each employee is valued and needed for the success of Credit Karma.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
A fun fact about myself: Any K-Pop fans out there? Before starting at Credit Karma, I was in Korea for a couple weeks visiting my family, and I got the chance to be an English tutor for some professionals in the K-Pop industry who produced songs for PSY, Big Bang, Super Junior, Girl’s Generation, and more.
Angel, IT Support Intern
School: Chabot Community College, recently switched major from Sociology to Computer Science
Hometown: born in Mexico but was raised in Hayward, California
Why did you want to intern at Credit Karma?
I was reading Glassdoor reviews and there was lot of talk about how it was a great place to work and how awesome the culture is.
What is your favorite part about interning at Credit Karma?
What I liked the most about interning at Credit Karma was all the activities and events that the team planned out for us. My favorite would be the opportunity to shadow people in other teams and hear stories and advice from execs.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I am a black belt in Taekwondo.
Ashley, Brand Design Intern
School: California College of the Arts (CCA), pursuing an MFA in Design
Hometown: Irvine, California
Tell us about a cool project that you are working on this summer.
Well this first month has been great! So far my favorite project has been designing an Infographic for Credit Karma’s milestones. This project allowed me to see how far the company has come and what an impact it’s making in people’s lives. It was a fun design challenge to come up with things to represent each milestone.
What is your favorite part about interning at Credit Karma?
The biggest perk of interning here is the fully stocked kitchen with so many delicious healthy snacks. I also have found the shadowing of another person in a different department very rewarding. It’s amazing to see how hard everyone works to make the app and website better for customers. The shadow session made me realize people that work here go above and beyond and strive for the best.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I’m a certified dog walker for Wag! Myself and other walkers would love to take your pup for a walk.
Brittany, Talent Brand Intern
School: Chapman University, majoring in Strategic & Corporate Communication
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii
What is your favorite part about interning at Credit Karma?
I love that the people at Credit Karma don’t treat me like a stereotypical intern. Everyone here treats me with the utmost respect. My boss and the other people in my department have done a really good job of making sure that I am working on meaningful, hands-on projects. They trust me to take on projects on my own and they really push me to be my best self everyday.
When you’re not at the Credit Karma office, where would we most likely find you?
I love that Credit Karma truly promotes a work-life balance, which allows me to still have time to enjoy my favorite hobbies. When I’m not at work, I love staying active by going to the gym, running and hiking. Also, since I am not from San Francisco, I have been making it a point to explore at least one major landmark every weekend while I am here.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I am leaving the United States at the end of August to study abroad for a semester in Scotland. I am beyond excited to travel Europe. I’ve already created a whole Pinterest board of places that I want to visit.
Dan, Product Engineer Summer Intern
School: Carnegie Mellon University, majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Hometown: Guangzhou, China
What does your job entail and what does a typical day look like for you?
I work from 9 am to 6 pm. Every day at 11:45 am, we have a team stand-up meeting to discuss what we did yesterday and what we are planning to do that day. And after that I work on my project a bit and get lunch (the company has plenty of events during lunch time). In the afternoon, I continue working on my project and may attend couple of meetings. Around 3 pm, our group will take a ping-pong break. I get off work at 6pm and I go directly to gym after.
What is your favorite part about interning at Credit Karma?
People are super friendly and always willing to help. We learn lots of things everyday.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I can fall asleep fast whenever I want to…
Ella, Marketplace Insights Summer Intern
School: San Francisco State University, just graduated with a Master of Arts in Psychological Research
Hometown: Good ol’ Los Angeles!
Why did you want to intern at Credit Karma?
I have been a member of Credit Karma for years now, and I can honestly say that Credit Karma helped me get out of debt and helped me so much with my finances when I was having difficulty managing them. I’ve known and loved the company already, and when I saw the job posting, it was a no-brainer to apply.
What is your favorite part about interning at Credit Karma?
I absolutely love the support that we get as interns. We have so many opportunities to learn new skills, talk to inspirational people, and grow in our careers here. The workshops that we frequently have are great.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
One of my favorite things to do is discover new music, and when I make a new playlist, I intentionally go outside and walk around the block listening to it pretending like I’m in a movie or commercial… you know, those scenes where someone’s strutting down the street, dancing, and super happy? That’s totally me.
Matt, Revenue Strategy and Planning Intern
School: Wharton (University of Pennsylvania), majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Hometown: Marlton, New Jersey
Why did you want to intern at Credit Karma?
Credit Karma is a perfect way to blend my interest in consumer technology with my background in financial services. My friends and former colleagues who were familiar with Credit Karma spoke very highly of the company. My decision to join was easy!
What is your favorite part about interning at Credit Karma?
The culture is fantastic. My colleagues are smart, friendly, welcoming, and challenge me every day. They also truly believe in the company’s mission.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
When I was in college I recorded two amateur hip hop YouTube videos.
Mukund, Security Engineer Summer Intern
School: Masters student at Northeastern University majoring in Information Assurance
Hometown: Hyderabad, India
Tell us about a cool project that you are working on this summer.
I’m working on several small projects. I spent a lot of time trying to find vulnerabilities in our applications, mostly Android and iOS applications. I automated a few processes that helped the security team with any known/reported vulnerabilities.
What is your favorite part about interning at Credit Karma?
I’m not treated as an intern. I get to work on real projects that help Credit Karma and the security team. My ideas/suggestions/concerns are taken seriously. That makes me feel really good.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I love to cartoon. I used to cartoon for my college magazine. I love to pick locks, but I do it only with permission.
Sarah, Engineering Summer Intern
School: Laney College, studying Computer Science
Hometown: Grew up in Ohio, moved around a bit, but now call Oakland home
Why did you want to intern at Credit Karma?
I am a stay at home mom, who recently decided to return to school in order to change careers from sales to computer programming. Every minute I am away from my family has to bring me closer to this goal. My internship and time at Credit Karma is teaching me hands on skills to build my resume beyond classwork so I can complete my goal sooner.
What is your favorite part about interning at Credit Karma?
Besides the delicious coffee? I most enjoy the learning environment. It seems that everyone is willing to share and teach different aspects of their job or project. I have been able to see a demo, a partner download, a town hall, a lunch and learn, and shadow someone in another department all within the first three weeks! The openness and transparency is seen everywhere.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I met my husband on my birthday, so that is the anniversary I can always remember.
Shruti, Software Engineer Summer Intern
School: Northeastern University majoring in Computer Science
Hometown: Pune, India
Tell us about a cool project that you are working on this summer.
I am working on Android development and I had never worked on it before. This is excellent for my learning curve. Under the able and friendly guidance of engineers in Android team, I am working on Android Espresso tests. These tests capture screenshots of the Mobile app User Interface and stores these screenshots to be verified later.
What is your favorite part about interning at Credit Karma?
The intern events, welcome gifts and the work culture!
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
I end up interacting with lot of Spanish speaking people on Caltrain to learn more Spanish!