Want to be an Intern?

This summer marked my second year working as an intern with Kitware’s Computer Vision group. Although the internship hasn’t quite ended yet, I can safely say that this is one of the best all around job experiences I’ve had working as an intern. My first summer at Kitware was my first professional internship, and I was very excited about the experiences and knowledge I gained from working here. After that summer, I was so interested by the work I was doing at Kitware that I ended up changing my majors to add computer science. From learning new scripting languages to helping develop code for software that would track moving objects in video, I was working on projects that were important company contracts, not just making copies or getting coffee. I decided to pursue a second summer of interning at Kitware to gain additional experience in the field, and to continue to work with a company I knew to have intelligent, highly motivated employees who worked on new, and exciting projects in computer vision.

One of the primary reasons I enjoy working at Kitware is the environment it creates. There is a very friendly atmosphere, and anyone is always willing to lend you a hand with a question, or take the time to explain or explore a concept with you. The flexible work hours also let you have more control over your schedule, and can be very helpful during a stressful week when you have many other things going on. Although one of the best things about interning at Kitware is definitely the knowledge base that you have access to through the other team members. I’ve personally learned more about programming from my projects, successes, and failures at Kitware with the help of the Computer Vision team than I ever learned in my computer science classes.

I feel like one of the most influential changes Kitware has made on my life is a better understanding of how school prepares you for the real world. I’ve come to determine that no amount of time in a classroom will compare to working and learning from professionals in their fields. School gives you the basic knowledge necessary to do your job, and also tests your motivation and ability to work hard. However, although those basic skills are important, actually getting out into the real world and learning how to apply those skills, as well as building on new skill sets, is an opportunity that Kitware will afford you. Coming back into classes after my first summer, I felt much more confident and much further ahead in my classes.