Feedback from my Midpoint Review... [Uber Internship]

Summary

In this reflective transcript, an intern at Uber discusses their midpoint check-in, highlighting positive feedback as a proactive team player and self-unblocker. They emphasize the importance of resourcefulness and communication across teams. Critical feedback focuses on improving task breakdown and incremental progress for better project scoping and code review efficiency. The intern also advises leveraging company resources, attending meetings, and networking to enhance both professional and personal growth.

Takeaways

• 👍 Proactive Team Player: The intern is recognized for being proactive, solving issues within reach, and reporting issues outside their scope to the responsible teams.
• 🔍 Self-Reliance: The intern has learned to unblock themselves without over-relying on their mentor or teammates, demonstrating resourcefulness in finding the right contacts to solve problems.
• 🚀 Continuous Improvement: The intern acknowledges the need to improve their ability to break down large tasks into smaller, manageable steps for better project scoping and code review.
• 📈 Incremental Changes: Making incremental changes is highlighted as a beneficial practice for both project management and code review processes.
• 🕒 Time Estimation: The intern is advised to work on estimating task durations and planning tasks effectively, a skill deemed valuable but challenging.
• 👥 Networking: The intern emphasizes the importance of networking by attending meetings, reaching out for coffee chats, and building connections within the company.
• 💼 Exploring Career Options: The intern is actively exploring different career paths, such as product management, by engaging with relevant company resources and personnel.
• 🏥 Interest in Uber Health: A specific interest in Uber Health is mentioned, with the intern proactively seeking insights from the head of product in that division.
• 🌟 Maximizing Internship: The intern encourages making the most of the internship experience, growing both professionally and personally, regardless of the field or company.
• 📚 Utilizing Company Resources: The intern advises fellow interns to take full advantage of the resources offered by their company to learn and grow.

Q & A

What was the first positive feedback the intern received?

The intern was praised for being a proactive team player, taking initiative to solve issues within reach or reporting them to the responsible teams when they were out of the team's scope.

How does the intern handle blocking points in their work?

The intern unblocks themselves by finding the point of contact for specific issues rather than relying on their mentor or teammates, demonstrating resourcefulness and reducing the workload on their direct team.

What was the intern's initial approach when starting their internship?

Initially, the intern was very dependent on their mentor and close teammates, but they learned to be more resourceful and find the right people to solve problems.

What critical feedback did the intern receive regarding their work?

The intern was advised to improve their ability to break down large tasks into smaller steps and make changes incrementally, which would help with scoping big projects and make code reviews easier for engineers.

Why is breaking down tasks into smaller steps considered valuable?

Breaking down tasks helps in managing the scope of large projects and facilitates easier and faster code reviews, making it a win-win situation for both the project manager and the engineers involved.

What is the intern's advice for making the most of an internship?

The intern suggests taking advantage of company resources, attending meetings, and reaching out to people for coffee chats or lunches to learn and grow both professionally and personally.

What is the intern's interest outside of their current role?

The intern is interested in business models and exploring career options like product management, showing a proactive approach to personal and professional development.

How does the intern engage with the company's leadership?

The intern attends all-hands meetings and engages with leaders to understand decision-making and strategizing, which helps them gain insights into the company's growth.

What specific action did the intern take to learn more about Uber Health?

The intern reached out to the head of product at Uber Health for a 30-minute chat to learn more about the service from someone directly involved in it.

What is the intern's overall goal for their internship experience?

The intern aims to make the most of their internship by growing professionally and personally, regardless of whether they are in software engineering or another function.