Nate Canny, Project Management
Where did you do your internship?
For my internship, I worked at Tableau Software, a business intelligence company based in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle.
What did you get to do as part of your internship?
While at Tableau, I was a Project Management Intern. I got to work on different projects in the Programs, Operations and Tech Support (POTS) Team in the Customer Solutions Department. During this time, I worked in the Tableau product to create ways to track specific sales leads, create visually interesting, but practical analytics, and searched for ways to streamline and simplify complicated processes among Tech Support workers. All my work was meant to be sustainable, a few of my business intelligence dashboards are still being used by the POTS team, and my analytics were reported to the CEO of Tableau.
How did you get connected with Tableau?
I grew a strong interest in Tableau through taking Dr. Andy Chen's Data Analytics and Visualizations course. I remember becoming so interested in Tableau that I searched on their website for internship opportunities, and I ended up applying for a Sales position (in what I thought would be a longshot). I became connected with a recruiter, and I interviewed for the Sales position. Fortunately, the Sales managers agreed that I would be a much better fit in an operations focused role, and I became connected with my eventual manager, who interviewed me for the Project Management position.
How did your internship impact your future personal and vocational aspirations?
Being a Tableau Intern gave me an opportunity to learn so much about modern business and the power of data in our world. I learned that I wanted to spend more time learning about data and its applications, which impacted my learning for my remaining time at SPU. I also learned that I may not be the best fit for a sales role, as I loved working independently on my own projects, making them the best they could be. I learned I appreciated independence and job ambiguity, as I felt like I had creative freedom over my job. Furthermore, I got an opportunity to focus on my own personal and professional development, connecting with a plethora of different people working different jobs in different parts of the world (Seattle, Chicago, Dublin, Singapore, Paris, London).
Renee Knepper, Sales Operations
Where did you do your internship?
I did my internship at Tableau Software, working remotely but connected to the Fremont office. I was on the Sales Support Representative (SSR) team, which is a part of the larger Sales Org.
What did you get to do as part of your internship?
I was able to do so many things! My main responsibility was New Account Validation, which takes the data given by prospective clients on the Tableau website and validates the information through research and data cleaning within Salesforce. This process was completed by a different team before the pandemic and the SSR team took it over right before I started working. Myself and the other intern on the team were tasked with learning what steps needed to be taken and creating a workflow process. By the end of the summer, we had gone through a 2,000+ account backlog and trained incoming contractors on the process. In addition to this, I was able to be the first intern Data Doctor, which is like Tableau's internal Genius Bar. I helped fellow Tabloids (as people at Tableau refer to themselves) on common platform challenges, like connecting to data and the best way to visualize their data.
How did you get connected with Tableau?
I was connected to this internship opportunity through another SPU and Tableau Internship Alum. We were in the
BEGIN Association together before she graduated so I was able to ask her questions about the internship application and interview process. Additionally, I attended the
Center for Career and Calling's Tableau event in early 2020. We were able to tour the Tableau office on Lake Union (there is another one in the Fremont neighborhood), attend a SPU-alum panel of Tableau employees, and network with a campus recruiter. I highly recommend attending any student events Tableau hosts and using the awesome SPU student/alumni network.
How did your internship impact your future personal and vocational aspirations?
My internship with Tableau solidified my passion for helping others make data-informed decisions, as well as showed me the plethora of opportunities the tech industry offers. Vocationally, this experience has transferred seamlessly into my current job as a Junior Technical Project Manager with a consulting firm in the greater Seattle area. I'm working towards learning other technical platforms and these tools can improve business processes for our clients. Guiding others in how to use Tableau or learn a new process in a way that nurtured their work and learning needs were my favorite parts of the internship. This has inspired me to continue seeking opportunities to be a caring leader in my work and daily life, ensuring I uphold strong ethics and dignity as I do so.
Kristoph Ty, Data Analyst
Where did you do your internship?
My internship was with Tableau Software in Seattle, but I worked remotely due to the impact of Covid-19.
What did you get to do as part of your internship?
As a data analyst intern, 30% of my time was spent on data preparation. This involved cleaning and transforming data from multiple sources to create new data sets. About 60% of my time was spent building informative data visualizations in the form of dashboards for a wide range of audiences including individual contributors, managers, and executives. The remaining 10% was communicating my findings.
How did you get connected with Tableau?
I initially applied on LinkedIn for an internship with a different team at Tableau, but I was not initially accepted. The interviewers, however, referred me to the customer success team which accepted me after I interviewed with them and completed an assignment. LinkedIn is a solid place to find internships.
How did your internship impact your future personal and vocational aspirations?
At the beginning of my internship, I did not fully understand the hype around data. But after working with data throughout my internship I finally recognized its value and how it can be used to help people. Data is everywhere waiting to be explored and there are countless job opportunities available in many industries involving all kinds of data. Personally, I enjoy working with numbers, but with data the numbers can have substance and meaningful application which motivates me to continue pursuing this field.