Anna is a junior Computer Science major at Washington University in St. Louis. This past summer she interned remotely with startup Insured Nomads through Sage Corp as a Data and Human Experience Analyst Intern. We caught up with Anna to learn more about her summer internship and why she decided to intern remotely.
Can you tell us a little about your startup Insured Nomads?
The quick pitch is that Insured Nomads is a travel & health insurance company. However, the company distinguishes itself clearly from other insurance companies by its dedication to community and innovation. Insured Nomads uses technology-driven solutions, making their resources as available, convenient, and safe as possible. Their commitment to the global community shows in their mission to connect people worldwide and in their partnership with Not For Sale, an organization fighting to end human trafficking.
What is your internship role and what are you working on this summer?
I was the Data and Human Experience Analyst Intern! This role means I primarily examined how customers interact with the company and analyze and interpret various forms of data. For example, I reviewed and gave feedback on the UI/UX of the company website, researched APIs used on the website, and analyzed and summarized data relating to Insured Nomad’s partners.
However, working for a start-up means I have a lot of flexibility regarding what I work on. I’ve written a blog post, curated Spotify playlists, researched health insurance, and so much more!
Can you tell us a little about the company culture? How do you stay connected with that culture being a remote intern?
Insured Nomad’s culture is incredibly compassionate. From day one, I have been seen and treated as a real person: someone with good days and bad days, family and friends, and a story. The first thing I did when Insured Nomads hired me was meet with everyone in the company, and they were all so kind and curious to learn more about who I am. I am often checked in on, and having frequent meetings with coworkers helps me feel like I’m part of a community. The amount of times I have been offered help (from people with much more on their plate than I have) is staggering and delightful. Some of my coworkers and I even text daily, so I feel like I have company and can always ask questions!
What does a typical work week look like when you are working remotely?
My days often start with a meeting in the morning. Sometimes it’s a company meeting, and sometimes a meeting with a company collaborating with Insured Nomads! Either way, it’s a good reason to get out of bed and get dressed. Then, I’ll probably have a few more meetings, either with coworkers to check in or with company partners and collaborators. When I’m done with meetings, I head to a coffee shop to work on the rest of my daily tasks! Most work days look like this, although everyone seems to try to finish early on Fridays. However, every day and every week is a little different.
What made you choose the remote internship program?
Part of it was that I liked the flexibility! Working remotely means that I can work wherever I want and that my hours aren’t exactly set. If I want to do my work at a coffee shop, it’s no problem. I even went and visited my friend in another state for a week and kept up working throughout it! And if my lunch runs a little long, I don’t stress about it because I know I can just work a little longer at the end of the day and make up for it. Another bonus is that I get to spend more time with my family, especially since my parents both work remotely from home as well!
What advice would you give to future interns to get the most of their internship experience?
Don’t be afraid to try new things! When working at a start-up, there is a lot that needs to get done and not a lot of people to do it. This means you have the rare opportunity to try your hand at projects you would not usually get to work on. If you get the chance to, there’s no harm in trying and learning! That being said, you may not always know how to do something. So, my other piece of advice is not to be afraid to ask questions. At first, I was worried that asking too many questions would be annoying or make me look stupid, but asking questions really means that you care. It’s better to ask and do it right than not to ask and do it wrong!
What are your plans for after graduation?
I plan on going into computer science, but I’m not exactly sure what I want to do yet. My two passions are coding and helping people, so, whatever I end up doing, I hope it will involve those!
