My name is Weijie Chen, and I am from China and have been in the United States about one and a half years. I came here to pursue my Master’s Degree in Computer Science at Clemson University. I am a development intern for AvidXchange, a leading provider of AP and payment automation solutions. This is my first internship, and also my first time working in the United States
I only have one semester left until I graduate, so this was the last summer I had to get some real work experience for my future career. I feel so lucky that I had the opportunity to intern with AvidXchange. Although the intern program just began this summer, it was well-organized and provided a great training system for the new crew.
At the beginning of the internship I received orientations from all departments including development, marketing, product management, and sales. It helped me to get an overview of the whole company and to understand our solutions and target markets. I was assigned a mentor, which was really helpful. The mentor explained the whole structure of the internship, and answered all of my questions. Besides the technology, the daily communication with my mentor made it easier for me to identify with the company culture and join in activities with my colleagues.
After two weeks of training, then we started working on a small project with the team. All my co-workers are so kind and brilliant, and they helped to answer all of my questions and solve any problems. They provided me with guidance to become a better programmer and professional employee. In addition, everyone in the company smiles a lot and I love the atmosphere here. We work hard and play hard together, and I definitely feel like the company is one big family.
This 8 week internship program allowed me to discover what kind of company I want to work for after I graduated. I definitely know I want to work with generous people in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, like what I experienced at AvidXchange. When the internship is over I will head back to school with skills that I know I could never have learned in a classroom.