In the series [Interning at an AI Company], we’ve talked a little about our internship recruitment and Alana AI’s expectations in the first weeks. This…
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In the series [Interning at an AI Company], we’ve talked a little about our internship recruitment and Alana AI’s expectations in the first weeks. This second episode brings the perspective of Juliana Porto, a beloved member of the Artificial Intelligence team.
Juliana says that her hiring process started when she found our LinkedIn page. After that, there was a brief contact with Marcel Jientara, the company’s CEO, some interviews, and previous alignments, until her internship was completed. For more details on the recruitment program, check out the first episode of the series.
The onboarding process has started! But what is this?
Upon entering the company, all interns are accompanied by the culture team and team leaders during their onboarding process. The idea is to guarantee your immersion, clear up any doubts and solve any problems that may arise.
On the first day, our dear intern goes through a welcoming meeting. In this initial conversation, the culture team details the company’s values, the main routines and ceremonies, the work tools, and internal agreements. Soon after that, a meeting takes place with your team leader, who will explain the team’s duties in more depth.
The first day must be devoted to reading the team’s cultural documents and specific content. After that, the intern receives his first tasks and has his initial contact with the team’s daily life in which he is inserted. During all this movement, the teammates will be introduced quickly but friendly.
Despite being a more intense immersion during the first two weeks, the Onboarding is extended and lasts three months. It is a time that flies by as activities and regularities become more natural. Various feedbacks are collected and compared so that the trainee can see their evolution and know which aspect to improve.
Because of improvements and professional development, trainees have the option (highly recommended, by the way) to follow a study plan. As stated earlier, we will better understand the perspective of Juliana Porto. She received a comprehensive study plan set up by her team leader.
In general, the plan exists so that some content can be absorbed, as they guarantee our employees’ good performance and full development. These studies are done during working hours and unfold within daily goals. The entire route is possible and has measurable results. And no, you are not going to dedicate yourself for a longer time than what was agreed. Deal is a deal!
We recommend the life in which Juliana brought some introductory notions of Computational Linguistics. Although reasonably recent in the company and the area, she made an exciting dialogue. She believed in the fruit of her efforts.
Much has already been explained about the company’s organizational culture. After all, it is essential to talk a little about our values and our daily lives. Some interns are encouraged by the possibility of professional development, socializing, and relaxation through events such as Happy Hour and Family Lunch. Juliana says that company lunches: “bring a differentiation to our routine and allow us to have a moment that we often deny ourselves due to lack of time or willingness”.
Reading recommendation: What is it like to intern at Google, according to 7 young Brazilians
According to the profile of each one, the internship at Alana can bring different challenges and personal rewards, so we asked Juliana to share with us what was her own. She points out, from the beginning, that many things positively surprised her.
“I was surprised by the company as a whole.” Within Alana, there is an environment of cooperation between the members. It is possible to establish support networks and integrated work. In Artificial Intelligence, this becomes even more important since the work is careful and must proceed properly. Any complications must be reported. This aspect was essential in Juliana’s journey because the environment became more friendly and affirmative, providing more confidence and companionship.
“We are all patchwork (Nous sommes tous de lopins) and of a context so formless and diverse that each piece, each moment, plays its game.” (Michel de Montaigne)
Juliana gained additional experience with practical work. Under the leadership of Marcellus Amadeus, the company’s CTO, she was able to meet challenges related to the more technical area and dialogue with other institutions, such as companies and universities. The idea has always been to expand horizons with new projects and alternatives. Among these challenges, she cites the time when she had to compare two natural language processing libraries (NLTK and spaCy) over a literary book corpus.
The chosen book? Clockwork Orange, a classic.
So, concisely, the journey at Alana requires a degree of commitment and individual interest, independence, and good performance, seeking to deliver the best work possible. Our intern’s tip is to constantly research, clear up doubts and get in touch with the team because although the work is complex, it is also possible.
She says that leaders are very accessible. Marcellus, for example, offers support when needed and is willing to answer questions, which also helps maintain emotional well-being. Similarly, CEO Marcel Jientara shows concern for employee satisfaction and can talk when possible, offering mentoring.
Juliana is one of the students recently hired for our internship program. It is to be thought that only a few undergraduate courses can find job opportunities at the company, but Juliana tells us otherwise. After all, she studies Portuguese Language & Literature at the University of Brasília, which is her first job opportunity.
What underlies her hiring, then?
To begin with, Juliana explained to us that, although there are excellent universities in Brazil, few students of literature can approach the areas of technology since graduation. She was interested, could take more courses, and wanted an opportunity, even though she still didn’t have all the necessary knowledge. All of these things ensured her hiring and enabled her latent growth.
“I think the coolest thing is that I was asked: ‘Where do you want to go?'” (Juliana Porto)
In a few years, Juliana hopes to form the leadership of any technology company, including Alana. “This opportunity that I had, I did not find and would not find in any other company”.
Despite being an intern, Juliana does not feel more or less important than anyone else. She does what is within her capabilities and seeks to develop more and more.
And then? Did you like this testimonial?
Check out the first episode of our series and see how to be part of the global team of the best Artificial Intelligence created for Customer Experience.
