Unleashing Innovation & Making a Meaningful Impact: The Samsung Summer Internship Experience

As the Samsung Electronics America 10-week long summer internship program comes to a close, the young college and university students who participated in the program have gained invaluable experiences. The hands-on nature of the Samsung summer internship program allowed them to develop and sharpen their workplace skills, preparing them to excel in their chosen fields and equipping them for what lies ahead on their career journey.

Moreover, emphasis on environmental volunteering resonated deeply with the interns. Engaging in various community-oriented projects for their Intern Day of Service, the interns were given the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in their local communities. This aspect of the program not only instilled a sense of fulfillment in the interns but also fostered a greater appreciation of Samsung’s citizenship programs.

As the program draws to a close, these young individuals carry with them new memories of a summer well spent, and with a newfound sense of purpose on what it means to contribute positively to both the world of technology and their communities. Here’s what our remarkable interns had to say about their experience:

In what specific ways did the internship program help you refine your workplace skills?  How do you believe these skills will benefit you in your future career?

Throughout the duration of the internship, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in real-world tasks and projects, allowing me to apply the theoretical knowledge I had gained during my academic studies. This hands-on experience played a pivotal role in enhancing my skill set in several ways.

Firstly, my analytics skills saw a significant improvement. Interacting with colleagues, supervisors, and clients on a daily basis enabled me to articulate my ideas more effectively and present my work with clarity.

Secondly, my problem-solving abilities were sharpened, as I encountered challenges that required creative solutions and quick thinking. Collaborating with experienced professionals allowed me to learn different approaches to analyze situations from various angles and choose the most suitable course of action.

Lastly, time management and organizational skills became second nature to me. Juggling multiple tasks, meeting deadlines and prioritizing assignments in a fast-paced work environment helped me cultivate a strong sense of discipline.

What were some of the most memorable/exciting projects that you had the opportunity to work on during your 10-week internship? And why were they memorable/exciting to you?

During the school year, I worked at the Duke University Technology Store and noticed that there were no Samsung products available. When my manager realized that this placement could make our products more accessible to Gen Z consumers, I was asked to further investigate if this was the same at other universities. I conducted a survey to get the necessary data points before eventually presenting it to the broader strategy team. This project holds a special place in my heart as I head back to Duke for my last semester and will continue to work at the tech store. Hopefully, I’ll get to see these amazing Samsung products on display so I can recommend them to my fellow students.

In what specific ways did the internship program help you refine your workplace skills?  How do you believe these skills will benefit you in your future career?

My internship experience at Samsung has been nothing short of transformative, equipping me with a myriad of valuable takeaways and honed skills that will undoubtedly shape my professional journey. I had the privilege of collaborating with multiple cross-functional teams, mastering the art of task prioritization, and strengthening my time management skills to match the dynamic and fast-paced ‘Samsung speed’ workplace culture.

However, the takeaway that I am most grateful for is a newfound sense of confidence. I relocated from Florida to Ridgefield Park, New Jersey for this opportunity, and the thought of adapting to a new state and office environment was a tad intimidating. I was fortunate to find myself placed within a truly welcoming team and under the guidance of a genuine and supportive manager. Not only was I greeted with open arms, but they also motivated me to step out of my comfort zone.

At the start of the summer, I recognized that my public speaking abilities could use improvement. Throughout my internship, my team consistently encouraged me to share my thoughts and ideas during meetings, making me feel valued and empowered to voice my opinions. They provided me with a seat at the table, fostering an environment where my input was genuinely appreciated. And when I was asked to be part of an employee panel regarding Gen Z in the Workplace, I jumped at the opportunity. With the support of my team members and words of encouragement from my manager, I was able to speak with conviction during this discussion. While refining my rhetoric skills is an ongoing process, I am immensely grateful to my team at Samsung for instilling in me the courage and self-assurance to continue taking steps toward my professional growth.

What were some of the most memorable/exciting projects that you had the opportunity to work on during your 10-week internship? And why were they memorable/exciting to you?

This summer, I was tasked with a challenging yet exciting project – conducting an in-depth web audit of Samsung’s vacuum products and a competitive benchmark analysis. The primary goal was to identify opportunities to enhance the consumer shopping experience on Samsung.com. This task involved meticulous research, including analyzing websites from other industry leaders and retailers to uncover potential improvements and best practices.

Though the responsibility felt slightly daunting at first, I was fortunate to receive support and guidance from my team members and manager, who readily addressed any questions I had.

One of the most rewarding aspects of this assignment was witnessing the impact of my contributions. I was thrilled to see one of my suggestions being passed along to the website engineering team and subsequently implemented on the page. Witnessing my input making a tangible impact on the business was truly a full-circle moment.

This project has provided me with invaluable learning experiences. I will cherish the memories, the challenges, and the lessons I’ve learned here, as they have set the foundation for my growth as a marketing professional.

In what specific way did the internship program help you refine your workplace skills?  How do you believe these skills will benefit you in your future career?

This summer at Samsung has been an incredible experience, as I got to spend the last 10 weeks working on an exciting project as a Product Marketing Intern. I worked on a 5G Monetization that required me to interface with people across different teams and functions. Collaborating with people from the technology, strategy, account, engineering and design team really helped me broaden my understanding of the company’s operations and goals. The project provided me with a valuable opportunity to hone my cross-functional collaboration skills that will benefit me in my future career journey.

What were some of the most memorable/exciting projects that you had the opportunity to work on during your 10-week internship? And why were they memorable/exciting to you?

I had the opportunity to leverage some of my learnings from both my startup journey in Marketing and Advertising, and my experience in business school. I was assigned to work on a 5G Monetization Project that required me to build a business case proposal that could potentially drive incremental revenue for the company. To work on such a hands-on project with tangible implications for the business was gratifying. My immediate and broader team really helped me craft the proposal with multiple reviews and feedback from both my manager and Vice President of my department. With the Customer Account Team having vetted the proposal and giving me a good to go, I am hopeful this proposal could add genuine value to the business as we prepare to potentially pitch it to our Mobile Network Operation partners.

Alongside this project, I also had the opportunity to work closely with the marketing team, liaising with the different partner agencies and taking up smaller assignments to help the team. One that stands out was when I completed an industry-wide evaluation of sponsored media as part of planning around amplification of Samsung messaging. This will help the team to further understand the competitive landscape and drive new marketing initiatives to increase our Share of Voice.

Being able to make a meaningful impact through my work is what truly made this internship such a memorable experience for me.