CBS Interactive Summer 2010

Working in a Relatively New Industry

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 13:17:00 -0400

Katie, Mobile Marketing Intern, Los Angeles CA

Now that the not-so So Cal weather is coming to an end, so is my internship with CBS Interactive. This summer I have been working in TV City and also get to work one day a week at the other office in El Segundo. Both locations are so different but equally great and I really enjoy having the opportunity to experience both. I’m the intern for the Mobile Marketing department and have definitely learned so much as well as met some amazing people. As my fellow intern, Matt, has mentioned, seeing celebrities while you’re at work is pretty awesome. Although it is tough having to remember constantly that you’re “working” so you can’t just run up to Craig Ferguson and say “I love you and think you are hilarious!” And the Price Is Right folks crack me up so that’s always a great way to start my day by seeing everyone lined up bright and early and so excited for the show!

Celebrities aside, the people who work here are all so nice and fun. Working with mobile is such a great opportunity to see the innovation take place and grow within this relatively new industry. I knew nothing about mobile when I first started except for what I know from playing around on my Blackberry. Throughout my time here, I have been able to see the entire process of creating mobile applications from the brainstorming, development, revision, and launch. I even got to help out with some voiceovers in the studio!

Day-to-day, I work mostly with the advertising part of the mobile department and help with updates and screenshots of the campaigns on all the different CBS property applications and WAP sites. With the fall shows coming up, there is a lot to be updated and revamped so I have been helping getting ready for that as well. I have also been working on a couple ongoing projects putting together spreadsheets and decks of competitor and research analyses. That has been an amazing learning experience and having a physical entity to take with me at the end of my internship is a great feeling of accomplishment.

All in all, my time here at CBS has been an unforgettable experience and my acquired knowledge supersedes any expectations I had!

A Taste of Working Full-Time

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:38:00 -0400

Cindy Cheng, Software Engineering Intern, San Francisco CA

I’ve always been the techie in my family. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been the one playing games on the computer and surfing the web. For years I have been on CNET checking out reviews on new products, and download.com has been my go-to site when I’m in need of a new app for my computer. Recently, I’ve been using Chow a lot as well, reading up on recipes and new restaurants to try.

I could barely contain my excitement when I found out I would be working for that company responsible for websites I have used and loved for years. I had a feeling that working 40 hours a week and taking MUNI every day would be pretty intense, but it has definitely been worth it! These past two months as a software engineer intern has been an experience I will not forget. This internship has not only given me the opportunity to apply many of skills that I have learned in school, but it has also exposed me to many new tools that would never be used in the classroom. In addition, I have gotten a taste of what working full-time feels like. You’re definitely beat at the end of the day, but I have found that you learn to truly appreciate and make the most of the time you have off. It’s been busy, but very fun.

Although this is my first internship, I know just from talking to my friends at other companies that CBS Interactive knows how to treat their interns well. In addition to briefings with execs and a tour of the KPIX studio, CBSi also offers various training classes and events for their interns. You can definitely see that CBSi values their interns, and working here has been a great experience.

By FAR the Best Internship!

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:59:00 -0400

Elgin, Market Research Intern, San Francisco, California

I’ve been interning here since May 24th and I’m very sad to leave. I’ve had such a fruitful and rewarding experience here and I don’t want it to end. But as they say all good things must come to an end. Though I have a more qualitative background I found myself truly becoming passionate about market research and data! As a market research intern I learned about various applications like Hitwise, Userzoom, comscore, and literally became best friends with Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel. The application I used the most was Hitwise. Hitwise is a global online competitive intelligence service which collects data directly from ISP networks to aid website managers in analyzing trends in visitor behavior and to measure website market share. So I used Hitwise to gather a multitude of data to show marketers how our users are getting to our sites and to show who are competitors are! Though I was just compiling data and putting it into PowerPoint presentations at first I wasn’t able to fully comprehend what the data was saying, but after extensive experience I am now able to convey a story through data.

I also had the honor to assist in usability testing for TV.com and Chow.com as those two websites are undergoing some changes. And that experience was extremely fun. We hire a recruiting firm to recruit users of the website or active Internet users to come into our usability lab on the 1st floor. The lab is set up where the user sits in the front room with an administrator (either Matthew or Jenna—my bosses) and the rest of the team sits in the back room behind a smoke glass mirror. The computer in the front room has an eye tracker and heat mapping software. The eye tracker lets us know in the back where the user is looking throughout the website and the heat mapping tool lets us know where the user is spending most of their time looking on the page.

The research team was also very nice and I enjoyed getting to know them better over the duration of my internship! In all honesty this is my 4th internship and this is by FAR the best one that I’ve had. I loved to be around such intelligent but down to earth people. I loved the fact that I didn’t have to wear a suit and tie. I loved the fact that my boss actually was invested in my learning experience here and wanted to make sure that my internship went smoothly. I simply loved coming in the office everyday to this positive atmosphere. Though I’m leaving, I will make sure to keep in contact with the many people that I met here it was definitely an experience I will never forget!

West Coast is the Best Coast

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:44:00 -0400

Patrick, Marketing Intern, San Francisco, CA

So as the summer is beginning to wind down, I’ve started to try to collect my thoughts on my experiences here at CBSi. Among the highlights of my summer definitely have to be icing my boss on her birthday, getting autographs from the entire Always Sunny in Philadelphia cast at Comic-con, and, of course, seeing naked tourists in the windows of the Mariott that my cubicle faces. Who doesn’t want to see that?

As well as many celebrity encounters, as pictured here of my boss with her future husband, this internship has certainly had many high points. It was a bit of an adjustment going from relatively unstructured college life to working nine to five, even though CBSi is fairly casual. It’s been a change, however, that I have quite enjoyed. Really, the best part about my summer has been working and interacting with my co-workers. CBSi is an incredibly welcoming and friendly place, and I am happy to count everyone who works in and around my area a friend. There is no sense of being a college intern that has to go through some type of hazing ritual of doing everyone’s grunt work.

I really can’t think of a better place to work for a summer during college. This was my first experience living outside of the East Coast, and I will finally admit it – the West Coast is the best coast. Even though the weather has been as dreadful as advertised in San Francisco, I’ve had a blast. It’s exciting to be able to work at such a dynamic company in the heart of such an incredible city.

From Past to Present

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:26:00 -0400

Luong, Business Intelligence Analyst Intern, San Francisco, CA

Hi! How can I start this… hmm… I’ve never been good at writing but sharing a great experience at CBS Interactive is not a hard job I guess.

So let me introduce a bit about myself. My name is Luong. I am Vietnamese, and just got to California last September. I did my Bachelor degree in the U.K and now doing Master in Statistics in Hayward. What a change!

(York, U.K and San Francisco, CA – my past and present)

As a newbie to the States, I didn’t know much about CBS at first, other than CBS News Channel 5 (sorry). But when I was in the U.K, I used CNET for downloads and reviews, so I was so surprised when knowing I would be working for CBS Interactive and CNET.

Unlike most of you guys, I already worked for an insurance company in the U.K for a year so it’s not my first job. But this is far better than my first job. There was no concept such ‘happy hours’, ‘interns/new graduates lunch’, ‘executive meetings’. I felt like we were pampered (in a good way). Those events were definitely the excellent chances to meet other interns and learn experiences from successful people. The working environment here is very friendly and enjoyable. Wearing jeans to work everyday? You gotta love that!

Ok, so that is a brief impression of working for CBS Interactive. And for those who love data and statistics, you might want to know about what I do here as a Business Intelligence Analyst.

Has anyone wondered why what you’ve learn at school is so different from what you have to deal with at work? Yes, that is my case because the real data is nothing like ‘normal’ or what work in ‘theory’ does not work in real situation. But it definitely makes me understand more and in a deeper level of what I’ve studied.

I tested the performance of online marketing campaign, or compared how the new designs would affect users’ behavior on the site. Do users click more, read more? Also, I did some modeling for the page views data and researches on statistical and practical significance. Now with the growth of social media, there will be many challenging and interesting projects to understand more about the users of our sites. So working in a dynamic and constantly changing environment, I don’t have to worry about being bored of working the same stuff everyday.

In fact, working here makes me think of changing my career path from actuary (as I always thought I wanted to be one) to analyst. An awesome work place can really bring the best out of you.

Thinking of joining CBS Interactive? Then be ready for all the cool and fun things!

Working in a Television City

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:13:00 -0400

Matt, Advertising Operations Intern, Los Angeles, CA

Having worked in Finance for my entire six-year career prior to returning to school to study for my MBA, I knew that my summer internship at CBS Interactive would be a completely new and different experience. This summer, I put Wall Street in the rearview mirror and am working as an Advertising Operations Intern for CBS Interactive’s mobile division. Interning at CBS Mobile has been a positive learning experience in an office setting that is uniquely Hollywood.

CBS Mobile’s offices are located in the CBS Television City Studio in Los Angeles, directly above the studios where many of television’s most famous and longest running programs are filmed, including Young and the Restless and the Price is Right. Each morning I make my way through hoards of potential Price is Right contestants lined-up and dressed to impress Drew Carey in an effort to land a new car or Jet-Skis. While walking the halls of Television City, it is not uncommon to bump into celebrity guests for the Late Show with Craig Ferguson. I previously worked in an office where the biggest celebrity we ever saw was Vikram Pandit, so for me, such novelty encounters are, at the very least, amusing.

Amazing game shows and celebrity encounters set aside, working in Mobile has been a great experience. The group here is knowledgeable, efficient and focused on delivering a complete portfolio of mobile entertainment solutions. From mobile optimized web sites to iPhone and Android applications, CBS Mobile is delivering innovative mobile products for all CBS Interactive properties, including Sports, TV.com, and CNET. It has been great to be work in the mobile space, at the forefront of the newest entertainment battleground.

As an Advertising Operations Intern, I feel that I have been able to immediately add value to the CBS Mobile group. The role has largely been a project-based role and I have enjoyed the work. I have had the opportunity to contribute to a wide array of interesting projects, including re-focusing best practices for new product launches, creating mapping solutions for project timelines, modeling cost projections for a contract renewal, creating a budgeting and tracking system for new advertising campaigns and formulating social media marketing strategies for new product launches.

This fall, I will return to USC Marshall with a new understanding of how

interactive media firms are competing in the mobile space. CBS Mobile has provided me with an invaluable experience and an excellent summer job.

A Summer of Science

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:04:00 -0400

Michael, Video Production Intern, San Francisco, CA

Wearing the exoskeleton at UC Davis

It’s hard to believe that in just over a month, I’ll be starting my senior year of college. Looking back at the past three years, I realize that I’ve learned a lot about certain subjects—as a History major, I’ve taken classes on Ancient Greece, East Asia, Europe and the US. But I’ve had almost no time to learn about science and technology (in fact, I’ve tried to avoid any kind of math too complicated to be done using my fingers). My experience at CBS Interactive has been a great opportunity to learn not just the skills needed for my internship, but also about science, technology, and business in general.

SolarImpulse, an airplane powered by the Sun’s energy

As one of two Production Interns for CBSi’s Business Broadband sites, I’ve had a variety of daily tasks. I’ve transcribed interviews, edited videos and podcasts, and assisted producers and the cameraman out on location. As a reward for this labor, I gotten to see projects I’ve worked on live on sites like SmartPlanet.com, BNET.com, and MoneyWatch.com. It’s also fun to follow the conversations and blog posts on other sites that our videos spark.

Scientists study beer at UC Davis

I think what I’ve enjoyed most about my CBSi experience, however, is the exposure I’ve gotten to topics that I might never have learned about otherwise. For example, I learned all about the science of beer from a UC Davis professor on a SmartPlanet shoot two week ago (did you know beer is the best source of silica in the diet?). I got to try on a new exoskeletal robot designed to help stroke victims recover full motion—it also made me look like Doc Ock from Spiderman 2. And I even edited videos about one of the world’s largest solar powered planes and a boat made of recycled plastic bottles.

Floating on only recycled bottles, the “Plastiki” made the dangerous trek from SF to Sydney

The best thing about interning at CBSi has been the internship program’s focus on learning. I would definitely recommend CBSi’s internship program to anyone interested in New Media who wants to get practical, hands-on experience. And who knows, you might even be surprised what you learn!

Writing tech for CNET: not a simple task

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:26:00 -0400

Polina, CNET.com Editorial Intern, San Francisco, CA.

My father is the ultimate computer genius. Do not roll your eyes just yet my friends; he is the real deal – thick glasses, a dozen computers, an office filled with random gadgets that no one outside of the high school robotics club has heard of, and meters upon meters of wire that lead to nowhere… or possibly everywhere. So, it is no surprise that he was ecstatic when he heard that his very own daughter would be writing for CNET.com – the most expansive source of tech news on the Web. My father’s excitement, though immense, could not match how epically stoked I was to work for a Web site that I have been reading since my days as a wee lass. Anytime I ever wanted to buy any type of technology, be it software or a new phone, I could not simply launch into an instant gratification shopping spree. My father and I would sit down and research CNET for hours before spending any dough. As for download.com, which generates about 3.5 million downloads per day, anyone who owns a computer has heard of this place. Being able to write about freeware downloads that millions of people will see is a serious privilege for an aspiring journalist like me.

I’m not going to lie —this job is not easy. Unlike my dad, I am not a software wiz. People constantly assume that I must know A LOT about computers, internet codes, and resources to be writing about it. The truth is, it takes me a long time to simply research everything I write about. After previously reporting on everything from fashion to music, I was skeptical about the task of writing on the topic of tech. Though I am passionate about modern technology (being the digital native that I am), I have never had much practice with tech journalism. One cannot imagine the numerous details that go into writing about a download. Just like a piece of software needs every step laid out for it to function, the article outlining it must also follow each step. Not only must I research and test the ins and outs of what I am writing about, but the article must be mentally accessible to the millions of different readers roaming the portal which is CNET downloads. Now I have numerous readers emailing me every day, asking me to help them with their computer problems. Helping them is a much more pleasant task than dealing with downtown Berkeley craziness when I was a teller at Wells Fargo.

Not only has my writing, attention to detail, and tech knowledge improved since I have started working at CBSi, I am extremely lucky to be working with such talented and helpful people. I look forward to BART-ing to work every day, walking through the [chilly] streets of San Francisco, and most importantly being able to work in such a positive and challenging environment of writers.

Though I still won’t be able to beat my father in a software/gadget name-dropping contest, I have learned years worth of knowledge and skills through my summer internship. I am proud to say that I have been published on the front page of CNET.com, arguably the most famous tech news site in the world.

CBS Intern: Active

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:10:00 -0400

Max Harris, Web Development Intern, San Francisco, CA.

I hold the key to understanding the MooTools framework (written by a former CNET employee).

When we got our first family computer over 15 years ago, my favorite activity at the time was to scour a website called download.com for free programs and games to install onto my new favorite toy. Truthfully, I probably had as much fun searching for and installing those shareware gems on our 16-bit Windows 3.1 PC as I did using them. The internet was still a new thing, and I was fascinated by the feeling of discovery that it provided. As my romance with the web blossomed, I had no idea that I would someday write code for CNET, the parent site of download.com, and the leading hub for all things tech.

This summer I have been given the opportunity to intern as part of the Web Development team at CBS Interactive. Through this position I have been working directly on the CNET website. This has been quite a challenging, yet fulfilling experience. Every project that I have gotten my hands has been something that will eventually go live on the site for millions of users to see (no pressure). While my CSS and (X)HTML skills have definitely gone up a notch or two, my introduction to MooTools (a prominent JavaScript framework) has already proven to be a valuable expansion to my web development toolbox. Some of the projects that I have worked on so far include coding new web pages from design mockups, adding a new feature to the site’s toolbar, and creating a nifty info popup for one of the download pages.

This is where the magic happens.

Of course, I could not have done any of this on my own (this is a team effort, after all). In fact, one of the highlights of my experience here has been interacting with lots of brilliant and interesting people. For instance, I could not have asked for a better manager. She has empowered me by giving me the direction that I need to complete each of my tasks, while allowing me to come up solutions on my own. Her confidence in my ability to think critically and learn new concepts has enhanced my professional esteem, and she has been very approachable and anytime I have needed direction. Additionally, I have gotten to learn from some of the top leaders in the web development world, and work alongside the movers and shakers of the industry. Connecting with everyone, from the CEO of the company, to former interns that now work at the company now has been very enriching.

Aside from all of the technical stuff, some of the best times I have had include finding new places to eat lunch with my fellow interns, receiving helpful professional advice from various CBS Interactive executives during executive briefings, and participating in cross-cubicle Nerf dart wars in my department.

Our office’s foam-dart arsenal.

So far, I have grown tremendously in technical prowess, as well as in my professional conduct. From the programs that I downloaded over a decade ago on that old Windows 3.1 machine, to this internship program, CNET and CBS Interactive have given me many rich insights and opportunities towards an expansive and fulfilling career as a web developer.

School’s Out

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:57:00 -0400

Drew, Software Engineering Intern, San Francisco, CA.

College is a funny place sometimes. I’ve been studying Software Engineering at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo for four years now, and have been taught a great deal there- design principles, programming practices, general software development processes and any number of other useful skills related to the software industry. Yet even after four years, it amazes me how much there still is to learn, something I’m reminded of every day here at CBSI.

Cal Poly is typically regarded as a very hands-on university; after all, their motto is “Learn by doing,” a mindset that has lead to some very exciting and unique programs there. I’ve had the chance to work on several larger software projects in my studies, including a year-long Capstone project for a real customer company. But for all of the preparation and experience I’ve garnered at Cal Poly, I’ve still had some big surprises from my internship.

One challenge I’ve faced since day one is the incredible variety of outside elements used in the projects I’m been working on. In the first two months of my internship I’ve worked with Apache, Apache Tomcat, Solr, Hibernate, jQuery, CSS, Spring, and many other tools and technologies. Some of these I have dabbled in before, if only a little. Others I’d never even heard of, much less been trained in. But in just a few weeks’ time I’ve seen and learned more about these tools than I could ever hope to in twice as much time at school. The change of pace is nothing if not exciting.

Another surprise came in the form of the project I was assigned to. Nearly every college course I’ve taken thus far has centered on building something new from the ground up. By contrast, my project here at CBSI has me working almost exclusively on combining, repurposing, and maintaining existing software. This wasn’t entirely unexpected, but some of the realities of working on legacy code are very new to me. For one thing, it’s much easier to start using an unfamiliar technology when the code I’m working with uses that technology thoroughly; I have many excellent examples readily available to me. On the other hand, understanding my coworkers’ code and learning to interpret their unique styles is a very new experience, one I’m starting to wish I had been exposed to sooner but am grateful to have dabbled in here. The vast majority of the software life cycle is maintenance of existing projects, and these experiences are wonderful preparation for that sort of work.

The world of software is constantly changing, and as students in software-related fields we’re often reminded that, if we want to stay in the game, we will be learning in some shape or form for the rest of our careers. Now, thanks to this internship, I’ve had a meaningful glimpse of what that really means each day here. Even once we’re done with school, there will be plenty more to learn- and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Working Nine to Five

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:52:00 -0400

Ben, Web Development Intern, San Francisco, CA.

CBS Interactive is in the process of moving to a Google-based e-mail and intranet system. This “Communication and Collaboration Platform” will replace a hodgepodge of unreliable, outdated, and just generally icky systems. I’m helping with that transition. As an intern, I’ve worked on about a dozen little projects related to the switch. On a given day I write FAQs for the training site, fix a bug or two in one of the ‘gadgets’ that power the new intranet, and attend at least one meeting. Rarely, if ever, do I play the role of the stereotypical coder and I’ve never spent the whole day at my desk.

Because my job here isn’t predictable, it’s been challenging in a way I never anticipated. I expected to be in a technical role, and to spend most of my days buried in HTML. I’ve had my share of that, but the actual challenge has been getting off my email and finding the time to work on those more substantial projects. My inbox (one of the first few migrated to Google Mail, thankfully) is currently full of requests from a half-dozen people for at least a half-dozen different assignments. Thankfully, multitasking is in my blood.

Ironically, the same work habits I thought would make it impossible for me to work a desk job have proved to be an asset. My mix of technical and liberal arts skills have served me well, allowing me to design sites, but also explain my work to people who might not have a technical background. That’s a valuable skill in some of the meetings I’ve been a part of. That said, I’m flattered to have been included, even just as an observer, in meetings with company executives. I won’t lie, the first time I sat in an Aero chair was absolutely nerve-wracking. But over the past couple weeks I’ve met some visionary people and gotten a true inside look at CBS Interactive. It’s a neat place.

It’s also, clearly, a place where workers are valued. In fact, the most surprising thing I’ve noticed is that my internship hasn’t been any sort of hazing ritual for desperate college students. It’s a program that exists to attract the best talent, and I consider myself very lucky to have been a part of it. If you told me six months ago I’d be working nine to five this summer I would have laughed in your face. It’s been an adventure, one that’s stressful at times, but one that has in many ways redefined the way I look at my career.

The Low Down

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:40:00 -0400

Max, Software Engineer Intern, San Francisco, CA.

I’m not one to talk about myself much, but I guess I’ll give you, esteemed reader, the low down of what it is to be a CBSi Intern. My name is Max, and I’m from Mill Valley, CA, a short 30 minutes from 235 2nd St. I’m a Computer Science major at NYU (Go Violets!) and this is my second summer at CBS Interactive. I interned for the GameSpot.com Data Team last year and came back to sink my teeth into a juicier technical role and I now have a role from which I can gain some meaningful experience.

I’m now the sole intern for the TV.com Engineering Team, part of the Entertainment & Lifestyle division. I work on a variety of projects and in several languages (including Java, Python, and PHP). I’ve been given assignments that actually affect the end user and will have a real impact on the site when they goes live. My team is relatively small, with only five backend and three frontend developers, so it’s easy to keep track of what’s going on at any given moment.

Ask and ye shall receive - I requested a Mac and they gave me a Mac Pro!

The engineering internships are great for Computer Science majors because they give you experience that you will most likely not find in a classroom — in my case using Subversion, Apache Tomcat, Spring Framework, and many other technologies — and will prepare you for life in the workplace. And as an intern, while you are expected to perform and push out a product, your colleagues understand there is a learning curve. You come to work, but you end up learning a great deal about both programming and team-based software development.

There are also some awesome perks — Timbuk2 messenger bags, Noah’s Bagels and schmear every Friday, an upcoming 24-hour Hack Day, 25¢ sodas, an enormous exercise ball that somehow ended up next to my desk, a chance to meet with several CBSi Executives, a tour of the KPIX (the local CBS affiliate) studio, and lots more.

I’m starting a collection of CBS Interactive Timbuk2 Bags

Great Place to Work!!!

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:32:00 -0400

Anil, Software Engineer Intern, Somerville, MA.

Hi, my name is Anil Iyer. I am currently a master’s student at North Carolina State University. I am also one of two software engineering intern’s this summer at CBS Interactive’s Somerville office. As I had almost no professional experience I was looking out for an internship in the summer. Although I was approached by a few other companies when CBS Interactive showed interest in hiring me it was really a no brainer decision to choose CBS Interactive. Besides the fact that it is a reputed firm the job description matched perfectly with my areas of interest.

I am interested in application development, databases and Web services and my daily work here involves just that. It also involves working on relational databases (the traditional ones involving sql) and the non relational no sql databases and I also build some simple web applications. In the next few days I will be working on map-reduce framework to design views in CouchDB which is a No-SQL data store. Since it is quite a hot topic it will stand me in good stead in future. At CBS I have got the chance to work on three projects each one different from the other thus giving me a chance to learn a range of new stuff.

In spite of the interesting projects, the thing I like the most about working at CBS is the fact that everything is so relaxed. The managers are very approachable and the people working around love to have fun. On my first day I was taken out for lunch by my manager and my team, after which I was briefed about my project and within no time I felt as much part of the team as anyone else. The deadlines on the work assigned to me were set keeping an eye on the fact that I get a chance to understand the stuff I am working on. Also there were numerous events organized which gave interns the opportunity to interact with the most important people at CBS, ask them questions and also learn what it takes to reach the top. These events promote both your personal and career development.

Another exciting part about the internship has been relocating to Somerville. As I had never been to Somerville and Boston I used this opportunity to visit parts of Boston along with fellow intern Himanshu Gahlot. We visited Harvard University and Harvard square, Boston Commons, Boston Harbor and we are planning to visit a few other places in the coming few weeks. Also, after having watched game 7 of the NBA finals together in office we got first hand experience of how intense the Celtics-Lakers rivalry really is. To conclude, this summer I got the chance to learn a range of new things while working in relaxed environment under an awesome manager and also got the chance to explore a vibrant city like Boston, I couldn’t have asked for more. If there are any interns out there looking for an internship involving some serious project work mixed with awesome fun and events you will not find a better internship program than the one offered here at CBS Interactive.

Not Bad for a First Job

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 19:44:00 -0400

Ashleigh, Audience Development Intern, San Francisco, CA.

My name is Ashleigh Richelle and I will be a freshman at University of Chicago this fall. I found out about this internship through the Emma Bowen Foundation for Minority Interests in Media. They put me in contact with CBS Interactive where I officially applied and was later hired for the Interactive Design Internship. I am currently working in the Operations Department as a part of the Outbound Team. Slowly but surely I have been learning what this department is all about. I am working closely with the Ad Trafficking team and am being trained in the process of launching dedicated ad campaigns. On the surface, I have learned how to run list counts, use HTML, import and export lists, create ad campaigns, and much more. I have gained a greater insight into how email ad marketing works and I look forward to working on my own project in the future. Under the surface however, I have gained so much more.

My workspace…where all the magic happens!

For having absolutely no formal work experience and being one of the youngest of the interns, I am getting a crash course in the etiquette and dynamic of a corporate workplace, all packed into eight weeks! I’m ecstatic to say the experience so far has exceeded my expectations of what an internship should and would be like. Unlike the stereotype of the nightmare internship where the main objective is to get the boss’s Starbucks order right, I am actually doing real work that is affecting and helping the company. My position has a genuine purpose to CBSi. This is what drives me to continuing learning and perfecting the skills I’ve developed. I am also glad to say to that I am getting along well with my team. They are very compatible with my learning style and are approachable and patient, so I have no problem going up to them when I have questions or need help. I couldn’t ask for anything more

After a coworker shared with me the viral YouTube video of the Double Rainbow guy during my first week at work, I was inspired to create my nameplate which asks the now thought (and laugh) provoking question: What does this mean?!

At CBSi, they nurture an environment of creativity and openness to its employees and newcomers alike. What more could an eighteen-year-old only four years away from entering the work force ask for!? And the opportunities to meet and work with different people are endless. Aside from participating in the events that the Intern Program provides and doing my assigned tasks, I have also done my best to take advantage of the opportunities that just happen to pass by. For example, I have helped out a photographer at CBSi by modeling a variety of cell phones for the CNET website. These photos are then posted on the CNET. I also had the opportunity to be interviewed for a short TV news story for MoneyWatch. While being interviewed was a lot of fun, I had more fun filming B-roll of me sipping coffee walking down the street while trying to ignore the camera and the people staring at me. Yet, how cool must I have looked having a camera following me around?

Example of my hand-modeling work…LOL!

So from deploying email campaigns to hand-modeling to having a camera film me buying a cup of Joe, several years from now, when someone asks me what my first job was and I say “My first job was at CBS,” I ‘d like to see them try and top that!

84 Miles

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:18:00 -0400

Carlos, Software Engineer Intern, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Never had a daily commute trip of 84 miles been so worthwhile – yes, I said daily. Originally from Venezuela, my name is Carlos Pinto and I am currently pursuing my Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering at the University of Miami. I am interning for the Media group at CBSSports.com in Fort Lauderdale as a Software Web Engineer, where my experience has been nothing like I imagined and everything that I had been looking for.

During the first few weeks at CBS, I was introduced to what was to become one my most rewarding and immersive learning experiences of my career. Surrounded by some of the best industry professionals, both very resourceful and friendly, I knew from the very beginning that I was in for a real work experience that would foster my skills as a professional and individual. And boy was I right. From the very first week, I was introduced to my first project to get acquainted with the programming environment. This first assignment consisted in the implementation of a web interface to allow news editors to post pieces of content, including both text and images in several different layouts in a small section of the CBSSports.com home site. Never did I think that I would have the opportunity to write code for the home site, yet, I was proven wrong from week number one, and it was only the beginning.

After getting familiar with the programming environment and working on several other exciting projects, I was trusted with the redesign of one of our most distinctive web features from other sports sites, which is called RapidReports. This feature in a nutshell, consists of a live feed of NFL related content that is gathered from 32 correspondents in each NFL team city to report the news as they happen by the minute, literally. My task was to redesign the current implementation with a new set of features, pages, and embedded components that would display these reports. During this process, I got the chance to work hand in hand with graphic designers, producers, and other programmers, which has truly expanded my experience to a higher level of exposure within the company. I could probably go on for another whole paragraph on this topic, but suffice to say that I have learned a whole lot from this experience and gained a lot more confidence as a programmer on a professional level.

Even though it sounds like a lot of work, CBSSports is also about innovating with a bit of fun built into the mix. Who doesn’t like sports anyways? Well I sure do, specially watching the World Cup. With 150+ employees/sports-enthusiasts and 70+ TVs on the site, any major sports event can be quite a scene, a fun one that is. And if you add to the equation “Thirsty Thursdays”, “Friday Popcorn”, the biweekly offsite lunches, the occasional table tennis game at the “Game Room”, and the desktop TV that I got the third week (yes, a TV), working CBSSports can be quite a thrill.

Without further ado, I want to conclude by saying that developing for the web at CBSSports has not only opened a plethora of knowledge and new realms of programming for me, but even more rewarding and important, it has reassured that I have picked the right career path, the one that I truly enjoy. Reporting from Fort Lauderdale to the world, Carlos Pinto, CBSSports.

Laid Back

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:20:00 -0400

Jon, Software Engineering Intern, San Francisco, CA

Hi my name is Jon and I’m interning as a software engineer at CBS Interactive in San Francisco. This summer has been very interesting because I moved to a city that I had never really been to. Previously, I had lived in New Jersey, Rhode Island, and then Central Coast California. Fortunately, living in San Francisco has been a completely new and interesting experience. Initially, it was a little hard because I did not know anyone in the city, however, that changed when I met my roommates.

In addition, work has been very exciting, because I have experienced a lot of things by working on CBS.com (cannot talk about them) that students are not exposed to in school. My project for this summer was to build a server monitoring system for CBS.com. So far, the project has been smooth because it works on local and development environments. Currently, I’m in the process of deploying it on the production CBS.com servers. Furthermore, I have been learning a lot about things outside of my project related to managing the back end of a large scale website. My group has had me fixing bugs and adding new features on the website.

In conclusion, I have enjoyed working at CBS Interactive, because the people I work with are pretty laid back and fun to talk to. Also, the workplace set up is pretty nice because it encourages collaboration between other workers at CBS Interactive. I would recommend this company to others. Time to get back to work.

No Dress Codes

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:57:00 -0400

Hersh, Software Engineer Intern, Louisville, KY.

Alright, let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Hersh Singh. I am a sophomore at the University of Louisville majoring in computer science engineering and I’m also working as a software engineer intern in the business division at CBS Interactive this summer and guess what? I’m lovin it (take that McDonalds).

My day to day job involves working with databases, web app development and maintenance of applications. Don’t be mistaken by my job description that we at CBS are your usual computer nerds, because we are not. We do have PS3s and Wiis lying around along with guitars and other things that we like to enjoy on our big flat screens during time offs to recharge ourselves. Some of you may be wondering why I chose to work at CBS Interactive. I have got a couple of reasons why CBSi is the place to work if you are planning on doing an internship anytime soon.

The best thing I like about working here is the fact that you are provided a good amount of freedom to work on things that you like to do instead of being forced to work on stuff you don’t feel comfortable doing. Here, you get to be yourself as well as improving your technical and professional skills at the same time. Also, if you are like me who doesn’t like formal dress codes then you will feel right at home working at CBS Interactive. Not having dress code helps you to focus on your work instead of worrying about things like what to wear to the office. This might not be that of a big deal for some but just one of many great add-ons to working here. The atmosphere is very friendly here, we work in teams so you also get a chance to brush up your teamwork skills and we also hang out outside of work sometimes.

Last but not least, having a Fortune 200 company on your resume shows off your great capabilities without saying single word to employers. Being able to work for CBS Corporation entails me to have that on my resume. I don’t think it can get any better than that. In the end I hope I was able to enhance your understanding about the work atmosphere at CBS and some of the things we do. Now you carry on your web surfing as I head back to work. Hasta la vista.

Keeping it Real

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:43:00 -0400

Oren, Software Engineer Intern, San Francisco, CA

When I started my hunt for an internship earlier this year, I found myself approached by a number of companies seeking to collect my résumé, put it in a pile, and send it off to who-knows-where, to be dealt with (or more likely, ignored) by some higher-up who doesn’t prioritize his/her company’s internship program. So when CBS Interactive expressed interest in hiring me, I knew that if I got the job, I would find myself in a positive work environment that respects its interns and fosters productivity and personal development.

Having worked here for six weeks now, I’m pleased that my first impressions of the company were definitely spot-on. The people here are incredibly friendly and helpful – both the dedicated full employees and my fellow interns. I’ve really been quite fortunate to find myself surrounded by so many enthusiastic and youthful people.

My project, which I work on along with another intern, Drew, is TopicCMS, which essentially is a system for editors on CBSI sites to be able to easily rearrange their pages’ layouts and content placement, regardless of where that content comes from. It’s a nifty project for several reasons: being under heavy development, Drew and I have had the opportunity to develop features, refactor code, and iron out bugs; it will scheduled to be deployed onto parts of an existing CBSI web property within the next month or two; and it operates atop an enterprise-level software stack, which provides for some great real-world experience you just don’t get in the classroom.

What I really appreciate about interning here is feeling like I’m really contributing solid work and not just some project for a project’s sake. Nearly all the code I write, bugs I fix, and documentation I hammer out will at some point be integrated in CBSI’s products. It’s exciting to feel that my work is actually making a real impact.

If you’re looking for some meaningful real-world work experience – and in one of the most exciting cities in the country, San Francisco, to boot – I would definitely recommend CBS Interactive to any would-be interns out there. It’s a great gig!

Awesome Summer!

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:50:00 -0400

Geng, Business Analyst Intern, San Francisco, CA.

This summer has been one of the most exciting summers of my college career. I love working in CBS Interactive, and I really enjoy living in San Francisco.

What I love the most about working in CBS Interactive is the level of support the company provides for its interns. They have scheduled many exciting events for the interns throughout summer, including lunches with executives and tours of various CBS properties. Furthermore, CBS Interactive puts a lot of energy into fostering an intern friendly culture. Connecting with seasoned engineers and business professionals could be a bit challenging for someone who is still in college, and it helps a lot when there are more than 20 other interns in the buildings. We meet our “intern class” from almost day 1, and it is really easy to grab lunch with each other. On Fridays, we even have an e-mail thread about what people are doing on the weekends, and people invite each other to various social events.

Living in San Francisco has been really exciting too. CBS Interactive is located in a really exciting part of the town. There are movie theaters, oyster bars, and malls near by, and it’s really convenient to go out after work. I also love the food here in San Francisco. Thanks to the health conscious culture here, one has to go out of his or her way to find really greasy junk food. San Francisco is a very active city and one can really feel it. During the past month, I have been to the Northbeach Festival, Pride Parade, and July 4^th concert at Pier 39. I feel like I never have enough time to do everything I want to do here!

I recommend anyone with interest in the web business to apply for an internship or a job at CBS Interactive. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Dynamite

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:25:00 -0400

Kyle, CBS.com software engineering intern, San Francisco, CA.

Tonight is the premiere of Big Brother! More importantly though, CBS.com is launching its Big Brother Ultimate Fan game for the show.

(Also important: LeBron will announce which team he has chosen tonight.)

I‘m a software engineering intern, helping a small team for CBS.com. Our team has been working on adding the Big Brother Ultimate Fan game to the site, which gives points to users for contributing to the site in various ways such as commenting on a video. I am really excited for the premiere of Big Brother, because we will be pushing our changes to the site, and this is the first time there will be something on the site that I contributed to.

I have my own website that gets maybe 3 people a month who stay longer than a minute, so putting something up on the interwebs that thousands of people will use and interact with is much more intense than I’m used to. I hope my stuff works.

Me eating an oyster for the first time in SF (while hanging out with the other interns after work).

I plan on watching Big Brother so I can accrue points, see that things are working, and try to get a better understanding of the user’s perspective. (Or maybe I’m just looking for an excuse to watch a reality show. I watched a couple previews for the show and it is pretty great how everything is set up to maximize the drama between housemates.) Anyways, if you like the show, my current bet is on Matt winning. On a similar note, CBS.com has a Big Brother Fantasy League, which is really cool; you pick two people on the show each week and get points for certain actions they do. I think it will make for a completely different viewing experience.

After this, I get to do more exciting things, as I will be working on the redesign of the CBS.com user profiles. It’s getting a pretty big overhaul, and many features are being added that further integrate the web site with tv viewing, like site-wide Community Points (similar to the Ultimate Fan). It’s really exciting to think that my contributions will stick with the profile for a while; probably at least a year. From the soon-to-be-senior at UC Berkeley (Computer Science).