The Life of an Intern in Silicon Valley

The Golden Gate, the cable cars, the sun and the beach... What student has not dreamed of doing an internship in San Francisco?

Badger gives this opportunity to a number of qualified students, both American and foreign. As Steve Benson, CEO of Badger Maps, said: "Startups are, by nature, a great place to intern. In fact, all key activities are represented, and the people, often experts in their fields, are there to execute them. In addition, most startups are small enough that trainees are in direct contact with the experts and learn so much from them. "

Benefits for students

Startups such as Badger have many advantages for students.

A varied and customized work

In large companies, students are often faced with repetitive tasks. By performing these tasks, students focus their learning on a specific area. In contrast, working in a startup allows for exposure to many different tasks. This allows students to broaden their field of learning and be more versatile for their future professional life. In addition, startups have so many tasks to perform that students are free to choose the projects that make sense, making their stay more interesting and personalized to their needs.

A real impact

Working in a small structure allows students to have a real impact on the company and directly see their work in action. It's more motivating than filling out paperwork and increases their employability. They can also show the concrete projects they work on to potential employers to demonstrate the skills they learn.

A unique atmosphere

A startup is also a small family. Everyone knows each other and works in a healthy atmosphere. So learning to play foosball is definitely in the internship program. While remaining productive, Badger Maps is a fun work environment.

A win-win relationship

Having interns on the team not only benefits the interns themselves. Startups get a lot from their young recruits. Students often bring a creative wind necessary for young companies. It is not uncommon for interns to bring new ideas. Better than that, they can also manage these new projects themselves, with the approval of team leaders. Thus, Francis, a young Belgian trainee has supported the internationalization of Badger Maps to French-speaking countries. He manages relations with France, Canada and Belgium, while leveraging his own knowledge of the European market and its language skills.

Also, hiring interns is an economical alternative for startups. They are less expensive to companies that often have little resources.

In short, being an intern at a startup in San Francisco is a great experience. It allows students to gain experience that will be useful to them in their future professional lives, while allowing startups to stay creative.