Nitro interns are a rare breed of human. They’re hungry for working world experience, and for taking on work that makes an impact on an organization. Dake Ying hails to us from UC Berkeley, where he is entering his junior year studying Economics and Computer Science, and a member of the Cal Volleyball team.
Dake found the Finance Intern opportunity with Nitro through an online school resource, Callisto.
We know you were looking at other internships – why did you pick Nitro?
A lot of start-ups were in earlier phases of their business and offering me positions in data analytics, not finance. Not only was Nitro’s position appealing, but the culture here is what I’d call “chill.” Everyone is relaxed; although they are working hard you wouldn’t describe anyone as stressed. Plus, everyone wants to see each other succeed, and that’s reflected in the way the entire company interacts with one another.
Can you walk us through your interview process?
Well, first I had a phone interview with Rachel, one of the Talent Ambassadors. We talked about the job, and she asked me getting-to-know-you questions. The next step was a meeting in the Nitro office with the Finance Team. Most of their questions were behavioral, like how I would deal with certain situations or challenges. Next was a Skype call with Candice in Australia – she’s the Controller, and then a final meeting with Gina, our COO. The entire process was really smooth.
What do you find different between school and the working world?
The main difference I find between school and the working world is that when you are off work, you don’t have as many obligations to worry about unlike school where there always seems to be homework due or a midterm to study for.
What do your mornings look like here?
First, I say hi to Zags at the front desk. Typically I’ll start by going through my email and tasks. Emails tend to take a while because I work with customers who want more information or want to make a payment. Once I get through my emails I move on to accounts receivable and then accounts payable – plus joke with the rest of the Finance Team, of course.
What do you like most about working here at Nitro?
I think I would without a doubt have to say the interactions I have experienced. It’s the people that make working at this company so great. On a normal day there is always at least one stand out hilarious event that will occur. I enjoy listening to Matt (a Giants fan) and Greg (a staunch A’s fan) banter with one another over baseball – when the office went to a Giant Vs A’s game it was particularly funny to listen to the two of them. Everyone in the office has a good time and maintains a positive attitude, which makes coming to work something to look forward to every morning.
What do you think your biggest take away is?
I have a better idea of how the back end of a business works. Finance isn’t considered the most fun aspect of a company, but it’s mission critical and the work I do matters.
What are your plans for after graduation? Any ideas about what you want to do?
I’m still not 100% clear on what I want to do when I graduate because I’m pursuing two majors that aren’t very similar. I’m not sure yet whether I’m better suited for finance or software engineering. What I’m pretty certain about is that I want to stay in the startup culture which I feel is a great environment for developing both technical and interpersonal skills and allows for better communication and attitude.
Dake’s experience is just one of our intern stories, with more to come! You can find our current intern and full time openingshere. Enjoying the intern stories? Read about other Nitro interns like Jennifer Wu.
