Life @ YouTube: Interns Go Behind the Screen

What do you think when you hear “YouTube”? I used to think of videos of panda bears sneezing, British toddlers biting each other’s fingers, and the instant stardom of seemingly everyday people. But over the past 11 weeks, I’ve had a true insider’s perspective on the company. I’ve worked with hundreds of YouTube employees who are redefining how we create, share and consume video. 

As a BOLD intern, I’ve been able to go behind the screen and leave my mark at YouTube. Google’s BOLD program began placing undergraduate interns at YouTube in 2010, beginning with a class size of just two and it continues to grow each year. This year we had nine undergraduate YouTube interns bringing fresh ideas and making a huge impact along the way. I, along with other interns, have had the opportunity to work on meaningful projects that have directly benefited YouTube users. My fellow interns and I worked on “Your Film Festival,” an independent film contest, the channel design for the 2012 Olympics page, and support of the live streaming at Lollapalooza music festival - just to name a few projects. 

As an intern in People Operations, I’ve worked with many different teams across the company, from content partners to product managers and designers, while developing leadership training programs, producing and editing videos, and interviewing Directors and VPs. And I’m only one intern! Total, there are 30 other undergraduate and graduate school interns that make up the YouTube family, all of whom are working on phenomenal projects involving software engineering, web developing and user experience design. 

The professional development opportunities afforded to interns at YouTube are unmatched. Still, it’s not all work and no play. While at YouTube I’ve been able to chat it up with Rick Ross, meet Congresswoman Jackie Speier and host over 100 Bay Area engineering interns for a night of BBQ, beer, Bluegrass music and cool product demos. YouTube is a magical place and this summer gave me a taste of the magic. If you’d like to find out more, visit our site for information about internships and jobs. 

Kayla Conti, YouTube BOLD Intern, recently watched, The Big Bang Theory - The Friendship Algorithm.