BSIS student Miranda Ma discusses her internship at the AbbVie Innovation Center. Ma advises job seekers to keep an open mind and not limit their job search to a specific industry, especially for a field like user experience.
Where are you interning, and what is your role?
I am a UI/UX intern with AbbVie at the Research Park.
How did you find out about the internship?
I discovered this opportunity through the Research Park Career Fair. I learned more about the company through one of my friends, who is also an intern at AbbVie.
What new skills have you acquired?
I’ve learned how to conduct user research interviews and do user experience research.
What do you like best about working at the company?
I have enjoyed learning how to communicate and interact with a “project manager” figure and becoming more experienced in UX design. The internship has also taught me how to trust myself, take the lead, and take ownership of my work.
What would you advise current students who are interested in an internship opportunity?
Look for jobs on the job board that interest you, and never disregard an opportunity just because of the industry. Every industry has a need for designers. Just because an opportunity might not be in an industry that typically has a saturation of your preferred job type, this doesn’t mean that you are not needed or can’t bring value to that specific company, role, or industry.