Inside The Internships: Rubrik

Welcome to Inside the Internships, a series brought to you by matrix IIT Guwahati, where we talk to you about internship experiences, the inside outs and some preparation tips and tricks to set you up for your upcoming internships.

Today we have Jatin Dhingra with us, a final year maths major at IIT Guwahati. He interned last summer with Rubrik and also grabbed the Pre-Placement Offer.

So let’s hear Jatin’s insights and feedback about his internship.

1. The first days are usually quite exciting, and everyone looks forward to it. How exciting was your first day, and how were you assigned to your team?

The first day was quite relaxed. I had only 2–3 hours of meeting with the HR, which were basic introductory types, and then I was free for the rest of the day. Then I had a conversation with my manager, who briefly explained the company’s work culture to me. Team allocation was random for us, although I am not sure of the procedure inside Rubrik’s management. I got to know about my team about 1–2 weeks before starting my internship via email from Rubrik.

2. Could you briefly tell about your team, work and what other fun activities you performed with them?

The initial work consisted of basic stuff like setting up LAN connections and small tasks to familiarise ourselves with GitHub. During the initial week, nothing related to my project was started, and I was just getting to know my team. My team was quite friendly. Every week we had one fun meeting, where we played games like skribbl, ordered free food, and had interaction sessions with the HR. In conclusion, my experience with my team was pretty amazing.

3. Considering it was your first big industrial project, what were your initial remarks and thoughts on your project? Was it too overwhelming?

I can’t disclose much about my project due to the company’s policies; however, I will try to give a brief idea about it. When I first interacted with my manager about my project, he tried to explain it to me; nevertheless, all of it went over my head. On asking again and still feeling overwhelmed about the project, I had no idea how to do the project. Then my mentor suggested breaking it into many small parts and taking every small part as a task. My mentor helped me throughout my project and turned out to be very helpful. And this is how I was able to complete my project on time.

4. Was the project heavy for you, or did you find it to be quite fun?

Initially, I felt it to be quite a heavy task for me as I had no idea what to do. However, after my mentor broke it into smaller chunks, it became more straightforward, and then it went on smoothly. The thing is that you don’t need to know everything from the beginning itself; you are an intern and have a lot to learn, so take it that way instead of pressurising yourself to complete the project anyhow.

5. Being your first internship in a big company, what was the workload, and how did you cope with it?

Initially, the workload was relatively low, and we only had to familiarise ourselves with Linux and Git. Once I started working on my project, no more than 7–8 hours of work per day was required. Long weekends were really helpful in killing the monotonicity and providing some relaxation. We were also given wellness holidays due to the Covid surge to look after our families.

6. Which tech stack did you work on during your internship?

Most of my project involved working on Python and JavaScript.

7. Python and JS are used by college students too for their projects. What was the difference between college projects and Rubrik’s project, and any advice you would like to extend for using them efficiently?

I would advise my juniors to thoroughly learn 2–3 languages, as once you have a basic grasp of programming, it would be easier to switch languages later. It isn’t necessary to learn these two languages only. I was lucky to get Python and JS. Coming to the differences, my project at Rubrik was much similar to a college project. I would also suggest breaking down your college projects into smaller parts as it would help to complete them efficiently.

8. What prerequisite knowledge would help incoming Rubrik interns get a headstart and make it easier for them to get started with their internship?

Having a thorough knowledge of 2–3 languages is excellent, as it is easy to shift to new languages later. A good understanding of the Linux environment, Github, and Docker would help.

9. Are there any specific coding practices required while doing your tasks?

No, you will pick up specific coding practices during your internship. An internship is for you to learn, and you aren’t expected to know everything. Along with this, you will be getting to know more about your domain and the company’s culture as well.

10. What is the hierarchy at Rubrik? Who exactly are the Manager and Mentor, and what is the difference between them?

The manager and mentor play the most crucial role in your internship. A mentor is the one with whom you frequently talk and discuss doubts about your project. The manager helps in everything, be it your project or any other logistical or emotional issues. You can discuss anything with your manager and ask them how you can improve as a Software Development Engineer and any other such questions. My manager and mentor were both quite remarkable. I could meet or call them anytime during the day.

11. Extending the question, what steps you had to take to reach out to your manager for problems, and did he satisfactorily cater to your needs?

Weekly personal meetings were held to discuss the work done in the last week with the manager, wherein he also asked whether there was any stress and if I found the project challenging enough. He wanted me to find it challenging as we are there to learn and ask doubts. He was always there to help me throughout my internship and was quite frank. You could even share any other emotional stress you face with him.

12. What suggestions would you give on reaching out to your mentor and manager for those who aren’t proactive in reaching out and are a bit introverted?

2–3 weeks before the internship starts, the manager tries to know your nature and get frank with you. At the beginning of my internship, I was facing the dilemma of asking my manager a particular question. When I finally asked him and later told him about my dilemma, he expressed that no question is useless and always feel free to speak your mind. However, this is Rubrik specific and can’t comment about other companies.

13. How was it working at Rubrik? How is the company’s culture? Is it too strict/fun?

Rubrik, being a startup, has a startup culture. We have the freedom to interact with everyone. I could discuss with my manager and colleagues if I had any ideas to improve my project. They were always open to suggestions, and the culture was great! I interacted with the Rubrik US team, showcased my work, and glimpsed their work. All in all, it was a great experience.

14. What are two things you liked and disliked at Rubrik?

I liked the startup culture, open discussions and friendly atmosphere, amongst many things. Another concept I admired was that except for one mentor and manager, another mentor was there, a guy from another team about whom these two didn’t know. I could discuss everything with him, including my workload, my current manager, and other interpersonal communications. I didn’t dislike anything as such. However, one incident is there. Even after almost 4–5 months of my selection, I still hadn’t received any communication from the company’s side yet and was a little tensed. Soon after I got an email, I didn’t feel tense anymore. Nothing else as such, I loved my company.

15. Three noteworthy things which you like to share that you learned from the internship at Rubrik, not necessarily limited to technical skills?

• Initially, I didn’t know how to proceed with my project. So I learned how to break down a project into smaller tasks and complete it efficiently.
• It was the first time I was working on a big project. The shift from small college projects to a big project was significant. I had to implement a part of the software that Rubrik uses, so it was a great feeling for me once I had finished it.
• During my meetings with the US team and other Indian teams, I got a chance to present my project to them, to which they paid attention. This whole process boosted my confidence both as a person and as a professional.

16. In startups, there is a myth that you have to give 12 -13 hrs daily, and they make their interns work a lot. How true is that? Did you have to invest that much of your time at Rubrik?

At Rubrik, there was no such curb on working hours. We weren’t given deadlines, but we were expected to give our 100%. My mentor had implied that if I could not understand the task after 1–2 days, he would provide me with some hints. If then you aren’t able to do it, he said that he would do it with me.

I took my mentor’s help in the first few tasks, hints in some other jobs, but towards the end, I could complete the tasks independently. Regarding time devotion, 7–8 hrs of daily work was enough to conclude my tasks.

17. Coming to the last question, you have received a PPO; congratulations on your impressive feat. Are there any suggestions you would like to extend to the incoming interns to have an overall good internship?

Thank You. During the start of my internship, my manager and mentor had told me that if I worked hard and smartly, I would get a PPO, and I received my PPO following their advice. To have a successful internship, first of all, don’t burden yourself to get a PPO. If you are not able to do your task, ask for help. Don’t try to do everything by yourself. As I said earlier, I didn’t have any clue about how to do the project during my initial days. Make sure you talk to your manager and mentor; they are there to help you. Talk to people from other teams, learn and discuss with them, chat with other SWEs and get to know their experiences; this helps to keep you motivated and gives you great insights.

Thanks a lot for reading. Brought to you by Matrix IITG, stay tuned for more incredible and informative stuff.