PA I D A D V E R T I S E M E N T
| INTERNSHIP
MasterCard “MasterCard is incredibly focused on technology and innovation.” photo: James Visser
Key Facts
J
arrett Northington wanted to pursue a career that impacted how people work and communicate. He was familiar with MasterCard as a credit card company, but it was his conversations with recruiters that really sparked his interest in the innovative technological side of the company. He began at MasterCard as an intern and returned after graduation to a fulltime role as associate software engineer. Q What was your perception of
MasterCard before you started? A
I got most of my information about MasterCard from commercials and advertisements, so I didn’t know too much more than the fact that it’s a credit card company. Once I started working, I began to see MasterCard as more of a tech company that happens to be in the payment space. The company is incredibly focused on innovation and technology, which is something I didn’t know before I started working here. Q What did you hope to learn as an
intern? Were your expectations fulfilled? A
I went in to the internship hoping to increase my knowledge of the business world and become familiar with the daily workings of MasterCard and the industry. Once I started, I got a lot more than I bargained for. I learned new skills like project development, time management and scheduling, and technical skills like HTML. I also learned a lot about the payments industry.
Jarrett Northington
• Position: Associate Software Engineer • Education: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Computer Management and Information Systems, 2012
Q What surprised you as an intern? A
To be honest, I expected to be doing tasks stereotypical of interns: copying, emailing, filing, and so on. I was surprised by how much responsibility I was given right away. From the very beginning, I was in charge of a lot of information; I was working on real projects and even leading meetings. Q What's the best part of your job?
What are some challenges you face?
A My team has really good chemistry. When I first started at MasterCard, it felt like I had been there for years. Everyone was really open to the questions I asked and was willing to help me get up to speed on everything.
I think the biggest challenge has been the learning curve and getting familiar with the new systems, but having such a strong support system has made the process fairly smooth. Q Do you have any favorite projects? A During my internship, I was in charge of building a website that served as a central point of information – it was a repository of information for the different departments in order to foster more collaboration. It was a cool project with real results. Q What is the office culture like? A My department is very collaborative: It’s certainly not the kind of place where you sit in a cubicle all day without speaking to anyone. Our office has air hockey, a pool table, and even an Xbox 360 – we work hard, but have a lot of fun. Q Any advice for interns? A Be open to any opportunity that’s given to you: Get out of your comfort zone and venture into areas that you wouldn’t normally. Use your internship as an opportunity to learn as much as possible and try new things.
Find out more:
www.mastercard.com/careers
MasterCard is a global payments and technology company that operates the world’s fastest payments processing network connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities easier, more secure and more efficient. Employees: Approximately 6,700 in offices around the world Future Coworkers: The MasterCard College Programs were created to attract and source college hires, building a pipeline of multidimensional talent with fresh perspectives, capable and empowered to make important and independent decisions. The program is aimed at bright, driven and adaptable undergraduate students who are innovative, inquisitive and willing to challenge the status quo.