I started my internship hunt in spring 2016. Being afresher, I was very confused in determining what job function, role or companyI should seek during my search for a summer internship, which seemed like aherculean task at the time. The only thing that was clear in my mind was that Iwanted something different. During my quest to find a perfect internship forme, I used to spend a lot of time on LinkedIn.
One fine day, I came across thejob opening for System Engineering – Technical Sales Intern at JuniperNetworks. The job description posted included everything I was looking for,right from the balance of technical and communicational skills to opportunityof working on some bleeding edge technologies like Software Defined Networking.I always wanted something that uses my inquisitive nature to learn the mostrecent technologies coming in the market and give me the ability to make an impacton the business. This job role was exactly what I was looking for! I applied to the position, gave 2-3 rounds of interviews andneedless to say, my journey with Juniper Networks began… For those who arenot well aware about Juniper Networks and what the company does, JuniperNetworks offershigh-performance network solutions to help service providers, enterprises andthe public sector create value and accelerate success. What differentiatesJuniper from the rest is its flexibility and the way it brings an innovativeapproach to every challenge in the Telecommunication industry.
This has enabledit to get ahead of the biggest players in the industry who have failed to adaptto the times. Dueto the innovative approach of Juniper, I was very nervous if I would be able tomeet my manager’s expectations. On my first day as an intern, I still rememberI was sitting on the 3rd floor of the Juniper building inBridgewater, New Jersey–excited and anxious–but out of place, as if I didn’tbelong. That’s when I came to know about Juniper’s biggest wealth–its PEOPLE.While I was waiting, everyone excitedly welcomed me– a new, young mind totheir team. And from there, my amazing journey with Juniper began. So far, Ilove my job! I learn something new every single day! At Juniper, till date Ihave worked on various automation projects using Python, PyEZ, SLAX andAnsible.
I also got my hands dirty on management platforms like NetworkDirector and Security Director. I had a chance to build up a virtual lab (onESXi host) with vMX and vQFX (Juniper’s virtual routers and switches). As anintern, I got the chance to meet a lot of people. Everyone I met, from mydirector Lynn Gates, to my mentors, manager, team members, has helped me grow,both as an employee and as a person. My mentor and manager regularly talkedwith me about my goals and struggles, not out of necessity but because theytruly cared. I am very happy I took this opportunity to be an intern atJuniper.
