How I Landed A Competitive Uber Internship

A lot of people ask me how in the world I was able to land an Uber internship, especially back when it was an actual mid-level start-up. Honestly, it wasn’t just any internship. It was THE internship. I was in the very first cohort of design interns.

By the time I applied to the company, Uber had been around for about 8 years, but they were still very young. When I started college, people didn’t even know what an Uber was, but by my junior year, it had started to make some waves. This got me thinking about the tech world.

Why I decided to apply for an Uber Internship

Most people don’t know why I decided to apply to Uber, so here’s the story.

Simply put, I was being smart, strategic, and realistic about what I wanted to do with my life after college.

My parents never really pressured me, and they supported my decisions every step of the way. My mom’s one condition was that I needed to find a way to have a job by the end of college. She often alluded to me being a business major, but I’d naturally always been artsy and creative, so I knew that wasn’t going to work.

In college, I majored in film and television production. I took journalism classes in high school, so I thought I had a pretty good sense of what the world of production would entail. When I got to college, I just knew I wanted to be a film or tv director! I was (and still am) a tv addict, so it was perfect. Right?

WRONG. That changed quickly. I was often nervous about directing actors, making calls, framing shots, etc. So I ruled that out. I then thought I wanted to edit. I enjoyed it, and I was pretty good at it, but sitting in an editing bay all day and (night) didn’t excite me! Plus I was a perfectionist, so that extended my editing time. haha.

Then I started doing things like location scouting and casting. That was fun, but I wasn’t passionate about it. I then thought about doing tv development and becoming a tv show writer or showrunner. I took both theatre and television scriptwriting courses. Those were an absolute blast! That happened towards the end of my college career though, and by that time, my mind was somewhere else.

I started to tap more into things outside of my major and the classroom. I produced a radio news talk show, I DJ’d a radio talk show, I did production assistant work on a student project and tv award shows, and a bunch of other stuff that I only slightly remember (it’s been like 7 years since my freshman year so don’t judge). I tried almost anything media-related I could get my hands on over the course of my 4 years.

I’ve always had a design bug and it came naturally to me. I could whip up a digital magazine, PowerPoint deck, or blog in a minute! I’d even considered working for a magazine company or greeting card company at one point. But I started to really lean into my design skills when I took my freshman year English class. It was so fun!! We were allowed to use any medium to complete our assignments. I decided to make websites, digital press kits, and I even made a magazine for my final project.

At the same time, I’d landed a huge board position as “Community Publicist” on my residence hall community council. In this role, I worked with a council of peers to plan events on campus for our residence hall. After planning, my main job was to hype up our residents by making fliers for events, designing cool swag (I made t-shirts, buttons, etc.), and decorating bulletin boards (you know like the ones that elementary school teachers use in their classrooms).

This was sort of like phase 1 of me really re-thinking what I’d like to do once I graduated from college. This was still freshman year, so I didn’t think too much about it, and I continued to do this outside of the classroom. In my spare time, I also ran a few Tumblr blogs:

• One was created for my English class and I continued to maintain it after (you can see it here)
• And the others were just personal projects (throwback blog 1, throwback blog 2, and one just for fun).

I’d been running Tumblr blogs since like sophomore year of high school, so I started to get fancy with my blogs by this point! I learned how to code and do frontend design in high school too, so experimenting with Tumblr blogs was how I put those skills to good use!

All the stuff that I was doing outside of the classroom, eventually spilled over into my classes. I never thought about changing my major, but I did think about adding minors and certificate programs. I already had a theatre minor, but I also thought about adding art or computer science. By this point, I was nearing the end of my sophomore year, and I hadn’t taken the necessary core classes to add either art or computer science.

So I found a happy medium. I started petitioning to take art and graphic design classes. I essentially had to ask permission because they weren’t a part of my major. Then I had to find courses that aligned with my major and that would also be recognized on my degree.

I ended up finding a certificate program on campus that cracked that door even more. It was called New Media! It was basically a hybrid of both design and computer science. That program allowed me to take my graphic design course, more coding classes, an app development class, and learn new things like UX/UI (product) design.

With all my newfound skills, I eventually landed my first “tech” job as a student website designer & developer for a research lab! This started to open my eyes to the tech industry! I started calling myself a “Creative Technologist.” I knew my way around the creative stuff (designing, marketing, video production) but I also knew about Tech (frontend design, website development, coding, user experience, etc.).

So I started to play both sides of the fence! When it came time for me to apply to jobs, I could apply to both traditional media jobs (but corporate jobs because I still didn’t like production that much) and Tech jobs (but the ones that were creative!)

Applying to Uber

My thought process when I applied to Uber was not elaborate at all. I applied in the Fall of my senior year via their online application. I simply did a google search for uber internships, read the description, and applied. I’m not going to lie and say Uber was my dream company, and I had my sights set on them.

I had a strategy and I worked it. When I was applying to jobs, I stuck to what I knew. I knew I loved television, so I applied to companies that fit the bill (Turner Broadcasting, NBC Universal, etc.).

I also knew that I was enamored with the tech industry, and Uber was one of the new up-and-coming companies that could get me a job in tech. And of course, I knew my skill set and talent. Like I mentioned above, I’d tried a lot of different things, so by this point (my senior year of college) I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

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Applying to Uber: What I had going for me!

• CANVA – Their resume templates have always been SO amazing. I never really followed the standard resume design rules, because to be honest, they’re boring! I chose a template, played with the colors and layout a bit, added my experience, and BOOM I had a resume.
  
• CONFIDENCE – What do people always say? Confidence is key. I legit looked at the job description, and thought, this sounds like something I could do in my sleep, and applied!
  
• ZERO CARES GIVEN – I kept it PG for the blog, but you get what I’m saying. I didn’t stress! I threw my hat in the ring and let it be. At the same time, I was throwing my hat in other rings too!
  
• PERSONALITY – How you show up is key. People forget that the purpose of the resume is to get you in front of the right people. Once you do make it to the stage where you’re talking to a real person, you need to be relatable, know what you’re talking about, and be able to showcase what makes you unique.
  
• EXPERIENCE – One thing I didn’t do, was just randomly apply to roles that didn’t fit within my wheelhouse. I had the experience, talent, and skills to back me up.

Applying to Uber: What I didn’t have!

• CONNECTIONS – I didn’t know anyone who worked at Uber. Most people barely even knew what Uber was in my city and state. I didn’t have any connections in tech. And Linkedin? Forget about it. It was a thing, but no one was really using it. People barely talked to you on there, and no one was using it to land jobs.

• A CLUE – I didn’t have a clue about what I was getting myself into! I didn’t know what it was like to work for a start-up. Heck, I barely even knew what a startup was. No one on the east coast, at least in Atlanta was talking about startups. You kind of have to remember too that during this time, social platforms like Twitter and Facebook weren’t even that big of a deal.
  
  Speaking of Atlanta, I’d never even been to the West Coast! I barely even left the East Coast. And the role I applied to? It was to be a Production Design Intern. I’d never even heard of that job before! I actually had zero clue about what they did. Looking back, traditionally this Production Design role would have probably gone to an art or graphic design major (which I was not).

Take a quick reading break: Help me fill up the Recruitment Database for Job Seekers. More info below!

Getting a Call from Uber Recruiters

Another thing that most people don’t know — Uber was not my first offer.

My school had an interesting connection with a Los Angeles-based Talent Agency house called Creative Artists Association (aka CAA). I was on the board of one of our entertainment organizations as a Technology lead. This again was a hybrid tech and communications role. I ran the organization’s website and kept members updated on our events.

After one event, a CAA rep invited people to submit their resumes. I did. This landed me an interview with CAA’s web development team. I talked about my background, and our conversation focused a lot on my web design/developer job I’d been working. I essentially had to develop a website from scratch because the person who did the job before me coded in a language that I was unfamiliar with.

The CAA team was impressed! But as I talked more about my other experience they thought I’d be a better fit for a new in-house branding studio they were staffing up. In college, they don’t tell you about all the jobs you could get once you graduated. This was one of those jobs. In this internship role, I’d be working with celebrities and coming up with creative ways to showcase their endorsement deals (i.e if Shonda Rhimes and Coke had a deal, this team would be the ones planning what the commercial would look like). Spoiler Alert, I was offered the internship and I accepted.

Uber Intern Design Challenge and Interview

I was fine. Completely fine. I was even looking up places in Sherman Oaks to stay for the summer. But then, here comes Uber. Late and wrong. When I accepted the role from CAA it was already mid-March of my senior year. Classes were ending in April and graduation was in May.

A recruiter from Uber contacted me and told me that they had seen my resume. They asked if I’d be interested in doing a design challenge. This was essentially a bunch of mini creative briefs detailing creative tasks that I would have to complete in a week. I knew my way around photoshop, and I thought, why not. I still didn’t freak out that I had in fact made it past the initial conversation with the Uber recruiter. My challenge consisted of me putting together a bunch of creative marketing materials for Netflix UK. I created a desktop wallpaper, banner ads, gifs, and an email template. I also had to write out my entire creative process.

Here a few of the designs I submitted to the team:

Level two complete. My designs went over well with the team. The next step was an interview with two cool dudes who would later become my managers and close team members. I don’t remember much about what was asked, but I remember the conversation being fun and light. I also remember them explicitly saying, “This is not a design internship.” It wasn’t, but it also was!

As a production designer, you have to be design-inclined (i.e. know your way around Photoshop, pay attention to pixels, etc.), but you didn’t have to be the one who creates the designs. That worked for me! Needless to say, the interview went well and I was offered the internship. Not going to lie. I did not immediately accept. I’d had my mind made that I was going to be at CAA, chilling in Sherman Oaks, hanging with celebs, and spending lots of time with some of my friends who’d already made the move to LA.

Uber Intern Perks

So why did I decide to take the Uber internship instead of the CAA internship? It came back down to my age-old battle of working in entertainment or working in tech? My mind was set on tech. I’m not going to lie, Uber’s perks were also better for interns. I remember the Uber recruiter being super bubbly and excited as she tried to convince me to accept the offer. She started listing perks! I honestly was kind of sold after she said they offered monthly housing stipends and they would pay for my flight to San Francisco.

California is extremely expensive, and if I’d taken the role with CAA, I wouldn’t have a car, and I would have to pay for rent out of my own pocket. So the smarter choice was to go with Uber. And as an added bonus, I didn’t need a car in San Francisco. When I accepted my role at Uber, I didn’t really realize the kind of deal I was getting.

On top of what was initially offered, the Uber Interns also received:

• 37.50/hr (plus the opportunity for overtime) [this was my rate, but it could vary]
• round trip domestic flight 
• $1000 housing stipend / month
• Unlimited Paid Time Off
• education budget
• healthcare: medical, dental, vision
• work phone (if you wanted it) / 50 cell phone stipend 
• monthly Uber credits (~ $200) + 17% off all rides after you used your credits
• internship program events 
• catered lunch and dinners & stocked kitchens with snacks, breakfast foods, and fruits
• panel talks, and invites to events around the city
• Swag (i got hats, stickers, t-shirts, high-quality water bottles, and more)
• Endless growth opportunities! (Seriously as the first intern on my team, I got to do so much and make my own experience. Nothing was set in stone, so I had the chance to work with production teams, branding teams, and more.)

The Resume That Landed Me an Uber Internship*

So I should be 100% honest. *Resumes don’t land you jobs at companies. It’s a multifaceted process that includes all the things I’ve listed above. It takes knowing yourself, and what you want. It takes having the skills and experience for the job. It also takes a fair amount of communication and personality.

Looking back at the resume above, I see a lot of open gaps and room for growth. It tells you what I did, but it doesn’t list my impact at all. This is also proof that the resume is only half the battle, and knowing how to communicate your experience is a MUST.

If I were re-applying for the same role today here are some changes I’d make:

• Mention tangible improvements! I listed what I did, but not how my work positively effected the teams that I was working with.
• Choose bolder colors. That blue is kind of hard to read.
• Added more links! Something that I like to do is link out directly to the project I’m talking about. So for example, on my Hype Productions project, I could have linked out to the animation that I worked on!

Related Read: Resume Tips from a University Recruiter

Conclusion

Another thing that I’d SCREAM to the top of my lungs if I needed to is: work ethic, experience, and dedication to honing your talents are key! The journey I took to get to Uber did not happen overnight. I did so much self-discovery work in those 4 years to land that position.

I continue to say this because the role that I applied to had NOTHING to do with my major. I went out of my way to learn the necessary skills and I continued to explore the tech industry! If you’re on a similar path or journey, I implore you to do the same. And remember to have fun along the way.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Interested in finding out what I did at the Uber HQ and how I spent my summer in San Francisco? Check out this post below!

Intern Diaries: My Fun Uber Internship Experience

Deja White

I didn’t know what to expect when I committed to my Uber internship, but somewhere along the way, I figured it out. Here’s how I maximized my Uber internship.

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