Name: Minolta Ndlovu
Class Year: 2023
Major: Computer Science
Hometown: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Internship Organization: Microsoft
Job Title: Product Manager Intern
Location: Redmond, WA
What’s happening at your internship?
I am a product manager intern with Universal Print (UP). Universal Print is Microsoft's new modern print solution that organizations can use to manage their print infrastructure through cloud services from Microsoft and runs entirely in Microsoft Azure. My project assignment is to investigate a new notification functionality for the admin experience on Universal Print's portal. As a product manager intern, I have been responsible for conducting customer interviews, writing product specifications, and collaborating with engineers to ensure suggested features are feasible and sound. As part of my efforts to get to know the team and learn more about the Universal Print solution, I made an external presentation to an audience on LinkedIn Live meant to educate participants about UP and new features. I also took part in an in-person event where I got to talk to UP customers with the rest of the UP team.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I am passionate about building products and movements that have a lasting positive impact on people's lives. Naturally, as a Computer Science major, I became interested in being a Software Engineer first, and last year, I did a SWE internship at PIMCO. I enjoyed my time at PIMCO, but I realized that I was more interested in getting more involved in the entire product life-cycle and the strategy involved in product development instead of just the engineering. This is what led me to pursue a product manager internship this year. I applied for this internship because I wanted to learn more about what it takes to be a product manager and get experience working on a product that people use worldwide. Additionally, I wanted to work on a cloud-based product because I think it's the future of software development.
What has been your favorite part of this internship?
My favorite part of the internship has been the people. I have had the pleasure of working with some truly brilliant and talented people on my team and across Microsoft. I have also enjoyed the responsibility and independence I have been given. Despite being an intern, my opinions and suggestions are always valued. Above all, I am learning valuable skills about what it takes to build successful products.
What has been the most challenging part of this internship?
The most challenging part of my internship has been time management. Because I am working on a project still in development, there are often changes or new requests that can make it challenging to stay on track. Additionally, many stakeholders are involved in the project, so coordinating everyone's schedules can be challenging. Additionally, as a PM, my calendar is often stalked with meetings and sync-ups, making it hard to create focus time for deep work on my project. However, I have learned a lot about managing my time and prioritizing tasks, and I am confident these skills will be useful in any future role.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.