This year, MongoDB welcomed 33 university students to our intern program in Engineering, Marketing and Education. In this series, we'll introduce you to the talented students who are helping us transform development and operations for how we run applications today.
We had the chance to sit down with intern Josh Clapper, who is an intern on the Marketing team.
Where do you go to school, what is your major, and what year are you in?
I go to Yale University, majoring in Global Affairs and American Studies. I’m a rising junior, planning to graduate in 2016.
What is your role at MongoDB?
I work in Corporate Marketing, especially focusing on our partner ecosystem.
How did you find out about the internship program at MongoDB? Why did you choose to come to MongoDB?
I worked last summer at Crowdtap, a collaborative marketing platform based here in New York, and heard about MongoDB through some of my coworkers who knew about the company. When I was looking at where to work this summer, I submitted an application to MongoDB because the company had had a lot of success but was still small; I wanted to learn more about that environment.
What’s your hometown?
My hometown is Coronado, CA.
Bike or public transportation to work?
Subway or walking, depending on how much time I have and the weather.
What’s a typical day (or week) for you?
Typically I’ll get to work and see what projects I’m involved in for that particular day. I’ve been helping in product marketing, corporate communications and community.
What do you love most about MongoDB?
I love the family of people who work here and the global sense of that family within the company and in the broader community of MongoDB users.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?
I think the most challenging part is getting up to speed with everything MongoDB does. There’s a unique challenge every department works with. I've felt challenged every week I've been here, and it's been a big professional growth experience.
What’s your favorite Seamless lunch order?
Getting sandwiches from any of the American restaurants that cycle through the list, maybe with a little barbecue sauce mixed in.
Name one secret skill you have, unrelated to work.
I’m really good at remembering scenes from movies or tv shows. It’s a pretty useful secret skill.
How do you like living in New York City?
As someone from Southern California, the high usage of public transit is definitely something to get used to. The scene for technology companies here is really interesting; I’ve enjoyed learning and growing up in it. There’s also a kind of classic experience to the city, where each neighborhood comes to represent a phase of life.
Kindle or book? What’s your favorite book?
Book but the Kindle is growing on me. My favorite book is Joan Didion’s essay collection “Slouching Towards Bethlehem,” and right now I’m reading Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
Describe your perfect weekend. The perfect weekend would probably start with dinner at a friend’s apartment, maybe a party afterwards. I would get a run in, have a long brunch the next day and do some reading in Central Park.
Want to help build the next revolution in database technology? MongoDB offers summer internships and new graduate opportunities to foster computer science talent across the country. Learn more about the MongoDB University Relations program.