Interns go Intern-ational

Standing: Robert Montante and William Calhoun (Bloomsburg University), Bryan Fulmore (Guidewire Software); seated at workstations: Douglas Boehme, Nicholas Heckman.

Two Computer Science majors are getting international exposure from just outside Philadelphia. Juniors Douglas Boehme and Nicholas Heckman both have internships with Guidewire Software Inc., a global company providing software tools for insurance companies. Doug and Nick are working in Exton, PA, with two other interns from Temple University, and five interns located in Dublin, Ireland.

In a recent site visit Nick, Doug, and their supervisor Bryan Fulmore discussed their work on a support tool for the company’s recruitment process. The interns are responsible for specifying, designing, and implementing a software package that will be used internally to analyze data from Guidewire’s recruiting tool. Their work will help Guidewire analyze certain statistics and trends, ultimately providing insight on how the company can improve its own hiring processes. This requires working with their supervisor and mentors in Exton, and also meeting on a regular basis with the “Project Coordinator”, Ian Doyle, and the “Product Owner”, Kasia Rucinska, who are both in Dublin, as well as networking with their European internship counterparts, and other co-workers around the globe.

Bloomsburg University intern advisors William Calhoun and Robert Montante were treated to a tour of the working conditions of a modern “open office plan” software shop, and the training and career-development opportunities offered to their interns Doug and Nick as well as to Guidewire’s fulltime employees. At day’s end the interns were enthusiastic, Guidewire was happy with their work, and the advisors were impressed with the “real-world” experiences afforded to Nick and Doug.