My path to Adobe began several years ago as I drove by the newly constructed Lehi office. The building was highly anticipated in Utah and had been the topic of public conversation for many months. I was familiar with the creative aspects of Adobe’s business, but as more of my friends and acquaintances were employed by the company, I began to learn more about the celebrated company culture. As I graduated and began my career, Adobe was always in the back of my mind.
My first job required daily use of Photoshop and Illustrator—it was central to my work and that of my coworkers. Every day I learned new skills and capabilities that enabled efficiency and creativity. I watched the graphic designers bring their ideas to life with Creative Cloud and on occasion, even fulfill their dreams through side hustles and small businesses. It was incredible to see how a single product could be so impactful to many different people. Each of my coworkers had starkly different backgrounds and goals, but they were able to harness their individual creative power in unique ways.
As my career progressed, I knew I wanted to take a leap into tech and toward Adobe. I was determined to make a move, but a life-changing cancer diagnosis greatly affected my plans and timeline. The diagnosis forced me to slow down, but it also helped me reinforce my greatest passions and the motivations behind them. Through the physically debilitating surgeries and chemo treatments, my determination to pursue my aspirations grew. I was committed to increasing my professional experience and narrowing my career focus.
Last year I celebrated the 5th anniversary of being cancer free. My clean bill of health was coupled with the perspective shift that 2020 brought to many of us. After a lot of introspection, I realized that I had stopped making big moves. I had previously promised myself that if I had a promising prognosis, I would not neglect any aspirations—I would pursue every single one. I applied for the MBA program at Brigham Young University citing two objectives: sharpening my business skills and securing an internship at Adobe.
Applying for internships at Adobe was a wonderful experience for me. The application was straightforward and every interaction with recruiters was positive and encouraging. Following team interviews, I was kept informed of the timeline and my talent partner consistently checked in. When she called to extend the offer for the Product Marketing MBA Internship role, I was ecstatic! It felt like the culmination of preparation, hard work, and dedication. I was grateful, excited, and ready to get to work!
A culture that supports you
The first day of my internship was everything I expected: welcoming, inspiring, and gratifying. My team enthusiastically introduced themselves and my manager offered plenty of resources to kickstart my learning as an intern with the Digital Experience Product Marketing team. I spent two weeks completing required trainings and delving into all the learning documents. By the third week, I was given direction about my internship project, including a suggested methodology. My manager made consistent efforts to guide the scope and directed my research and investigation. I was to focus on developing a systematic, scalable approach to identify, validate, and assess the operational and technical feasibility of proposed cross-application solution bundles. The project was challenging, yet enlightening, and I felt like my efforts would be impactful to the business at large.
Now, during the penultimate week of my internship, I can confidently state my greatest takeaway from my time at Adobe: the daily feelings of support and encouragement. Throughout my experience, I have consistently been supported and encouraged by my manager and colleagues. When I began researching for my internship project, I contacted full-time employees and requested appointments to discuss my work and theirs. While everyone told me that Adobe was filled with kind and helpful people, I wasn’t prepared for the number of people that went above and beyond to ensure my understanding. They shared their work, their advice, and any pertinent materials that would enable my learning and assure my success. The employees at Adobe made my experience exceptional and I’m grateful for their influence and example.
To date, my internship experience at Adobe has been the highlight of my professional career. It’s been 12 weeks of learning, relationship building, and inspiration. If you’re considering applying, I highly encourage it. From the intern activities to the company culture, Adobe is the perfect place to begin or continue your career.
Find out more about Adobe here.