The Blog

What is it like Interning at Major League Gaming?

“I honestly can’t find the difference between an intern and a regular employee. Employees get one trip to a related conference every year; I was also sent to one. Employees may go to MLG events and I’ve been to two. I deploy apps to production on a daily basis, make design decisions when required and am involved in the process from top to bottom. That is why I feel MLG has been a great experience, because I’ve been completely immersed in the software development process. “– Matt Perry (Intern)

You’ve learned a bit in school, but don’t know if you’re ready for the elite work force. Well, most of us have been there so we understand. I guess one of the royalties of an internship is that you’re not expected to know everything. School has set the foundation for you and now its time to start conditioning your catalogue with experience. That’s the exact same feeling that troubled me in the beginning of this summer, so I figured that my perspective might be useful to anyone considering an internship at Major League Gaming.

To begin, you’re treated and welcomed like any other employee. Also aside from compensation, the main difference between an intern and a full time person is that the interns are expected to make basic mistakes. They know that most of us lack experience and probably won’t know exactly what we’re doing so we’re granted mentors. Additionally, the work that you are given is not very different from the projects that you’d be working on as a full time employee. So, with that in mind, exude the thought that you’ll be assigned tasks like operating the fax machine, making coffee, or fetching the mail when it arrives. The work that you are assigned is very valuable and is usually necessary for projects to progress.

“When you first start, you are taught the basic processes that allow to you integrate with the MLG workflow. After you’ve become familiar with these processes, depending on your role, you may start tending to issue tracking tickets, working on independent projects or working with your team on high-level projects. One thing is for sure: you will be challenged, so bring your A-game.” – Cameron Cope (Intern)

At some point they we’re all students so they understand the pressures and troublesome schedules that you’ll show up with. As long as you’re willing to apply yourself and learn, they are willing to work with you. Also, a lot of the current employees started out as interns so there’s always the possibility of being hired full time. It all really depends on your aspirations.