As the world transitions to a new normal, Nasdaq’s annual internship program is too. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have turned circumstance into a learning opportunity for interns joining us this year to participate in meaningful and long-term projects.
In the Nasdaq Futures Internship Program, we offer a variety of professional experiences for emerging talent through an immersive 10 to 12-week virtual internship program. From Stockholm to the U.S., meet a few of the bright minds joining us digitally from all around the world. They are playing integral, hands-on roles to help Nasdaq #RewriteTomorrow. Today, we speak with Cassidy Fairey, Systems Administrations Operation intern, North America.
Tell us a bit about your position and background
This summer I am working as a Systems Administrations Operation intern with a great team! A lot of the team’s functionality revolves around supporting the system health of the trading systems. Before my Nasdaq internship, I had a year-long internship working with a development team and as a SOC analyst. When the summer is over, I will be going back to school for my senior year as a cybersecurity major.
What is your favorite project you’ve worked on thus far, or one that you’re looking forward to?
Right now, I am working on creating an efficient way to digest data from our servers and feed it into a tool that will help us better analyze and understand what is going on within the network. This project is exciting for me because I love working with data and letting data answer company questions and guide future decisions. Properly intaking this data will help monitor the performance of the servers connected to the exchange. My hope is that this will enable the team to better enhance the servers like finding and fixing sequencing issues faster.
What about Nasdaq has stood out to you most now that you are a part of the global team?
My favorite aspect so far is the collaborative culture here at Nasdaq! Everyone that I have reached out to has been so helpful and has really taken the time to answer my questions or offer some bit of wisdom! Also, so many team members have been part of multiple projects and different teams, which I love! As someone that loves working on cross-collaborative projects, it’s great to see the culture of Nasdaq encourage that and support internal movement among their global team.
How is this internship supporting your goals long-term?
It feels like my internship just began, but I have already learned so much about the daily operations within my team, about other technologies, and skills that will last long after this summer. As a cybersecurity major, I was so excited to get into a role dealing with systems and networks because it holds the core of the company’s functions. Not only am I learning about networks, but my project is also merging in my interest in data and understanding how to harvest data that will drive future business decisions.
What is your goal as a #NasdaqFam intern?
While I am part of the Nasdaq fam, I just want to soak in as much information as I can! At the end of this internship, I want to look back and say that I was able to learn something new every day. Beyond the scope of my project and team, I want to use the amazing people here at Nasdaq as a resource for mentorship while I am here. So far, I have been able to talk and learn from so many people, both on my team and in different teams entirely. Many of them I would not have had the chance to meet had I not reached out and asked for some of their time in this remote setting. Lastly, I want to be open to feedback from my manager and peers because that is the best way to nurture your career and grow as an individual.
What advice would you give to future Nasdaq interns?
Internships can be very intimidating, especially if it is your first internship! However, I think the best way to learn is to do something even if it feels scary. It’s okay to ask a lot of questions and be inquisitive, and do not be afraid if you need something to be broken down more! My next piece of advice is to learn how to ask and listen to feedback early on because there will always be some aspect for you to grow in, no matter how far you go in your career, growing as a person is important!
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
Other Topics
Culture
Lyanne Alfaro
Nasdaq
Lyanne is a producer, host and social media strategist at Nasdaq. Her team helps reimage the way Nasdaq tells stories about Nasdaq’s role in the future of technology via video, podcasting and social content. You can find her on social media @LyanneAlfaro
Read Lyanne's Bio