Internships can feel intimidating. Between navigating expectations, imposter syndrome, and the fear of being stuck with meaningless tasks, many students wonder what an internship is really like.
To get a clearer picture, we asked four of our interns to reflect on their experience at Coveo. Their answer is clear: when you are trusted, when you are encouraged to ask questions, to test, to contribute… you find your place faster than you thought. You learn quickly. You create value.
What Your Week Would Actually Look Like
Even though no two days are alike, one thing comes up in all the testimonials: a clear structure and constant collaboration.
“A typical week starts with backlog refinement, where the team reviews and chooses which tickets and features to work on. After that, I usually have a 1:1 with my coach to decide what I’ll work on. Every morning, we have our daily scrum, which is a great opportunity to share updates and ask questions if I’m stuck.” – Fady Rizkalla, Software Developer Intern, R&D
Beyond meetings and coding, interns frequently highlighted Coveo’s flexible hybrid model, which made it easier to stay productive while still feeling connected.
“I really appreciated the super flexible hybrid schedule at Coveo. I went into the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays for team meetings and events, and worked from home the rest of the week. It was the ideal mix of connection and convenience.” – Kayla Soursa, HR Projects Intern
Across teams, the week struck a balance between collaboration, independent work, and continuous learning, especially during quieter moments when interns could dive deeper into their work. It created the conditions that made the lessons below possible.
Projects That Matter, Earlier Than You Expect
One of the biggest surprises for many interns was how quickly they were trusted with real, high-impact work.
Some interns worked directly with major clients, including supporting the final phase of a critical platform migration — moving beyond observation and into true ownership.
“I orchestrated the final phase of a critical platform migration, successfully transitioning the system from User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to a live production environment.” Zhiqin Yin, Software Development Intern, Professional Services
Others contributed to long-term initiatives from the ground up, taking ownership earlier than they expected.
“I’ve been working on a project at its very early stages, helping shape its foundation and contributing to its initial development.” – Zaziba Ahmed, Software Development Intern, Professional Services
On the product side, one intern worked on Coveo’s generative answering feature for complex support cases, taking ownership of reliability while navigating unfamiliar systems.
“I worked through the closed beta, which required me to dive deep into the Scala codebase, understand the full answer-generation pipeline, fix issues, and write tests to ensure everything was reliable.” – Fady Rizkalla, Software Developer Intern, R&D
Those experiences didn’t just build skills, they reshaped how our interns think about learning, confidence, and growth.
What You’ll Learn (And What We Wish We’d Known Sooner)
When they arrived, many interns had one question in mind: what am I going to do? But looking back, what they remember most is how they grew.
Lesson 1: Not Knowing Everything Is Normal
“I was surprised by how much time is spent understanding existing systems rather than writing new code.” – Fady Rizkalla, Software Developer Intern, R&D
Feeling lost at first is not a failure. It’s the beginning of learning. Take your time, ask questions, try to understand before acting, that’s often where the long-term impact comes into play.
Progress often starts with understanding what already exists, and that careful learning is just as valuable as building something new. And no, it’s not “less productive”, it’s just more thoughtful.
Lesson 2: You are Never Alone
“I assumed HR was mostly administrative, but working in Organizational Development completely changed my perspective.” – Kayla Soursa, HR Projects Intern
Lean on your team. The culture is supportive, and people genuinely want to help you grow, use that support to explore areas you didn’t expect.
Across teams, mentorship played a critical role. Managers and coaches were approachable, patient, and genuinely invested in intern growth.
“They were always very supportive and encouraging. My manager and coach were always available to answer questions.” Zaziba Ahmed, Software Development Intern, Professional Services
Even outside formal mentorship, interns felt comfortable asking for help.
“If my mentors were busy, I’d talk with other members of the PS team, people were always willing to take time to help us interns.” Zhiqin Yin, Software Development Intern, Professional Services
That support made challenging work feel achievable rather than overwhelming.
Lesson 3: It’s better to ask questions than to try to prove everything.
“The culture here is supportive, so take full advantage of that flexibility to explore and learn.” – Kayla Soursa, HR Projects Intern
You don’t need to have everything figured out on day one. Follow your curiosity, ask questions early, and take initiative even when you’re unsure. The willingness to explore and learn openly will take you further than trying to appear confident or “perfect.”
More Than Just an Internship
Internships aren’t about knowing everything — they’re about learning faster than you thought possible, contributing sooner than you expected, and growing alongside people who want to see you succeed.
If you’re looking for an internship where you’ll learn faster than you expect, contribute sooner than you imagine, and grow alongside people who genuinely want you to succeed, Coveo is the place to be.
Ready to rise to the challenge? Explore our internship opportunities and apply today.