Welcome back to our Splunktern series! Maybe it’s just me but I feel like everyone always forgets about all the non-technical people at tech companies. Of course we have a large number of technical Splunkterns but we also have interns filling those vital but non-technical roles. With that in mind, I wanted to introduce you to Dillon Lew, a legal intern working out of our San Francisco HQ. Originally from Piedmont, CA, Dillon is an Economics major at Yale University. We asked Dillon a few questions and here is what he had to say:
What kind of experience do you hope to gain from your internship?
I’m interested in going to law school following the completion of my undergraduate degree and because I am originally from the Bay Area, I thought that learning more about how a legal department supports a high-tech firm’s mission might be interesting. Working in Splunk’s legal department has given me incredible insight into the kinds of concerns that a firm like Splunk has.
Describe your typical day at the office:
• 8:30: I grab a coffee and a banana to start the day
• 8:30-12:00: Typically I work on various projects ranging from analysis of our worldwide lease agreements to updating our Employee handbook
• 12:00-12:30: Lunch, usually at a food truck on 2nd Street, taken at my desk while working on one of my projects
• 12:30-5:30/6:00: Continue working on previously assigned projects, ask co-workers for more work
So far has anything about Splunk/your experience surprised you?
The supportive nature of my coworkers. The people that I work with have been incredibly supportive ranging from teaching me how to approach certain legal problems that a company could face to how I should spend the next five years of my life.
What do you think your biggest challenge will be this summer?
The biggest challenge this summer is definitely getting a better grasp on the language that lawyers tend to use in formal legal documents. Because such broad language is used, getting to the heart of what the document, or even the sentence, really means can be difficult. More exposure to various Agreements, and sitting in on some negotiations that create these agreements has made me appreciate the nuances surrounding the language used.
What is your impression of the Splunk culture?
I was here last summer, so I guess it must be pretty good. The thing that I like the most about the culture here is definitely the open and cooperative atmosphere. The work environment definitely still seems very startup-like and fast paced. There is almost never a dull moment at Splunk, even in the legal department.
Thanks to Dillon for taking the time to sit down with me and share his intern experience to date. Next up, I look forward to sharing my conversation with Aamir Goriawala, a Splunk4Good Application Dev Intern, also based here in SF HQ.
Thanks!
Katrina
Resources:
Internships at Splunk
Splunk University Recruiting on Facebook
Meet the Splunkterns