McAfee for McAfee: An Intern Journey

By Gwendolyn McAfee

My grandfather always told me that I could achieve anything the world has to offer if I put my mind to it.  To me, that saying means that I am more powerful than anything else. I’ve always had a passion for technology, and somehow, everything I did, whether it was at school or in my personal life, technology was at the center of it.

So, when I started my junior year of college, I set a goal for myself to find a corporate internship in technology. Getting into an internship wasn’t as straightforward as I’d hoped. Determination and a little bit of good timing brought me to a career fair at my university, Prairie View A&M, where McAfee was in attendance. I spoke to the wonderful representatives and they encouraged me to apply for a position. I thought it was cliché. I mean, just because my surname is the same, does that mean I’m meant to work for McAfee? But then I said to myself, “The company is TOTALLY for you; it literally has your name (McAfee) on it. What other signs do you need?” So, I applied for a position, and eight months later, I found myself at McAfee as a Channel Operations Intern. Now, two months into my internship, McAfee has provided me with the real-world, hands-on projects and experience that I longed for in an internship.

Here are three reasons why my internship with McAfee has been a truly irreplaceable experience.

1. “We innovate without fear.”

When I walked into McAfee on my first day, I felt the energy and strength of the people that make up McAfee. Everyone at McAfee innovates without fear. It is such an amazing sight to see McAfee employees so committed to creating and improving without fear of being judged or fear of failure. And instead of being told what to do, I got to share what my passions are and what I wanted to work on and, my what I hoped I could take away from my overall experience. My manager heard me and created a tailored plan for me. I create presentations, spreadsheets, and new strategies to help McAfee connect more with partners and customers. And I love the fact that I have the same expectations, responsibilities, and opportunities as any other team member. I truly feel like I get to add value to my team with every project that I complete. And that’s an exceptional feeling.

2. Opportunities All Around

Through my internship at McAfee, I have gained a plethora of opportunities to attend different events and do things that I wouldn’t usually do. In my first few weeks in my internship, I collaborated with the university recruiters to create the first McAfee intern group community.  Through this, we were able help interns connect with others, and with McAfee executives. This helps every intern grow professionally, which goes back to McAfee’s mantra, “Together is Power.” The impact of connecting and working together is something that I cherish and firmly believe is one of the greatest things about working at McAfee.

3. Overall Amazing

McAfee influences the world by providing top cybersecurity programs, giving back to the community, and being a top company to work for. McAfee has made an impact on my life, and my time here has shown me that I can truly make an impact on anything as long as I put my mind to it.

Introducing McAfee+

Identity theft protection and privacy for your digital life

Download McAfee+ Now