This four-part series spotlights four Syracuse University students during their summer internships — part 2 of 4.

Forbes magazine calls it the best internship in the world. In his opinion, Kevin Aziz has to agree.

Aziz, a junior computer science and mathematics major at Syracuse University, holds one of the famous internships at Google Incorporated. With the amazing job, he’s traveled from Guilderland, N.Y., to Mountain View, Calif., to learn the ropes at a company CNN also ranks high on its lists of  best internships.

Google is well known for being an amazing company to work for, among other things. Aziz said the reputation is well deserved.

“Google does a great job of making sure workers stay happy,” he explained. “It’s like a giant playground with free food and massages.”

Google has a reputation for fostering some of the most satisfied employees on the planet. With sports complexes and company-endorsed napping, it’s not hard to imagine where that joy comes from. Aziz said that everyone at the office seems to love working there.

So how does someone get a job at a company where people are so happy? With a lot of hard work and patience.

Aziz’s application process to Google began in the beginning of the 2012-13 school year. It took more than two months, he said, and included two back-to-back, hour-long interviews and several challenging programming tests.

“I got the news just before Christmas, and I was so excited that all the hard work had paid off,” Aziz said.

Leo Wong, a senior advertising major and Aziz’s fraternity brother in Phi Delta Theta, said Aziz’s achievement isn’t surprising.

“I was surprised in a way because Google is such a big name,” Wong said. “But I wasn’t surprised that Kevin had gotten it. He’s super intelligent, works really hard and is very humble and modest.”

Aziz’s hard work didn’t stop with acceptance to the program. Despite the fun-loving reputation of Google, Aziz’s days are packed with meetings and learning experiences. His typical day starts when he leaves for work at 7 a.m. Though his day is sprinkled with interesting activities — such as trips to the employee gym and quick stints in napping pods — he doesn’t usually leave the office until around 6:30 p.m.

“I’d said I spend 75 percent of my time on meetings, working on projects and answering emails,” he said. “The other 25 percent of the time is spent having a good time with the people around me.”

Aziz said his internship is a far cry from the typically-thought-of internships, which include coffee-running and answering phones. The only bad part of his job, he said, is all the emails he has to deal with.

“But that happens everywhere,” he added.

Aziz said Google interns are treated like full-time employees “with the hope that we will want to come back,” — a huge benefit of the job, in his eyes.

“Google provides amazing support,” he said. “We have intern events, lunches and talks with top executives, and interview preparation to help us succeed in returning for either another internship or a full-time position.”

But amid all of the professionalism and learning, he admits there is also some room for goofing off once in a while. One time, for example, Aziz and his colleagues decided to send a Lego car down a slide that connects his floor to the lobby.

Yes, there is a playground slide inside Google’s headquarters.

“The car flew off the slide on the turn and crashed into the main door of the lobby,” Aziz said. “We had to quickly rush downstairs to pick up the pieces, but everyone in the lobby seemed to enjoy it.”

Wong, Aziz’s fraternity brother, said the famously relaxed Google workplace has been a huge perk for Aziz.

“I think it’s definitely been a really great experience for him to get into a totally different environment,” Wong said. “I know he’s been having a lot of fun and is in love with Google’s campus.”

Above all, Aziz thinks that interacting with people has been the best part of his experience — from the intelligent and creative collaborations, to listening to the advice of higher-ups, to enjoying the quirky perks of working for the world’s best company with new friends.

“It’s really the people that make it so easy to enjoy my time here,” he said. “Everyone is incredibly smart and interesting, and fun to be around.”

And what’s the most important thing he’s learned from those amazing people? That they do even greater things when they’re put together, he said.

“I’ve learned that asking questions and constantly interacting is the best way to succeed,” he explained. “It is much more effective than going at it alone.”

Published on July 26, 2013 at 8:20 pm

Contact Lara: lsorokan@syr.edu