The Medpace Internship Program is an essential professional development initiative within our organization. Through partnerships with universities around the world, we are able to identify and support young professionals early in their careers in internships and co-op experiences. Over the last few years, Medpace is pleased to have extended full-time offers to hundreds of interns across Clinical Operations, Biometrics, Labs, Information Technology, Finance, and more. This National Intern Day, Sophie Curtis, Network Engineer Intern, shares her experience as a Medpace intern and the impact her internship has made on her career goals and academic focus.
1. Describe your academic background in cybersecurity and IT.
I chose a background in IT because it seemed interesting to learn about. Coming into college, I had very little experience with computers, IT, networking, etc. Through constant growth, learning, and development, I am able to express how excited I am about the career path I have chosen. I have a passion for learning and this is a field that is always changing and evolving. I have met some incredible people and role models that have helped me progress in this field and I am so grateful for them.
2. Why did you choose Medpace to intern with?
I chose Medpace for my first internship because I knew people who worked for the company. They spoke very highly of a positive work-life balance and a continuous learning environment, which are two non-negotiables for me.
3. Why did you return to Medpace for a different internship?
After my initial security internship, I didn’t have a lot of real-world network experience. Since I am a double major (Cybersecurity and Networking), I only got to see one side of the coin. I came back to Medpace through a different department because I already had an understanding of what systems, software, and functions the business uses. I wanted to understand systems from a networking perspective. Being able to understand functions in both areas will be something not many new graduates can add to their skillset.
4. Compare your two internships. What are some ways they are different?
A day-to-day workload as an IT Security Intern at Medpace includes analyzing potential threats and malicious actors in the environment. As a Network Engineer Intern, I am in charge of ensuring network connectivity for users, including allowing necessary website or application access, hardening the security posture of servers necessary for business continuity, among other things. From my experience so far, Security is more front-line defense whereas Networking is more ensuring business continuity at the rear. One task that I used to do in my previous internship role that I still do in my new internship is respond to website access tickets. When users request access to a website, I used to analyze the site, ensure it wasn’t malicious, then approve it and send it over to the Network group. Now, as a Network Engineer Intern, I receive the ticket and follow the steps to ensure users are able to access the website. Getting to be a part of both sides of the process is amazing and I am extremely grateful for the opportunities!
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