Meet Aditi Patil: Q&A With an Illumio Cloud Engineering Intern

‍‍In this ongoing series, get to know Illumio’s 2024 summer interns from across the org.  

We’re excited to spotlight the largest intern class in Illumio’s history! This summer, interns from across disciplines joined the Illumio team at our Sunnyvale, California headquarters for three months of career prep.  

This month, we sat down with Aditi Patil, a Cloud Engineering intern at Illumio. Aditi shared insights about her role on Illumio’s Engineering team, the challenges she faced with new projects, and the valuable career lessons she learned during her internship.

Q: How did your perception of working in tech change throughout your internship?

Before coming to Illumio, I’ve interned and worked in tech full-time in India. I was part of a cloud startup and also worked in the networking domain across telecoms and financial services. The culture of working in India is quite different from what I’ve experienced here, and coming to the U.S. was about challenging myself in a completely new market.

Cybersecurity initially piqued my interest during my undergraduate studies. It’s also a field I’ve heard a lot about — my extended family works in cybersecurity. Illumio was a perfect opportunity to gain firsthand experience in the domain.

My perception of Illumio and working in tech evolved significantly during my internship. While diving into cybersecurity posed its challenges, it also proved to be incredibly invigorating.  

I was excited by the depth of problem solving required and the opportunity to tackle complex issues with fresh perspectives. The experience made me appreciate the intricacies of the tech world and heightened my enthusiasm for diving deeper into this dynamic field.

Q: What’s a skill or practice you learned this summer that you’re excited to use after your Illumio internship experience?  

One of the key skills I developed was the ability to engage in discussions that deepen my understanding of complex problems and refine my solutions. I learned the value of patience and the importance of asking questions without fear.  

In the past, I’d take a top-down approach when trying to solve a problem. I’d break it down into steps and tackle each step one-by-one. But at Illumio, the team used a more research-oriented and collaborative approach. They started from smaller ideas and worked together towards a solution.

Using this approach helped me realize the importance of getting insights from subject matter experts and bouncing ideas off the team. It's really made me think differently about how I solve problems, and it’s something I’m excited to apply in the future.

Q: Is there a project that particularly challenged you? How did you overcome that challenge?

During my internship, it was challenging to get used to a new tech stack and learn the ins-and-outs of Illumio Core.  

One particularly tough challenge was working through set calculations during the POC (proof of concept) stage. Initially, I found set operations quite daunting. I absolutely panic when I see set operations! However, by engaging in regular discussions with my team, I was able to build a good understanding and effectively navigate the implementation process.  

I had an amazing mentor on the Illumio Engineering team who guided me from the ground up. I wasn’t afraid to ask the silliest questions because the team was so approachable. My manager ensured we had all the resources we needed. Everyone was incredibly supportive and collaborative.

Q: What was the best part about doing an in-person internship at the Illumio HQ?

The best part of doing an in-person internship at Illumio HQ was definitely the opportunity to meet so many people every day. The food, pantry, and snacks were also amazing. But what really stood out was the fun and excitement of having other people bring their dogs to the office!

I was also thrilled to have the opportunity to extend my internship into the fall. I'm a person who likes to know everything about everything. I’m especially intrigued by how different domains, like machine learning and cloud computing, intersect with cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is a fascinating field, and there’s so much to learn!

Interested in joining the team as an Illumio intern? Recruitment for next year will begin soon! Learn more about the Illumio Intern Program.