Summer 2023 Intern Spotlight: We Are One
Here at Sony Interactive Entertainment, imagination is our business – but imagination can’t grow in isolation. When we work as one, we harness the power of many, a vibrant global collective that brings diversity, depth and nuance to every interaction. SIE brings out the best in its employees by creating a sense of belonging, being a place where they can grow, and ensuring everyone is valued, heard, and supported so they can push the boundaries of play.
As we head into the final few weeks of our summer internship program, we asked the class of 2023 to dig deeper into what it means to champion each other and create one stronger, more connected team.
(UCLA Anderson School of Management | San Mateo | Hybrid)
How do you and your team at Sony Interactive create safe spaces for individuals to collaborate freely?
Transparent communication lends itself to safe spaces and better collaboration. Talking about expectations and communication styles early on has helped me feel comfortable asking questions and checking in with my team regularly. Helpful advice from a leader on my team: as an intern, you aren’t expected to have all the answers. While it’s tempting to stick to the work and tasks you know you’re good at, this is a unique opportunity to lean into discomfort. Take on new tasks, learn about a field you are curious about, and ask questions (there are no dumb questions).
What advice do you have for future interns at Sony Interactive?
Network, network, network! Reach out to adjacent teams, have coffee chats with alumni from your school at Sony Interactive, and meet the other interns in your cohort. You’d be surprised how willing people are to connect and help when you’re an intern. It’s always helpful to have more people to ask questions and they may even have insight into your work projects. Gotta love cross-functional collaboration!
(Georgia Institute of Technology | San Francisco | Hybrid)
How do you and your team at Sony Interactive create safe spaces for individuals to collaborate freely?
In my short time at Sony Interactive, I’ve found that my team, and others, foster a culture of continuous learning and respect. I’ve only ever been encouraged to ask questions and speak up with my own ideas which is very encouraging as an intern. Many of the people I interact with provide thoughtful responses and feedback. Personally, I have found that always being open to feedback on my work has allowed me to sharpen my skill set and improve my abilities as an engineer and colleague.
What was your journey like getting into Sony Interactive?
My journey hasn’t always been straightforward. Prior to Sony Interactive, I worked as a permit engineer when I found myself dissatisfied with the main aspects of my job and spent more time working on automation side projects. I found my own interests and aptitude aligned closer with software engineering than writing permits which led me to go back to school to obtain my M.S. in Computer Science. In my short time at Sony Interactive, I know I made the right decision – I can exercise my creativity and problem solving muscles more frequently and I get to work on fun and interesting problems.
(University of Toronto | Waterloo, ON | Hybrid)
How do you and your team at Sony Interactive create safe spaces for individuals to collaborate freely?
When I started working as a Software Development intern at Sony Interactive, I was quite nervous. However, the team has been incredibly supportive and have given me the confidence to succeed. My team consists of employees from around the world and the team leads are amazing at ensuring everyone is respected and included. We also run many fun events at the office, including a group trip to Canada’s Wonderland!
What are your career goals, and how has your experience with Sony Interactive helped shape them?
I had the privilege of interning at both Sony Interactive Entertainment in Tokyo and in Canada. I can say that both teams were incredibly supportive and played a significant role in shaping the person I am today. Now my goal is to one day pay it forward and provide the next generation of young people with the support they need to succeed. I want to give them opportunities to chase their most ambitious dreams, just like I had the opportunity to pursue mine. By continuing to make an impact in this community, I want to serve as a global example and encourage young people worldwide to bloom into tomorrow’s leaders.
(University of Waterloo | Waterloo, ON | Hybrid)
How do you and your team at Sony Interactive create safe spaces for individuals to collaborate freely?
The team has created a warm and friendly office environment. We have office events from time to time and for our group, we have scheduled meetings to talk about sprints and status updates. Everyone here has been very nice!
What motivated you to intern at Sony Interactive?
I chose to intern at Sony Interactive because I love gaming and admire the approach to creating awesome experiences. Being a long-time PlayStation player, I wanted to be part of a team that pushes the boundaries in game development. This internship gives me a chance to learn from industry professionals, gain hands-on experience, and contribute to it.
(Brown University | Tokyo, JPN | Hybrid)
How do you and your team at Sony Interactive create safe spaces for individuals to collaborate freely?
Within our scrum team of interns, we now know each other well enough to comfortably share our opinions and collaborate freely. I think of our bond as a team, but we’re also friends. That has contributed significantly to our team culture. We strive to create a safe space for all individuals by being open to a diverse set of ideas and exploring them as they pop up. In fact, this transparency has put our initial product idea in an even better place.
What excites you the most about Sony Interactive?
I think what excites me the most about Sony Interactive is the passion that people have here. Through talking to many of the NPX engineers and even some executives at Sony Interactive, I’ve noticed that each person identifies with the goal of filling the world with emotion. There is also a sense of unity here at the Japan office, which I can see drives the extremely collaborative culture at Sony Interactive. It’s exciting to see that Sony Interactive’s culture is very open and fun, where you can talk casually with your managers and bring up any ideas you may have!
How do you and your team at Sony Interactive create safe spaces for individuals to collaborate freely?
Everyone here has been super nice and collaborative, and there’s no sign of competitiveness at all. Employees are very open and it was easy to talk frankly about any problems I faced – work related or personal. Sessions related to diversity and inclusion also definitely helped with making sure everyone felt respected and valued in the workplace. Overall, Sony Interactive’s transparent communication, open culture, and shared core values are all crucial factors in ensuring free collaboration.
What motivated you to intern at Sony Interactive?
As a person interested in both hardware and software engineering, interning at Sony Interactive is a dream come true. Sony Interactive combines both powerful hardware and well-designed software to create the best user experience, and getting to learn about both aspects during this internship has been extremely inspiring. In addition, I find Sony as a whole to be very cool, since they work across so many different industries, from gaming to electronics, to even finance.
