t-mobile

Subterms

    Latest story

    163 Shares199 Views

    The IoT Adventures of One T-Mobile Engineer – From Intern to Product Manager

    by

    From LEGO® and iPads to some of the most complex engineering products in the world, Hari Annamraju has always been interested in the way things are built. For someone like Hari, it was never enough to stand on the sidelines as a student or an impassioned fan. He wanted to live the engineering life and every aspect of it.

    Luckily for Hari, fortune found its way to introduce him to T-Mobile and the company’s revolutionary aspirations in developing and emerging technology. Although he started his career with T-Mobile as an intern, he is now working as an IoT Product Manager Intern spearheading some of the bravest innovations in engineering.

    Given Hari’s incredible three years with T-Mobile, we were eager to chat with him about why he chose to pursue the internship, what he’s learned since being there, and what he hopes to do with his experiences.

    From chasing what he’s passionate about and getting second-to-none exposure to growing as a leader and making lifelong friends, this is Hari’s story as a T-Mobile intern.

    Pursuing a Meaningful Passion

    One thing Hari reiterated during our interview is that passion is one of the most important things someone can have. It was clear that he was brimming with plenty himself.

    The year was 2020 and the gloom of quarantine was just beginning to break the horizon. But in these dark times, something became illuminated to Hari. He noticed that this was a time when everyone wanted to be connected and people were craving human interaction more than ever. 

    When he finally came across T-Mobile, a light went off in his head. What better time to join a company connecting people across the country than now?

    With his ambitions in engineering coming to a head with a new-found pursuit of preserving human connection, Hari dove headfirst into T-Mobile’s emerging technologies internship.

    Second-to-none Experiences

    In the three years that Hari interned at T-Mobile, he got the opportunity to work on projects that directly impacted his fellow employees as well as innovators and developers across the world.

    The first project Hari worked on was a development called Employee Connect. The question for the project was posed; how can we transform the way all 75,000 employees at T-Mobile work on a day-to-day basis?

    The answer was fearless: create software that helps employees align with corporate goals, mature in their careers, and align with one another to create seamless execution on projects and help employees see direct results that make them feel valued for their work.

    From leading scrums to flexing programming muscles that he never knew existed, Hari’s first project as a T-Mobile intern was eye-opening. It dunked him into the deep end of the pool and gave him an experience that welcomed him to the engineering industry with a splash.

    Although I was already impressed hearing about the two summers that Hari spent working on Employee Connect, it was when he started talking about a platform that would change the way developers build products that made me sit up in my chair.

    Offering both a software development toolkit and a hardware development board, DevEdge empowers developers to create the next generation of IoT products while using the Power of T-Mobile’s network. Whether you’d like to control a fleet of drones or you’re creating a mobile Bike-theft defense system, DevEdge helps designers get it done. And Hari was there to make sure that happened.

    But hands-on practical experience wasn’t all that Hari would gain during his time as a T-Mobile intern.

    What Does It Mean to Be a Leader?

    Another alluring feature of T-Mobile’s internships is that they aren’t just building future engineers, they’re building future leaders. For Hari, not a single summer went by where he didn’t find himself growing as a leader and sharpening his abilities to inspire direction.

    His first taste of leadership with T-Mobile was as a scrum master and in his contributions to the Employee Connect project. Some of this work even included him advising his senior colleagues and offering suggestions on workload management.

    It was clear that in the three years he spent at T-Mobile, Hari turned himself into someone people could really follow and take note of. In describing what it means to be a leader, Hari said that it’s not necessarily about directing people, but more so influencing their decisions. 

    The key phrasing here, to “influence someone’s decision” rather than telling them what to do, is what separates Hari apart from other young leaders. Staying humbled enough to win his peers’ respect but intelligent and adept enough to grab the reins when needed.

    While his leadership position may have been chiseled during his time in the UofMagenta program, it was when he worked as an IoT Engineering Intern in Washington state this past summer that his ability to lead really came to life. 

    Sitting in a boardroom with four of his fellow interns, looking over a view of the Seattle cityscape, Hari and his team were charged with creating a new product using their DevEdge platform. Their own “startup” as Hari referred to it with a chuckle and a grin.

    Who would be there to lead that team, none other than Hari Annamraju?

    Friendships, Networking, and an Uplifting Community

    When Hari spoke about the friendships he forged during his time at T-Mobile, it was hard not to see the company as a thriving social community as much as it was a national powerhouse in communication and tech.

    He reflected upon one of the first colleagues he befriended, someone he would chat with often on topics ranging from highly complex engineering concepts like remote controlling full-sized vehicles and fighting wildfires with 5G to banter about the Oscars.

    What was also touching about Hari’s first year at T-Mobile was the farewell he got at the end of the summer. After writing a goodbye/thank you message on the company’s messaging app, Hari was delighted to receive several reactions, comments, and responses from fellow colleagues letting him know that the feeling was very much mutual.

    It’s clear that the culture at T-Mobile is all-for-one and one-for-all, if not through Hari’s early experiences than through his recent exploits as well.

    This idea was underscored, emphasized, and by all means, punctuated by Hari’s recent interaction with a Director at the 5G Hub at T-Mobile – a division looked at as the company’s Excalibur in the world of interconnectivity.

    The conversation seemed like two friends swapping ideas in their neighborhood garage. In reality, they were discussing potentially life-changing consumer IoT applications but it carried on as a very amicable and passion-flavored exchange that two casual acquaintances would have. 

    It was then that I realized the kind of prosperous and collaborative environment that T-Mobile has created. An environment in which wins are better celebrated when stacked on top of each other.

    It didn’t matter that Hari was an intern or that he was interacting with a Director, the culture at T-Mobile purports the idea that no matter who you are or what your position is, you can work, learn, and grow with whoever you want.

    What Hari and T-Mobile also seem to purport time and time again is that anyone can do it, you just need to be passionate enough to take the chance.

    So what are you waiting for? Start browsing open roles inside and outside of T-Mobiles thriving engineering space today and take yourself from entry to executive. More

    More stories

    • 125 Shares159 Views

      in Career Hacks

      How T-Mobile Gave Me The Tools to Grow My Career

      by

      As your career progresses, it is natural to start growing curious about other opportunities and new positions. Whether that’s a new job outside of your current company, a different department within your company, or even a more senior title, these desires have a tendency to appear more than once during your career.

      Given this inevitable circumstance, it is important to know that your company is willing to support your desire to grow. But what does that support look like? And how do you know your company is willing to provide it?

      While we can’t speak for all of the companies in the telecommunications space, we can say for certain that T-Mobile is a place that supports the growth of its employees in any path that they choose to follow.

      Recently, we spoke with a few employees at T-Mobile to hear what that support looks like and how it helped them advance their careers.                  

      Freedom to Follow Passions

      One of the first things that stood out about T-Mobile is the company’s encouragement of employees to follow their passions.

      For example, Kasey Liang, a recruiting coordinator at T-Mobile, started her career with the company in a Talent Acquisition internship. Her initial responsibilities had to do with making sure the backend software used to recruit and hire talent was working and also ensuring a smooth transition to a new platform.

      However, midway through, Kasey realized that she would “rather be talking to candidates instead of dealing with the software behind it.” What Kasey did next was express these desires to her manager who not only met them with positivity and support but started helping her through the steps to make that transition. 

      One thing Kasey’s manager suggested was to start reaching out to those in the positions Kacey was seeking. This would consist of asking questions about how they got those positions, what they’ve done right, and what they’ve done wrong. 

      An Openness to Share Knowledge

      Across all of T-Mobile’s employees is an attitude of support and encouragement. This means that they will always offer help to those seeking it. As Kasey reached out to other employees at T-Mobile, she was able to learn more about the day in the life of a Recruiter.

      The fact that an employee will take time out of their day to show you what they’re doing and even allow you to shadow them goes to show the kind of spirit and camaraderie that takes place at T-Mobile.

      Transferable Skills

      Another great feature of working at T-Mobile is that you’re going to learn skills that you can take with you throughout your entire career. For example, T-Mobile uses software called Workday that helps employees with a variety of work-related functions. Being that Workday is very popular, knowing how to use it will look that much better to your next employer who may require that knowledge.

      As for the recruiting position, one thing you’re going to do a lot of is talking. You’ll be learning how to take large amounts of information like job details and responsibilities, and condense them into chunks of exciting and attention-grabbing bits. In some cases, you’ll have to negotiate pay and contracts. In other cases, you might have to learn how to have complex or difficult conversations.

      One way or another, you will be advancing your communication skills every step of the way. Another way that employees would build skills and learn new things would be through T-Mobile’s their own trial and error and exploration of new concepts.

      No One’s Going to Be Breathing Down Your Neck

      While the environment at T-Mobile is very hands-on and good at offering direct instruction, they also help employees grow by not micromanaging them and allowing them to learn individually. 

      By embracing a culture that allows individuals to think freely, T-Mobile is building employees who are able to take initiative and think on their feet. This creates a future workforce of leaders and individuals who know how to get things done.

      They Want You to Lead

      T-Mobile is a company that has all intentions of expanding and continuing to put its thumbprint on the telecommunications and technology industries. In order to do that, they want to see their employees succeed. Anastasia Byrd participated in a business intelligence internship this past May and today, she is a Senior Analyst. While the road to a senior title is not necessarily easy, it is made more attainable by the resources that T-Mobile provides.

      A manager at T-Mobile even once stated “my job is to help you get to where you want to go next.” It didn’t matter if that meant leaving the team and going somewhere else or into a senior position like Anastasia, the manager’s main intention was to enable employees to do what they desire.

      Navigating your professional desires, especially when it’s early on in your career, can be daunting. But it is made much easier when you work for a company that allows you to follow your passions and gives you the resources to help you attain them.

      If you’re someone who has always been inspired to reach new heights and accomplish your dreams, T-Mobile is an employer that will help you do it. Start browsing open roles today and get one step closer to obtaining your goals.  More

    • 150 Shares169 Views

      in Career Hacks

      5 (Non-Technical) Roles You Thought You Wouldn’t Find In T-Mobile’s Internship Program

      by

      When you think of working at T-Mobile, technology is probably the first thing on your mind. You might picture rows of bespectacled programmers and engineers with sketches and pencils behind their ears. And that makes sense, too: They’re a wireless company leading the charge on 5G technology with one of the coolest summer tech internship programs around.
      But there’s way more than just technology at a company like T-Mobile—and that goes for internships, too.
      To learn more about some of the coolest non-technology roles at T-Mobile, we spoke to two recruiters for their internship program: Sean and Corey. Here are five great internships they told us about that could be your next summer gig.
      1. Strategy Internship
      “The Strategy Group are our internal consultants,” Sean says.
      This means, like people at major consulting firms, they work on innovative, high-level solutions to different business issues at T-Mobile. While that’s a broad description, so is the stuff they come up with. They could propose a new product offering, an investment in a bleeding-edge technology, or even a new methodology for an existing process that benefits the company and the customers.
      But that’s not the reason they’re one of Sean’s favorite roles to recruit for.
      “They work on cool, top-secret projects,” Sean says. “One example that’s now public: T-Mobile Money. It’s essentially a banking solution for T-Mobile customers.”
      Perfect For You If: You have experience in consulting, either at a big firm or a brand like T-Mobile.
      2. Events Internship
      “The events team does a little bit of everything,” Corey, who recruits events interns, explains. “Everything from our sponsorships and partnerships, like with major league baseball or our Pride events. We have a huge sponsorship partnership with Lollapalooza.”
      Events interns might put together a reception for T-Mobile investors at a baseball game in Seattle. They might also attend Lollapalooza and run a T-Mobile tent with swag, music, raffles, and more. It’s a hands-on role that deals with behind-the-scenes marketing aspects as well as logistics and execution for live, in-person events.
      “It’s more than a typical marketing role,” Corey says. “Although we have tons of marketing opportunities, this one is perfect for people with a specific interest in event planning as well.”
      Perfect For You If: You want to gain or have experience in event planning, brand repping, or other forms of in-person marketing.
      3. Corporate Social Responsibility Internship
      “Corporate Social Responsibility is a department dedicated to giving back and making a positive change in the world,” Corey says.
      The CSR intern takes on responsibilities that range from human resources—like creating a place in the employee benefits portal to make donations—to partnership management—like setting up volunteer days with charitable organizations. It’s a wide-ranging corporate office role that ultimately contributes to one incredible mission: Giving back to the communities that make T-Mobile what it is.
      Perfect For You If: You have experience in non-profit work, fundraising, or want to start a business career with a high social impact.
      4. Emerging Products Internship
      “The Emerging Products group also works on hush-hush projects,” Sean says. “But their main goal is to pave the way for T-Mobile products that will help shape the future.”
      This role is a combination of business development, technology, and partnership management. But what’s really exciting about it is that they’re building the future, not just for T-Mobile but for the millions of people who will use these products and services. Despite the clandestine nature of the work, Sean was able to tell us one category of product they’re working on: T-Mobile Home, the company’s answer to home internet and entertainment services.
      “They just launched a pilot out in Grand Rapids, Michigan,” he says. ”I’m proud because I know some of our interns worked on this project. And now people are using it for their home internet service.”
      Perfect For You If: You want to work on a cross-functional tech/business team on cutting-edge technology projects (aka building the future).
      5. Corporate Real Estate
      “You’d probably never look at T-Mobile and think you could get into real estate there,” Corey says. “But you really can.”
      As a massive company with thousands of employees, T-Mobile obviously has a growing need for office space. But even more important is the real estate required to build the 5G infrastructure of the future. (Read more about the field engineers working on this here.) This team works on the acquisition, planning, and development of these essential real estate projects for T-Mobile.
      “They’ll do everything from plotting our cell towers to picking and designing the next office,” she says. “And there are huge opportunities because of our merger with Sprint.”
      Perfect For You If: You’re studying real estate, development, or want to focus on a more operational business area.
      These Roles Are Just The Tip Of The Iceberg—Your Dream Internship Awaits You At T-Mobile
      No matter what your educational background or professional ambitions are, there’s a place for you at T-Mobile. That goes for your personality, too. The company’s #BleedMagenta culture  means they’re looking for people who—above all else—are passionate about changing wireless to make it better for the people using it.
      Think you’d look majestic in magenta? Check out open roles at T-Mobile on WayUp! More

    • 175 Shares159 Views

      in Career Hacks

      From 5G To Family First: How T-Mobile Is Innovating With More Than Just Technology

      by

      You’ve probably known T-Mobile for as long as you can remember. You know they’re a wireless company that works differently. You know they’re one of the biggest networks in the nation. And, of course, you’d recognize their signature magenta color anywhere. But that’s just the tip of the proverbial cell tower at T-Mobile.
      Something you might not know is that working at T-Mobile can accelerate your career by steeping you in a culture of innovation, diversity, and learning. They’ve got one of the hottest tech internships in the US and their employees work on high-impact work from day one.
      To get an idea of how T-Mobile’s #BeMagenta culture can kickstart your career— we spoke to Becky, a Program Manager who works on career growth projects. Here’s what we learned.
      Don’t Just Be Magenta, Stay Magenta
      If you were to pick one word to describe T-Mobile people, you’d probably go with “enthusiastic.” (If you were an English major, you might pick “zealous.”) The whole company is filled with people who aren’t just excited about their work—which ranges from building a world-class 5G network to creating innovative wireless plans that genuinely benefit consumers—but excited about the place where they’re doing it.
      This enthusiasm is valuable, and recognizing that value is what fuels the culture of career development at the company, Becky tells us.
      “It’s not about keeping people engaged, it’s about keeping engaged people,” Becky explains. “At T-Mobile, we’re focused on finding ways to continue to grow our employees careers within the company.”
      Given T-Mobile’s unusually enthusiastic (and talented) team, it’s no surprise that there is a big demand for career growth opportunities within the company. If you love where you work and the work you do, the only question is: What’s next?
      Thanks to people like Becky, T-Mobile always has an answer for that question.
      From Your First Day, T-Mobile Helps You Figure Out Your Next Step
      Besides a culture that encourages mentorship and gives its full-throated support to inclusive, cross-functional events, T-Mobile takes a lot of concrete steps to help advance their employees’ careers. One such example is Careerfest, which isn’t actually one career fair–style event like you’d find on a college campus, but a series of networking events and learning opportunities specifically built for people looking to move into a particular business area.
      “Careerfest is an event platform that all of our internal employees have access to,” Becky says. “The events are geared toward raising awareness for our employees about what other opportunities there are within T-Mobile around the company.”
      But it’s not all learning. T-Mobile also gives their employees the chance to try out new skills through their internal internship program.
      “Our employees looked at our internship program and loved what we were doing for these students’ careers,” Becky tells us. “So, we created an opportunity for them to do the same.”
      So, whether you’re a mobile expert working in a T-Mobile store or a programmer working in their technology division, you can apply to complete a 12-week internship program on an entirely different team. This is an opportunity to get real experience in a different field and boost your resume, without necessarily having to leave the building.
      This isn’t just valuable for the employee either. T-Mobile benefits from the fresh perspective, too. For example, there have been internal interns who work in the T-Mobile stores that bring a direct customer experience to a corporate role.
      “We love to leverage people who work so closely with our customers. That’s how we know what works,” Becky says.
      Build The Future, Build Your Future
      No matter what your work is—from finance to marketing to technology—you’ll be building the future when you work at T-Mobile. And that’s because 5G is going to rapidly change the way we’re able to interact with technology. That’s an exciting prospect for T-Mobile employees, Becky included.
      “We are living in a world unknown, in a lot of ways,” she says. “It’s so refreshing to work for a company that is forward-thinking, values their employees, values their customers, and continues to find ways to raise the bar and challenge their competitors.”
      This combination of “family-first” values and 5G tech possibilities creates a perfect storm of opportunity to work AND opportunity to learn.
      Want to start your own #BeMagenta journey? Check out open opportunities at T-Mobile on WayUp! More

    • 138 Shares119 Views

      in Career Hacks

      5 Things I Love About Being A Field Engineer At T-Mobile

      by

      Field Engineers design and deploy the networks and technologies that make things happen. And when it comes to T-Mobile—a wireless leader that’s spent the past decade totally disrupting the industry—making things happen can mean some pretty amazing stuff. To get a better look at this less-understood engineering specialty—and life at a leading tech company—we spoke […] More