Security Internship at Xero - My Summer of Tech

By Jordan Thompson, Security internship at XeroI'm Jordyn, and I am in my final year of my Bachelor of Science degree at Victoria University of Wellington. I'm majoring in Computer Science and Information Management, specialising in Cyber Security. I am originally from a little town an hour of Wellington. Through Summer of Tech, I got a security internship at Xero.How did you hear about Summer of Tech/Biz? I heard about SoT through my lecturers. They encouraged everyone to sign up, attend talks and workshops, and have a go at getting a job at meet and greet!What was the process like getting your job? Throughout the year I worked hard to increase my chances of getting an internship. I did this by joining local cyber security groups, attending cyber security talks, workshops and conferences, having mentors, and networking!! I also attended a lot of SoT talks and workshops throughout the year. When it came to meet and greet, I already knew some people in the industry or could relate to them somehow, and was able to talk myself up with everything I have done throughout the year.What’s the coolest thing you’ve done so far in your internship? Working at Xero is so awesome as I am able to work on projects and see them in production.What’s something that has surprised you about your job? All the benefits at Xero, and being able to join other security teams for a day to see what it's like in their team.What's something you've learned whilst in your internship? I have learnt so much! Besides from some technical skills I have learnt (like Javascript, React, Enzyme, Jest, AWS, Active Directory etc.), I have also been able to work on my soft skills like presenting and working with others. I was able to present to the head of security at Xero about a project I had been working on! I have also learnt to ask questions and give everything a go. It is also okay to fail, thats how you learn and you can always just reverse all your changes ;)What are your plans for the future e.g career or uni wise? I will be finishing off my degree and then hope to join Xero's graduate program next year! Cannot wait to work at Xero again! For more student stories and other helpful resources, visit our student resources page.