Evan Haas is a second-year MIMS student specializing in business strategy, information policy, product management, and UX design. Prior to the I School, Evan received his bachelor’s in marketing from the University of Maryland. This summer, he interned at EVGo, a company in charge of building an electric vehicle fast charging network.
Describe a typical day at your internship.
Since my internship was remote, a typical day involved a balancing act between work, communication, and personal time. My work involved planning and executing user testing of our next-gen EV (electric vehicle) charger, conducting market research, and analyzing internal data. Communication consisted of being as proactive as possible to get questions clarified and reaching out internally to better understand what different teams value. Personal time meant intentionally carving time to go on neighborhood walks and exercise, which was harder than it sounds when you’re into the work!
What was the most valuable thing you learned at your internship?
I learned how to create actionable outcomes from research. While the I School provides a useful academic toolbox of methods and language to justify product management and user research decisions, actually understanding the value different teams will get out of your work and the specific value you can provide in your role is a learning experience best suited for outside the classroom.
What was the biggest challenge?
Forming relationships while working remotely for a short period of time was difficult. Proactively communicating and asking lots of questions helped. Our HR team assigned me a mentor, who provided helpful feedback about the work culture. I was also able to travel to, work, and run testing out of the Los Angeles HQ for two and a half weeks of my internship, which also helped me form relationships.
How did your work at the I School prepare you for this role?
I applied principles from Steve Fadden’s UX Research class and worked to understand team dynamics and organizational goals from strategies taught by Judd Antin’s Foundations of Leadership and Influence in Tech class. At the beginning of my internship, I leaned on both Steve and my I School-assigned mentor to talk through my thoughts, as they had detailed knowledge of test aspects I wasn’t as familiar with (Steve with hardware, my mentor with very early-stage prototypes).
Any advice for first-year MIMS students as they prepare for their internships?
First, don’t get discouraged early on. I didn’t get my offer for this internship until May. Second, try to line up your internship with an area you’re passionate about. That passion and drive show up both when you apply and when you work. Third, practice interviewing. Talking through how your past skills translate to a future internship takes practice and is extremely valuable. It speaks to that value that my boss mentioned that my interviewing skills were a large reason why I got my internship.
Did your internship influence your career plans after graduation?
Yes, this internship provided a range of projects in product management, user research and design, and data analytics that gave me a better sense of my personal strengths and interests. It also reaffirmed my passion for the mobility and transportation space — to impact the infrastructure of how folks get around is incredibly cool!
