Palantir Technologies

Forward Deployed Engineer Intern

May - August 2023 • Washington, DC

What I liked

My internship over the summer was a great experience. The kinds of work done at Palantir are engaging and impactful, two things I really value. Also, I was given a lot of autonomy and responsibility, even as an intern, which made me proud of my work. Also, the intern program was well-structured and there were substantial learning opportunities throughout the summer.

What I wish was different

Personally, in the second half of the internship, I began reaching out to colleagues within the company and was impressed by the remarkable work being done. The only regret I have is not initiating these conversations sooner.

Advice

As I mentioned above, while this is a very well-structured experience, you are given the independence to make it yours. Make the most of your time here by meeting other people, learning about the work they do, and getting excited!

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Forward Deployed Software Engineer

May - August 2023 • Washington, DC

What I liked

The program Palantir lays out for its intern is probably the most resourceful, challenging, yet beneficial to any aspiring young person trying to grow in tech. The independence given, the skills gained project workflows, and the social interactions all reflect the reality of what it means to be a software engineer at a successful tech company.

What I wish was different

The only thing I would change would be giving myself the information I know now, but that’s the entire point of the program: to test abilities and to learn new ones.

Advice

Networking is critical. The amount wisdom and skills people are willing to share with you can change the trajectory of your career, so it's extremely important to talk and learn from as many people as possible!

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FD Software Engineer

May - August 2023 • Washington, DC

What I liked

It was fantastic, the people were so supportive and excited about their work. I got to work on really powerful and impactful technologies, which was such a fantastic 180 from my prior internship experience. Additionally, the benefits, compensation, and atmosphere of the workplace were fantastic.

What I wish was different

Not too much, everything flowed together really well and contributed to a fantastic summer!

Advice

Be ready to work hard and take responsibility for what you do. I heard this a lot going on, but it is true; you will work on important things and be a huge member of a team, you kind of have to be serious about being a professional!

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Forward Deployed Software Engineer Intern

June - September 2022 • Washington, DC

What I liked

As a delta intern at Palantir, I was able to have incredible impact that I could not have found at any other company. I worked on one of Palantir's federal heath projects and by the middle to end of my internship, I was meeting directly with clients from the CDC and presenting my work for feedback. I chose to intern at Palantir because I wanted to have client interaction in addition to coding, and seeing the direct impacts of my work was very rewarding. Working as an intern gave me plenty of ways to grow both personally and professionally while feeling supported by the other interns and coworkers. There were also plenty of opportunities to travel to different offices and client locations. Overall, I had a great time during my internship and would highly recommend applying! The mission and drive at Palantir are hard to find anywhere else.

What I wish was different

More communication pre-onboarding but that's it.

Advice

Believe in yourself and your abilities! Everyone at Palantir wants you to succeed and is willing you help you to make that happen. However, it's really up to you to make the most of your experience and work on projects that you want.

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Deployment Strategy Intern

June - August 2022 • New York City, NY

What I liked

The people and work at Palantir are simply outstanding. To sum it up, you are working on some of the hardest problems you will be able to find with some of the most brilliant and kind people you will be able to find. I have rarely grown both personally and professionally by such a large magnitude in such a short amount of time. While the internship itself is already challenging, you will get out of it what you put into it. After around week 5-6 I was basically not treated as an intern anymore and took on real responsibility for real needs that our clients had. This allowed me to not only work with my team on pressing issues our clients had when I arrived at Palantir but also independently explore new project ideas with our clients that ultimately resulted in a production application that I had full responsibility and oversight over and had developed independently with our clients. I have met a wide array of very wise and kind people at Palantir, who I am still in contact with long after my internship, and who have helped me grow both as a person and as a professional.

What I wish was different

The internship was pretty awesome. I can think of very little, if anything, that I would change.

Advice

Work hard and spend time connecting with people. Palantir is not a place that you should come to for coasting or 'quiet quitting.' It's a place where you can grow at a rapid pace in an environment with real responsibility, individuality, and impact. People around you will have inspirational stories and personalities. Individual initiative and exploration are encouraged and will allow you to set yourself apart. Make the most of any time you can spend at this company.

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Deployment Strategist Intern

June - August 2022 • Washington, DC

What I liked

My experience as a Deployment Strategist (aka “echo”) Intern at Palantir exceeded my expectations. Something that attracted me to the Echo role at Palantir is its flexibility—some Echos are almost entirely focused on managing client relationships, others are coding all day, and many fall somewhere in between. I also liked that Echos work directly with the end user to help maximize the value they derive from our software. In my previous internship as a data scientist at a startup, I spent almost all of my time coding and I had no interaction with the end user. At Palantir, I spent part of my time coding and the rest working directly with the client. Toward the end of the internship, my team let me run a client meeting on my own. Unlike many other companies, Palantir truly treats its interns like full-time employees. Palantir also provides interns with lots of resources to help foster personal development. I received excellent mentorship from my people lead, mentor, and ally. These Palantirians tracked my personal growth and provided me with valuable feedback. Over the course of 12 weeks, I developed new technical/non-technical skills, formed strong relationships with some of the brightest people in the world, and saw the impact of my work. I would highly recommend the Palantir Echo internship!

What I wish was different

There’s not much that I wish was different. One small critique I have is that the Foundry onboarding project could be better.

Advice

As another former intern mentioned, asking lots of questions is one of the best things you can do to get up to speed. I’d also recommend making an active effort to get to know the other interns. You can do this by meeting new people at intern events and hanging out with other interns outside of work. Making friends with the other interns will make working at Palantir much more fun, and you never know where those connections might take you (Palantir Pack)!

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Product Reliability Engineer Intern

May - August 2022 • New York City, NY

What I liked

I really loved my internship at Palantir. The work was very rewarding albeit challenging, requiring me to gain greater technical skills as I progressed throughout the 3 months. Although it was challenging, I always felt supported by my team, mentor, manager, and the internship program as a whole.

What I wish was different

I wish I connected with the other interns outside of my team a bit more. There were plenty of opportunities to do so, however, I did not fully utilize these opportunities.

Advice

Don't be afraid to ask questions, but do your own research first! Nobody is going to judge you for asking questions, but putting in the effort to read all the relevant documentation/help channels first is going to go a long way! Also, the job is challenging -- make sure to find the style of work that makes the most sense for you so you accomplish your tasks without getting burnt out.

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Software Engineer Intern

May - August 2022 • Palo Alto, CA

What I liked

I can't recommend this internship experience enough. I learned so much and really felt like I contributed to the company by the end of my internship. The intern program is incredibly organized, and interns are given incredible resources and opportunities to succeed and learn.

What I wish was different

The only thing I would change is how I approached office selection. There were many more interns in the New York, DC, and London offices than the Palo Alto office, and I might have chosen my office differently had I known that!

Advice

At Palantir, you will be surrounded by so many amazingly talented people. I recommend trying to learn from them as much as you can, while trying not to be overwhelmed by all the things you don't know yet. Starting a new job, especially an internship, can bring a ton of imposter syndrome; just know that you belong and you can contribute something meaningful!

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Forward Deployed Software Engineer Intern

May - August 2018 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Probably one of the best CS internships out there. You get to work on real work with some of the best and brightest. Not only is it real work, it's important work. Palantir works to combat terrorism, counter child exploitation, investigate financial fraud, and all around empower some of the biggest and most important institutions in the world. In terms of the internship, we get great mentorship, opportunities to travel domestically and internationally, great compensation, and just all around a great time.

What I wish was different

Not much could be better about it. It was pretty awesome.

Advice

Make the most out of it. Learn as much as you can, technically and personally. Palantir is one of the few places where you can do important work while still defining your own growth path.

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