Whether you aspire to be a technologist on the front lines of protecting digital payments, a marketer supporting iconic global events, or somewhere in between, Visa’s global internship program offers undergrads the chance to be at the forefront of emerging payment technologies, helping to expand financial access and enable how people move money around the world. Through the program, this next generation of leaders are able to gain exposure to the most dynamic network of technology in the industry, participate in hands-on assignments, learn from Visa executives, dream up ideas, big and small, and have fun doing it with a host of social and networking activities.
Want to know why Visa has been included on LinkedIn’s Most Attractive Employers’ list and America’s Best Employer list from Forbes? We asked some of our summer interns across Visa’s global offices what it’s like to work at Visa. Here’s what they had to say on National Intern Day.
Meet Dineo Kgang, Accounting major at University of Johannesburg
Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa
Visa Team: Business Development
Visa Office: Sandton, Johannesburg
Why did you choose an internship at Visa?
As a global company, I knew Visa would not only expose me to how things work in the South African context, but an African and global perspective as well. I do not believe in limiting myself and confining myself to boundaries, I believed Visa would give me just the opportunity to explore that.
How would you describe the culture so far?
Visa employees are such good team players, it’s impressive! Everyone does their part. Everyone shows up for what they are expected to deliver within their teams. I believe this collaborative culture at Visa is what makes the company keep outperforming its competitors.
What has been the most rewarding part of the program?
The most rewarding part is being entrusted with tasks by the senior leadership. It makes me feel involved and feel like an important piece of the Visa puzzle. I appreciate that I am not sidelined because I may not know certain things but am provided with the opportunity to learn. I am included so that I can provide fresh and different perspectives. This has really proved to me that Visa has a very inclusive environment.
Meet Emma Hunt, International Relations major at University of Edinburgh
Hometown: London, UK
Visa Team: UK&I Government Engagement
Visa Office: Paddington, London
Why did you choose an internship at Visa?
The company has such an excellent reputation and a strong culture around values and ethics. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, it was exciting to see Visa’s focus on diversity and inclusion. More specifically to the government engagement role, I chose to apply as it’d allow me to explore a different way that I can use my politics degree when I graduate.
What has surprised you most about the Visa Intern Program?
One thing that’s really surprised me is that I’ve been given real responsibility on projects. I’ve had the opportunity to write briefings for very senior members of the UK&I team and to get involved in work groups that span so many different areas of the business. I definitely had a preconceived idea in my head about what an intern does, and thus far my experience has been so completely different to that.
How would you describe the culture so far?
I’ve really enjoyed getting involved with the Europe Pride ERG, and seeing what an active role diversity and inclusion plays here. In my first two weeks, I was asked to give my feedback on a project the ERG was working on, and it was so gratifying and rewarding to see my thoughts incorporated into the next draft.
Meet Harshank Patel, Computer Science major at Texas A&M University
Hometown: San Marcos, TX
Visa Team: MAP-PD UI Team
Visa Office: Austin, TX
What have you learned so far as a Visa intern that will prepare you for entering the workforce?
I have gained valuable experience in building PCI (Payment Card Industry) and ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act) compliant solutions as well as scalable solutions that align with CyberSource/Visa’s business needs. I also had a chance to present my project to several leaders at Visa/CyberSource, which has taught me how to present technical project to non-technical audience.
How will you apply what you studied to your experience at Visa or vice versa?
I will be applying the technologies I learned at Visa, like Docker, Kubernetes, and Spring Boot, to build projects for school as well as participate in more hackathons.
What has surprised you most about the Visa Intern Program?
Most surprising thing is how much time and effort goes into the program so that all the interns get to work on projects that are meaningful and impactful.
Meet Stella Ikuzwe, Sociology major and Computer Science minor at Boston University
Hometown: Nairobi, Kenya
Visa Team: Visa Direct, Latin America and Caribbean region
Visa Office: Miami, FL
Why did you choose an internship at Visa?
I chose Visa because the Visa Direct team and product is making a large impact toward financial equity, which is something I’m passionate about. I also chose Visa because it is a large international company that would provide me the space to explore and learn about tech beyond the U.S.
How would you describe the culture so far?
The culture so far has been collaborative, innovative, and engaging. Visa is also very open; I have the opportunity to explore other areas within Visa that meet my interest.
How will you apply what you studied to your experience at Visa?
I have a unique background of sociology and computer science, which gives me a new perspective on projects. My studies in sociology encourages understanding people as individuals and within their contexts, a skill I can use to provide the best solutioning for Visa clients. My tech background allows me to understand the technicalities of Visa products and how they are implemented.
Meet Muhammad Maroof, Management Information Systems (MIS) major at University of Houston
Hometown: Richmond, Texas
Visa Team: Corporate IT
Visa Office: Ashburn, VA
Tell us about your role at Visa.
My role has been summer analyst. The software that I used for my projects was vMix, a live production software. I had to analyze this tool and how well it would work during the pandemic to do streaming. I was able to make a live production video that went live on multiple streaming platforms.
How would you describe the culture so far?
The main thing that I like about Visa’s culture is it is a workplace where a person can be themselves. All the interns came up with an idea to schedule a recurring meeting on teams, to get to know each other. I was able to meet different people from different cultures and we had a lot of events, like painting and a virtual scavenger hunt, which was really fun for all of us.
What advice would you give anyone interested in the Visa Intern Program?
My advice: “Don’t think, JUST GO FOR IT.” There are people who want you to learn and be successful in your career. And as an intern, I would advise incoming interns to “BE CURIOUS, ASK QUESTIONS.”
Meet Gayathri Garimella, Computer Science, Ph.D. at Oregon State University
Hometown: Bangalore, India
Visa Team: Advanced Crypto Research team
Visa Office: Palo Alto
Why did you choose an internship at Visa?
Visa is very well recognized and reputed as an organization, which made it an easy decision. The advanced crypto team that I am working with has excellent researchers who publish actively in top venues in my field. I was excited by the prospect of working with and learning from them.
What has surprised you most about the Visa Intern Program?
I am pleasantly surprised by the program’s ability to create a focused, relaxed, and inclusive working environment; despite being limited by the remote work situation.
What has been the most rewarding part of the program and working at Visa?
I like the people here! Everyone has been friendly and willing to help. I have enjoyed working with my mentors who have been encouraging and open to my ideas and work. I appreciate that they are clear about their expectations and communicate them effectively, so that I only focus on the task at hand. It’s been great to make friends with the other interns and team members.
Meet Nathaniel Powers, Learning Design and Technology major at NC State University
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Visa Team: Visa University
Visa Office: Foster City, CA
Why did you choose an internship at Visa?
I was impressed with Visa University’s vision and strategy for building an organizational learning culture. I also wanted a creative role with the challenge of improving my skills in instruction, visual design, UX, and development tools.
What excites you most about your path at Visa?
Each day brings a creative challenge. One morning I may be editing a video script or finding the voice for a piece of instruction. During an afternoon I may be designing visual assets, building a learning interactive, or testing for quality assurance. With these diverse activities I am learning the business and getting to see how projects move from planning through production.
What advice would you give anyone interested in the Visa Intern Program?
Research as much as you can to be informed about the role to which you are applying and communicate how you can bring value to Visa. The Visa Intern Program is a fantastic opportunity for experiencing a company that is changing the industry.
Meet Jill Jani, Computer Science major at Vellore Institute of Technology
Hometown: Kodinar, Gujarat
Visa Team: Operations and Infrastructure
Visa Office: Bangalore, India
What has surprised you most about Visa Intern Program?
People are extremely friendly and informal. I remember being hesitant speaking up to seniors in my team during my initial days. I speak with them much more frequently and casually now.
How would you describe the culture so far?
Visa has a great work culture. Everyone is genuinely helpful and encouraging. As an intern, my team celebrates all my accomplishments with utmost joy and helps me out whenever I get stuck.
What advice would you give anyone interested in Visa Intern Program?
The Visa Intern Program is a golden experience. From working on several different technologies to opening up and connecting to new people, it is the best way anyone could spend their summer break.
Whether you’re designing new payment products for clients and their customers, ensuring our global payments network is secure or introducing Visa news to a global stage, you can help live out Visa’s purpose to include and uplift everyone, everywhere. Learn more about life at Visa and our job opportunities for students and new grads from these resources: