Kenny Risner is a fourth year International Affairs major, focusing in Asian culture and business operations. He studied abroad in East Asia with Dr. Garver and Dr. Kosal, and says that the trip’s focus on economic development shaped the path of his college career. Upon graduation, Kenny will be working for Deloitte Consulting as a Human Capital Analyst in Atlanta. He is excited to see what opportunities and learning experiences he will have with consulting, and his ultimate goal is to eventually own a business. In fall 2014, Kenny interned in the People Operations division of Google, and said he would also love to return to Google one day! We asked him a few questions about how his time at Tech helped him succeed in this internship.
What did you enjoy most about your internship, and what did you find most challenging?
I think the thing I enjoyed most and found most challenging at Google were one and the same. Google is a company that thrives off of ambiguity and freedom within projects. Consistently, Google structures projects with an end goal in mind, but with little to no set instructions or path to get there. At first I found this to be a very difficult method for approaching projects. However, I quickly learned that ambiguity creates amazing opportunities for creativity and freedom. By giving their employees this flexibility within projects, Google has consistently produced products used by millions every day.
Tell us about an experience that made an impression on you during your internship.
The culture at Google is second to none. From working with some of the brightest minds of our generation to all the food your heart could desire, Google’s culture is what really makes it a special place to work. Much like my time at Georgia Tech, I learned so much from simply being around brilliant people and absorbing information. Because culture is such an important value to Google, when hiring, Google goes out of its way to make sure their new employees fit and ultimately represent their culture of Googliness.
In what ways did your time at Tech prepare you for the internship?
An education at Georgia Tech is much more than learning in a classroom. Georgia Tech is a place that constantly throws challenges at you from every direction. Like Tech, Google is a place that challenges its employees by throwing new obstacles at them, while expecting excellent results. Being able to maintain balance and successfully handle anything thrown at me is something I thank Tech for.
