As another summer internship at Ubisoft Montreal comes to a close, we wanted to get an insider perspective on the session. In this article, you’ll discover the internship experience through the eyes of Jonathan Sheehan and 4 of his fellow students as they reflect on their time at the studio.
Hi there, I’m Jonathan, a content specialist intern on Ubisoft Montreal’s Talent Acquisition team.
To me, Ubisoft has always been very welcoming. My first experience was 2 years ago when Ubi offered me the opportunity to do an observational internship for a transmedia storytelling project I worked on in CEGEP.
Fast forward to a few years later, I was excited to re-join Ubisoft for a summer 2021 internship opportunity to revamp and edit job ads to support the company’s relentless recruiting efforts. Throughout my time as a content specialist intern, my team lead and the entire Talent Acquisition team welcomed me as one of their own and helped me grow into this role that I enjoyed very much.
This sentiment is shared by many interns currently working at Ubisoft Montreal that I had the pleasure of meeting with to learn about their summer internship experience. These interns were also incredibly thrilled to work for such a well-known company. Like me, they were enthusiastic about what they did and grateful for how they were treated by their teams.
From the very start of Base Camp (the studio’s onboarding program), interns are reminded of the importance for all Ubisoft employees to contribute to the company’s goal of enriching players’ lives by creating memorable and meaningful gaming experiences. Base Camp helps new employees as well as the interns make connections through meetings and onboarding exercises as well as giving interns the resources necessary to navigate their new positions and workplace.
After the introductory camp, the studio suddenly turns from a daunting massive corporation to a tight-knit community. According to 3D Programmer Intern Filipe, “Ubisoft definitely feels like a small team, far from the 4000-employee studio that it actually is. I talked to someone about croissants for about 10 minutes before learning they were the team leader on one of the bigger projects within the studio!”
One of the main commonalities of the interns I chatted with wasn’t the fact that they were fans of Ubisoft games or even video games at all, it was how grateful they were to work in an
environment that helped them thrive. Experts in each team and department leaders are open and approachable. Even with the work-from-home arrangement, it never felt like anyone was out of reach. To help employees – not just the interns- feel involved, events were created like several Ask Me Anything’s (AMAs) with long-time employees or live online events.
Another thing that stood out during these meetings was the autonomy that was given to the interns in being responsible for their own projects. This feeling of trust is one of the many reasons why the interns feel like they can meet their full potential and surpass their team’s expectations – and why they’re so compelled to do so. When asked what advice they would give to someone starting an internship like theirs at Ubisoft Montreal, most interns mentioned: “be passionate.” “The people they hire here are different,” says Online Programmer Intern Marie-Lynn. “You need to show passion and prove that you will be a great addition to their teams as a person, not just an employee.” After all the time I spent here, I can confirm just how well this statement summarizes my experience and the experience of many others like me; I can’t imagine a friendlier or more open-minded community to work with.
Interested in an internship at Ubisoft Montreal? Check your school’s online posting platform and the careers section of our website for fall, winter, and summer session opportunities.
A big thank you to the interns that took the time to share their experience at Ubi MTL:
· Filipe Rodrigues, 3D Programmer on Roller Champions
· David Lafrenière, Tools Programmer at the Technology Group (TG)
· Marie-Lynn Mansour, Online Programmer at Harbour
· Raphaël Valois, Generalist Programmer on an unannounced project
