Internships at Criteo

Growing up as twins, Imane and Amine have shared quite a few similar experiences - including through their rewarding and stimulating internships with Criteo.

Can you tell us about your background and experience?

Imane: I grew up in Morocco where I studied engineering. Then, I moved to Grenoble, France, where I completed my studies. As part of my program, I interned with Criteo, working on testing and deployment automation and R&D. I’m actually doing my second internship with the company in September. Right now, I’m working on a project with the Dev Ops team in Paris that will make it easier to deploy our apps.

Amine: Okay, I’m afraid my answer is going to be quite like Imane’s. I have a similar background and education We were always in the same classroom growing up and went to the same schools to study engineering in Morocco and then France. We parted our ways when the time came to choose an internship. I did mine with another company, but things didn't go as well as I hoped. After hearing Imane talk about how much she had loved her internship, I decided to take the leap and started an internship with Criteo.

What triggered your motivation to join Criteo?

Amine: Pretty much everything! There were plenty of things I found interesting: the features, the team, the work, the technologies. And, of course, the fact that Imane talked about it with such passion.

Imane: I really didn’t know much about the company at the beginning, but I met some Criteos at a school forum. The way they talked about their work, the work environment and the opportunities for interns made it sound really attractive – and it’s lived up to its promise!

What would you say was the most interesting during your internship in terms of learning opportunities?

Amine: You're brought out of your comfort zone and learn something new every day! This makes you feel like you're really adding value to the team. The agile approach to work organization is a real asset.

Imane: I agree! You go in-depth, learning the whole context for each app, not just the product itself. There are many learning tools available and team gatherings to ensure you find help when needed. For the last Hackaton competition, I had the opportunity to work on a project to promote diversity in hiring policies. This was a great learning experience!

What surprised you the most about your internship experience? About Criteo?

Amine: The importance of team building. There are regular events for socializing and getting to know our teammates better. We’ve been out to a restaurant and had a game night as well as playing an escape game together. Plus, everyone is willing to help out and keep track of how I’m doing. The people in my team always make time for one-on-one meetings and go out of their way to help newcomers.

Imane: Yes, that’s so important. My friends interning at other companies often say they only get help from tutors. With Criteo, the entire team helps to make the onboarding smooth and provide ongoing help. When you first start out, Criteo also assigns a buddy to you who explains everything related to Criteo, shows you all the tools and is always there to answer questions.

Where do you see yourself in the future? Are there career paths at Criteo that you find inspiring?

Imane: I was offered a position with the factory team, which would allow me to continue to work with the same colleagues, whom I really like, and to continue working on some very exciting projects. The project I’m currently working on only started in January, but clients are already using it. In the long run, I’d love to emulate the experience of Criteo’s founders and join with Amine to start up our own company.

Amine: Right now, I’m looking for a full-time position in software engineering and would love to find something at Criteo. And, yes, our long-term idea is to become entrepreneurs and launch our own video game company together.

Any advice for someone considering an internship with Criteo?

Amine: There are so many fields, you really need to know what you want. Obviously, you want to submit a good resume and make sure there are no mistakes. In our field, you really need to be familiar with algorithms, as you’re going to be asked about them. And last but not least, don’t forget to work on your soft skills like communications, including English, if you’re not a native speaker.

Imane: Don’t hesitate to ask questions to see if you’re a good fit or even if you’re just curious about something. Make sure you review the pdf’s you’ll receive to be prepared for the hour-and-a-half technical interview. It definitely gave me more confidence going in and helped me explain my thought process clearly when the time for questions came. A last piece of advice? I’d say, just go for it!