Grace Roseman, Technical Product Manager Intern, eBay
Grace Roseman (MIMS ’24) spent the summer of 2023 as a Technical Product Manager Intern at eBay.
Describe a typical day at your internship.
No day is the exact same. However, I start my morning checking my emails and looking at my calendar to see what meetings I have for the day. eBay’s intern program has regular intern events such as speakers coming to talk to us and arts and craft activities, so I check my calendar for those that I will be attending. I then start to work on my internship projects. I had 2 projects this summer: improving the “Browse Guidance” user experience, and finding out how the sneaker buying experience on “Browse” pages can be personalized. In both of these projects, I worked cross functionally. I worked with research, design, and engineers to complete these projects. I usually have a lot of meetings with these teams on Zoom, and I spend a lot of time talking to them via Slack. I also have a mentor that I meet with daily to discuss my progress and get feedback.
What was the most valuable thing you learned at your internship?
The most valuable thing I learned was how to be a good product manager. I had an amazing mentor that walked me through all the stages of rolling out a new product feature. I learned how to identify user problems, communicate with design to get prototypes made, work with research to conduct A/B tests and user research, work with engineers to discuss feasibility of the feature, identify metrics, and write one pagers to present to stakeholders.
What was the biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge during my internship was presenting my projects to company leadership. 5 interns got selected to present to the company’s leadership team and I was one of them. I spent many hours trying to make the perfect presentation and prepare to answer their questions. I was intimidated by the idea, but through practice I gained the confidence to present my projects.
How did your work at the I School prepare you for this role?
The I School prepared me for this role through its interdisciplinary nature. As a product manager intern, I had to work closely with multiple teams such as design, research, and engineering. At the I School, I took classes in these domains which made me better understand how I can successfully work with these partners. I also took a product management course which prepared me with the basics of what a product manager does.
Any advice for next years MIMS students as they prepare for their internships?
I advise first-year MIMS students to start looking for internships early! The applying process can be overwhelming and difficult. The earlier you start, the better.
Did your internship influence your career plans after graduation?
My internship made me certain that I want to be a product manager. I enjoyed the work that I did during my internship, and I want to be able to do this same work in my future career after graduation.
