My name is Megan Chen, and I am currently in my last semester at San Jose State University studying Human Resource Management. At SJSU, I am the Executive Vice President for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) where I help plan professional development events for our members. Though much of my time is occupied by Neato Robotics and school, in my free time you can find me stuffing my face with food, watching movies at home with a bucket of snacks, or lifting weights at the gym. 

When I began looking for internships this past summer, I was motivated to find a growing tech company with a meaningful product or service. After countless applications, I saw an opening for an HR intern at Neato Robotics and I was extremely interested in the opportunity. Robot vacuums have intrigued me ever since I was young; I remember spending hours chasing or following them around the house. I applied for the position immediately and after my interviews with the HR team, I knew that working at Neato Robotics would provide me with some of the experience I need to navigate life post-graduation. They extended me an offer and since my time here, I have gained exposure to various HR processes and a chance to work within a company with great people.  

Juggling an internship, being a full-time student, and leader of a student organization is a lot of work, and though I’ve been following the same routine for a few months now, I still find myself losing track of time. With this being said, my hectic schedule has taught me how to manage my time better and to appreciate the little things; I wouldn’t have it any other way. Follow me along on a day in my life as a full-time student and Intern at Neato Robotics! 

7:00 AM 

My alarm is usually set to ring at this time and if I’m lucky, I will hit snooze a few times before I decide to crawl out of bed. To be realistic, I’m usually out of bed at 8 AM. 

8:00 AM  

After pressing the snooze button about 6 times, I am finally out of bed and ready to start my day. Due to working on copious amounts of homework from the night before, getting out of bed is the hardest part of my day. I’ll scroll through social media for a bit before my cat, Kylo, tells me that he’s hungry. I’ll feed him and get ready for work.  

8:45 AM 

After spending 15 minutes saying my goodbyes to Kylo, I’m on the way to work. Though Neato Robotics offers a hybrid work model, I’ve decided that going into the office would be the most beneficial for me as an intern. I’ve had several fully remote positions since the pandemic and those made me realize how much I missed being in-office. Everyone here is extremely nice, and I’ve felt welcome ever since my first day here! We also have a dog-friendly office, so it’s nice to see some furry friends.  

9:05 AM 

The first thing I do when I get into the office is head over to the coffee machine with my team. I always appreciate the few minutes we have to catch up with each other’s lives before the day gets hectic. Once we get our coffee, we’ll grab some snacks from the breakroom and head back to our cubicles.  

9:30 AM 

Once I’m at my cubicle, I check my emails and create a to-do list for the day. I’m currently working on an I-9 audit for the company, it’s been fun to learn about the I-9 process and compliance. I’ll spend my morning handling and updating excel sheets. Another thing that this internship has taught me is that I should’ve paid attention to my Excel classes in college.

12:00 PM 

Lunch time is my favorite time of the day, not only because I get to eat, but I also get to spend time with the team. We typically gather in the breakroom and get away from our screens for a little bit. Neato Robotics is extremely big on ping pong and some people play during lunch which is always fun to watch! After we eat, we take a walk around the building or hike to Starbucks to digest.  

1:00 PM 

After lunch, we head back to our desks, and I try to finish my tasks for the day. I usually leave early on Thursdays to go home and host a SHRM event, so the rest of my day is dedicated to finishing what I can. I’ll take a few breaks to get water, grab a few snacks, or joke around with my team. 

5:20 PM 

I am finally home from work and am greeted at the door by Kylo. He’s usually hungry by this time, so I feed him and take 10 minutes to decompress before heading into my SHRM meeting.  

5:30 PM 

SHRM is hosting our Resume Blast event today; this event connects SHRM members with industry professionals who provide feedback and comments on resumes. Our hope for this event is to prepare members by polishing their resumes as they begin applying to internships or jobs. The event starts at 6, but myself and the board meet earlier to discuss the agenda and run through the event before it starts.  

7:30 PM 

The event had a great turnout and we managed to provide members with some great feedback on things they could do to improve their resume; everyone walked away with some well needed insight. After the event, we have a 15-minute break until we hop into our post-event meeting. During our meeting, the board discusses improvements that could be made to the event and any upcoming events that we need to prepare for. Our board this semester is extremely engaged, they have made my experience as a VP very fun.

10:00 PM 

The event and meeting are finished, but my day is not over yet! I make dinner and do some self-care before I begin working on my assignments for the night. Tonight, I’m working on an assignment for my Quantitative Business Analysis class and writing a paper for my Performance Management class. Kylo loves to lay on my keyboard and keep me company while I’m typing – maybe I should get him his own.  

1:00 AM 

You’re probably asking yourself at this point if my day ever ends. The answer is yes…after I finish my chores and prepping for work tomorrow! Chores are my favorite way to relax and take care of myself. I love coming home to a clean room after a long day. Today I’m folding my laundry while watching some TV. I’m currently binging ‘In the Dark’ on Netflix.  

2:00 AM 

I’m finally in bed but I will usually toss around for 30-minutes on TikTok before I fall asleep. Kylo also has his zoomies around this time, so it is impossible for me to sleep anyway. Once he calms down, he crawls into bed next to me and we sleep until my day starts again tomorrow! 

Thanks for following me along on one of my busiest days of the week! Though my schedule seems never ending at times, I love that it keeps me productive. I’m graduating soon and I can’t wait to see what my future holds. It took me a long way to get here, and I’ve learned so much every step of the way.