By: Maia Manaligod , Bandwidth’s Headliner program
Maia is a current Computer Science major at UNC Chapel Hill, completed Bandwidth’s Headliner program as a front-end developer during the summer of 2025. Here, Maia shares insights about what it’s like to transition from a classroom dev environment, to a live CPaaS dev team.
As 11 weeks have flown by and I’m approaching the end of my internship at Bandwidth, I’d like to reflect on my experience and provide a few key takeaways I’ve had this summer.
Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty!
This was something one of my senior teammates said to me within the first two weeks. The best way to learn is through experience. If things go wrong, your team is there to help and support you. This summer, I was a front-end software developer intern. There were a lot of times where I was unsure if my approach was the most optimal solution. I spent a lot of time studying the codebase. But in the end I had to write something, and it’s not the end of the world if your team finds issues with your code. Feedback is a gift, and a lot can be learned from mistakes!
It can be scary to speak out as an intern. But this is the best time to be curious and ask questions! As a fresh set of eyes, you may catch something that others have missed. My intern project was developing the interface in the Bandwidth App for a new feature. Initially this was thought to be a relatively simple project–after all, this interface was just a small part of the larger feature that was handled by many teams behind the scenes. But as I was developing, I uncovered some edge cases that weren’t initially accounted for, which required meetings between the product managers and backend developers to resolve. Your insight and ideas matter!
Communication is key
Throughout my experience, the biggest shift from classroom to workplace was learning how to work within the professional development cycle. It’s not just about learning the technical skills, but how teams communicate and collaborate to bring an idea to life.
My project involved working with UX developers, product managers, and backend developers. I was working on the interface while the API was being developed simultaneously, meaning I had to work based on the plan of the API rather than the real thing. This meant that things were subject to change, so I had to accommodate for those changes. Being adaptable and navigating these changes was one of the key skills I learned during the internship.
This goes along with the first tip as well–never be afraid to reach out and ask clarifying questions. Since there can be so many people involved in things like these, it would be a waste to have to redo work because of a miscommunication.
Be genuine
Networking can be intimidating. But one piece of advice that I left Bandwidth with was this: be genuine. Ask questions. Don’t focus on what someone could give you, but what you can learn from them. Opportunities to connect are everywhere.
I believe the culture at Bandwidth helps facilitate this attitude. People are very approachable. The C-suite doesn’t have offices–their cubicles are right among other employees. The on-campus sports facilities like the gym, soccer field, and tennis courts are a great way to foster connections with those you don’t directly work with. It was cool as an intern to play volleyball alongside senior developers, managers, salespeople, and analysts. Talking with them casually gave me more insight into what different positions in the company do.
Getting ready for what’s next
Overall, I’ve had a very fruitful summer–getting my work deployed into production, meeting new people, and learning more about software development in a professional setting. I want to thank my team for an amazing experience–especially my manager, Todd Darling, and my mentor, Nina Tan. I’ve learned a lot, and I look forward to developing my skills further.
