Infrastructure Engineer Intern @ Cigna
I have been in this position since June 2013 in Wilmington, DE. I currently work supporting a team of Infrastructure Engineers. Our clients are Cigna employees in offices from Wilmington, DE; Philadelphia, PA; Visalia, CA; Hartford, CT; and other offices worldwide. The majority of my time is spent maintaining the help desk queue, completing access management requests in a level 2 support role. In my time there, I have supported the following projects:
– Implementation of new CRM system, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, in three instances: NA, EU, and CH.
– Upgrade of 300+ office computers from Windows XP to Windows 7
– Various hardware changes and upgrades
– Creating reports describing Cigna applications
Ongoing tasks include maintaining the CRM system I helped implement. I have become one of the go-to analysts in my office for questions regarding CRM. We implemented three environments: North America, United Kingdom, and China. These different environments allow Cigna to maintain relationships with all of their clients and business partners globally. I work closely with the customer service representatives in each office, to ensure that they understand and can complete the tasks that they need to.
Maintaining the help desk queue is the main task I perform daily. Service requests range from everything from forgotten passwords to applications that crash. To solve these problems, we oftentimes just have to check our databases to see if the client is using their proper IDs and passwords. We reset these and send the emails containing their new access. Other times clients request software installations, which we can perform through manual CD installations, or remote desktop pushes, which are more convenient.
The last category of tasks I have to perform fall into the unknown. As Level 2 support, my team deals with situations where we have to invent a solution, because the situation is different than one we’d previously encountered. This allows for creative decision making. I enjoy this section of my work because it allows me to act as a Business Analyst, seeking out stakeholders and defining requirements. Many times clients have a predetermined “Solution” in their minds, and we must work backwards to really determine what it is they need.
Throughout my internship I’ve learned the tech skills of using Cigna’s suite of applications while also learning other business ‘soft’ skills such as communication. I’ve learned how to properly gather requirements to solve business problems and deliver value to my clients. Different clients will be from different backgrounds and require you to provide them with specific information. I have learned the value of having an excellent team, as I rely heavily on the other engineers I work with. Many of them have 20+ years experience in their fields.