Early Career Growth at ServiceNow: How Mentorship, Internships and Continuous Learning Build Engineering Careers

  When Ashley Hummel was first introduced to ServiceNow, she had no idea it would launch her career at the enterprise AI company — but she did immediately sense that there was something unique about it.

That impression took shape after Hummel attended the company's in-person exploration program, Discover ServiceNow. There, early-career students get invited to learn about what it's like to work at a global tech company like ServiceNow.

Hummel said that after attending the event, she was in awe of the supportive and uplifting environment.

“From fellow student attendees to the former interns and engineering teams we met and even leadership as high up as our chief technology officer, everyone felt so genuine,” Hummel said.

For leaders at ServiceNow, guiding early-career teammates through mentorship and exposing them to meaningful work is mission-critical. 

“We need to build AI-first cultures rooted in continuous learning, with roles that fuel business and personal growth,” Jacqui Canney, ServiceNow’s chief people and AI enablement officer, said. “That means doubling down on equipping early career talent with the skill, creativity and adaptability to lead AI-powered organizations.”

After attending Discover ServiceNow, Hummel returned to the company the following year as a software engineering intern, where she spent a summer working, learning, and even participating in a global hackathon alongside other interns. Today, she is a full-time associate software engineer.

Hummel’s experience is a prime example of how ServiceNow empowers early-career talent to learn, grow, and make an impact through programs such as Discover ServiceNow, its internship program, and ServiceNow University (the company’s AI-powered learning platform), among many others. Read on to learn more about what sets ServiceNow apart from other tech employers — and why early-career employees thrive there!

 

What Are Early Career Programs Like at ServiceNow? 

You’ve experienced several of ServiceNow’s early-career programs — from Discover ServiceNow to interning to now working full-time as an associate engineer. Can you walk us through your journey and what first stood out to you about ServiceNow's support for early-career talent?

[After Discover ServiceNow], I was thrilled to return the following year as a software engineering intern, where I spent an incredible summer developing both my personal and technical skills alongside other interns. I was given a meaningful project and supported by my manager, mentor and teammates as I worked toward presenting it at the end of the internship. The internship organizers also did an outstanding job of making me feel valued and connected to the company through fun intern bonding activities, events with company leaders and skill-building workshops.

Coming back to the same team as an associate software engineer felt very natural, thanks to the support I received from ServiceNow before graduating. As a full-time employee, I’ve been able to stay involved in supportive early-career programs while continuing to contribute meaningful work alongside my team.

 

 

What the Internship Experience Is Like at ServiceNow

During your internship, what experiences helped you grow the most?

My internship pushed me to grow fast personally and professionally. I got to take on an impactful project, build deep connections with other interns and work closely alongside my team. Spending time with other interns, from eating together at the office cafeteria to going on weekend roadtrips, gave me insight into other corners of the company and the incredible people ServiceNow attracts. 

At the same time, diving headfirst into my project and working closely with my manager, mentor and teammates strengthened my skills and confidence more in one summer than an entire year of school. Being willing to ask questions and stay open to feedback made my experience and the final result something I was extremely proud of.

 

 

 

What was your experience like participating in ServiceNow’s Global Intern Week?

I participated in the Global Intern Week hackathon. It was exciting to work with new peers from different functions and offices across the globe to build and present an innovative AI feature for the ServiceNow platform. Working with people who had different backgrounds and skill sets helped sharpen both my technical and collaboration skills as we brought an idea to life in a short time. It was an enjoyable and memorable experience!

 

How ServiceNow Supports Skill Development for Early-Career Engineers

Now that you’re approaching your first year as a full-time worker after graduating from college, what has felt different or especially impactful? How has ServiceNow’s program, Launchpad Academy, helped you in your transition to working full-time?

Transitioning to full-time work after college was a big adjustment. Two things stood out: I no longer had the built-in proximity to events and people that college provides, and my work now carried real-world impact beyond a school assignment. Launchpad Academy helped ease these transitions through frequent in-person and virtual events, where I’ve been able to connect with other early-career employees, learn practical skills to navigate the workplace, and grow as an engineer.

Can you share a specific moment where you realized you were developing new skills or confidence?

Launchpad Academy hosts a week-long virtual development program called Global Development Week. During the week, my cohort had the opportunity to attend an in-person fireside chat with Jeff Miller, a member of ServiceNow’s board of directors. Hearing about his career journey from engineer to CEO and his advice for long-term success was incredibly inspiring. 

After the session, I even had the chance to network with him over donuts and coffee. Moments like that gave me confidence in the career path I’m building and reinforced the possibilities ahead.

 

 

In your day-to-day work now, how do you see the skills or connections you built through these programs showing up?

ServiceNow’s early-career programs helped me build valuable skills, including setting goals, giving and receiving constructive feedback, and understanding how to grow toward the next stage of my career. These skills come into play almost daily in my work and have had a meaningful impact on both my productivity and long-term aspirations. They’re also helping me grow into the kind of engineer who can make a positive impact for both customers and the teammates I work with every day.

 

How Continuous Learning Supports Early-Career Growth at ServiceNow

ServiceNow talks a lot about continuous learning as part of its culture. What does that actually look like day-to-day? 

Continuous learning is woven into ServiceNow’s culture. In my organization, we even have monthly focus days where meetings are kept to a minimum so employees can invest time in their learning and development goals. On these days, ServiceNow University (our AI-guided learning platform) is an incredible resource for building skills that support my work, whether it’s AI essentials, software development lifecycle practices, coding techniques, or test automation. It caters to my current skill level and makes it easy to learn at my own pace through an engaging, gaming interface.

 

How has ServiceNow given you opportunities to level up your AI skills — and how has that experience shown up in your day-to-day work and career growth?

ServiceNow regularly hosts labs and live sessions focused on building our skills in working with AI. Our organization provides tools like Workera, which assesses our AI skills and recommends areas for growth. We also have access to licenses such as Windsurf, which integrate AI directly into our development workflow. 

My organization and team regularly discuss our experiences with these tools and organize learning sessions around opportunities to level up our AI skills. This environment encourages experimentation and continuous improvement. As a result, I’ve been able to ramp up faster in large codebases, write more efficient code and gain a deeper understanding of our systems.

Join a company that invests in helping you grow and is recognized among Vault’s 150 Best Internships list. Explore ServiceNow Careers!

 

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