When Joshua Caplan ’21 applied to an internship with PTC, a computer software and services company, he was clear about what he wanted to get out of the experience. “I told them that I was looking to grow, I wanted to be around smart, curious people, and I wanted to be in an internship where I had a lot to learn,” he said.
Now several weeks into the position, Caplan has determined that PTC “fits the bill.”
In his role as a corporate development intern, Caplan primarily works on a variety of corporate strategy projects, which includes conducting research for the tech partnerships team on the company’s current and potential partnerships. According to Caplan, he spends time doing both online research and data analysis.
Major: Economics
Hometown: Brookline, Mass.
High School: Brookline High School
Caplan pursued the internship because he had high expectations for what PTC could offer interns. “I wanted to find an internship for this summer that was learning-focused first and foremost, so I started networking with Hamilton alums, and I talked to a Hamilton alum who worked for the company,” he said. “I talked to a recruiter and asked about the role, and it was clear to me that it was an internship program that put their interns in a situation to learn about cutting edge technology.”
Despite the internship being remote, Caplan has regularly engaged with his peers and mentors. In addition to learning about different business models and how they change over time, he has participated in a group project that asked the interns to determine how the company is marketing itself based on public information. The creative exercise helped interns learn about the various facets of marketing while providing long-term employees with a fresh perspective.
Caplan added that he also has the opportunity to interact with company executives. “Along with projects, I also get to sit in on high-level meetings with the M&A and Tech Partnerships teams,” he said. “It’s been great to see how business objectives are set and how the team talks about its progress toward them. Especially when it’s over a Zoom call.”
Caplan has enjoyed his internship experience so far and anticipates learning even more about business. After Hamilton, he would ultimately like to keep his options open while staying true his interests.
“I’d like to help grow a company that’s solving an important problem that I’m passionate about, and that could be a big company or small company,” he said. “But that’s my philosophy, and we’ll see where it takes me. I’m going to see where I can make most of a difference.”
