Interning at a startup: Where every day is an adventure and every possibility is waiting to be explored. Grateful for the memories and excited for what’s to come!
A warm welcome
As a former intern at &, I can confidently say that the experience was nothing short of amazing. The onboarding process is crucial for any new employee, and I was no exception when I started. From the moment I was onboarded, everything was fun and easy, and I loved the fact that I had two buddies to help me get started with my internship.
What made the onboarding process special, however, was the thoughtfulness and consideration that went into it. There were always thoughtful touches, for instance, there was a birthday calendar accessible for everyone and a page where everyone wrote a small introduction about themselves. Even though these may seem like small things, they made a big difference in creating a welcoming environment. It showed that the company valued us, the employees, and was committed to creating a culture of inclusivity.
Throughout my internship, my supervisor was incredibly supportive, as were the other members of my team, and even those outside of the team. They were always there to help me when I had questions or needed guidance. I felt like I was part of the team and not just an intern. The teamwork and support I received made my experience even more enjoyable.
Sure, home office has its perks, but there’s nothing quite like the buzz of the campus with my Buddy!
Opportunities to grow
One of the things I appreciated most about my time at the company was the chance to try my hand at many different things. For instance, I got to write tests for the first time, write a case study, create a page on our website, and work on a C4 diagram, which was different from the ones I was used to in university.
Writing tests was especially valuable for me as it quickly made me realize the significant role testing plays in ensuring the quality of software and saving time in the long run. Through writing tests, I was able to learn new concepts, programming techniques, and improve my coding skills. This experience gave me the tools to write efficient and effective code, which I am confident will be an asset in my career.
I also had some tasks that were more typical, and for which I had already learned some things while studying. These typical tasks provided me with an opportunity to apply my theoretical knowledge in a practical setting, which was a meaningful part of my learning experience. The combination of tasks, both familiar and new, helped me achieve my objective of learning and gaining insights into the different facets of the field.
Pomodoro + perseverance = productivity!
Valuable lessons learned
The company has some great principles that help to guide its work. Some of these principles that I will take with me are:
- Avoid perfectionism: The importance of not delaying releases because of missing secondary features. This mindset helped us to avoid building features that no one would use.
- Write sustainable code: we were all encouraged to write clean code that was easy to understand, reuse, and extend. Each of us even received a copy of the book Clean Code by Uncle Bob.
- The importance of continuous learning and development: As an intern, I always had enough time to educate myself on topics that were new to me, and I enjoyed attending amptalks, where team members share their knowledge about a topic they are passionate about. I also noticed that many people, including my supervisor, were constantly honing their skills, taking different certificates, and attending conferences and workshops. This reinforced the idea that learning and development were not just words on paper, but a value that was deeply embedded in the company’s culture.
However, one thing that I will have to leave behind is the coffee addiction I have developed. Drinking coffee daily was something I enjoyed, especially since it was often accompanied by wonderful conversations with different members of the team. It was a great way to connect with others from various teams and learn more about the company’s culture. However, it is time to move on from my coffee dependency and I am sure that in my future workplace, I will strive to create the same kind of positive relationships and connections that I experienced at this startup.
The paradise that served as the backdrop for meaningful conversations and great company, all over coffee
One standout moment from my internship was after I told HR that I was interested in becoming a requirements engineer. HR went out of their way to book me time with one of our requirements engineers to talk to and learn from. The engineer was very generous with his time, explaining a lot about his job, showing me statistics from his projects, and giving me resources he had prepared for his team. He even walked me through his typical day and schedule. The experience left me feeling inspired and confident in my future career goals and solidified my desire to work in the field.
Looking forward to the future
During my internship, I was given a valuable role in a meaningful project that was completed during my time there. I felt thrilled to be working on something non-trivial and it was equally gratifying to see the impact of this project in action. Receiving feedback from the users was an added bonus, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment. The experience made my work all the more rewarding, and I found myself even more motivated to do my best in the future.
