„Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.“
Robert Louis Stevenson
There is a common misconception that internships are a one-way street, where it is implied for interns to act as the right hand of their mentors and do as told, rather than a two-way path from which both interns and mentors can learn. In this article, we will overcome that myth by sharing yet another positive experience with summer internships at ICodeFactory.
Why an internship?
Firstly, an internship is a great way for students to network inside the business world and pave the route to their first job in a professional career. It represents a key to many doors young enthusiasts can open and further hone their technical, but more importantly, soft skills. It has never been more important to learn through practice. Why? Following worldwide project cancellations due to the Covid-19 pandemic, internship numbers have also, naturally, decreased. Regardless, the good news is: the value of learning through professional experience is still relevant into the 2022, which gives us an insight into the motivational factors of students. Last but not least, internships give students something valuable outside their summer vacation.
What is the flip side?
When the other side of the coin is turned, the question is - what is the value of internships to employers? The answer is straightforward – plenty. As was already noted, internships at ICodeFactory serve as a learning opportunity for both students and our team. Through internships, we put our values which include knowledge transfer, encouragement of young people as well as the desire to acquire new experiences into practice. We feel that any fresh idea is a place where we, as experts can grow and move forward. Therefore we provide our interns the freedom and encouragement to actively share their ideas and suggestions at every stage of the process.
A win-win situation
Every year, we offer a variety of internships in the field of Software Development, Business Development as well as Human Resources. During the 2022 ICodeFactory Summer Internship program, our interns have gotten the chance to experience real-working situations involving their future career paths and interests. Apart from the professional skills they were able to acquire, putting the theory from books into practical tasks, they also developed a sense of teamwork and collaboration.
Some of them shared their thoughts on the experience:
„The whole internship was a very useful and important experience for me. We had the opportunity to see what a working day, in reality, means, which will definitely contribute to my problem-solving skills in the future.“
„I enjoyed the fact that I could expand my knowledge on the current trends in technology. We were provided with all the necessary literature in order to learn what was required of us. Also, the atmosphere and the environment were very pleasant.“
„Mentors and the team were helpful at every moment, and willing to share their knowledge on the topic. During the internship, I had the opportunity to work on a web application in the .NET framework for the first time and realized that I want to further improve my knowledge on the topic.“
„What I liked about the internship was the fact that I could learn about HTML, CSS, JAVA Script, C#, Git and more. Also, I experienced what working within a team really means.“
What are the next steps?
The first steps into a professional career do not have to be nerve-racking and exhausting. They should be viewed as a secure environment, where you can make mistakes and take lessons from them. Every year, on multiple occasions, we organize internships for motivated students who are ready to take initiative and push themselves out of their comfort zone. In partnership with the Faculty of Sciences, Faculty of Technical Sciences and the Faculty of Economics, we are happy to be able to continue our mission of sharing knowledge and giving new opportunities to young enthusiasts.
If this story has motivated you, and you wish to learn more, feel free to reach out through jobs@icodefactory.com.
Our team is waiting on you!
Companies in all sectors are facing the same challenge - how to overcome the increasing skills gap that is taking momentum in almost all domains of work?
It is no secret that the skills gap is expected to rise. In fact, talent shortage is expected to cause a loss of $8.5 trillion by 2030 in the United States alone, according to PwC. Most decision-makers believe that this threat will be the biggest business disrupter in the upcoming years. The situation is pressing the businesses to make serious changes in strategy, and to do it fast because the results could make all the difference in their competitive positioning.
Upskilling and Hiring for Skills
In line with all this, a common dilemma for the decision-makers is: Do we have to invest more in upskilling or in hiring for skills? Both seem like equally viable options you would choose from when faced with a shortage of talent.
Many employers have reported having trouble finding the right qualifications, while hiring managers anticipate a significant shift in the required skills for jobs today. Not only this, but most of the existing work force also worry that their skills could become less relevant in the future, and they would therefore be willing to develop their skill set in order to stay up to date. It turns out this is legitimate reasoning, as The World Economic Forum states half of today’s workforce will need reskilling by 2025. And yet, most companies still do not choose to invest significantly in the further training of their employees. Research by Salesforce shows that, while three in four workers believe they do not have the skills required by their company, only 28% are participating in training programs.
Why Upskilling?
Upskilling is the effort of advancing team members' skills through continuous education and training. What this really means is investing in your team, the people who already have an in-depth knowledge of the company culture and clients’ needs.
Not only does this help in closing the skills gap, but it is also found that up to 94% of employees would choose to stay longer in a company that actively invests in their careers. Upskilling has been shown to bring an increase in loyalty, build a community and increase productivity.
All of this makes upskilling a reasonable option, but many organizations are still hesitant to implement it. The main factors in play are financial constraints and the availability of the right technology to support the initiative.
While upskilling is indeed a long-term investment and it cannot be expected to be without a cost – it has been shown that upskilling makes, on average, only a third of the cost of recruiting.
What is the right solution for your organization?
In almost 20 years of developing enterprise software solutions and training thousands of IT professionals, the ICodeFactory team of engineers has recognized the ongoing challenges in a variety of domains of work. The skills gap is currently at the top of that list, and we approach it accordingly. With a team of experienced Microsoft Certified Trainers, we listen closely to the clients' needs and create the solutions that help in overcoming their current obstacles in creating the best results possible.
If your business is facing the same challenges and you are looking for the best approach to upskill your employees, you can sign up for our mailing list through this link and receive a free consultation session with our training experts. We will analyze your company processes and suggest the best custom solution for your team accordingly. Let us help you in maximizing your people’s true potential!
Now more than ever we are witnessing the multitude of ways the world is connected in. Things like communication and travel have never been faster or easier. Not only that, thanks to the Internet and the process of digitization, it is now easier than ever to offer your products to consumers worldwide. There is a multitude of ways you can reach your target market, no matter where they are.
Logistics 4.0
Once you offer your products and reach your target market, the demand will appear. The next step is, of course, the delivery of those products to the consumers.
This process, like many others, has been changed in the last decade by the advanced use of technologies. Much like the production industry, logistics and supply chain management are responding to the increasing trend of digitization, and the gradual development of logistics over the years has led us to a phenomenon called Logistics 4.0. This is, of course, related to Industry 4.0, a topic we have covered in another article.
Automation is key
So, what is the common factor in various industries’ development trend in today’s world? The answer is – automation. For example, Logistics 4.0 is focused on efficiency increase, process simplification and global supply chain stabilization. And automation is the key element, as it makes the processes more simplified. We have all heard of interconnectivity of devices, autonomous driving, or the use of software and machines to complete risky tasks. The advantages of automation use are especially evident in covering the areas where there is a shortage of skilled labor, as well as a big potential for error or injury.
What is next in Logistics?
Many factors make up a logistics company: warehousing, processes, security, mobility, and transportation, just to name a few. Contrary to the first association for most of us, logistics is not just about transportation of goods – a multitude of factors need to work together and complement each other, to make a successful and productive enterprise. There is no doubt that the technologies will only further develop all these processes and that their use will help the increase of productivity and stability of the supply chain worldwide.
How can we help?
ICodeFactory has a team of Microsoft Certified Software Developers and 17 years of experience in developing enterprise solutions. We have helped logistics companies raise their productivity significantly by implementing our teams’ domain and technology expertise. Besides all this, we believe that every company has its specific set of needs and therefore requires a different approach, which is why we offer custom-made solutions that suit your organization’s needs perfectly and help you achieve your productivity goals.
