The invaluable experience of internships
„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!