Intern Software Developer Review

On the whole I enjoyed my placement very much. While the project I worked on was quite different than what I had in mind I enjoyed learning new skills and was given opportunities to work on a wide range of tasks. At a few times the work became slightly unvarying/uninteresting though most of the time I had the choice to work on tasks which I found interesting. I also very much enjoyed the opportunity to get involved in the company community and culture, despite the remote nature of the internship

I felt highly valued by people I worked with and within the company as a whole. Softwire's open company culture was evident and I felt welcome to participate within the company. I was able to participate in social 'morale' events outside of work. The other interrns were very welcoming and I enjoyed working with on my project with them. I was able to raise any concerns I had with my team's intern manager or line manager

Both my team manager and line manager were able to provide support fairly quickly whenever needed. The 2 week training period provided sufficent technical support to make a start on the project, and from there on technical support was mostly in the form of asking questions where needed. I found myself being more able to problem solve on my own as the internship progressed. Weekly chats with my line manager were an opportunity to ask for any non-technical guidance.

On most days I had enough to do and was aware of the general goals for the project so could choose a new task to work on if I had completed my work so far. There were times where things became fairly busy but I could talk to my manager offload tasks as needed. It was expected of me to work for a full working day (with a lunch break off) but I wasnt given work outside of these times

As the internship progressed I took on more responsability for the project, both on the technical side and with demonstrating the teams progress to our client. The amount of responsability I had wasnt daunting (at least not after the very beginning!) but gave me sufficent challanges to develop new skills. If I did feel I was not with enough expereince to keep up any responsabilities I was able to ask for help and guidance from my manager

Throughout the internship I was able to work on a range of different tasks and as such learned a range of skills. Some skills will be useful for my future studies, and I expect much of the technical knowledge I gained to be of use for personal/extracurricular work. I also learned a lot about efficient teamwork and communication, which will no doubt be usefull both in university and in any future carrer, regardless of the profession.

The atmosphere was highly constructive and helpful. I felt comfortable asking colleges for their opinions or guidance on work related matters. Additionally everyone was highly understanding and worked together to solve problems. My team shared the desire to complete the project to a high standard, and as the internship went on we worked together very well. Being a remote internship I didnt get a large amount of insight into the office wide environment but the all other employees I had contact with were very kind and welcoming

The internship was well organised and most administrative things were fairly straightforward to set up. There were no signifincant organisation flaws, which was especially commendable given the remote nature of the internship. The company laptops given to interns were of suitable quality for work and (though I did not use them) there were provisions for any extra equipment should it be needed. Wifi issues posed some issue but in most cases were beyond anyones control

The internship began with a 2 week training period to teach us the fundamental skills we needed to complete the project. Throughout working on the project my team manager was available to answer questions and teach us new skills as needed. My manager made sure I was given the chance to work on and learn about things which were new to me, and also gave me opportunities to develop my non technical skills through giving presentations and playing a part in planning some aspects of the project

Future prospects with the company seem quite appealing, though I would choose to work in a different division than the one I did my internship in (machine learning rather than web design). the culture of the company is one I feel I can fit into well and I feel I will have opportunity to grow professionally in a carreer with Softwire. Employees are given a fair number of perks including the option of taking holidays for morale events and for charity work. If I had an offer from Softwire after finishing my degreee, I would give it fair consideration

Despite the internship being remote, there were a number of opportunities to socialise during the internship. Regular 'morale' events were run with varying themes and for both interns only and for all company employees. Despite not attending a very large number of these, I felt they were a great opportunity to have some fun. Thoughout the internship I got to know my team very well and felt comfortable talking to them both socially and about work

There were a fair number of opportunities, especially for a remote internship. I would say there were fewer than there would have been in a physical internship. Interns were welcome to a large number of activities and could meet other interns and perminent employees. The relaxed company culture and friendly environment made the activities I attendend very enjoyable and there were also a large range of activities to cater to any interest. Interns also had the opportunity to suggest new events and have them run