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Internships give students an opportunity to gain experience and skills in their chosen field. While not all schools require completion of an internship or co-op, those who do will have a competitive edge and be more prepared to enter the workforce.
After talking with three of Solü’s software engineer interns in Rochester, NY, we share five of their biggest takeaways.
Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone
“Don’t be afraid to be afraid” said one of our interns, Matt, when prompted about the biggest lessons he learned at his Solü internship. It may be easier said than done, but when you move out of your comfort zone you’re more apt to develop new skills and grow professionally.
Matt said he learned a lot by poking holes in the projects he was working on. Sometimes figuring out what doesn’t work is just as (or more) valuable than determining what does work. This refined his problem solving skills and helped him to eliminate options and iterate further.
Confidence is Key
Being an intern is an opportunity to take what you’ve learned in the classroom and apply it to real-world problems and situations. Let’s face it – you’re not going to know everything, and that’s okay! The whole point of an internship is to learn and grow!
Accepting that you won’t have all the answers while reminding yourself that you were brought on for a reason will help you be more confident. Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you’re unsure of something. Chances are, one of your teammates could benefit from the answer, too.
Gaining confidence after interning at Solü was one of the biggest takeaways for Lacey, a computer science major. One aspect of her internship that stood out to her the most was the welcoming and encouraging environment. Said Lacey “you never felt like you asked a stupid question, and everyone you work with is supportive.”
As for her confidence, upon the completion of her internship Lacey said she feels much more confident and prepared thanks to the personal and professional growth she received at Solü!
Workplace Culture Matters
Just because you’re an intern doesn’t mean you won’t (or shouldn’t) get to experience a company’s culture. Don’t miss out on chances to network with employees at social events or volunteer days. These relationships may help you down the line.
If you’re not being presented with these types of engagement opportunities, don’t be afraid to ask about ways you can get involved!
One of Tommy’s takeaways from his internship at Solü was the facetime that the team had with senior developers – and even the president of the company! He valued this time getting to know and interact with company leaders and made him feel like Solü truly cared about him as an intern.
Lacey agrees. Sure, the challenging work is fun, but so is building relationships with fellow interns and participating in team meetups. With the hybrid work style at Solü, Lacey said it was easy to become friends with other interns, which ultimately helped them become a more cohesive, productive team!
Explore New Technologies
According to MongoDB, “full stack development refers to the end-to-end application software development, including the front end and back end. The front end consists of the user interface, and the back end takes care of the business logic and application workflows.”
At Solü, the internship team is full-stack – which means students are able to explore all aspects of software development. This gives them the chance to use new tools they may not have learned in school, but it also helps them hone in on what they’re interested in and which path they would like to pursue after graduation. Plus, full stack development skills are in high demand in the job market, so students who have this skill set will have a greater range of job opportunities available to them.
Interns Tommy and Lacey both agreed that being exposed to front and back end applications have helped them become more confident and skilled developers. No matter your major or the type of internship you’re doing, ask about whether you can talk to employees in different departments and at different levels. This will help you better understand the projects being done at the company and give you a more well-rounded experience.
Celebrate Your Progress
Celebrating your progress during an internship can have several benefits, including helping you recognize your hard work and effort, keeping you engaged in your work, boosting your confidence, and continuing to grow as a professional.
For example, Matt told us that he revisited code that he wrote 6+ months ago. Upon reflection, he realized how much progress he had made and that there was a better way of doing it. The skills he learned over the past six months enabled him to make foundational improvements, so the application worked better and more efficiently moving forward.
The takeaway? Don’t forget to celebrate how far you’ve come and your wins along the way! It’s all part of having a positive and fulfilling internship experience.
Internships are valuable experiences for students, and we thank our three interns – Matt, Lacey and Tommy – for sharing their biggest takeaways.
Read more about why internships are so important on our blog, or apply today to our software engineer internship/co-op.