西瓜视频

A good balance of challenging and rewarding - I learned a lot.

Very welcoming; several social events were organised and we were immediately respected and valued by the close colleagues we interacted with. No experiences of being disrespected, ignored or taken for granted.

When available, mentors usually able to suggest work to move onto, and the first three weeks were almost entirely dedicated to training. This was largely in a somewhat sandbox style with a defined problem towards which we built and expanded an increasingly advanced software solution, each learning what our mentors saw fit. A little more guidance would not have gone amiss, but feedback was always available whenever requested.

Not absolutely perfect, but I was never bored, or without something to do. Tasks varied in complexity, but I did not feel pressed to rush things if I needed more time. One or two days frustrated me, mainly because I was stuck on something for longer than I felt I should take, but there was little uncomfortable external pressure (just advice).

Quite a flat organisational structure meant we were free to assume responsibility for subtasks in software projects as we saw fit. I was pleased to be asked to resolve some small bugs on my own as well as adding a few small features from scratch ready for the next version of the system. I was invited to all team meetings after training, and my opinions listened to. I was also responsible for some stress testing close to a release, and spotting and reporting bugs or glitches.

A 'deep end' immersion in C# for six weeks means I now feel very confident working in that language. Experiencing Agile development first hand and being part of a real software production team are new experiences for me, and I will now be much more comfortable with any such teamwork in the future. In terms of software development practices, I have also gained a lot of theoretical as well as first hand practical knowledge which will help me in any programming language.

Very sensible and focused where necessary, but everyone was absolutely approachable and more than willing to help or give advice. Conversation was always friendly and open, with a comfortable environment in which to work as well as a comfortable team to work with. Ping pong table on the software floor and relatively regular socials and smaller gatherings (e.g. celebratory lunch after product release) helped to bring everyone together and make me feel immediately welcome.

Very few hitches, and relatively clear expectations of what was happening now and what to expect throughout. Perhaps a slight sense of stagnation for the last day or so of the training weeks.

I absolutely felt throughout like I was being treated to an excellent training experience. There was no sense of being exploited or simply used for chores which could so easily have been done. The hope that we would gain experience and then be offered jobs was explicit from the beginning, and as such the time we had was an investment in us.

I have been offered a job, and also asked to keep in touch if I instead decide to do more study.

Got on well with other interns, both in the same department and others. We socialised during the workday and at break times, and a few times outside of work, especially in the pre-organised social events, but usually everyone went home after work to relax.

Usefully, several associates of the company had rooms for rent which were manageable prices. The south east in general is not cheap apart from that, but supermarkets were near enough for affordable food, and social events with the company were all paid for. Pub trips of manageable cost...

Did not partake...

Definitely things to do! A few fun socials like 'foot golf' organised, and some places to socialise (park, pubs). I spent most weekends away from the area so can't comment.