Below details a Q&A session by Disha and Ariane who talk about their experiences as web development interns at Enabled Solutions.
Q: How can I go about getting an internship?
A: You need to apply. Look on websites such as Seek or GradConnection to see which companies have internships or other similar opportunities in your fields of interest. I’d also say to apply to fields you’re not interested in too because you never know if you’ll like it or not! Those are the main ways to find different internships but they’re also available to basically every other student out there. Networking plays a huge role in finding opportunities. I’ve been to a couple networking events in the past and met many fascinating people who do interesting things. Events are held by the university for you to meet industry people and make connections. We found our internship through a course at uni, where one of the teaching staff asked us to send our resumes at the end of the course. This resulted in virtual interviews and ultimately starting our internship!
Q: What is a day in the life of an intern like?
A: When we arrive in the morning we go over what tasks we’ve been set to accomplish and start planning for the day. Tasks could be any size – anything from changing a word’s spelling, to researching and building new interactive tools. We have a stand-up as a team at 10am to state our goals for the day, what could block or delay us, and if we need anyone’s help. Then we get to work, continuing with our tasks or going to meetings! The office is always lively and you can always ask people for help. At lunchtime we go on a walk to grab food and get some fresh air. After lunch we keep going with our tasks, making coffees when we need them to survive the day. At the end of the day, around 5, we either head home or stay to play board games at the office.
Q: What were your expectations of the internship before you got it?
A: I never realised that web development could be so interesting! Before last year all I knew of it was HTML and CSS and I thought I’d never want to work on websites. After studying web development at university I knew there was far more to it but I was terrified – all of it seemed beyond me and there was so much to learn! At the internship it was taught practically and without overwhelming me – I could always see the results of what I did and could ask for guidance whenever I needed it. Now without the stress of school assignments, I realise I could actually see myself doing this as a career.
Q: What is the best part of your internship?
A: It has to be the people. I was lucky enough to do this internship alongside some of my friends from university and it was a joy to see them so often. The people I’ve met at the office are incredibly wonderful too – we can chat about our latest Netflix binges or our latest video games. The projects are interesting too – it’s always fun to learn something new!
Q: What are the benefits of an internship?
A: You get to actually put those skills that you’ve learnt to use and build on them so much more. I have realised that there are so many different things that I still needed to learn and one of the best ways for me to learn is by trying something out and practicing it. The best thing is that everyone knows you’re still learning and they don’t expect you to be a master, they love being asked for help. It’s a great opportunity to start working in fields you may or may not be interested in and see if it’s something you enjoy or not. You won’t know if you like something or if you’re good at it until you give it your best shot.
About Enabled Solutions: Enabled Solutions is a Malvern-based digital innovation firm, with clients such as RAA, Clipsal, and Healthcare Australia. They focus on human-centric design and creative problem solving, and have a history of being on the cutting edge of technological innovation. You can learn more about them at their website, https://www.enabled.com.au .
About Disha: Disha is in her third and final year of her Computer Science degree. She loves binging Netflix, long bubble baths, annoying her little doggie Coco and being late to everything.
About Ariane: Ariane is a third year Computer Science and Chinese student. When she has free time, she enjoys cooking, watching Netflix and getting so distracted by Netflix that her food burns.