Here at Qubiz, we take internships very seriously. For us, interns are treated as soon-to-be colleagues, so we give them the opportunity to learn through challenging tasks, great mentors and teamwork experiences.
We choose candidates who can show openness, engagement, proactivity and analytical skills. Of course, the main thing we look for is a passion for development. Participating in an actual project helps them understand the process from start to finish. It also helps us determine which types of roles we need and where they might be a good fit.
We’ve asked Leo, Vasi, Dan and Andrei, now Business Intelligence (BI) software developers, to share their experience during the internship and talk about their transition from interns to colleagues.
I was looking for internships because I was convinced that hands-on experience is a must for a successful start to an IT career. Qubiz offered me this great opportunity, so I took it!
Like Leo, I had wanted to do an internship for some time. I heard a lot of good things about Qubiz from my friends.
I had a slightly different path: I had already finished my studies when I applied for the internship. A cousin who works in the industry introduced me to SQL, and it was through him that I found out about this internship. I applied because it was the perfect opportunity to put into practice what I had already learned, and the program was a perfect fit.
I have a degree in Physics, but I've been interested in Computer Science for a long time. In Physics, I dealt a lot with organisation and data analysis, hence my curiosity about Computer Science. I heard about Qubiz while I was at school — some of my classmates went to an open day and had a very good opinion of the company. Before the internship, I got in touch with Cristian Masaric (Qubiz HR manager) and found out about the opportunity from him.
It wasn't a stressful process. The interviewers were relaxed. The questions weren't difficult, they didn't focus on technical knowledge but rather tested analytical skills. The interviews are also very much about the human side.
Leo pretty much said it all. The interviewers were very friendly.
Pro tip: If the internship ad doesn't specify the technologies you'll be working with, get in touch with someone at Qubiz and ask around. While the interview focuses on the algorithmic and human side, you should also have a minimum amount of technical knowledge. The more you know, the greater your advantage.
I agree with Dan, but the opposite of what he said can be just as true. For example, I came to the interview with zero SQL knowledge. So, the interviewers wanted to find out if I had any other skills.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much the mentors took care of us. They made sure that no one was left behind and that we all reached the same level. I also liked the fact that they were open to our feedback.
I didn't expect the competitive spirit to come out like that, especially because we already knew each other before the internship.
We were welcome from day one, and everyone treated us as colleagues, not interns.
The amount of knowledge the mentors could impart to us in such a short time. I didn't expect that we'd be doing a mini-project.
The last day of the month — payday (laughs). Also, the way of working. We were already familiar with SCRUM, but after participating in a commercial project, we started to pay more attention to following the ceremonies.
During the internship, I kept reminding myself that I wasn't part of this team. This changed after I was hired. The Summer Camp and team building also helped me to integrate.
I feel much more relaxed. Before joining the team as a colleague, I focused on learning. Now, I also take time to connect better with the rest of the team.
Well, not so much. You get a different coloured badge (note: interns have red badges while team members have orange badges), and you get better at FIFA because the competition is fierce, but apart from that, the colleagues were great from day one, and the learning process never stops. The only noticeable difference is that I've become more confident in my newly learned skills and understand the projects better.
It must be the lunch break when I socialise with colleagues, chat casually, or play table tennis. There's nothing like the relaxed atmosphere that the workplace offers; you can work at your own pace, and it shows in the great results of our teams.
The table tennis breaks have grown on me. It’s nice to get up, stretch my limbs, and play with my colleagues.
The weekly updates with the client. The fact that we have access to professionals from different companies is great! It broadens my horizons.
I was going to say something similar to Dan’s answer. I like that the clients are very relaxed, and we can talk to a person, not just a figurehead. Also, during (or after) the weekly updates, I talk to project colleagues I don’t usually work with on a daily basis.
I would be more confident and ask more questions. Also, I would remind myself that internship “competitors” make the best work friends!
I would ask more questions and be more open with my mentors and colleagues.
At the end of the internship, I found it difficult to make suggestions for improvement during the feedback round. I still feel the same.
No big changes, just a few tweaks. I would ask the mentors to focus more on the way of working, DevOps. It took me quite a while to find my feet after I started working full-time.
Work independently in your free time so that you can ask more and better questions of the mentors the next day.
This question is perhaps the easiest to answer: active listening is very important, as are communication skills in general. Of course, technical skills are appreciated, but since you will be learning step by step, it’s essential to show that you can work in a team and let the mentors know if something is not going according to plan.
Your willingness to learn will make a difference.
A detail that will help you in every aspect of your career: Lose your assumptions. It’s better to ask, it’s better to find out, it’s better to be sure.
The easiest way to facilitate the transition from intern to team member is to plan a well-rounded internship with plenty of learning opportunities. For us, developing soft skills, such as teamwork, is just as important as hard skills.
For more information about our current job openings, have a look at our Careers page.