Developer Intern Review

I had the best of times this summer. I met some wonderful people and learned so much. Living in a flat with the other interns was a great experience as I didn't get that at university much. We had a lot of fun playing sports/games, watching TV/films and eating together.

I was the only person working on the project I had, so once it was completed I was the goto person which was really exciting. The project was used in its real setting while I was there, and it went down really well, so I got a great boost from that.

My line manager was always on hand to help and enthusiastic no matter how trivial the problem, which was such a bonus. I picked up lots of little hints and tips from code reviews that we did which I was able to put into practice and improve the quality of my work.

I always had something to do. The agile nature of the team meant every day was started evaluating the previous day's work and letting others know what today would involve, meaning you always had to have an idea of where you were heading which was a really useful skill to pick up. If I had nothing to do, I could always ask my line manager, which would never leave me in that state.

I think everything I have been doing will be relevant in both the final year of my degree and in future careers. I have to do a large-scale project as part of the degree in the coming year, so the programming skills I have picked up here will really assist with that.

Everyone was so friendly the whole time in the office, and the open plan nature really aids this dynamic. You are never afraid to approach someone's desk for help or advice. Everyone is always really enthused and energetic about what they are working on as well, which is perhaps aided by all the amazing food and drink on offer.

Firstly, the accommodation provided (and paid for) was spectacular. It saved all the hassle of finding somewhere for the 5 of us to live before we had even met, and saved a lot of money as well! There were lots of introductory meetings about the various aspects of the business which were all well prepared. These were also spaced out over a few weeks which was nice. When we arrived we had briefs prepared for our projects so we knew exactly what we had to do and who would be helping us.

I feel like most of the skills I picked up were from my line manager, and that this wasn't a formally organised affair. There are supposed to be weekly 'knowledge nuggets' to teach people about something someone knows a lot about and wants to share, but there was only one in the 8 weeks I was there. I really enjoyed the one that happened and I think it would be good to try and keep these up regularly to keep people up to speed with best practices / new technologies etc.

Working here is definitely a very attractive idea for me. I really liked living in Exeter, especially so close to the town centre. Being able to walk around a town easily is great. The people were also really great to work with and socialise with; I don't think I'd have any problem coming to work and having people to socialise with. Moreover, the work itself is very exciting and I would love to be a part of it.

The interns were put in a flat together, so we spent a lot of time together, which was nice. We often had games nights and did occasional day trips. Also friends visiting from elsewhere meant we got to know each other quite well. Members of the company also frequently go out together, whether to drink or play games/sports or both. It makes work much more fun when you know your colleagues in a different environment as well.

Thankfully, the accommodation we had was paid for so there were few outgoings. The numerous supermarkets provided sufficiently cheap food when needed, and there were enough cheap places to socialise (there are 2 wetherspoons).

Exeter has a reasonably active night scene even when students aren't around, but a lot of the clubs are less active over the summer for this reason.

There were lots of social events organised while I was there. There were formally organised trips on the river and playing sports for example, as well as social events inviting much of the company organised more informally. There was a building-wide olympics during the summer which was great fun to get involved with, and had zero pressure to be any good at any of the events.