For the past 14 years, each summer we have been running an internship program for students and fresh graduates who are looking to improve their skills and gain real-life experience. And every year, we know the autumn has arrived when our Cool Summer Internship is wrapping up. So we asked a couple of interns from this year’s program to share some thoughts with us.

Most important lessons

There’s no doubt that the lessons you learn during your first internship can be life-changing. Working in real projects is quite different from everything you learn at the university. So even the smallest tasks can come as a great learning opportunity.

“In my opinion, what makes the Cool Summer Internship stand out is that, as an intern, you get to bring a real contribution to the actual products developed within the company. The fact that I was the one testing some of Hubgets’ features, or solved some of the bugs gives me an incredible feeling.“

Ana

During their internship, students get a chance to see the bigger picture, maybe for the first time. They learn how to do things on their own, but also as part of a team that works together to accomplish a common goal.

“The most important thing I’ve learned is how to organize my workflow. Using popular collaboration tools like Jira, Confluence and Bitbucket eliminates the confusion that comes with tackling multiple tasks at once. Developing a product is just like solving a puzzle: the big picture is split into small little pieces that will eventually come together.“

Bogdan

Mentoring

Starting a new job is always challenging, but even more so when it is your first job ever. Things can get overwhelming really fast, and it’s easy to feel lost and start doubting yourself.

“Some aspects of the job can seem overwhelming, so it felt like a huge help being able to communicate with other colleagues and mentors, instead of being on my own.“

Ana

We think that the best way to avoid that for our interns is by assigning mentors to each of them. These mentors are senior members of the team.

“I had 2 awesome mentors guiding me when I got stuck or whenever I had questions. Both were available at any time, which was really great!“

Marian

And as we all know, and our interns recently found out 🙂 — no question is a bad question. Mentors encourage their new trainees to reach out at any time, with any issue.

“At 4PSA, everyone is just so approachable. Whether you have an unusual setup problem, or you need more clarification regarding your task, the right person is just a message away on Hubgets. You might even find yourself talking to the CEO.“

Bogdan

Using Hubgets for internal communication makes it easy for team members to stay in touch and teamwork. And anyone can jump right in and lend a helping hand. Even our CEO 🙂

Benefits

A big part of an internship is getting accustomed to the company culture. We believe that everyone deserves the same level of appreciation for a job well done.

“I love that we can order whatever food we want every day.“

Marian

But a lunch break is not only meant for that. It also encourages colleagues to socialize.

“The lunch break is my favorite part of the day. It’s the time when we get away from the screen, and we get together to eat and socialize like a big happy family.“

Ana

What’s more, after many hours in front of a screen, exercising can have some important health benefits and does wonders for your productivity. As one of the interns puts it:

“After eight hours of big brains, you can also go for one hour of big gains!“

Marian

Networking

During the Cool Summer Internship at 4PSA, you get the chance to meet new people. People who will become your mentors, your colleagues, your friends.

The best way to get to really know your colleagues is outside the office, in a relaxed and fun environment. For that reason, every year we organize a getaway, usually at the beginning of the internship. It gives interns a chance to get to know each other and also the rest of the team. And they all seem to enjoy it!

“The teambuilding was a great opportunity to get to know all my new colleagues. It really felt like a vacation jam-packed with fun activities.“

Bogdan

Mixing work and fun team building activities encourages people to bond and learn how to rely on each other. Trust is the cornerstone of team relationships and collaboration.

“This was my first team-building experience, and I found it very relaxing and entertaining. We also had a lot of fun dancing, hiking, participating in competitive activities, and enjoying good food and drinks. But what I liked the most was that I got to meet people that I haven’t had a chance to interact with at work.“

Marian

Sometimes, it can be difficult for newcomers to integrate into a team. Teambuilding exercises are meant to push people out of their comfort zone while participating in fun social activities.

“An awesome bonus of this internship was the teambuilding, during which I managed to get to know the team more closely. Being an introvert, I can be a bit shy around new people, but the workshops helped me get out of my shell.“

Ana

Our teambuilding getaway is doing wonders in terms of networking and team adhesion. Most of the time, it takes months for new team members to integrate. In this case, it only takes a few days. Whether they will end up being a permanent part of our team or not, interns have a great opportunity to create contacts and build long-lasting friendships.

Overall impressions

Our interns seemed to be very excited about this experience. Their first contact with the reality of an engineering job was encouraging, leaving them with a deep feeling of satisfaction.

“The work environment is a distinguished, professional one, encouraging everyone to try their best and feel fulfilled at the end of the day because you know you just did it!“

Marian

Ultimately, they get a unique perspective that helps them decide where they will be headed in the not-so-distant future.

“The 4PSA Cool Summer Internship 2021 has offered me a very interesting perspective and it fulfilled, or even lifted the standards of my dream work environment. It’s a pleasure to be part of such a young, open, and friendly team!“

Ana

For the past 14 years since we had our first Cool Summer Internship, we have been continually improving our program for students and fresh graduates. And we’re happy to have been able to provide them with such a positive experience this year as well.