How did the internship go?

When you finish your VET studies and take your final exams, it's a moment of mixed emotions. On the one hand, you feel relieved, as if you have taken a weight off your shoulders. On the other hand, you feel a rush of pride because you've made it, you've arrived. But the reality is that there is still a long way to go. In addition to the final project, there is a key stage that you have to overcome and that prepares you for the working world: the internship in a company. And that's where real life begins.

This was exactly what I experienced when I finished my VET exams in Multiplatform Application Development (DAM). The relief lasted a few minutes before I had all those nerves, I still had to find a good company to do the internship. I didn't take it lightly because I wanted to make sure I made the most of this opportunity. That's why I decided to look for a company on my own, instead of letting my school find one for me. And that's where I was lucky enough to find Secture.

A good working environment

The atmosphere. From the first day, I noticed that it was a place where people worked with enthusiasm and good energy. That is key, that you feel comfortable and that the team is willing to help and train you. The internship is your first real contact with the working world, and it is crucial that you come out of that experience benefiting from it. You have to feel that you have learned, that you have grown and that you have taken a firm step towards your professional career.

Studies vs. experience

In my case, the project I have had to deal with in my internship has been different from what I have studied, but that's the way it is, you face a real project. In the study centers they give you the necessary guides and tools to build your own path, to become self-taught and specialize in what you really like. However, in the studies of this sector they do not teach you absolutely everything, and it is normal because it would be impossible to cover everything. You can not finish a FP or any training, pass the exams and leave as an expert programmer, mastering 100% a language or technology. It's something that just doesn't happen.

And this is where the key is, when you're faced with a real project, this is where you really connect all those dots. You can use all those guides and resources to shape the project, learning and understanding how things work in practice. And of course, a lot of times that involves doing in-depth research and learning more about a specific technology that the project requires. That combination of theory, practice and continuous learning is what really makes you grow in this industry.

The key to success in your internship: a good attitude

If there's one thing that makes a difference in an internship, it's your attitude. In this industry, technology never stops, it's always changing and evolving. If you're in this business, you have to accept that you're going to be learning new things all the time. But not everyone deals with it in the same way. There are those who get overwhelmed with the amount of things they don't know yet, and then there are those who see it as a challenge. It's better to be the latter.

Arriving with curiosity, a willingness to learn and a positive mindset is everything. It doesn't matter if at first the tasks are difficult or if you feel you are progressing slower than you would like. That's what the internship is for, to make mistakes, to learn and to discover your own pace. The important thing is to enjoy the process. Over time, you will see that those tasks that seemed impossible before are now solved without a problem, and that is priceless.

Learning by doing in the tech sector

When you start your internship with a company, it's a whole new world. At first, the feeling of not knowing exactly what to expect can create a bit of uncertainty and fear. No matter how much you have studied for this moment, facing a real work environment is something completely different. In my case, not only was it a new professional experience, but I was also entering a completely new job sector, which added an extra level of challenge.

The first few weeks were a mix of emotions. You are shy, trying to learn without making mistakes. It is inevitable to feel that everything is new to you, because, in fact, it is. The important thing is to take every opportunity to learn, because in the internship, you learn everything, from understanding how to manage a project to learning the little tricks of technological tools that you didn't even know existed before.

One thing that helped me a lot was to accept that I didn't need to know everything from day one. No one expects you to be an expert. On the contrary, the goal of the internship is to give you the space to make mistakes, ask questions and, above all, grow. Of course, you have to be curious and not be afraid to ask for help.

As the days go by, you start to feel more comfortable. That project that at first seemed like an impossible mountain to climb slowly begins to make sense. You discover that technical terms no longer sound like an alien language and that tools that at first intimidated you, you now use with confidence.

The most rewarding part of this process is looking back at the end of your internship and realizing how much you have learned. For me, this internship was like a kind of «real life simulator».

How to get the most out of your internship

Getting the most out of your internship is not complicated, but it does require some organization and desire. A basic tip: treat it as a real job. Be part of the team, get involved and, above all, squeeze every minute to learn.
If you finish an assignment and you have some free time, don't wait for more work. Use that time to take a course, research new technologies, or go over that bit of code you're not quite clear on. If you don't understand something, ask. It's better to look curious than to be left in doubt.

Remember that internships are your time to try, experiment and, yes, make mistakes. It is better to fail now, when you are learning, than later when you already have serious responsibilities. That attitude will help you grow as a professional. No one likes to work with someone who is just there and has no concerns.

Finally, focus on enjoyment. Internships are not just a mandatory stage; they are the beginning of something much bigger. If you live them with enthusiasm and desire to learn, they will give you much more than you expected. And who knows, maybe that company where you started your internship will become your first official job.

Did you like this article? If you want to learn more about how to develop your career in the tech sector, we invite you to read this article about how our colleague Carol became a web developer.