An Interview with Our Dev Interns
A few months ago, we introduced you to our two development interns, Nick and Leah. They’ve been working hard all summer learning and contributing to projects.
As their internships come to an end, we sat down to talk about their experience working at SiteCrafting, what they learned, and what advice they have for future interns.
Working in a Digital Agency
One of the things that surprised both Nick and Leah the most about working at a digital agency was the emphasis on in-person collaboration and teamwork. The teamwork was also their favorite part of the internship.
“A large amount of development is usually done alone on your computer but there was a huge emphasis placed on collaboration,” said Leah. “I also enjoyed learning how everyone played their role in product development and seeing how these projects came together in the end.”
Connecting face-to-face is key as we all solve problems for our clients and work together to build great products.
For Nick, this was the best part about his experience. He said, “SiteCrafting is made up of a vibrant and energetic group who work to develop a product that everyone clearly believes in. I love the sense of community here that keeps people working not just for themselves, but for each other.”
Preparing for the Future
Our internship program at SiteCrafting focuses on providing hands-on experience, not running around getting coffee orders. Leah and Nick worked on a variety of projects, including:
- PHP web application and website development
- WordPress theme and plugin development
- Managing legacy code projects
- Front-end development (e.g. JS, CSS, Twig templating engine)
“I learned an incredible amount of technical skills including new languages, frameworks, and methodologies. This internship helped me to tie some of the isolated skills I learned together into a cohesive knowledge base that has given me the confidence to move forward in my software development career” said Nick.
Leah added that this internship helped her learn that no matter what, you are never fully prepared and you have to be ready to learn and adapt to any given scenario. One of the more specific skills she learned was a better understanding of the file structure of a project and how it all works together.
Advice for Future Interns
So what advice do Nick and Leah have for the future interns of SiteCrafting?
Leah’s advice, “Show up ready to learn, willing to ask questions and make sure you have a good stockpile of nerf darts at your desk.”
Nick says, “Learn the names of the conference rooms early on so you don’t have to keep asking – or don’t, it’s a great conversation starter.”
