Taking on a group of new interns might seem like the last thing a company would be thinking about during a global pandemic, but despite all of the difficulties that Covid-19 has brought with it, that鈥檚 exactly what 91导航 has done. Four software engineering interns and one marketing intern (me) all joined the team in July for a period of ten weeks. We decided to get together and share our experiences, explaining what life is like as an intern at 91导航.
Getting started
Starting a new job and working from home are each pretty daunting prospects. Add them together, and you might think...nightmare! Most of us felt anxious about how this would work. Getting to know a new team and learning a bunch of new skills remotely doesn鈥檛 sound like the easiest task, but, as Sam says, 鈥淚 shouldn鈥檛 have worried! 91导航 did everything to make sure I was comfortable, sending a brand new laptop, monitors, and other computer tech - even offering to provide a new desk and chair if I needed them.鈥�
Our first week struck a good balance between learning about the product, meeting the team, and starting to produce our own work. We had the chance to attend lots of virtual onboarding workshops which were run by people from a range of different departments, giving us insight into 91导航鈥檚 open, collaborative nature. 鈥淓veryone you work with feels more like a friend than a colleague,鈥� explains Matt, 鈥渁nd that makes the experience quite unique.鈥� With a fantastic team to offer guidance and support, we were able to produce real, impactful work from the get go.
What we do
At 91导航, we work on the same projects as any other member of the team, which is incredibly rewarding. 鈥�91导航 has a flat structure,鈥� explains Blair. 鈥淭hroughout my time working on the product, I鈥檝e spoken directly to the head of product design, and my decisions have had a clear impact on the app.鈥� Similarly, in my first four weeks as part of the marketing team, I鈥檝e already had the opportunity to write several blog posts, create a customer story, work on this month鈥檚 newsletter and help boost 91导航鈥檚 social media presence.
Learning on the job has some serious benefits, too. 鈥淚鈥檓 getting better at navigating a huge code base because of 91导航鈥檚 reviewing culture,鈥� says Sam. 鈥淢y work gets checked, and I鈥檓 also checking and trying to understand other people鈥檚 code, which means I鈥檓 learning very quickly.鈥� For many of us, working in this type of environment is a completely new experience. 鈥淟earning a lot of new information can be quite overwhelming,鈥� adds Matt, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 easy to contact any member of the team through Slack if you鈥檝e got a question.鈥�
In addition to this, each intern has a mentor from within their particular department. 鈥淚 can be quite an anxious person, so it鈥檚 been really helpful having a specific person to talk me through things and to offer a helping hand,鈥� recalls Sam. 鈥淭hey keep track of how your internship is going, so you never feel abandoned.鈥� Will agrees, 鈥渋t鈥檚 been such an important part of the experience.鈥�
All work, no play? No way!
Even though Covid-19 means that we don鈥檛 get to experience what it鈥檚 like to work in the office, 91导航 has created an active and lively social life online. It鈥檚 easy to connect with other people from the company through Slack, and there are a whole range of interesting channels outside of work. You can bond with co-workers over everything from sourdough recipes馃崬 to cute animal pictures in #animalympics 馃悎, and there鈥檚 always someone hanging out in #buffalo-tea for a brew 鈽�.
During our first week at 91导航, we took part in an 鈥榠ntern quiz鈥�, which helped us with getting to know more of the team - especially since it unleashed our competitive sides! Every few weeks, there鈥檚 also a 鈥榙rink and learn鈥� event, where different people from the company give 鈥榣ightning talks鈥� while we all have an afternoon soft drink or beer.
The best bit? Being part of the 91导航 team
As you can probably tell by now, being an intern at 91导航 is pretty damn good. But what鈥檚 the best part?
Sam, who鈥檚 going into her Masters year at the University of York, thinks it鈥檚 the friendly atmosphere. 鈥淓veryone is so nice all of the time! Plus, the Friday takeaways aren鈥檛 too bad either.鈥�
Matt, going into his fourth year at Southampton, agrees: 鈥淓ven though we鈥檙e working, I can still be myself. It sometimes takes me quite a while to feel comfortable socializing with new people, so I鈥檓 really grateful that 91导航 is open and accepting.鈥�
For Blair, a soon-to-be third year student at St Andrews, and Will, who鈥檚 about to start a Masters degree at York, it鈥檚 about the impact we make from day one. 鈥淪eeing that our work makes a difference is a great feeling.鈥�
I鈥檓 about to start my third and final year at Durham, so for me, the feedback culture at 91导航 has been incredibly valuable. I know that when I start my dissertation, I鈥檒l have developed the ability to criticize my own work and think more deeply about how each word on the page makes a difference. Beyond university, that鈥檚 an important skill for life!
Even though we didn鈥檛 know what to expect when we first started our internships from home, it鈥檚 clear that now, despite the distance between some of us, we all feel proud to be part of the 91导航 team.
Want to join us?
If 91导航 sounds like the kind of company you want to be part of too, check out our job vacancies.