HMH Summer Interns – The Next Generation Industry Experts!

In HMH, we have several student interns joining us for internships relevant to their field of study. Some on part-time during their semester, and some on full-time over the summer. We invited four of our summer interns to a chat about their experiences and to share their views with us.

Hi, and thanks for taking the time to talk about your internships! First of all, can you briefly tell us who you are?

Mark Movh : "So I’m Mark, and I just finished my bachelor's degree in Applied Data Science at Noroff School of Technology here in Kristiansand. After the summer, I will start on a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, which I look forward to."

Martine Kragholm : "I’m Martine, 24 years old from Kristiansand, Norway. I’m studying in the US, and I’m halfway into my master’s degree in Communication and Leadership, and I also did my bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Management in the US."

Christoffer Strand Arnesen : "Just as Martine, I’m also halfway through my master’s degree. I study Cyber Security at University of Agder and have a bachelor's degree in IT and Information Systems from the University of South-East Norway."

Tone Omnes Rike : "And my name is Tone, I also study at the University of Agder. I just finished my bachelor's degree in Renewable Energy this summer, and I’m starting on a master’s degree in Industrial Management after the summer."

You were hired and assigned a project to work alongside each other on. What has that been like, and have you enjoyed your summer here in HMH?

“It’s been great! It’s been beyond our expectations really!”

Tone: "We get to work much more independently than I expected, but there’s a lot of helpful colleagues we can reach out to if we need support or help. I think we have a really nice chemistry within the four of us, and the work environment has been really nice, and I appreciate that there are many skilled people here that share their knowledge with us."

Christoffer and Mark add that the way of working has been very flexible and with a lot of autonomy, and Martine agrees on that, and mentions that it has been an internship where they have been pushing their comfort zone a bit. She adds that they have got a proper introduction and preparation for a full-time job after they have finished their educations.

Mark and Martine: "People here have been both friendly and very helpful, so we have definitely got a positive impression of HMH and how it is to be a part of this company!"

Why have you chosen to study what you do? Did any (or all) of you know from early on that you wanted to pursue what you are studying today? What do you hope the future holds?

“Well, I have always had a strong interest for computers, ever since I was young and up until today. So working within something related to that feels quite natural for me”, says Christoffer. “Ethical hacking seems interesting to do more of, studying cyber security has been giving me a taste for what I would like to do in the future”.

Martine says she was not 100% sure, so she chose something versatile, but throughout her years as a student she has caught more and more interest in communication and management. She enjoys the people-side of business, and hopes to be able to work with something in the future that is people-focused, for example in HR.

“I have an uncle who is an engineer, and he recommended it to me and that’s why I went on to study a degree in engineering and it’s been enjoyable so far – and now I will go on and enhance this with the master’s in Industrial Management”, Tone says. She adds that, at some point, she would like to try working offshore as it seems both exciting and a varied way of working.

Mark tells us that he has known for some time that he wanted to do something related to IT, and that he considered a few options for what he wanted to study. When he discovered Applied Data Science, he felt it was something he wanted to do and went on to join Noroff School of Technology. In the future, he wants to work with machine learning and how that can be used on various applications.

What has surprised you the most in this internship?

“I have to say it seems even more fun to work as an engineer than I imagined it to be, and being assigned to be part of a project that is an actual case for HMH has made the internship feel really meaningful”, says Tone.

Mark and Christoffer points out that the level of autonomy and flexibility has been a pleasant surprise.

“We also got our own office with our names on the door, where we could sit together and work alongside each other”, says Martine and Tone. “We also got a good work-life balance and some flexibility so we could enjoy some vacation time during the summer too, which was pretty nice!”

Is there anything you feel others should know about HMH?

Martine states that there are so many different people here, and a great diversity in nationalities and professional backgrounds and characters, while Tone shoots in that people may not be aware of how much focus it actually is on sustainability and renewable solutions in HMH.

We in HMH would like to send a big thank you to Mark, Tone, Christoffer and Martine for their efforts this summer, and best of luck with the final year or years of their studies!

If you are interested in joining HMH as a student or young professional, connect with us here !