How to Make the Most of Your Internship?

Introduction

Hello, my name is Tokhir Rasulov, and I am currently working as a front-end developer at OOO Smart Soft Development. I secured this position after completing a three-month internship at the company. In this article, I will share my internship experience and provide some valuable dos and don'ts for success.

Background

My journey began in graphic and web design, which I initially learned by following my brother, Khusan Djabbarov . However, I soon realized that I lacked creativity. While I excelled at imitating and incorporating existing elements, creating something truly innovative proved challenging. After two years of pursuing design, my brother and I decided to explore a new path for me — coding. We invested in the Frontend Developer Path course from Scrimba , and in September 2022, I embarked on my coding journey.

Finding the Internship

Networking is crucial when it comes to finding internships. Leverage your connections and reach out to people in your network for potential opportunities. In my case, my neighbor referred me to a company where he worked. Following that, I received a call from the HR manager ( Sabina Saydullayeva ) and was invited for an interview. During the interview, I introduced myself, highlighted my skills, and showcased my pet projects and unfinished projects in TypeScript. Although I had limited experience with TypeScript at the time, I emphasized my flexibility and ability to adapt to new technologies. It's important to confidently present yourself and emphasize your capabilities. After the interview, I was given technical tasks to complete within three days. Successfully completing these tasks led to my acceptance into the internship.

Maximizing Your First Day

On my first day, the HR manager introduced me to the entire company. I observed everyone and assessed who seemed friendly and approachable (fortunately, everyone was friendly here). Then, I was assigned a workspace in front of my mentor, Doniyor Usmonov . I made sure to keep my workspace organized and clean, which set a good impression from the start. Soon after, I was assigned to my first real project. I highly recommend observing and studying other developers' code regularly to gain a better understanding. I spent about 2-3 hours analyzing a few components. Then, I was given the task of creating a popup, which I completed quickly. Afterward, I received more time-consuming tasks, such as making the website responsive (which took me three days). At the end of the day, I proactively approached my team leader ( Салохиддин Мухиддинов ) and asked about their expectations for the three-month internship and how they would measure my success. It's always important to ask such questions to understand what is expected of you. I also requested tasks that would allow me to apply and collaborate using the knowledge I gained during the internship, such as working with Redux, Axios, and other relevant technologies.

The Power of Collaboration

Effective collaboration is essential during an internship. I am naturally inclined to communicate and can engage in various topics, which helped me fit into the community. However, in my first week, I was initially shy to talk to people. Over time, I broke the ice step by step, particularly during lunch breaks. Lunch breaks are crucial for making connections, so be proactive and communicative. After a couple of weeks, I became good friends with my coworkers. Additionally, participating in team-building activities and showcasing my sports skills played a crucial role in building connections and becoming friends with my colleagues.

Towards the End

As the end of the internship approached, I realized the importance of having a backup option if negotiations with the current company didn't work out. I began exploring other opportunities and attended interviews with different companies. Luckily, I got some second options and was ready for any results.

I was fortunate to complete a to-do app assigned by my team leader (Link below). Although my team leader found some bugs, he appreciated my work.

In the end, the HR manager sent me a job offer that met my needs, and I accepted it. Effective communication skills, a genuine intention to learn, and being proactive in seeking guidance from my team leader and mentor played key roles in securing the job offer.

Dos:

1. Take the initiative to connect with coworkers: Actively engage with your colleagues and be open to conversations. Lunch breaks are a great opportunity to establish connections, so be proactive and approachable.
2. Keep your workspace organized: Maintaining a clean and organized workspace reflects professionalism and attention to detail. It leaves a positive impression on your peers and supervisors.
3. Study and analyze others' code: Regularly review code written by experienced developers in your team. This will help you gain a better understanding of coding practices and improve your own skills.
4. Ask questions and seek feedback: Don't hesitate to ask questions when you're unsure about a task or project. Seeking clarification and feedback shows your willingness to learn and improve.
5. Be open to learning and collaboration: Embrace opportunities to apply and expand your knowledge. Request tasks that allow you to utilize the skills you've gained during the internship. Collaborate with team members and actively contribute to projects.

Don'ts:

1. Don't sleep at your workplace: While it may be tempting to catch a few minutes of rest, sleeping at your workplace is unprofessional and can create a negative impression. Make sure to get adequate rest outside of working hours.
2. Don't annoy others with random questions: While it's important to ask questions, be mindful of others' time and workload. Avoid constantly interrupting your colleagues with unrelated or trivial queries. Prioritize your questions and seek appropriate moments to ask them.