The Internship That Launched My Career

Most programmers embark on their professional journeys through internships. They apply their accumulated knowledge during this crucial period, gain new experiences, and develop valuable skills. National Intern Day, celebrated on July 25th, is a perfect occasion to reflect on and share the experiences of those who have navigated this path.

Our colleague, Dunja Bagavac, began her career with us as an intern at Fourity. She quickly demonstrated her exceptional fit for our programming team through dedication and hard work. Dunja’s journey is a testament to the value of internships in shaping talented professionals.

How did you decide to enroll for an internship at Fourity?

As the final semester of my studies was approaching, I started looking for an internship, which would enable me to showcase my knowledge in a real-world working environment. After thorough research of IT companies in Novi Sad, and considering their marks and reviews, I decided to apply at Fourity.

Had the internship met your expectations?

The internship largely met my expectations. I anticipated opportunities to explore both frontend and backend technologies, received strong mentorship, and gained an understanding of the organizational dynamics of an IT company overall, I would rate my internship experience 8 out of 10.

What were the most challenging and most interesting aspects of the internship?

The first month was particularly challenging. I worked on a project that stretched beyond my High school and Associate’s degree knowledge. Despite the difficulties, this period was also the most intriguing, as it allowed me to tackle new challenges and significantly broaden my skills and knowledge.

How did your colleagues receive you?

Colleagues welcomed me warmly. They were open, friendly, and always willing to assist and explain any queries I had.

Did you have a mentor? How did he/she affect your development?

During my internship, I had two mentors, one for frontend, and the other for backend. Their advice about the project helped me think and work better, allowing me to understand the practical aspects of software development.

Could you compare your professional self, with yourself back then?

Nowadays I have a lot more experience and knowledge, in comparison to back then. In the meantime, I learned and worked with various technologies that are used in the world of programming, which further expanded my professional skills.

In which aspect do you find internship most helpful?

It helped me the most to start my career because, after that, I started working at Fourity. In addition to that, it clarified my preferences between frontend and backend development.

Of course, beginners in the programming industry need professional and mentor help from more experienced colleagues. That’s why a story about the internship can’t be told without people who work with young programmers. CEO at Fourity: Ivan Bjeković has a lot of experience in mentorship.

What can the company offer to internees? And what can they do for it?

Since, Fourity was founded by three developers and a designer, from the labor cast, we were always aware that people at the beginning of their careers need help and guidance. That is why we have a culture of having someone with very little or no experience, depending on the situation the company is in. We rely on word of mouth, and thus often get requests for an internship. What does the company gain? Information who these up-and-coming young people are? In addition to that, there is self-satisfaction with the knowledge that you are helping someone. Mostly we have here young people thirsty for knowledge, with similar cultural visions. What can we offer to them? A chance to see what are they good at, and which aspects of the programming they need to improve. We strive to understand what they like to do—whether it’s frontend, backend, design, or something else. If, after a certain period, we see that the candidate has knowledge and potential we can work with, and if we can create a job for him/her, so they can help the company, then we employ them. If not, we keep trying to train them. Also, if we see the potential we can work with, we invest our time and resources in the internees.
We have also been participants in the AISEC program. For six weeks we had two students from Tunisia at internship. That was a mutually beneficial experience, to meet someone from a completely different culture.

How is it to cooperate with young people at the beginning of a career? What is necessary in those situations?

First of all, you need to understand who those people are. Where do they come from? Try to “wear their shoes”. Technology is getting faster, and the way of studying is changing. All that makes it harder for older people to transfer their knowledge to younger generations, and work with them. Luckily, in the company, we have people who we thought and they can breach that age gap between us and newcomers. So they can impart their knowledge to new employees and internees. Of course, a certain amount of patience is necessary. We are all different. We “click” at a different moment. Also, we have different types of intelligence. Everyone is good at something, so we need to discover what a certain person is good at, and whether we can use that. If we can, then it’s what we do, and that person can acquire solid knowledge and experience. In our company most things are transparent.

Can you share any interesting anecdotes that happened during someone’s internship?

Considering my function at the company, I do not have many anecdotes. Well, let’s mention one student from Tunisia, who was here on the internship while giving an interview answered the question about what surprised her the most. “They eat lunch for breakfast!” She was surprised to see us eat gyros and burgers for breakfast.

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