This is the first time I have written something like this – other than my driving instructor’s review – so here goes…
My name is Joshua Spunner; I am 17 and studying for my A-levels in Maths, Computer Science and Economics. Like many other (hopeful) engineers in the making, I love programming and gaming with my friends. One of my greatest technological achievements so far is by 12-years-old, I had created created my own Minecraft server and website that accepted payments for in-game purchases.
That may sound a little dry, but I promise I do other, non-maths-based things too! I work part-time as a tennis coach and also play for fun when I can. As an avid skier, during the winter months I compete in freestyle skiing events. I’ve been skiing since I was a child and
slowly but surely, I worked my way up to national competition level last year, which is really exciting.
When the opportunity to do work experience at 101 Ways came up, I jumped at the chance. I wanted to see what options studying computer science degree could open up for me in the future. I’m also interested in the business side of technology and 101 Ways provides a great model for this so I knew it would be a good place to get exposure. I’d done a similar placement at an London-based investment bank to get an understanding of the career path should I undertake an economics degree, so wanted something different.
The best thing about 101 Ways? Definitely the people (I promise I’m not being paid to say that). Everybody was incredibly friendly and loved their job. As soon as I walked into the office and met the team, I knew I wanted to work in a similar environment when I begin my career. Everyone knew exactly what they were doing and the part they played in moving the company forward; I really enjoyed spending time with each one of the crew to understand their role and how they got there. I even got to be one of the first to play the new Agile 101 card game they’d created!
From Agile methods such as Scrum and Kanban to different software development techniques in web development, I learnt so much from the week. My first foray was into recruitment and marketing, before moving through strategy and implementation and ending on content. It was fascinating to obtain first-hand experience of all the areas that make the business run.
On reflection, the placement definitely shifted my focus regarding further study. I think there is increasing demand for computer science graduates and the career options look stimulating and fun, but I am aware that the jobs available will be different to what’s around today. I will just have to stay on top of changes, keep adapting and see what’s needed within the industry in five years’ time.
My placement at 101 Ways was the best internship I’ve done, I only wish it had gone on longer and if the opportunity came up again I wouldn’t hesitate to go back (again, no, I haven’t been paid to say that). I want to end by saying a massive thank you to the 101 Ways team for making the week as fun and interesting as it was!
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We only have a limited number of places per year, but if you’re interested in doing work experience with us at 101 Ways, send a covering letter outlining why to: jobs @101ways.com