1. This summer I was given the opportunity to join the IT internship group at Harris. Throughout the ten weeks, the main goal was to work with a scrum team to create a proof of concept application to aid transactions within the company. This encompassed being able to learn AGILE development, C#, and Harris’s workflow. Along with this project, we had weekly meetings with the IT director and other higher ups to discuss how to maneuver various dynamics in the workplace.
2. From the internship, the largest transformation for me was to see how influential programming can be and seeing how different minds work together in a professional setting to overcome obstacles. I was fortunate enough to work on an application with many different engineers that saved administrators many hours of debugging, the company thousands of dollars on labor, and the trust of the customers. Also, my view of the work place dynamic completely changed. I Initially thought that everyone in government contracting was very formal and not much personality was brought into work; however, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The IT department along with the rest of the company was like one big community. Seeing how personable everyone was allowed me and others to be our own selves in the workplace which reflected greatly in the project.
3. I worked in a scrum team of four interns that consisted of two developers, one tester, and one UX accompanied by our mentors. Being in a group of different practices and experience gave me new perspective on how to view and solve a problem. From the developers, I was able to learn more about coding efficiency within .NET Core, C#, and the flow of AGILE development. Working closely with the UX engineer, I was able to see that approaching an application based on its aesthetics and usability is just as important as the technical side of it.
A big part of the transformation was developing the application whilst implementing the AGILE methodology. This way of working gave the team a structured format in solving issues. AGILE contains two-week sprints that each hold daily stand ups, back log refinement, and a review/retrospective. In the daily stand ups, we discussed our current progress on certain tasks and brought up any issues we may encounter that day. Back log refinement gave us the power to change what tasks needed be done by the end of the two-weeks. Lastly, the retrospective opened the floor to discuss what went well and what went wrong within the two-weeks, and what future actions can be taken to minimize the errors. This gave me insight on how a team can overcome different obstacles to create a deliverable as well as conflict-resolution which I can use at future companies.
Lastly, having many different mentors and colleagues changed my view on relations in a professional setting. While the relationship with my technical mentor and hiring manager were strictly professional, I was able to find a good balance between personal and professional relations among my scrum team and our leadership mentors. This middle ground was very eye opening, because it made me feel comfortable to share my more creative thoughts and taught me that I want to be surrounded by a friendly environment in any future career.
4. Before my internship, I was a student without any real-life experience who was trying to increase his knowledge in the world of computers and form connections in the work place. Working at Harris has taught me so much about programming and its capabilities and how to approach/solve any given task. Also, they gave me the chance to develop relationships with managers, directors, and other engineers that will last for years to come. I must thank STEP, my friends, and family for supporting me along this unforgettable journey and giving me the chance to enhance myself professionally and personally.
