Position: Developer Intern
School: Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, Class of 2014
How did you hear about this internship?
I heard about it through Jennifer Neundorfer. She sent me a message through a website called CoFoundersLab and asked me to check out FlashStarts. I researched FlashStarts, and it seemed like a really interesting and unique internship so I decided to apply here.
What attracted you to FlashStarts?
The internship position is really unique since most accelerators don’t have interns, so the decision was really easy given that I could work for multiple companies at the same time. In general, I was interested in working for a small company like a startup, so it seemed like a good fit.
How is this internship different from other internships you’ve had?
This internship has been really unique. Last summer I had an internship with IBM which is a really big company. Everything was a lot more structured there. Interns have their own “intern projects” that were still good projects, but they were not actual projects or work used by IBM and its products. It was a really good experience working in a big company setting, but I wanted to work for a smaller company. Over here, you work with each of these companies and the work you do is utilized and important. The work you do can make or break a company to an extent, so it’s been really different.
Can you describe your internship position and some of the projects you’ve worked on?
As a software developer intern, I work with the teams on their software and development needs. I mostly have been developing websites or apps or the products the startups need.
I worked with Ohio Independent Cinema for the first part of the summer. I worked on their website and brainstormed with them on goals to set in place for their software needs.
For the second half, I worked mostly with BOLD Guidance, which is an online app designed to make the college application process easier for students, parents and counselors. I’ve been working on building the back-end of their app, so I’ve been working to connect databases with application components and APIs and things like that.
What is your favorite part about working here?
Probably working with a whole new bunch of smart people! The entrepreneurs are really great and really smart. Also, it’s fun to be working on all of these projects—I really enjoy what I’m doing here. I’ve loved working for BOLD Guidance, and seeing all of the contributions I’ve been able to make to teams.
It’s also very chaotic and not very structured which is an environment I work well in.
What is the most challenging part about working here?
You have a large amount of responsibility, so sometimes it can be pretty overwhelming and you’re not always sure of the direction it will go. You never really know what will happen—you may work on one thing one day and the next day everything will change as there’s a sudden favor you’re working on for a different team. You have to learn to “ride the wave”, as Charles refers to it.
Any advice?
Be ready to work hard and have fun. It’s a lot of work but it’s also a lot of fun when it’s chaotic. I enjoy it, and it’s really a really big learning experience so be prepared to learn a lot. I’ve learned so much in the last couple months.
