Hi there, my name is Ben Bruce, and I’m a Computer Science student at Dundrum College of Further Education. Over the past two weeks, I was part of the Webbiz Internship Program, and I’m here to talk about my experience.
When it came to my work placement, I applied a methodical approach to decide on the type of environment I would like to work in the future. My course has an equal focus on Web Design and Software Development, but I still hadn’t made up my mind to which area to focus on. I decided to focus on Web Design for my work placement because of my love of photography. It was because of this that I felt an affinity for the front end aspect of Web Development. Once I had my goal in mind, I began searching for local Web Agencies.
During my research, I came across Webbiz as a Dublin based agency with an international reach. Upon looking at the websites they’ve designed, I knew I wanted to get in touch with them. I felt that the best way to approach them was to call them directly to inquire if there were any opportunities for me. I was fortunate that the Head of Marketing, Matt answered my call, and I explained who I was and my reasons for calling. Thankfully, he was happy to help and set up an interview. A few weeks later I started my work placement.
My Internship took place over two weeks. On the first day, I was introduced to each member of the team and what area they specialised in. What was immediately apparent was that at Webbiz they have an office environment where people aren’t afraid to collaborate across the different teams. I was positioned beside the Head of Design, Mati, who helped me settle in.
The team was very friendly and inclusive from the very start of my work placement. Even though they have their own area of expertise, they constantly referred to each other for help to improve their work. This environment evidently creates an end product of a higher standard.
Matt made sure I felt a part of the business. I was involved in meetings that involved people from multiple countries. I was encouraged to ask questions and be curious about what skills were required in their job and what certain words or phrases meant within the industry. I helped test websites for quality assurance (QA) and was encouraged to give suggestions to improve websites. It felt a very positive work environment to be a part of after such a small window of time.
From the outset, I wanted to be as helpful and useful as I could, and it has been a very beneficial learning environment to be a part of. I have learned about design principles, SEO, Marketing and Copyrighting. The internship at Webbiz has helped me enormously to understand and look at the various elements of work that are an integral part of a commercial agency’s operation. This will be very helpful in guiding my future studies and direction with my career.
I am very grateful for the opportunity provided by the Webbiz team.