[Testimonials] Internships: beyond the professional experience, it's about developing autonomy in a caring environment.
At Soledis, trainees are integrated into the teams as full members. They contribute to the development of a skills mix by bringing their theoretical knowledge and spontaneity. They have defined missions to fulfil, in autonomy, within a caring framework and a constructive goal for them as well as for us.
Pauline, Anaelle and Baptiste, all three of whom joined Soledis as interns in 2021, have managed to find their place within the team and continue their adventure with the company today. Pauline joined the Studio in November 2021 as a back-end developer, Anaelle and Baptiste in the infrastructure department. Three technical internships that have evolved with them to lead to a job for one and two work-study placements for the others.
In this article, Pauline, Anaelle and Baptiste tell us about their experience as interns at Soledis...
Pauline
"After graduating from Vannes with a degree in environmental biology, I was destined to become a biology teacher. But I soon realized that it wasn't for me. So, with a passion for reading, I decided to take a DUT in Book and Heritage Management, followed by a Master's in Book Management and Digital Humanities in Lorient. It was during this course that I learned to code and got hooked on digital language. After some work experience in a company and two trips to Ireland and New Zealand to perfect my English, I decided to train in web and mobile web development.
"A distance learning course, given the health context, for which it was complicated to find a company to take me on as an intern. I was looking for a company with a team of developers to help me develop my skills. At the time, Soledis had a vacancy for a junior back-end developer.
A little audacity and a lot of motivation were enough to convince the two Soledis managers to recruit Pauline as a trainee, with the possibility of a contract at the end of her training.
At Soledis, interns are considered as full-fledged members of the company, integrated into the teams and given autonomous assignments. A real springboard to employment. The proof is in the pudding!
Can you tell us more about what your internship was like, in terms of assignments and team management?
"As an intern, we're not just extras, we're part of our customers' and the company's projects. I was initially supervised by Jérôme, Studio Manager, who followed me for the first few weeks, but also by Aurélien, Project Manager, with whom I worked on his customer projects.
We also take part in weekly Studio meetings and company-wide meetings.Even if we have to manage our projects on our own very quickly, we are monitored and supported internally. "
"I received training in things like Prestashop, for example, which I didn't know about, and I also did a lot of research. I had to get used to the organization of the department and develop my ability to move from one project to another quickly. That's one of the aims of being an intern: to integrate into the company's organization, and not just to apply our knowledge and skills.
The team is very close-knit, and you can count on the availability and benevolence of other developers and colleagues whenever you need them. It's been a very formative experience as an intern."
On completion of her internship and validation of her training, Pauline joined the team as an employee.
Did anything change when you went from intern to employee?
"When I was on contract as a back-end developer, I switched to support for a while to strengthen the team (with the summer vacations). That's what versatility is all about!
It's a very different working environment because we're in direct contact with the customer. We had to adapt quickly, but it was very rewarding and interesting to have this direct contact to solve technical problems on the customer's site.
As for my job as a back-end developer, it hasn't changed and is a continuation of my internship. I'm still learning from others, their way of coding and commenting on their code to explain their approach. I'm constantly trying to improve my skills with new software and gain in autonomy."
Anaëlle
We continue with Anaelle, who tells us about her experience as an intern and then work-study student at Soledis.
After a BTS SIO (Computer Services for Organizations), a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science and a year in a Master's program, Anaelle completed a two-month internship at Soledis.
An internship supervised by Bruno (developer, support) and Jean-Christophe (project manager) with a precise mission: to transform and automate server information retrieval. A valuable internal tool for monitoring IT servers.
This corporate experience encouraged Anaelle to continue her studies on a sandwich course. She joined the Ecole Supérieure de l'Alternance in computer science and digital engineering and has been working for Soledis since September 2021.
What position are you continuing your work-study program in and what are your responsibilities?
"After working in Infra, I joined Soledis as a developer with the task of developing a flow management platform between Prestashop and Google Data Studio, and more broadly between Prestashop and third-party tools.
A project to be managed from A to Z, including specifications, general documentation, specific functionalities, development, production start-up and corrective action".
Did anything change when you switched from internship to work-study status?
"During my internship, even though I was autonomous in my work, I was supervised by Jean-Christophe, the project manager. It's reassuring and builds confidence. During my work-study period, the mission is much more important because it lasts longer. I have to manage my project on my own, even though of course I'm supervised by the team and management.
Starting with a blank sheet of paper and seeing a project through to completion motivates me. It's a great learning experience, and even if you're a bit unsure at first, over time you gain confidence.
Baptiste
We end with Baptiste, intern and then work-study student in the Infrastructure department at Soledis.
After a 2-year DUT in computer science, Baptiste entered a software cybersecurity engineering school. He completed a 12-week internship with Soledis in his 4th year, and is now pursuing his 5th year of work-study with our agency.
Baptiste had previously had some experience in mobile application development. Wishing to diversify his experience, he turned to a technical web agency like Soledis.
As Baptiste points out, "At Soledis, you can't expect to observe, but rather to join a team and put your knowledge and skills to work on projects.
My main tasks during this internship were well defined: setting up a docker and carrying out a security audit.
I benefited from in-house monitoring of my projects with Bruno for technical support, and more managerial monitoring with Jérôme, head of the Studio.
I felt well integrated, even if the constraints of the business mean that we don't always speak the same language.""Yann and Yoann, co-directors of Soledis, offered to keep me on after my internship, so that I could continue my work-study period with the company. There were no changes, but rather a continuation of my internship, which enabled me to carry out the projects I'd started: setting up my work, testing it and correcting it. It's the culmination of a job well done that gives satisfaction.
It's a very formative experience in a company, because at school we're taught not only technical skills, but also the ability to adapt to any situation. With this work-study program at Soledis, I'm putting my knowledge into practice and learning from other people's experience and the way they work. It's very formative.
What's your favorite part of your job?
"Infrastructure work is about making improvements based on the company's service. For me, the less my work is seen the better! That means it's well done."
Baptiste is doing his final year of work-study and will take his final exam in September 2022 before entering the real world. And who knows, maybe at Soledis?
What advice would you give to those interested in applying as an intern at Soledis?
Pauline
"You have to be natural and accept that you're a beginner. An internship should be an opportunity to learn and put theory into practice. That's the case at Soledis, where there's no judgement and where skills development takes place in a caring environment."
Anaelle
"Basically, I'm a very academic person, and this work experience is an opportunity to get away from that a bit. You can't hesitate to ask questions. In my opinion, the advantage of a work-study program is that it gives you a foot in the door, and when you've been studying for a long time, it's a good transition to working life.
Baptiste
"You shouldn't be afraid to take the plunge, even if you don't have all the knowledge you need. The internship allows you to face reality and learn concretely. Finding solutions on your own, surrounded by professionals, is a great learning experience.
At Soledis, we approach internships with enthusiasm!
Students, here are 4 reasons to get on board:
- OUR EXPERTISE: dedicated to e-commerce, Soledis focuses on the act of buying online, in both its technical and marketing aspects. Our training courses are fully in line with the digitalization of corporate business.
- OUR AGILE ORGANIZATION: with a team of around thirty people, our trainees are truly autonomous, have access to all the people involved in their project and work in direct liaison with management.
- OUR PASSION FOR INNOVATION: we see our internships as real R&D projects, on new subjects that contribute to the company's progress.
- OUR RECRUITMENT POLICY: at Soledis, one out of every two interns is offered a contract at the end of their training! For us, internships are a springboard to employment!
We don't have any internship offers to speak of, but we do look carefully at applications in corporate communications, webmarketing and web development (front & back).
