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For the past eight weeks, I have been working in the 'SBC' group at Data Connection. My work has mainly involved writing scripts to improve the overnight testing framework, and fixing some interesting multi-threading problems with our file daemon. I had only a little programming experience and even less computing knowledge when I started (I couldn't even have explained what a 'thread' or a 'file daemon' was!), but with extensive guidance from my manager I learnt most of what I needed to know as I went along. Apart from a little background reading, I spent most of the summer actually reading, writing and debugging code.
Since Data Connection take on so many interns and new starters with minimal computing experience, the full-time employees that I worked with were very much used to dealing with keen but inexperienced young people. My manager was willing (and, in fact, expected) to spend a reasonable proportion of his time helping me get started on unfamiliar tasks, and dealing with questions. The work that I was assigned was chosen so as to be difficult for me, but not prohibitively so. I was pleased to find that very little of my work was menial or automatic.
Socially, the main selling point of Data Connection for me was that I was one of several dozen 'Vacation Students', all in the same situation as I was. I was never at a loss for people to talk to or things to do in the evenings, and in this respect the atmosphere was a lot like being at university, especially since I shared one of Data Connection's company houses with seven other interns (which was quite cramped, but a friendly, social environment).
On a larger scale, the company organised frequent social events: celebratory drinks for various occasions, and larger 'morale' events. I also had the opportunity to take part in a wide range of sports over lunch.
I suspect that there are very few internships available with quite as positive and welcoming an attitude as Data Connection has. Personally, I'm glad that I applied.
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