What’s it Like to Intern at Ocula? Nadira’s Story
As a team, we’re incredibly people-focused. We love developing and building our talent, whilst giving members opportunities to stretch and challenge themselves in new areas.
We have had the fortune of having some fantastic interns join the team to develop our cutting-edge research in areas such as data science, industry research, benchmarking and more.
In this feature, we spend some time with one of our summer 2022 Data Science interns Nadira Mason to hear about her experience with us, and her advice for students looking to break into careers in data science.
Nadira, reflecting on your internship here, what did you enjoy most at Ocula Technologies?
The thing I enjoyed most about my internship at Ocula was feeling like a valued member of the team, where I was given interesting work and responsibility, but never felt too much pressure. The working environment always felt as if I could ask questions, and that nothing beyond my ability was expected of me. This was hugely down to the healthy working culture and from finding good friendships with my colleagues.
Could you give us an idea of some of the skills that you have developed?
There were so many new skills that I learnt during my time at Ocula. Those of a technical nature included using new applications such as Tableau, DBeaver and GitLab. I also learnt SQL and developed a lot more confidence with the use of version control through GitLab. My data interpretation and analysis skills were broadened a lot during the work I did. In terms of more general skills, I definitely learnt how to work as part of a bigger team all working towards the same goal; this not only included coordinating and communicating the workload with others, but also presenting what I had done.
What was your biggest personal victory?
My proudest achievement was probably the moment that my code was merged with the main branch, and I knew that as soon as our client was going to use Ocula, their live website and strategy would be influenced by my code. This was significant because it felt as though the work I was doing was valued and respected, which definitely boosted my confidence.
Has this internship helped you to develop?
This internship has helped me significantly, in many ways. Firstly, for the first time in my education, I feel that I have found a career that I can not only imagine myself doing, but think that I would really enjoy. Secondly, I have developed many skills that have helped me to achieve this in the future. Lastly, I would say that, regardless of the career I end up in, I have developed many 'work-place' skills that could be applied to any job. This includes a recognition of how important a healthy working environment is, where a work-life balance is respected and colleagues look out for one another.
What would you say to someone considering an internship at Ocula?
If someone was considering doing an internship at Ocula, I would say this: 'If you want to work in an environment where your work matters to the team and can make a real difference, then Ocula might be the right fit for you. I would say that it is a workplace where real integration into the team (including socially) is hugely beneficial to everyone at Ocula and to the work you are outputting. This is not the kind of internship where you are given menial jobs to keep you busy; it's something to really throw yourself into and enjoy.'
Thank you to Nadira for her time and efforts with us.
We hope to spotlight more members of the team in the months to come!
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