With the ITWorks program in Philadelphia finishing up the Spring 2018 session tomorrow, students are in the midst of completing their 5-week internship as part of the program’s requirements. They had the opportunity to spend the first eleven weeks in the classroom learning all about the concepts needed to be a successful entry-level IT employee; both hard and soft skills. Think hardware, troubleshooting, networking, operating systems for the technical side, and communication, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution on the professional side. That classroom learning culminates in an IT internship where the class applies their knowledge in real life.
So, what have they learned in their IT internships? Let’s find out!
Brian, Reed Tech: There’s no shame in asking questions. People are willing to help you. As long as you are actively trying to learn, they are going to be there to guide you.
Daniel, Merakey: Network booting is very common; and even more efficient.
Tynisha, SNJPC: Things will go wrong! The project I am part of should theoretically be easy, but we’ve run into hiccups left and right. But there are resources to see you through. Take a breath, ask for help. You’ll get it done.
Yoshi, Accenture: Experience is the best teacher you can have.
Andrew, Cozen O’Connor: You need to grind. Everyone has to start somewhere. You need to build the foundation and discover your direction, because those must be established before you know where to go next.
Will, PNC Bank: Fake it ‘til you make it! No one expects any more or less of you than yourself.
Marc, Tech Impact: Data migration seems like a hot topic and valuable skill. I think that will look great on my resume and open up new career opportunities that I hadn’t considered before.
Evan, Reed Smith: It can be tough to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced work environment but learning how is the best possible thing you can do. You want to be able to ride the waves instead of fighting the current to reach your team’s goal.
Linh, Philabundance: Redundancy is your best friend. It will save you time and headaches later if something were to go wrong. It’s better to be over-prepared than to under-perform.
Chris, Tech Impact: You are never alone. If you are unsure of something, you have the minds of everyone in your department.
These soon-to-be ITWorks graduates are walking away with the most valuable knowledge, skills, and experience that will launch them towards successful IT careers. They have put in countless hours to reach this milestone and have been nothing short of successful! These internships are integral to their post-graduation employment by demonstrating to hiring managers that they have hands-on experience in the field. Nice work, Philly students! Now it’s time to go forth and conquer.
