What I Learned During My Software Enginnering Internship💻

#career #softwaredevelopment #git #reactnative

Hello! 👋 Today, I want to share my experience and the valuable lessons I learned during my internship.

I started university in 2019, pursuing a degree in Software Engineering. As part of the program, students were required to complete an internship in their third year to gain real-world experience.

For my internship, I joined Digital Renter, a real estate software startup that helps people find houses. I was excited to work there because it was a startup, meaning I’d have the opportunity to take on a lot of responsibilities. Even better, the CEO was a software engineer, so I knew I’d learn a great deal from him and gain hands-on experience.

Though I was scheduled to start in August 2022, my eagerness to learn wouldn’t let me wait. Instead of staying idle at home, I reached out to the company and asked if I could start early in July—and they agreed! That extra month allowed me to familiarize myself with the company’s tech stack. Since I was assigned to work on the frontend, I needed to learn React Native, which was used for their mobile app. Fortunately, I had already learned React Native in one of my courses, so diving into their codebase felt more like reinforcing and solidifying my knowledge rather than starting from scratch.

During my internship, I gained invaluable experience—not just in technology, but in problem-solving, teamwork, and how the real world software industry operates. It laid a solid foundation for my career, and even after the internship ended, the lessons I learned continued to shape me.

It was an amazing journey, filled with challenges, growth, and unforgettable experiences. In this blog, I’ll share the most important lessons I took away from that time—both technical and life-changing.

🚀 Always Be a Student: Embrace Daily Learning

During my internship, I had to learn constantly—not just technically but also socially and in understanding how a startup operates.

On the technical side, one major adjustment I made was in my Git workflow. Before the internship, I primarily used the VS Code GUI for Git operations in my personal projects. However, at Digital Renter, I had to switch to the command line for committing and pushing code. Over time, this became second nature, and to this day, I default to using the CLI for Git operations and this also me familiarize with git commands.

Another key lesson was about code structure. I had a habit of writing long, unstructured code in a single file. But through the internship, I learned the importance of breaking code into components and modules, making my work more organized and maintainable.

💡 Your Health Fuels Your Productivity

At the start of my internship, I used to sit at my desk and code for hours without breaks—only getting up when absolutely necessary. Over time, I realized this was affecting my focus and energy levels.

The CEO emphasized the importance of taking breaks every 30 minutes to an hour. He encouraged us to step outside, get fresh air, look at distant objects (to relax our eyes), and stay hydrated by keeping a water bottle at our desks. These small habits greatly improved my productivity and energy levels, making my work experience much better.

🆘 Stuck? Ask for Help – It’s a Superpower!

Working in a startup meant dealing with large codebases, fixing bugs, and adding new features—often using technologies and methodologies I hadn’t encountered before. This led to moments of imposter syndrome, where I felt like I wasn’t good enough and that someone might discover I didn’t belong.

But one thing I quickly learned was that asking for help is not a weakness—it’s essential. My superiors were always willing to guide me, and I realized that internships are for learning. No one expects you to know everything, so it’s okay to ask questions when needed.

🤝 Tech is a Team Sport: Learn to Collaborate

Before my internship, I worked mostly on personal projects, where I had full control over everything. But at Digital Renter, I had to collaborate with a team of other interns, a tech lead, and even the CEO.

I learned that teamwork in tech is crucial—it’s not just about coding alone but about working together to build, review, and improve projects. We shared ideas, analyzed bugs, and combined efforts to create better solutions. In the tech industry, success is a team effort.

🗣️ Soft Skills Matter: Communication & Leadership in Tech

Internships aren’t just about learning technical skills—soft skills are just as important.

One major area of growth for me was communication. I had to regularly explain my work to the team, which improved my ability to articulate technical concepts clearly.

I also developed leadership skills when I was assigned as the team lead for a side project—a restaurant management system that needed a redesigned UI. Working with two other interns, I learned how to delegate tasks, manage expectations, and collaborate effectively.

These lessons shaped my growth as a software engineer and prepared me for real-world challenges. My internship was more than just a technical learning experience—it was a journey of personal and professional development.