Interview with Tomek about Lunar Logic Internships
Two weeks ago, I proposed a summary of our internship program, taking a look at the data. This time, I want to offer a more subjective and probably sentimental point of view. So I interviewed Tomek, who was part of the very first group of interns in Lunar Logic’s history. Yes, it means that Tomek has been with us for more than 9 years and that he saw firsthand how the program evolved over the years.
Paweł: You were among the first interns at Lunar Logic. Now, you interview and mentor our interns. How have our internships changed over these 9 years?
Tomek: We always strived to run the internships the best we could, but that is a learning process too. We learned to be patient. We validated how much time people may need to catch some ideas or gain specific skills. We understand better how fast we want to introduce new concepts, e.g., more advanced aspects of Git. We clearly defined the goal: to optimize the program for interns to learn as much as possible. It wasn’t that clear in the early days. That’s why we extended the length of each round from 3 to 6 months. Thanks to that, it’s easier for us to plan, and we are not in a hurry. At the same time, when we feel someone is ready to work in a commercial engagement, we just wrap up internships early and turn the relationship into regular employment.
Paweł: Your internships happened 9 years ago, and you’re still at Lunar. I got to ask: why?
Tomek: Lunar works for many different clients, and there are always several various ongoing projects. We are free to change teams, projects, technology stack, etc. So we have real influence when it comes to deciding what we end up doing. In turn, we are in charge of our development, and we can work on stuff that interests us. This keeps us motivated. Not to mention that if you want to change your salary, you can decide about that too.
Paweł: We’re in the middle of recruiting the next batch of interns. If I asked you to convince them to apply, what would you tell them?
Tomek: I’d tell them they will be in a place that will give them everything they need for their development and learning. They will have an opportunity to become good software developers and teammates. Our internships are a bit like bootcamps, except in our case, the environment is very similar to a regular commercial project. The experience our interns gather is instantly applicable, and part of the reason is that we don’t focus on programming skills only but rather try to closely reflect how we work with our clients.
Paweł: OK, so for a contrast: what are the downsides of internships at Lunar? In other words, who may consider them an option not well versed for them?
Tomek: It’s difficult to think about internship-related issues. After all, when we see them, we try to eliminate them the following season. As much as we share feedback with the interns, we gather feedback from them about the internships. Then we try to find the best solution together with everyone involved. One thing that comes to my mind is that when you become an intern, you become a part of Lunar and if anything, it is a specific organization. We have an uncommon organizational culture and some rather unusual norms. It is then crucial to know what kind of company you join. If someone feels great in a corporate world, which is totally fine, Lunar may just not be the right place. We may not have enough structure, and rigid rules aren’t our forte.
Paweł: Thank you for sharing! If there’s someone curious to know more, well, the best way is to apply for internships. After all, it is very likely that you’ll be running technical exercises during the recruitment, isn’t it?
Tomek: Thank you!