The talent of tomorrow
The year was 1999: after having graduated from the university of Antwerp, I was ready to make my first career steps in Java software development. I started as a junior consultant at a small software company. I loved the atmosphere of working at a company where everyone knew who everyone else was, a feeling that I’ve carried over to the career choices I’ve made later in life.
Besides the atmosphere, I vividly remember the training that they put us youngsters through. We were given a series of 4 CD-ROMS with Java-related tutorials, and off we went. Six weeks later (which turned out to be four weeks) we’d be ready for our first consultancy assignment. Needless to say I didn’t really feel “ready” at the time.
I was lucky enough to land on a project with really experienced colleagues who I was able to learn a lot from on the job. Nevertheless, to this day I recognize the importance of proper training for junior developers and allowing them to gradually build their confidence in what they do.
At Delta Source we strongly believe in the metaphor of a new plant that will only grow and flourish given the right amount of time and the right environment. That’s why we regularly organize internship programs, allowing students to learn under the guidance of our experienced software engineers. We mimic a real world software development project – albeit at a smaller scale – to get them familiarized not only with the technical aspects of programming, but also with the process including dealing with a customer’s changing requirements and organizing demo’s of their deliverables.
It doesn’t end there though: people that successfully complete the internship get offered a contract. Not to be “dropped” on a billable project straight away, but to hone their skills further over the course of several months, culminating in attaining an industry-recognized certification. They’ll use many of the same technologies, tools and practices as they are likely to encounter in their future projects.
Feel inspired? Want to be part of the Delta Source family? Great! Check out our open positions! Or reach out to us, we look forward to meeting you!
– Joeri Leemans, manager at Delta Source