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In December 2017, we began mentoring students of Dnipro’s Lyceum of Information Technology as part of our internship program. Our specialists helped students develop their certification course and learn the basics of Qlik® product programming. For 3 months, students studied the QlikView system and then developed an application based on a real case. Mentoring was mutually beneficial – the students improved their skills, and DataLabs received a new employee, Vladimir Ryzhkov.

After working together for a year, we decided to ask Vladimir how useful the internship was for him, what experience he gained while working at DataLabs and what heights he wants to reach in the future.

Vova, what prompted you to participate in the internship program?

I wouldn’t say something “prompted” me. I just happened to go to discuss with the professor the topic of my course paper, and they offered me such an option “for special merits.” Refusing it was foolish, and the prospect of learning something useful instead of copy-pasting text from Wiki was rather tempting.

Was there something memorable that happened during the internship?

The working process was rather steady. We had meetings from 7 to 10 pm three times a week that became an integral part of my schedule, although it was harder for the 11^th grade guys. It got interesting when the final week came: we hastily wrote documentation and collectively completed the program.

What goals had you set for yourself when you started your internship? Did you manage to achieve them?

At that time, it was difficult for me, as a beginner, to come up with a goal more substantial than “I need experience.” In my case, there was also the desire to maintain good academic performance and get into a decent university.

I’d say the goals have been achieved, because I reached the learning objectives, and I have more experience now than I had at the beginning.

Speaking of experience, how much have you learned while working for DataLabs? What accomplishments can you share?

The most obvious achievement is boosting my programming skills in general. Especially in the last six months, as a result of switching to another language with a different mindset. Dealing with tasks solutions to which were tough to find was also of great value. At first, they seem to be nearly impossible but solving them is crucial to improving expertise. I think fulfilling such tasks is an achievement in itself.

What do you plan to do from now on? Any future goals?

I’m still working on it. So far, my biggest ambition is to expand my knowledge. I am slowly but surely collecting a library of literature, both technical and on soft skills. Recently I set out to pass the English exam.

At DataLabs, we do everything possible to ensure our mentorship program contributes to the professional development of the youth. We will strive to expand our cooperation with educational institutions so that more students can realize their ambitions and put knowledge into practice.