Summer is coming, and apart from it being the time for sun, beach, and everything nice, it’s also the time for summer internships!
We started our Tech Summer Internships last year, and it was such a success that we decided to do them again in 2021. Margarida Raposo, our former QA engineer Summer Intern, joined us for an interview to show you why you should join us for a Summer Internship.
Could you give a short introduction of yourself?
I’m Margarida, and I’m studying at the Faculty of Engineering of Porto University. My Master is integrated into Informatics Engineering and Computation. I’m 19 years old, and I’m in my second year. When I joined Nmbrs, I was finishing my first year of school.
I’m from Aveiro, but I’m studying in Porto, and I went to Lisbon for the internship.
Doing an internship in your first year is already a challenge. Why study and do a Summer Internship far from your home?
When I was deciding on where to take my bachelor's and master's, I was torn between Lisbon and Porto. I ended up going to the latter because the school had great ratings.
Regarding the summer internship, I already knew plenty of people in Lisbon with whom I could stay. That was great because I didn’t have the extra cost, and it was an opportunity for me to go somewhere else.
What was your motivation for doing the summer internship in your first year?
I wasn’t planning on doing an internship in my first year. I always assumed it was not possible since most companies were looking for second or third-year students. But then I met Rita Mendes at ENEI (Encontro Nacional de Estudantes de Informática). She was one of the only people who mentioned that Nmbrs was accepting applications from any year. I applied to try it out and practice for future interviews but never with the idea that I would get in.
More and more companies care less about the grades and more about what we have done outside of school. I felt I lacked in that part, and I wanted to make a difference. To stand out from the other 200 students doing the same degree. I might want to do another internship next summer or something completely different. The sooner I start, the more time I have to do whatever I want.
Curious about what working at Nmbrs looks like? Check our 
and know all about it.
What fears did you have before starting the internship?
I questioned if I would be able to go through with the internship because of school and all of the work I had at the time. I was afraid of not being able to rest before I started my second year. But I realised it was a great opportunity. I had to try and go for it! Luckily, it worked out well. The internship was a different kind of pressure, and I managed to rest my head a bit.
How was the expectation vs reality of the internship?
I expected everyone in the company to be very nice and approachable, but it was even better than I imagined.
My squad had a personal relationship between all squad members. I’m not sure if it was because we were all Portuguese, but they were all very friendly. It was interesting to witness that whenever we got together in the morning and mid-afternoon stand-ups. Even though everyone was working on their projects, they would always help out their colleagues. It looked like they were in a constant brainstorm.
In Chapter QA, we were all from different nationalities, and we interacted mainly on screen since we all worked across Amsterdam and Lisbon. But everyone was very professional, and they all worked so well in this context. Not everyone can work in a company with no managers. It was just a pity the internship was in the middle of lockdown. I would have liked to have seen more colleagues in person.
What did you like the most about your summer internship at Nmbrs?
Learning how to do QA tests on my own. When I first started at Nmbrs, Ana Marques, my mentor, showed me how she did it, and I thought I would never be able to do it. But bit by bit, I started understanding how it worked. Ana was great and gave me time to explore and gain some autonomy. Every time I had a question, she would answer it and, after a while, everything started to make sense in my head.
For the rest, what most impressed me was the environment. Every time I was at the office and someone I didn't know was there, they would always come up to me and say hello. It made me feel good!
Has the internship helped you gain a different perspective on IT professionals?
Yes, mostly about the QAs. I didn’t know what they did, and I initially thought it was just about finding bugs. But now I know QAs have a lot more power than meets the eye since they have a say on the updates. I find quality control very interesting in general. It has a lot of importance in a company, and it makes us feel that we are contributing to the quality of the product.
Would you recommend Nmbrs for a Summer Internship?
Yes, definitely! I recommended Nmbrs to everyone I spoke to. My friends and colleagues were also curious about how I was able to get into the Summer Internship. Like me, in the beginning, they were also doubting if any company would be open to doing a summer internship so early in the education process.
Thank you, Margarida! It was great having you here. We wish you all the best and, hopefully, we will see you again at Nmbrs!
Interested in joining us for a Summer Internship?
About the author
Andreia dos Reis
I'm a designer turned marketer turned Employer Branding Specialist who is passionate about helping create an enjoyable experience where candidates, employees, and HR professionals are all equals. How do I do this? By talking to people. A lot of them!
