Hear from our Summer Interns - 2021/22
F.O.R.K Team - otherwise known as Fancy Organised Robot Kaos
Top left to right: David Leach, Sophie Cai, Joel Chu, David Taing, Fei Liu, Lexi Weng. Middle: Carmen Liao, Harley Welsby. Reclining front and center: Daniel Hardie.
Last Summer, PartsTrader hired the most interns we’ve ever had! Enough to create a full development team of Testers and Developers (as well as some additional roles including Performance, Systems and Data Engineers).
Supported by some of our incredibly knowledgeable and talented engineers, the interns were able to complete their 10-week mission, including seeing their changes through to production and into our customer’s hands.
Read on to learn all about their experience at PartsTrader.
Hear from Carmen
As a student fresh out of uni with no industry experience, I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect for my first day here at PartsTrader. But after being taken around the office and meeting all the wonderful people, I just knew that this was where I wanted to spend my summer days.
Carmen Liao - Tester
I’ve never worked at such a unique place like PartsTrader. Our mentors and buddies offer us so much support; they’re always eager to help, whether the issues be tech or non-tech related. The culture is like no other. Although everyone has a different role in the company, I’ve never found it difficult to reach out to anyone - I’ve always been able to talk to everyone in a casual, comfortable manner, even with the CEO! We’ve had heaps of company social events where we have opportunities to mix and mingle with others outside of our team. Some of these include spontaneous fishing adventures, rockclimbing and sports clubs, women in PartsTrader catch-ups, and of course, the infamous free lunches - held in the kitchen every Thursday.
In the ten weeks that I’ve been here, I feel like I’ve learnt so much and made so many connections that I wouldn’t have been able to have at any another company. I’m glad to have chosen to intern with PartsTrader for my first internship, and I will definitely be excited to show my peers what I’ve learnt!
Hear from Joel
I got to learn a lot more about testing and seeing the applications of it was quite an eye opener. It was also my first time looking at automation testing and I even got the chance to write some automation tests and see them in action.
Joel Chu - Tester
How did you hear about PartsTrader?
My first-time hearing about PartsTrader was when I was taking a look at all the different workshops on Summer of Tech. At that time, PartsTrader was hosting a workshop on cloud computing and it sparked my interest. I registered to attend the bootcamp online and little did I know how much I would learn from it. It started off with a quick introduction of the company and then they got straight into explaining the applications of cloud computing in the company. This was followed by a chat with the Quality Lead and a previous Tester intern. I was able to learn a lot about the project they had in mind for the internship programme as well as the great support available from mentors and buddies. I also got the chance to learn about the culture and what working there would be like.
What do you think sets PartsTrader apart?
It would have to be all the fun and social activities that come with working at Partstrader. There are all sorts of committees and groups, from sports to lunch clubs, there really is something for everyone.
My personal favourite would have to be the weekly football games which are a good opportunity to stretch your legs and have a good run around during the workday. Another favourite of mine was foosball. I was told early on that foosball was a big part of the culture here, so I had to try it out myself. It soon occupied most of my lunchtime.
What was the coolest thing you did during your internship?
The project we worked on was to improve the pages used by the finance and support team. This meant making new features and improving the functionality of the page. The best part of this would have to be the interaction with the stakeholders throughout this process. From the beginning, we were on calls with our stakeholders, and they gave us a good idea of what they wanted. After doing a bit of work on the pages, it was finally time to demo it all to the stakeholders. You could see how grateful they were after seeing all the changes that we had made to the platform. The feedback they gave was the icing on the cake and they did greatly appreciate the work that we had done for them.
What’s something that surprised you?
Going into the 10-week internship, I didn’t know what to expect. I definitely didn’t expect to learn as much as I did. I got to learn a lot more about testing and seeing the applications of it was quite an eye opener. It was also my first time looking at automation testing and I even got the chance to write some automation tests and see them in action. There was also the business side of things which I previously never thought too much about. Through this experience, I was able to learn about how the whole business runs and how different parts of the company integrate into one another.
Hear from David
My internship taught me a lot about the software development process from start to finish, as well as how to develop my skills in a professional setting.
David Taing - Developer
What was the process like getting your role as a Software Developer?
The process of getting myself a role here at PartsTrader was nice and simple. I went to the Meet & Greet set up by the Summer of Tech program, where I had a chance to meet with the team at PartsTrader. Following this, I had a 15-minute interview where we got to know more about the role and the company. After that, I had a chance to go for a coffee session with some people at PartsTrader and have a fun casual chat.
What was the coolest thing you did during your internship?
I got an opportunity to work with stakeholders in the United States. It was an exciting experience to work with them and got to see how excited they were about the project I was working on.
What’s something that has surprised you about your job?
I was surprised at how many social events and activities were available to us at PartsTrader. There are always a variety of activities in which we can engage over the years, and some of them are even held during working hours. It's inspiring to see how the company cares not only about themselves but also about their employees' satisfaction with working there.
What’s something you learned whilst in your internship?
My internship taught me a lot about the software development process from start to finish, as well as how to develop my skills in a professional setting. I also had to learn a new programming language called React for my first project, which I enjoyed. The mentor was encouraging and supportive in assisting me with my learning.
Hear from Sophie
For most people, an app on their phones/laptops is just a tool to make their life easier. But people who work on it need to take care of all aspects, from preventing phishing websites that steal account details to making sure the functionality can be realised without unexpected bugs.
Sophie Cai - Developer
How did you hear about PartsTrader?
I heard about PartsTrader from a friend of mine and was told it is a company with great culture and vibes in Wellington. She also introduced the projects they were working on, which appealed to me greatly on the development side. Then I was invited for a coffee and met some cool people who became my buddies soon in my internship and shared their extensive knowledge in tech industry with me.
How long have you been at PartsTrader and what keeps it interesting for you?
I have been working at PartsTrader for about five months. It is a great company with a lot of highly skilled people that are always willing to give a hand and share their experience. The projects I have been involved with have challenged me to learn knowledge in different areas. So the things that keep it interesting to me are varied. Firstly, most other staff who work at PartsTrader are more senior than me. If I have any questions, they can share various ways of solving the problems. Secondly, it makes me feel what I have been doing is helpful to people who use our applications. Those problems I met are real and internally connected to each other. I am grateful that I help the system work well, grow, get optimized and it also helps me think smarter and more carefully.
What’s something that has surprised you about your job?
I believe it’s the collaboration, that all different departments work together to make the application run well. For most people, an app on their phones/laptops is just a tool to make their life easier. But people who work on it need to take care of all aspects, from preventing phishing websites that steal account details to making sure the functionality can be realised without unexpected bugs.
What’s something you learned whilst in your internship?
I learned heaps from my internship. Besides the real tech work I got involved and learned how real problems are solved with the knowledge from school, I would say it’s the company culture. PartsTrader has quite a few activities that connect people together. Thursday free lunch as one example attracts more people to come to the office on the same day and communicate with people from different departments at lunchtime!
Hear from Harley
One of my favourite parts of the internship was demonstrating my work to our team in Chicago who will be using it. It was really exciting to show off the features I had built and see their faces light up.
Harley Welsby - Developer
How did you hear about PartsTrader?
I'd heard the company name before from one of my friends at Toyota who uses the PartsTrader platform. I wasn't entirely sure how it worked, but I had heard lots of good things. I attended one of PartsTrader's Summer of Tech bootcamps and everyone I met there was really fun to talk to and fascinating to learn from, so I applied through Summer of Tech and after a speed interview and a relaxed coffee catchup I was offered to join!
What's something you learned whilst in your internship?
I think one of the most important and most interesting things I learned during my internship at PartsTrader was the full lifecycle of a story. During university I'd been taught how to write code and problem solve, but I had never seen or been a part of the industry processes of organizing, refining and releasing code first hand. In my first few weeks at PartsTrader I had developed new features, had the code peer-reviewed and tested, demonstrated the features to the people who will be using them, and watched my code get deployed to the USA platform. It was a really fun experience and has vastly expanded my knowledge of the industry and given me new skills that I have since used both at work and university.
What was the coolest thing you did during your internship?
It's really hard to pick just one thing, but one of my favourite parts of the internship was demonstrating my work to our team in Chicago who will be using it. It was really exciting to show off the features I had built and see their faces light up. Everything I made during the internship has seen plenty of use and it was an amazing feeling knowing that I was helping people in their day to day lives with the code that I was writing.
Hear from Fei
I really learned a lot throughout my internship. Not only a lot of technical improvements but also a bunch of soft skills, such as public speaking and how to communicate more effectively with colleagues.
Fei Liu - Developer
How did you hear about PartsTrader?
I first heard of PartsTrader at the Meet & Greet of Summer of Tech in 2021. It was an online event. At the start of the event, a huge number of students flocked to ANZ and BNZ. As all the companies that were recruiting were put online in stages, I tried to find some that didn't require too long a wait. I saw PartsTrader and thought I should try them out and that kicked off my first interview. Little did I know that this unconscious discovery and attempt would be one of the best decisions I made last year.
Dan and Charlotte were the first people I met in the online Meet & Greet. They were very friendly and put me at ease very quickly. Because of the large waiting list, they only asked a few simple questions, but the whole time they were smiling and chatting like friends, which made me really enjoy the process, it was just a little short.
What's something you learned whilst in your internship?
I would like to say that I really learned a lot throughout my internship. Not only a lot of technical improvements but also a bunch of soft skills, such as public speaking and how to communicate more effectively with colleagues. In terms of technology, all interns are not restricted to only working on the front-end or only on the backend. PartsTrader offered us all kinds of options and we were free to try out the front-end, back-end, database and even AWS. If you're interested but can't possibly do it by yourself, that's nothing to worry about. Because at PartsTrader, every intern has a mentor and a buddy who will be happy to help you with your tasks.
In a nutshell, PartsTrader provided all platforms and channels you can think of if you are willing to learn and try. For me personally, my biggest takeaway was how to write more standardised and efficient code. These improvements are not just satisfying in terms of being able to work, but in terms of how to work better.
What's something that surprised you about your job?
What surprised me most at work was the working atmosphere and the enterprise culture. PartsTrader respects everyone's culture and choices, and even very small things need to be voted on by everyone. You have every opportunity to talk to everyone. Can you imagine, on my first day of work, our general manager Andrew Morrow taught us how to make a cup of coffee? To borrow the words of a former employee "PartsTrader was the most special and warming of all the companies he worked for". Then at work, everyone is very enthusiastic, responsible and doing their best to improve the code and enhance the user experience.
What's the coolest thing you did during your internship?
One of the coolest things I found during my internship was that all of us interns were involved in real projects. Not demos, not projects that will be discarded later. Yes, you read that right, it was building features that the client really needed to implement, and PartsTrader offered everyone full trust and support, and provided a very effective strategy to help us. In the beginning, we discussed in groups how to implement these features and then worked in smaller groups to implement some simple requirements. After familiarising ourselves with the environment and the requirements, we started to work independently on the development. Isn't it cool when you see your own code being merged to the development server and then accepted by the client?
Hear from Aquinos
The work culture is nice and I’m getting a chance to mingle with everyone in this company. The value that the company gives to everyone is unbelievable
Aquinos Joseph - IT Internal Specialist
How did you hear about PartsTrader?
After Graduation, I was looking for a role where I could gain some knowledge and experience. At that time, I came to know about PartsTrader through Summer of Tech. I attended the Meet and Greet program and had chat with the Systems Engineering team. Even though I was nervous at the beginning the team made me feel at ease where I could express my thoughts and it really attracted me.
What do you think sets PartsTrader apart?
It is the first time I’m working in a company in New Zealand. I have worked in different companies back in India and I never felt the vibe that I’m getting from the PartsTrader team. The whole team is very friendly and supportive. The work culture is nice and I’m getting a chance to mingle with everyone in this company. The value that the company gives to everyone is unbelievable. I have never experienced working in this kind of environment which makes me feel happy to come to the office and that’s one of the main reasons why I never felt like taking leave.
What was the coolest thing you did during your internship?
As a fresher, I didn’t know much about the programming languages, and I was given a project to find the code drift in Terraform code when it no longer matched the AWS API's. My mentor Charles helped me learn Terraform, AWS and PowerShell Scripting within a short period of time. Even I wasn’t sure of myself that I would be able to complete the project in 10 weeks. But with the help of my whole team, I was able to complete the project before the 10 week’s time.
What’s something that surprised you?
There are lots of things that surprised me in PartsTrader. The first thing is our General Manager, Andrew Morrow. I have never seen a friendly enthusiastic manager like Andrew. On my first week of work, I was feeling a bit shy to talk to people, but Andrew came to me during my lunch break for a chat and during the conversation, I realised that I’m not shy anymore, he made me break my barrier to talk. The second thing is the way the PartsTrader cares for us. I was new to Wellington and I didn’t know much about any places here. My team leader Rico Villafuerte took me for lots of walks around the city and for lunches, even though he was one of the busiest people in the company he made time to help me become familiar with this city.
Hear from William
I really enjoyed not only deepening my knowledge of tech but also getting used to how the business side of the company operates and impacts the decisions in tech.
William Pattison - Data Engineer
How did you hear about PartsTrader?
I first heard about PartsTrader after applying for Summer of Tech and searching through the companies who sponsored the event. After doing a bit more research about the company and what tools the project would involve, I was interested in joining and decided to go along to the Meet and Greet. After having a chat with Carl (Data Architect) and Philippa (Bi Specialist) about the project, I was invited to a few meetings with some of the data team and was lucky enough to be offered a position.
What do you think sets PartsTrader apart?
It’s a mix of things for me. If I had to wrap it up in one word, I would say it’s the people at PartsTrader. Some of the biggest things would have to be the various events held throughout the year and the social clubs. I joined not long before Accelerate Day, an event that was held in November, and found that it was a great opportunity to work with other people around the company from different teams that I wouldn’t normally work with. Apart from events, there is also a good amount of freedom and, if you love learning, great support to grow your career. For example, the company will pay for things like AWS exams and certifications.
What was the coolest thing you did during your internship?
Apart from being able to work on a project that used real data, Accelerate Day had to be the coolest thing for me. I worked on a project that I thought I could give good input on as an intern that had recently joined the company, we even ended up winning the prize for the project with the biggest internal influence. As I mentioned before, it was also a really good experience to work with various people from different teams. Most people from the team were either from different teams or different backgrounds, which meant we could get lots of different opinions on how we could tackle the project.
What’s something that surprised you?
Given that this was my first experience working in this type of role and first experience at a tech company, I went in fairly blind. So, to be honest, there were a lot of things that I was surprised by. One of the biggest things that comes to mind would be how the business side and the tech side of the business work together. This interaction was a lot deeper and more complex than I thought, and I really enjoyed not only deepening my knowledge of tech but also getting used to how the business side of the company operates and impacts the decisions in tech.
Hear from Samuel
I was given a lot of responsibility for the design decisions. While scary at first, this level of responsibility on something as important as release hardening was a very cool feeling.
Samuel Crisp - Performance Engineer
How did you hear about PartsTrader?
A good family friend of mine used to work with a couple of the employees at PartsTrader and he put me onto PartsTrader. I remember him saying "This would be a great place to work, they are doing some really cool things over there." Once I got in touch, they were great about keeping me in the loop, which I appreciated.
What do you think sets PartsTrader apart?
The culture for me really sets PartsTrader apart. The management really invests in their employees. I would come home, and Mum would always be shocked hearing about what we were given and the different activities that were put on for the employees. Being an intern and a first-time employee of a proper company is quite daunting at first but by the end of my internship I was having lunch and joking around with other employees in a lot higher roles than me. This resulted in me feeling really comfortable at the workplace.
What’s the coolest thing you did during your internship?
I was a part of the performance engineering team which was a small team. This meant for my project I was given a lot of responsibility for the design decisions. While scary at first, this level of responsibility on something as important as release hardening was a very cool feeling. Starting my internship, I didn't think that I would be contributing to important systems so for PartsTrader putting their trust in me was very cool.
What's something that surprised you?
The amount of fun people had doing work surprised me. The constant banter and friendliness weren't something I expected of a proper working environment. This was described to me in a very good way "We spend more time here than nearly anywhere else so you might as well enjoy each day." A friendly environment also only helped productivity because everyone was held accountable because everyone were friends.
Big thanks to their support crew: Dan, James, David and Lexi 💙