Without a doubt, practice makes perfect. As a result, internships are the most effective approach for students to get experience in their chosen industry. As a third-year computer science student, my internship at the IT Service Department gave me invaluable experience. In general, my experience working in the IT Services has greatly aided in expanding my industrial knowledge base.
First and foremost, the internship has supported me in transitioning from academia to a practical field. At university we do a lot of projects that aim to simulate “real-world” tasks and practices, however, the reality is that real-world work is far more complex than the situations we take part in during university projects. Through my internship I was a part of the research and evaluation of the Microsoft Defender framework. My most significant accomplishment throughout the internship was the final report which highlighted the pros and cons of the MS Defender inside the university environment. During the process of gathering, analysing, and assessing the framework I taught myself how to work efficiently, developed my time management skills and learned how to evaluate outcomes. Moreover, the analysis behind the report required me to conduct extensive research, which opened my eyes to the availability of several resources and databases of past research, all of which makes it easier to find information. Now, I can easily find more resources to accompany my university work and hopefully receive better grades as a result.
Secondly, the project has taught me how to translate practical discoveries into valuable information and solve problems as and when they arise. My supervisor advised and assisted me in drawing useful conclusions from the large data spectrum, but halfway through the project we found out that it would be very complicated to set up some of the frameworks. However, my supervisor and I were able to cope with this issue and deliver comprehensive reports. Sometimes, not everything works as planned, and learning how to react to such difficulties is one of my accomplishments serving as an intern. This ability will undoubtedly be useful in my profession and everyday life. When things do not go as planned, we must learn from our mistakes and use them to propel us forward. As a result, I realized that assessing a framework necessitates careful planning to make the best decisions.
In conclusion, the internship opportunity at the IT Service gave me several technical, scientific, and personal skills. I am confident that all these skills will come in handy in my general life and my career once I graduate. When I recall my time as an intern in the IT Service Department, I'm grateful for all the skills I learned there.
