21 June 2013
How's It Going?
by Alex Heflin
“Where do I fit in” This is my first thought as I walk into the door at Gaslight. It’s my first day, and just like so many other interns on their first day or any person on their first day I was unsure but excited start a new position, meet new people, learn new things, and show what I can do. Lucky for me, Gaslight is filled with friendly, knowledgable, light-hearted people, and the transition into the team was painless.
One of the qualities they possess that really stood out in this process was their love of teamwork. They truly value the way true teamwork and the relationships that accompany it can impact the flow of a company. Here everyone is an equal and it really changes the way tasks and projects are accomplished and the types of interactions between individuals in the office. My point is that the importance of teamwork is what really eased my transition from a newbie into a valued member of the Gaslight team.
In my first week, I had the privilege to attend the QCMerge. It was full of learning opportunities and is a great way to network with people in the technical and business communities. Two things in particular have stuck with me. Firstly, Jessica Ivins gave a great presentation on how to identify with mystery user groups when creating new products. The second is a quote from Doug Alcorn, “You can’t estimate software production time.” I find both of these things helpful and true, especially as time moves on.
Since my first week here, I’ve been given an awesome amount of learning opportunities and support. It’s a unique experience to fully choose your own curriculum when completing an internship with a company, and it’s very liberating. It’s exciting to not be bound by a job title, and have your teammates encourage the learning that is taking place (not just in the office, but in the community). Gaslight really takes it upon themselves to help foster learning and sharing within the community and host a variety of events to encourage this. It’s really inspiring to see how involved and influential they can be to the people and businesses around them.
The first month in this position has been an eye-opening experience. I’m excited for the opportunities and knowledge that will come in the future, and consider myself lucky to have landed here.