This position at Auvik required a fundamental skill set of communication, organization, an analytical mind, and dedication. I had developed a solid foundation for this through school, but working in a real-life scenario helped to augment all these areas. In particular, the skills that I saw the most improvement during the work term were my analytical view and programming. Though I had some programming background from school, this position allowed me to directly apply this knowledge and expand my skills in a practical and hands-on manner.
Considering this is my first work term, the independence within a team was an aspect that struck me. I appreciated the sense of autonomy and responsibility that my manager instilled in me throughout the term. He allowed me to approach problems at my own angle. If I needed help, he would always be glad to talk through them. Without his trust, I would not have the chance to analyze how I tackled problems; specifically, the means that help me to get through issues such as explaining to others or drawing out diagrams. The fact that I had a trusting manager and supportive team that I was working alongside made me so much more confident in my role.
The independent nature of my role also allowed me to improve my technical research skills. A notable example of this is my work on integrating an invoicing script with the engineering tools website. My supervisor was out of the country on vacation, but I was determined to finish the job before his return. I was forced to answer my questions through thorough research to complete the task.
My time at Auvik has enhanced my academic experience, as I was working in an agile development environment. I have learned about agile practices and other methodologies through lectures, but these methods had always been very intangible. The opportunity to immerse myself in this environment helped me to solidify the knowledge I have gained from University.
The people I met at Auvik truly defined my work term experience. There were times when, without warning, things took a turn for the worst. There were times when I overloaded and brought down entire clusters overnight and was rightfully to blame. In spite of all this, no one ever pointed fingers. Everyone worked to fix problems as they come up and bring out the best in each other. They really did live by their principle, "Shit happens". It was always a remarkable sight to see, and I will definitely carry this quality with me throughout my future work terms.