The Backenders at Snapper

We met with two members of the Backenders Team from Snapper, Paula Porto and John Cecilio, from the 2021 internship intake. They share why they enjoy Snapper, their experience working with other interns and lessons learned from their mentors.

What are your roles at Snapper?

Paula: We’re both software developers, currently backend. We have the same role but in different teams. 

What is it like to work at Snapper?

John: It’s really cool. They prioritise our comfort and being able to work. They encourage regular breaks and are very supportive. 

Paula: The system they have with the internship is amazing. The company is really organised in terms of how they develop their interns with great onboarding. I feel very comfortable there. 

What do you enjoy most about working there?

John: It almost feels like I’m not working sometimes as I enjoy it so much! We have an “Intern Dad” who takes care of us, and we also have our own mentors. The amount of support gives us lots of guidance. 

Paula: The people. The work culture is really healthy. Everyone is so approachable. Initially, I thought I would feel like I was slowing people down, a burden. But everyone would say the goal is to slow down in order to teach us. I feel like I’m here for a reason. 

How did you find the experience of working with other interns?

John: Snapper tried something new this year with more interns. We’ve gotten so close as a group and formed our own support network. 

Paula: I didn’t feel alone at all as we bonded so well. It felt really comfortable going through the same steps together. I think I would have felt more scared joining by myself. 

What was a highlight of working together as a team?

John: The team would allow us to be autonomous and try things out together. That gave us the opportunity to try and learn together. 

Paula: We did a lot of things by trial and error, testing things that we’d learnt and then receiving feedback. It was almost like a mini university course. It was sometimes chaotic but always fun working together. It felt like working with friends. 

What have you learnt from each other?

Paula: He taught me how to visualise differently. I code in a specific way, and he has a different perspective - which has been helpful. 

John: I learnt not to stress as much. She has taught me to slow down. 

Who do you go to for guidance or to ask questions?

John: We all have a buddy that we can go to individually. Gareth also oversees all of the interns, and he always makes himself available. 

Paula: I would typically ask my buddy for specific questions I had. But I also realised we could also ask anyone as everyone is so helpful. 

What have you learnt from your mentors or supervisors?

John: I learned a lot. He’s been teaching me how to tackle problems and what to look for. The tech stack that we use is new. So we’re there to find patterns and solutions. 

Paula: Lots of things that I learnt weren’t actually about code. Things like teamwork, communication, and how to properly research things. I’m still learning all these things too! 

How does your team celebrate success?

Paula: It depends on the team. Some teams have different goals. We have team lunches and have some outside of work social events. 

John: We also have an event called “all hands on tech”, where someone from a team is invited to present to the company. It’s a way of encouraging continuous learning. 

If you could describe your team in 1 word, what would it be? Why?

Paula: Wholesome. My team is filled with the kindest people I’ve ever met who are always looking out for me. 

John: Cheeky. We have lots of banter. Gareth is actually a big softie, so he is fun to banter with.