Written by Charlotte Van de Vyver
The weeks before my internship were crammed with studying frameworks, processing many theoretical concepts… and taking exams.
I was thrilled that this would be the last Christmas spent behind my desk. I eagerly counted down the days until the start of my internship at BrightWolves. After five years and a half of studying, this was finally the chance to apply all of my theoretical knowledge within a real business context.
On my first day, the other interns and I were welcomed by Anna and Valentine. From the start, it was clear that the atmosphere would be open, warm and cheerful. After lunch with the others, I met with my two coaches, who introduced me to my project so I could start working on it on Tuesday.
A challenging data project within a young and dynamic environment
The project's main goal was to distil extensive amounts of data from different types of corporate documents into a neat database by using natural language and knowledge graphs, making relationships between people, products, organisations, and projects easier to explore.
Essentially, the project served as a foundation for creating a recommendation system that works hand-in-hand with search engines. With this system in place, discovering relations becomes much easier since it takes out all guesswork.
This internship at BrightWolves allowed me to explore many new concepts and ideas, both technical and business-related. I was also able to take on my own responsibilities and gain data-related and specialised experience within a young, dynamic environment. The entire experience was very challenging but ultimately enriching.
Team playing culture
Simon gave me expert guidance on the technical aspects of my project, while Benedikte coached me in effective project management and the commercial side of tool development. This allowed me to approach my work from multiple perspectives, giving me a well-rounded education in web development. Our weekly status meetings were always motivational; I could present my findings and progress, receive feedback, and feel like part of the team.
At BrightWolves, we not only excel at working together on project-related tasks but also enjoy collaboration in all other activities. We have a culture where concepts such as life balance, openness, and feedback are respected and, more importantly, followed by everyone. Being among young, ambitious people with the same values was encouraging and immediately created a feeling of involvement.
A "DO" mentality
The following experience occurred during my internship. Though it is not related to the internship itself, it really speaks to how things are done at BrightWolves, or as we like to put it: "The BrightWolves way."
At the end of my internship in mid-May, my co-workers and I were introduced to the idea of starting a second BrightWolves office in South Africa. At the time, it felt like something very far-off and uncertain…
Three months later, I officially joined the Wolfpack. The idea that seemed impossible at first was concretised: the team did extensive research, interviews and went to South Africa for prospection. They even hired their very first South African employee!
I am so impressed! An abstract idea was turned into reality in a matter of three months. This illustrates the "BrightWolves mentality" perfectly. And I think you can only truly grasp what it means to create impact by being part of a community that fosters this mindset