Murat is a year 10 computer science student. He joined Potato for two weeks to learn more about engineering at a product development studio.
What attracted you to doing work experience at Potato?
I was really looking for a place where I could gain experience and could just easily fit in to. I was approached by my computer science teacher about a company called Potato, and I agreed thinking it would just be any old place but at least I could put it on my CV. Then I learnt more and more about the company and eventually became extremely excited but nervous about my first day.
What have you been up to over the last 2 weeks?
I have been learning basic HTML and CSS and putting them into practice with different tasks. Not only have I been able to work on my programming but I’ve had the freedom to work as creatively as I want and create an open space for myself, to see if HTML and CSS is for me. I’ve also completed some Structured Query Language courses on Codecademy which has helped me learn about databases. FreeCodeCamp helped me extremely well with understanding HTML and CSS, and of course, my buddies were a great source of information, as well as being great partners to rubber duck with!
What has surprised you about working at a product development studio?
It’s much more friendly than I expected. I was afraid it was a place where people endlessly stared at glaring screens and I was going to be a burden on my buddies. I ended up finding that Potato is a friendly place where everybody’s willing to help and talk. It’s a place where you can comfortably do your work in an unpressured environment and much less like a boring old office.
What is your biggest learning from your work experience here?
I learned to be honest with the people I worked with otherwise nothing was going to happen with the problems I had. I also learnt to actually say what I think versus what I think someone wants to hear, so if I don’t understand something my buddies and I can work together to resolve the issue, and if not for me but for the next person to do work experience.
What’s your best tip for future work experience students coming to Potato?
You need to know that your team is there to help you, and it may seem intimidating because you don’t want to disturb them, but they’re more than happy to help and don’t mind it! Always speak truthfully, because if you don’t no-one can help or even know that you need help with anything! Finally, just relax. Potato is a great place where you can do your work and there shouldn’t be any reason to stress about anything.
