CS 454 Internship Report - Justin Spradlin

Internship Value

I found my internship to be an extremely valuable life experience that was also very beneficial to the continuation of my academic studies. To begin with I learned a variety of new technical skills that I know will be helpful to me as I pursue my degree. During my internship I was able to learn many new skills including: PHP, SQL, JSP, Korn Shell Scripting, Unix/Linux commands, database design, and various networking skills. Not only was I able to learn all of these new technologies, I was also able to expand upon technologies that I had previously learned in school such as: Java, HTML, CSS, project design and analysis, UML, and web design. It was a wonderful experience to test my skills in an actual work environment as opposed to a classroom setting.

Learning a host of new technical skills was obviously very valuable; however, there are many other aspects of my internship that made it a beneficial experience. Working in a “real world” business environment allowed me to gain a practical understanding of how a business operates. I was included in staff meetings, design meetings, technical seminars, and social functions. This was useful because it helped me to understand how business is conducted and what behaviors are appropriate in a work setting. Another benefit of working at FGM was making many contacts within the industry. I met many people while I worked at FGM and was able to build a solid reference lists. I was also able to make a good impression of myself while working at FGM and maybe able to earn a job offer with this company next year.

Working for FGM also helped me to understand the type of work that I enjoy taking a part in and they type of work that I do not enjoy taking a part in. This is very important because it will help me to decide which type of company I would like to work for in the future. I was also able to assess my skills at FGM and I now understand which skills I need to improve upon to become a more valuable prospective employee.

Aside from the significant technical and business skills I learned at FGM, there were other life skills that I was able to learn while interning in Northern Virginia this summer. First of all, I learned how to affectively and responsibly manage my money. Living in Arlington, VA is very expensive. I had to pay for rent, bills, an automobile repair, food, travel, etc. all on my own. I learned how to create a budget and I was also able to save a fair amount of money. I also learned to manage my time very well. At the beginning of the summer I set many goals for myself. By managing my time wisely and working hard I was able to complete most of these goals. In conclusion, interning at FGM this summer has been the most valuable experience I have undertaken during my academic career at JMU. I am now confident in my computer sciences skills, my business etiquette, and myself as a person.



Getting the Job About FGM Daily Log Career Advice Internship Value Extra

*Internship Value* I found my internship to be an extremely valuable life experience that was also very beneficial to the continuation of my academic studies. To begin with I learned a variety of new technical skills that I know will be helpful to me as I pursue my degree. During my internship I was able to learn many new skills including: PHP, SQL, JSP, Korn Shell Scripting, Unix/Linux commands, database design, and various networking skills. Not only was I able to learn all of these new technologies, I was also able to expand upon technologies that I had previously learned in school such as: Java, HTML, CSS, project design and analysis, UML, and web design. It was a wonderful experience to test my skills in an actual work environment as opposed to a classroom setting. Learning a host of new technical skills was obviously very valuable; however, there are many other aspects of my internship that made it a beneficial experience. Working in a “real world” business environment allowed me to gain a practical understanding of how a business operates. I was included in staff meetings, design meetings, technical seminars, and social functions. This was useful because it helped me to understand how business is conducted and what behaviors are appropriate in a work setting. Another benefit of working at FGM was making many contacts within the industry. I met many people while I worked at FGM and was able to build a solid reference lists. I was also able to make a good impression of myself while working at FGM and maybe able to earn a job offer with this company next year. Working for FGM also helped me to understand the type of work that I enjoy taking a part in and they type of work that I do not enjoy taking a part in. This is very important because it will help me to decide which type of company I would like to work for in the future. I was also able to assess my skills at FGM and I now understand which skills I need to improve upon to become a more valuable prospective employee. Aside from the significant technical and business skills I learned at FGM, there were other life skills that I was able to learn while interning in Northern Virginia this summer. First of all, I learned how to affectively and responsibly manage my money. Living in Arlington, VA is very expensive. I had to pay for rent, bills, an automobile repair, food, travel, etc. all on my own. I learned how to create a budget and I was also able to save a fair amount of money. I also learned to manage my time very well. At the beginning of the summer I set many goals for myself. By managing my time wisely and working hard I was able to complete most of these goals. In conclusion, interning at FGM this summer has been the most valuable experience I have undertaken during my academic career at JMU. I am now confident in my computer sciences skills, my business etiquette, and myself as a person.