NWI First Impressions (AKA Becoming one with the Engineering Team)

Originally published: Sept 18, 2018

Docker

The best lessons are the ones that stick around after the initial failure.

The following content was originally for my DevOps Specialist Internship at Nebulaworks. All opinions reflected myself at that time and are not representative of my current views.

With the end of my internship coming up, I still don't know much about the IT world. Even though I am a certified Docker Associate and fairly familiar with Kubernetes, I wouldn't say that I am as comfortable with it compared to my own subject domain. Nevertheless, if it weren't for the supportive group I met here at Nebulaworks, I would still be at square one from the start of my internship. They all contributed to my understanding of Docker, Kubernetes and general Linux practices.

The engineering team, Richard, Matthew, Anthony, Aidan and Rob, are some of the people I wanted to thank. Richard is a humble, yet informative cloud engineer who is not afraid to take on any challenge. Despite being extremely knowledgeable on nearly any topic, his approachable personality separates him from other people I met. Matthew (It seems that everywhere I go, there is always someone that is also named Matthew!) is another talented engineer, sharing his charisma to everyone. Like Richard, his reserved demeanor makes him enjoyable to converse, whether it is Docker or rock climbing.

Anthony is a rare exception to typical software gurus. Not only is he a domain expert in all of the Nebulawork tools, but his calming aura radiates with modesty. His passion for work speaks for itself, from when he interviewed me to casual conversations about his recent training workshop. Rob is the closest one to home in that he is a fellow Chapman Alumni (Represent!) who is not afraid to speak his mind. His knowledge base puts him on the same level as the higher ups, which is indeed intimidating at first. However, his down to earth attitude offsets that outer image.

Aidan (Disclosure, I often say Aiden, which after learning recently about how other people mistook his name, makes me feel pretty bad haha), is the most recent add on to the Nebulaworks team. His drive to learn has no bounds, even if it means spending nights working on in-house projects that would benefit other people's learning. His unpretentious personality attracts everyone, and his quirks makes the office ever the more lively.

The two other engineering interns that I'm with, Lynn and Josh, assisted me with their peer moral support. Lynn's outgoing desire for continuous learning pushes me to give it my all every day. Josh's calm yet intuitive thinking relaxes me when I am stressing over the smallest details in a test. Both him and Lynn had just as much of a large factor in my success here as the rest of the engineering team.

To conclude, everyone helped in my growth at the company. From offering advice on tricky topic to walking through a typical troubleshooting scenario, they molded me into who I am today: a more informed Computer Science graduate. While IT is not my original goal after graduation, this internship allowed me to expand my horizons in the diverse career bubble. These people taught me even if you have a wide array of knowledge, it will do you no good if you lack character. Humbleness combined with passion makes people successful in the long term. That alone proves that the Nebulaworks team is truly a blessing in today's world.