Mira and Gwen found themselves in Contribute’s diverse APEX software factory team, something they weren’t used to. “I’m currently studying programming at AP. Initially, I studied preschool education, but it didn’t quite fit. My mom works in IT, and she suggested I give it a try,” says Mira. “When I started at AP, I noticed that it’s mostly a male-dominated field. We do have some female students, but the numbers are much fewer. As a woman, you stand out more. That’s how I eventually met Gwen. She was one of the few women in our class.”
“IT wasn’t my first choice either. I had studied orthopedagogics and worked in the field for 5 years. But I also realized it wasn’t really my thing. During my studies, I had to work with computers regularly, and that’s when I started to develop a passion for IT,” Gwen adds.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect from low-code, and I was afraid it wouldn’t be my thing, but APEX was a pleasant surprise. I’ve learned a lot already, and there’s also a lot of PL/SQL involved. So, my fear that we wouldn’t write much code turned out to be unfounded,” explains Gwen.
The charms of low-code
This is the first time Mira and Gwen are working with low-code development. Although it wasn’t their first choice, they’re really enjoying it. “This is the first time I’m working with low-code. Throughout our studies, we mostly worked with TypeScript,” Gwen clarifies. “I also really enjoy coding. I wasn’t sure what to expect from low-code, and I feared it wouldn’t be for me, but APEX has definitely been a pleasant surprise. I’ve learned a lot in the process, and there’s a significant amount of PL/SQL involved. So, my fear that we wouldn’t be coding much was totally unwarranted.
Mira also found Oracle APEX appealing. “I really enjoy working with low-code. You learn a lot by doing, and low-code definitely doesn’t fall short of standard coding. There’s still coding involved, but you see results much faster. I was already more inclined to focus on front-end development, so this is a great middle ground.”
A genuine connection
Although low-code development didn’t immediately draw them in, Mira and Gwen immediately felt a connection with Contribute as a company. “We met Saskia, the HR manager at Contribute, at an internship event. These events are always a bit overwhelming. We handed out our CVs to a lot of companies, mostly because we were advised by our program to start approaching companies early,” Mira explains. “But we really got the feeling that many companies were painting a rosy picture. Moreover, many companies seemed uninterested in us. That wasn’t the case with Saskia.”
“Saskia immediately made us feel at ease. She was genuinely interested in who we were and what we wanted to do with our internship,” confirms Gwen. “After the event, Saskia called us to schedule a conversation. We were immediately on board, and that’s when the Contribute internship came up.”
Mira and Gwen continued to experience that personal connection throughout their internship. “Everyone here is really open and approachable. We’re all working together across different sister companies, and every colleague is willing to lend a hand. The barrier to ask questions is very low, and a lot of time is taken to explain things,” says Gwen.
“I don’t feel like just an intern here; I really feel like part of the team. We’re even invited to team-building activities. The term ‘interns’ is actually only used jokingly,” Mira continues.
“We’re kind of spoiled here. Everything is provided, from laptops to lunch. We even got to go to APEX World with a few colleagues. It’s really great that we get these opportunities. I can’t recommend this internship enough to other students,” Gwen concludes.
