Vertex Labs

Intern

January 2024 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Working with Vertex Labs has been an immensely rewarding experience. Through a diverse array of projects, I've gained invaluable insights and hands-on experience that have significantly altered my career trajectory. From crafting compelling newsletters and blog posts to collaborating closely with startup CEOs and founders, every experience has been a testament to the unparalleled learning environment fostered by Vertex Labs. In working with Vertex Labs, I was able to work face-to-face with clients, and see the impact of the work I was doing in real time. The Vertex Labs team is a lean group that allows for direct, hands-on experiences on projects. Because of this, I have been able to actively watch projects I work on take action, as well as work closely with clients themselves, receiving feedback and advice that has been instrumental to my career and my understanding of the professional world. The mentorship and guidance I've received from seasoned professionals have been instrumental in shaping my perspective and honing my skills. Their expertise has not only broadened my professional network but also equipped me with the tools necessary to navigate both the software and finance industries with confidence. In retrospect, my time with Vertex Labs has been nothing short of transformative. It has given me unparalleled career opportunities, and a true understanding of the professional world. I am immensely grateful for the experiences and connections forged during my time working for Vertex Labs, and eagerly anticipate the continued growth and successes that are to come.

What I wish was different

I wouldn't have changed anything - I am incredibly appreciative of the experience and knowledge that I have gained from working with VertexLabs.

Advice

Listen to all of the advice presented, and take advantage of both the professional and the networking opportunities to the fullest extent.

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Intern

September 2023 • Washington, DC

What I liked

My internship at Saxa Labs has been a transformative experience, providing me with invaluable insights into the practical applications of software development which I was not exposed to in school. What sets this experience apart is the opportunity to work on projects for real clients, which means real deadlines, concrete requirements, and genuine consequences. This isn't the world of "school projects"; it's the realm of genuine, professional software development. In this role, I've been a part of real software development projects, focusing on front-end development using React and Node.js. My responsibilities extend to building features, connecting them to the backend, and meticulously ensuring peak optimization and aesthetics in every facet of the projects. Additionally, I've gained valuable insights into cloud architecture, collaborating with an experienced AWS engineer to understand the intricacies of cloud-based solutions. Working at Saxa Labs not only involves understanding the intricacies of software development processes but also challenges me to find solutions through independent research and hard work. It's an environment where I'm encouraged to learn industry-standard practices, guided by experienced engineers and my knowledgeable peers. Our daily stand-up meetings and organized workflows using JIRA boards ensure that our projects remain on track, fostering a structured and efficient work environment. Furthermore, this experience has introduced me to skills that are invaluable in the professional world, as well as the ability to thrive in a team where excellence is expected. Before joining this team, there were many aspects of working in software development that I had never been exposed to. Once I became a part of Saxa Labs, I saw a completely different side to Computer Science, one which cannot be taught in an academic setting, only through real-world applications and client work.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Software Engineering

September 2023 • Arlington, VA

What I liked

Over the past few months as an intern at Saxa Labs, I’ve been able to meaningfully contribute to real software development projects while growing my own skills both technical and professional. My responsibilities mainly pertain to the front end development of projects. Using React and Typescript, I build out features for sites and connect them to the backend to create full functionality. In this role, I’ve been able to develop a full understanding of the technology I’m using, focusing on optimization and efficiency as well as the stylization of components. This internship challenges me to ask questions and dig deeper to provide solutions that don’t just work, but are advanced, professional solutions. Saxa Labs ensures that interns use agile methodologies to experience what professional software development is like. I’ve had the opportunity to work with an AWS engineer, and ask questions to a professional on how to better develop software and gain insight into the industry itself. Through each feature, I was supported by stand-up meetings and organizational workflows through a JIRA board and grew more comfortable with Git and its abilities. As I was developing, code reviews from others helped me to realize where I could optimize API calls, prevent extraneous renderings of pages, and receive feedback on stylization of my features. As a result, I’ve been able to work in a professional setting while also being able to learn more about the technologies I’m interested in. Working with Saxa Labs has provided me invaluable experience and preparation for working in software development. The workflow and professional development that happens here cannot be taught in a classroom, and has been infinitely valuable in my career and my education.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Software Engineer Intern

July 2023 • Washington, DC

What I liked

Over the course of this internship, I gained a substantial amount of experience, in technical, professional, and conceptual capacities. The bulk of my duties with Saxa Labs involved developing an API using a Node.js runtime and an Express.js web framework. I learned how to take documentation and turn it into functional code. Developing on the backend also meant, apart from configuring and implementing business logic to each endpoint, I also got the chance to develop what is essentially a “quasi database proxy” which involved configuring, programming, and deploying a MongoDB endpoint using Mongo DB Realm. In implementation I learned not only how to apply what I learned in school, but see the effects of efficient best practices in real time. With this work I got experience using professional development tools such as Swagger/OpenAPI, Atlassian/Jira, and software testing using Postman. I got DevOps experience implementing CI/CD pipelines to make the development to deployment process seamless. During my time with Saxa labs I also took on the responsibility of creating write-ups and diagrams for particular case-studies which involved transcribing interviews with start-up CEOs, writing detailed explanations of highly-technical application architectures, and creating diagrams to visualize these architectures. Collectively, all this experience has allowed me to gain a far better understanding of what it is like to be a software engineer from junior to senior perspectives and make substantive and demonstrative steps forward in my CS career