Justin Griesser: Triple intern and full-fledged Anexian
What is the saying? Practice makes perfect, and that’s exactly how we see it at Anexia. That’s why we welcomed many interns again this year, who were able to get a taste of Anexia in our offices across all locations and enriched us with their ideas. Because at Anexia, interns are not just coffee-holders and document sorters, but actual team members.
One of these interns was Justin, who spent his third summer in a row (!) with us in System Operations. What does he do all day? Why does he prefer to spend his summer in the office rather than at the lake? Find out what he learned through his internships in this #joinourrevolution interview!
Who are you, and what do you do at Anexia?
Hi, I’m Justin, 17 years old, and I’m currently in the 2nd grade of HTL, but I’m now entering the third grade. I am currently doing my third summer internship here at Anexia in System Operations. As far as the tasks are concerned, I primarily take care of what’s going on at the moment. This can be more complex things like writing a program or something like that, but also small things like going to the main warehouse or other buildings to fetch things / move them back and forth. Or setting up and taking down workstations, for onboarding, for example. I actually do quite a lot of things.
This is your 3rd time here for an internship. Why do you keep coming back to us?
Ever since my dad joined Anexia, I’ve been fascinated by the company. At the very beginning, there were only 20 people or something? And I’ve been able to watch the company grow from the very beginning. So it was clear to me since I was little that I wanted to work here as early as possible. At some point, the opportunity for an internship came up, and I was like: yes! I’m finally going to Anexia! And so far, I’ve really looked forward to it every year. In the next few years, I want to keep coming back for internships until I can hopefully start working at Anexia for real someday.
Very cool! Do you already have a job lined up?
I can specialize in school now. And I specialized in software, not systems engineering. In short, that means not building circuits but rather creating software and dealing with software. I’m interested in two career paths: game development, which I probably wouldn’t be able to do here at Anexia, and cyber security. I don’t know whether I’ll be more of an attacker or a defender, but you must know both anyway. (laughs) You have to understand how to attack in order to defend. And vice versa. But yes, the two aspects are the ones that interest me and show possible directions in which I would like to develop.
Have you always wanted to do something in the technical field?
Yes, ever since I can remember, I’ve always looked up to my dad and wanted to do something in the tech field. He’s always been my role model in that regard, and I’ve always said that I wanted to be like him. That’s why he guided me in that direction. And it’s really like this: every time I’m with him, 80% of the conversations are about a technology-related topic. Whether it’s semiconductor shortages or other crises in the tech field. Or if there’s a bluescreen on the open road, we stop and make fun of it. (laughs) It’s very cool to be around him.
Why is it advisable to spend the internship in the office rather than at the lake?
Definitely the working environment. All the people are friendly! I don’t know everyone yet, since I’ve only ever done internships, but there are many people I keep in touch with. In the meantime, I have made friends with many of the employees. You don’t go into the company with this classic: “Ahh, help, I have to work!”. I can manage my time the way I want. I can take breaks when I want. If you’re an early riser, you can start earlier; if you’re a late riser, you can sleep in and work longer. That takes a lot of stress off you, and that’s so important. I’ve even accumulated some overtime, so now I can often leave earlier. I can’t help it; I just like working here because it’s fun.
Is that what makes an internship good for you?
With an internship, I’m there for the experience. If you’re doing an internship because you want to make money, you shouldn’t look for an internship but a summer job. So far, every summer, it’s been like this. I’ve always done different things and learned new things. I’ve been able to broaden my horizons of experience. Thanks to the internships at Anexia, I now know pretty much what I want to do in the future. That’s what makes a good internship for me.
How did you come to do the internship here as a systems engineer?
I can answer that in a nutshell: Because my dad is in System Operations. I’ve always liked that, and that’s where I always wanted to go. So far, I’ve always been in System Operations. But maybe next summer, if it turns out that I’m coming, I can go to Software Development and take a look at it, because I’m really interested in it.
What are some of your responsibilities in your System Operations department?
I have very little to do with all the System Operation tickets, where the problems and main tasks are dealt with because I simply don’t know enough about that yet. But I help set things right in the Anexia Engine, record or compare if everything is documented correctly. Some employees work more accurately, others less accurately, and that’s where I come in: I look to see if everything has been done correctly. And that gives you a real sense of responsibility. Simply because you know that you are now responsible for getting it right. It depends on me whether a customer receives the correct invoice or not. Of course, I’m very keen to get everything right.
Thanks to the internships at Anexia, I now know pretty much what I want to do in the future. That’s what makes a good internship for me.
So, you’re really involved in the team and don’t just bring coffee?
No, not at all! (laughs) I like to do that when I don’t have anything to do, but even then, I’m actually looking for work and seeing where I can help someone. Once I have a lot to do, then I can really do my tasks in peace. And if you really don’t know your way around, all you have to do is ask someone. Because you get help from all corners when you need it. Problems can be solved within 5 minutes as if they had never existed. Team cohesion is always a given.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
Well, a typical workday for me starts with getting up and deciding if I’ve gotten enough sleep. I can go to the company whenever I want and just say: yes, it fits, now I’ll work my hours today, or even a bit more, so I can leave earlier tomorrow. As soon as I get to the company, I sit right down at the PC and work with full concentration. It’s never that I’m annoyed because I have to work. On the contrary, I want to accomplish as many of the tasks I have set myself as possible. That sounds boring now, but because of the different functions I get, it’s very varied. I like that.
Which of your tasks was particularly exciting for you?
Writing a program! That was last year, and I was still very inexperienced in programming. And I have to admit: In the end, I didn’t manage the task. I worked on the program for a couple of weeks and made very little progress because I spent a lot of my time in forums acquiring knowledge on my own and learning how what works. Even though I didn’t make it through the assignment, it made me much more advanced because I learned a lot. Before my internship, I was a loser at programming. Now I’m the “class dad,” so to speak, and I help everyone get straight A’s with ease. So even though it was a long and tedious task, I got the most out of it.
Were there skills you could reinforce on the job, or did you learn everything from scratch?
Programming. That was very hard for me because programming is always understanding how it works with all its logic. And that was missing for me. The first two years were just pain. (laughs) During the internship, it all clicked. I understood it from one day to the next! I got to a point where I realized that I could do it now and that everything I would learn from then on would be easy because I knew the basics.
Do you program in your spare time, and if so, what are you currently working on?
I’ve already made a few small games. You know those really old games where you just write with the computer? Where the computer tells you that you’re in a dungeon and then asks you what you’re going to do next? And then you answer it, for example, in which direction you are looking, and it tells you what you see, and it goes on like that. I have been working on something like this for 3 weeks. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun.
What I’m also trying my hand at is databases, for example. And as soon as I have the knowledge, I would like to approach AI, which stands for artificial intelligence. The most exciting thing would be to start with a bot that writes to people. Maybe you can even talk to it, and it can have a normal conversation with you. But not as simple as Siri, which just remembers your last answer, but a bit more complicated so that you can have an intense conversation about a topic.
During the internship, it all clicked. I understood it from one day to the next!
And what else do you do in your free time when you’re not working on your projects?
Outside of that, I like to go out, ride my motorcycle, and play sports. When things loosen up with Corona, I can finally resume martial arts after a 2-year break from Corona because I’ve been doing judo for 13 years. I spend most of my time in the technical area, and if it’s not programming, I like to play video games. But even there, I don’t stick to one game, but try out and see what’s out there and how you could do something. That’s also how I get ideas for my own projects.
What are your plans for the future?
Apart from the fact that I would like to develop software, I would like to travel the world. This industry is well suited for that since I’m already allowed to do home office as an intern. This opens up many opportunities for me, as I don’t have to take a vacation to go to Italy to visit family, for example. I simply take my laptop with me and work there, which is quite normal. And then I can do that anywhere in the world! So theoretically I could go to the Caribbean and work on the beach there. I think that’s pretty cool!
What strengths should others bring if they want to do the same internship like you did?
You should definitely have ambition because it will take you far. What’s also essential is spontaneity. If you miss a deadline, you must manage that somehow and maybe slip something else in between. This brings us to the next point – time management. When you get a task that you work on independently over the whole summer. I improved during the internship and even started to plan everything in my calendar, which I never did before. Now I always look at the calendar in the morning and evening and see what’s coming up. And of course, you should be interested in the topic, then the work is much more fun.
Your conclusion about the internship at Anexia?
For those interested in such an internship, I can only say: I can highly recommend it. You’re flexible, the people are friendly, you can arrange when you work, and you can see that in the performance of the employees here.
Whether you want to get a taste of Anexia in an internship like Justin or are looking for a permanent job, we are always looking for new colleagues and are sure to find a suitable team for you! #joinourrevoltion and just have a look at our vacancies: