Confessions of an On the Job Trainee

When I found out that I was one of the few chosen to be a part of the OJT team of Ingenuity, I was overjoyed. But this joy quickly turned sour because the reality set in. I was scared and nervous. The company’s profile dawned upon me. Ingenuity is one of the best software engineering companies in the city.

What if I can’t catch up with the things being taught to us? What if I can’t provide the output that is needed from us? What if I mess up? I had so many what if questions running through my mind that this quote perfectly sums it up:

“I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.”

-Frodo Baggins

Now replace the words “the ring” with “Ingenuity”.

Now, 176 hours later, I have successfully accomplished my OJT. Successfully! Why successfully? Because I didn't care about what grade I would get for my OJT subject (even though all of us had great outputs). I got so much more from this company than just numbers to write on my transcript of record. I learned so much from this company. I learned how to create amazing websites using Python in the Django framework.

But learning all these technical stuff is possible even without the OJT. You can learn them at school. There is also the internet with loads of tutorials on almost everything, most especially in computer programming. So what did I learn from this company that made my stay so special?  

It’s the one thing the internet can’t teach. It’s the one thing that experience perfects.  

Work ethic.

All throughout my 176 hour stay in the company, I got to work and interact with amazing people. I saw how they worked. These people work hard and are dedicated in what they do. They work together and help each other for the betterment of the company. The team is hardworking and intelligent, but they are not your typical geeks and nerds. Software engineering can drive someone crazy and they know how to balance it out by having fun.

This profession survives because of innovation and hard work despite all of the challenges and that’s what I saw in the Ingenuity team. 

They work hard to reach their goal.

“Our goal is to build well-engineered products for our clients who want quality, fast, and reliable results.”

To sum this up, let me present you with a piece of movie dialogue that started with the quote I presented above.

Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.

Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”

-Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

In life we are presented with a web of opportunities. Some are good, some are bad but almost all are difficult. Almost all of us would rather have an easy life where everything is brought to us in a silver platter. But the truth is that hardships come, and sometimes it brings with it a punch so hard that it knocks you to the ground. But eventually, our success (or failure) will be hinged on our ability and determination to get back up. We may not like what may come in life, but all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

On behalf of the On the Job Trainees, 

Thank you Ingenuity!