Another Successful Intern Program Concludes

Original Entry by : Katrina Schollum

By Katrina Schollum, People Partner, Endace


February saw the end of our 22/23 Summer Intern Program, with our four interns finishing their 12-week structured placements with our Engineering team.  It was a great success, with all four interns completing their projects and achieving the goals that had been set.

The Big Reveal

The last day of the program is Presentations Day. Our interns presented the results of their projects to a live audience at our R&D centre in Hamilton NZ, with presentations also streamed live to the Global Endace team.

Intern Presentations Day 2023 - Endace

Despite a few (well-hidden) nerves, our interns did a fantastic job – providing insight into their individual journeys, outlining the objectives of their project, talking about some of the challenges they met and overcame, and demonstrating the solutions they had built.

Each presentation concluded with suggestions from the intern about where the projects could be further enhanced to provide additional benefits to the business in the future. There was also a live Q&A session where the interns did a great job of fielding a variety of questions from the audience

Reflecting on the Success of the Intern Program

It was really rewarding to see the growth in confidence of our interns as they saw how much their contributions were valued by the wider organisation and the obvious pride that they (rightfully) showed in the projects they completed.

Stuart Wilson, Endace CEO, summed it up when he said “.. it’s always such a pleasure to see the extraordinary contributions of our interns. What they manage to achieve, in such a short time, is remarkable. It makes us proud to be part of shaping the future of tech talent in New Zealand.”

Endace’s Intern Program gives interns invaluable insight into how a global tech business operates.  It is a great opportunity to put their university knowledge into practice, further develop their technical skills, and learn about team work in a collaborative environment. They also gain insight into all areas of our business, from operations and finance to sales and marketing.

The benefits of the intern program are very definitely in both directions. Interns are supported by an individual manager and mentor, who also benefits from sharing their knowledge and expertise to guide the projects and help prepare interns to transition from studying to the workplace.

Feedback from our interns at the close of the program was very positive.  They mentioned a strong sense of fulfillment from being able to contribute to direction of their projects, having the opportunity to solve rewarding problems and develop their creativity and professional communication skills.  They also mentioned how much they enjoyed being part of a fun team, with colleagues who were approachable and who valued their opinions and suggestions during team discussions.

Where to Next for our Interns?

Equipped with some new skills and hands-on experience, one of our interns is returning to continue their studies and we look forward to seeing their future industry accomplishments. We are delighted that our other three interns will join the Endace team and continue to grow their talent with us.

And we are proud to continue our strong tradition of working closely with tertiary education providers to ensure Endace continues to be an employer of choice for IT and engineering graduates in New Zealand.


Endace 2022/23 Internship Program Kicks Off

Original Entry by : Katrina Schollum

By Katrina Schollum, People Partner, Endace


The Endace Summer Internship program has been a great success in previous years, and we are happy to say it’s back for another year!  We are very happy to have welcomed four interns to join us in our R&D centre in Hamilton, NZ for the summer, after a fantastic amount of interest from students around New Zealand.  We look forward to supporting the success of our new interns as they progress through the program

Induction Day

The first day of the program is an introduction to our interns on “life at Endace” and how we work.

Our interns learnt about Endace’s history and products and develop relationships with their mentors and managers.  From an opportunity to speak with our CEO, Stuart Wilson, to learning about the details of what to expect, and a delicious lunch networking with engineering team members, it’s safe to say our interns had a lot to absorb and feel excited about what’s to come.

 

Our interns also had the opportunity to engage in gameplaying in order to get to know their mentors.  One of our new mentors, Scott Yearbury, is one of many previous interns at Endace who have volunteered to mentor future interns.

Scott noted “being an intern at Endace was a great way to start my career. It was a challenge, but that challenge and the support provided to me allowed me to push myself to learn a lot and develop my skills a huge amount in a relatively short period of time. I’m excited to be on the other side of this program now and to be able to help provide our new interns with the great opportunity I got.”

It’s amazing to see the full cycle as previous interns become employees – and ultimately become mentors themselves – with the end result being that our talent continues to develop at all levels.

Our Program

Over the course of 13 weeks, the  intern program focuses on commercially relevant, individual projects and provides structured training – including lunch-and-learns to introduce other areas of the business such as Finance, HR, Marketing and Operations – to create a well-rounded experience.  The intern program culminates with our interns delivering a presentation at a shared learning session involving interns and their mentors, members of the senior leadership team and project managers.

Endace is proud of our ties to tertiary education and we see huge value in helping develop talent for IT and Engineering students seeking to join our industry as we showcase Endace as an employer of choice.

The experience provided to our interns is hands-on with intentional learning, which helps in building technical capability and giving insight into how a global tech organisation operates.  We look forward to supporting our interns as they continue to learn and develop, and to celebrating their future achievements.


Women in technology: Empowering the future

Original Entry by : Marjo Montejo

By Marjo Montejo, Staff Software Engineer, Endace

Women have had a significant role in the growth of technology over time. For example, Ada Lovelace created an algorithm for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine which is considered to be one of history’s first computers ever made-and she did this back when women weren’t even allowed into engineering school! Women are also underrepresented today as well; only 27% work within tech fields related jobs – a problem that needs solving.

Growing up, I never really considered a career in technology. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized the impact that technology has on our world. From the way we communicate to the way we live and work, technology is everywhere. And it’s only going to become more and more integral to our lives in the future.

I’m grateful that I ended up working in the technology industry. It’s been a great way to grow and develop professionally. And I love the work flexibility that allows me to have a healthy work-life balance. This flexibility allows me to pursue my hobbies and personal interests, such as enjoying New Zealand’s great outdoors and spending time with my family.

I appreciate the fact that Endace is a company that is doing its bit to promote gender diversity in the workplace. And I think the Endace Scholarship for Women in Technology is certainly pointing in the right direction. By empowering women to enter into and succeed in tech careers, we’re helping to build a brighter future for us all.

So, if you’re considering a career in technology, don’t be afraid to go for it. With hard work and dedication, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. And who knows? You might just end up changing the world.

The Scholarship consists of two $10,000 scholarships per year, for three years, for women enrolled full-time in specific technology degree programs: B CompSc, B CompSc (Honours), or BE (Honours) Software Engineering.

The scholarships also offer the potential for work placement.

Applications are opening on 15 November 2022 and can be made via the University of Waikato, MyWaikato portal. Full eligibility requirements can be found at Waikato.ac.nz

The closing date for applications is February 15th, 2023.


Successful Endace 2021/22 Internship Program concludes for another year

Original Entry by : Katrina Schollum

Our six interns for our Summer 2021/22 Internship Program joined us in our R&D centre in Hamilton, NZ from the Universities of Auckland and Waikato. Their 13 week R.E.A.L (Remarkable, Enjoyable, Authentic, Learning) Internship Program  saw them working individually on commercially relevant, meaningful projects with the support of their managers and mentors.  We are pleased to say it was another highly successful year!

2021/22 Endace Interns working in the Hamilton, NZ office

Presentations Day

Because of Covid lockdowns, the interns’ introduction to Endace was virtual this year – and so too were their final presentations.

The Internship Program concluded with each of the interns presenting their individual projects to an audience.  This year the audience included Endace team members from five countries: project managers and mentors as well as all the members of our Senior Leadership Team.  We were also very happy to welcome faculty members from the University of Waikato, continuing our strong link with the original birthplace of Endace – very appropriate in our 20th year!

The interns gave an overview of their projects and the specific challenges they were trying to address. They discussed the design of their solutions, implementation challenges they had faced, and also demonstrated their solutions in action. They concluded by outlining how these projects could be applied – and potentially extended further – in the future. At the end of each presentation, audience members had an opportunity to ask questions and delve deeper into the outcomes of the project.

Elements of Success

Throughout Endace’s structured Internship Program, interns get to hone their technical skills and put their university knowledge into practice.  But beyond just acquiring technical skills, interns also have an opportunity to gain an understanding of all the different areas of Endace’s business – from sales and marketing, to finance and operations. They also get to develop their communication and organisational skills by interacting with members of the Endace team from many departments.

The interns are supported throughout the Internship Program by individual managers and mentors. They get to observe how teams work together cohesively – in an environment where ideas are respected and individuals are trusted to do their best work. It was fantastic to see these learnings reflected in the intern’s final presentations.

2021/22 Endace Interns working in the Hamilton, NZ office

Our managers and mentors also benefit hugely from the Internship program – which provides a great opportunity to build leadership skills in their intern support roles and gives them the satisfaction of seeing the impact of sharing their expertise.

Following the presentations, Stuart Wilson, Endace’s CEO, summed up everybody’s thoughts when he said “it constantly amazes me how much interns can achieve in a relatively short period of time!”  He emphasised the importance of Endace’s determination that intern projects should be real, commercially-focused projects – and talked about how the intern projects have helped shape product improvement, automation, being able to scale our testing environments and customer experience for Endace.

Endace’s CTO, Stephen Donnelly, commented that an important outcome of the Endace Internship Program is that it supports the wider R&D sector and helps New Zealand prepare future engineers with exposure to cutting edge cybersecurity technology.  Cybersecurity is an increasingly important industry world-wide, and increasing students familiarity with key challenges, tools and technologies is vital in upskilling the NZ sector.

At Endace we are proud of our interns’ achievements thus far and look forward to following their future accomplishments in the industry.  As we conclude another successful program we will now look forward to the next round in Spring, bringing in further perspectives, learning and career development to Endace.


Our 2021/22 Internship Program Begins

Original Entry by : Katrina Schollum

We are very pleased to have recently welcomed six Interns to join us for their 13 week, R.E.A.L (remarkable, enjoyable, authentic, learning) Summer Internship program in our R&D Center in Hamilton, New Zealand.  We had a fantastic response to, and level of interest in, our individual projects and we look forward to seeing what this year’s Interns can learn and achieve.

Induction Day

Working remotely meant a different look and feel for Day 1 of our program with introductions happening via Teams.  Our Interns were introduced to life at Endace virtually, including a welcome from our CEO Stuart Wilson.

The afternoon kicked off with a team-building activity which was facilitated by Team Up Events and involved 4 different teams in an online race against the clock.  Moving around the continents, learning, answering questions, taking group photos, and lots of laughs – it was a fun part of the day getting to know our new team members and testing how good our online communication skills have become!

One of our mentors, Norbert, confirmed the ‘Travel Around the World’ activity was “fun for us, but also a good chance to get to know the Interns and break the ice – which is not easy working remotely.”  After the ice was broken our Interns and their individual mentors had the opportunity to continue the conversation and begin their projects together.

Our Program

We are proud of our history, contribution to ongoing learning and continuing our strong bonds to our company origins in tertiary education.  From day one, our Interns learn about Endace’s history and products and develop relationships with their mentors.  This year, we are thrilled to have three mentors and managers who, in previous years, were themselves Endace Interns and offer unique insight from both sides of the relationship.  Sam, one of the new mentors, said “being an Intern at Endace was challenging but in the best possible way. I learned so much in such a short time, and the support and guidance I received along the way allowed me to make a smooth transition from study into the workplace. I am excited to be able to pass on some of what I learned to the next crop of Interns.”

Across 13 weeks the Internship program focuses on commercially relevant, individual projects and providing structured training including lunch-and-learns to introduce other areas of the business such as finance, HR, marketing and operations to create  a well-rounded experience.  The Internship program culminates with our Interns delivering a presentation at a shared learning session involving Interns and their mentors, members of the senior leadership team and project managers.

2021/22 Interns’ first day in the office
2021/22 Interns’ first day in the office

The Endace Internship Program is a great way to help computer science students and graduates build talent and experience and grow the industry. It also helps us showcase Endace as an employer of choice for IT and engineering graduates in New Zealand.

Our Interns become sought-after graduates with meaningful, hands-on experience and we will be following their achievements with interest.  ­­It was fantastic to finally have our Interns join us in the office so we could meet face-to-face, and we look forward to seeing them share their progress at the close of the program.


Endace 2020/21 Internship Program concludes with big thumbs up from all

Original Entry by : Katrina Schollum
Endace’s Summer Internship Program has concluded for another year.
Our four interns successfully completed their 12-week program working on individual projects in our R&D centre in Hamilton, NZ.

Big Smiles on the Final Day

Our 2020/21 Endace Interns with big smiles on the final day

On the last day of their program, the interns’ final task was a presentation to the business, including senior members from our global team. Following opening remarks from our CEO, our MC and VP of People, Sasha Blair, kicked off proceedings.

With a mixture of excitement and a few nerves, we learned from the interns about their successes and how they got there.  We were treated to a live demonstration of their finished project work and saw how deftly they dealt with the live Q&A sessions.

Afterwards, over some food, drinks – and smiles all round – our interns wrapped up their day with a final get-together with the wider Engineering team.

Final thoughts from this years’ interns were that the program “was a great way to start my career” and they “learned lots – it wasn’t easy but it was totally worth it.

Our Program

Our 2020/1 Endace Interns getting a final thumbs up from our CEO, Stuart Wilson.

Endace’s 12-week intern program focuses on involving interns in commercially relevant projects.  From learning about Terraform (no, it turns out it’s not about the moon) in large-scale VM deployments to developing a meaningful method for faster QA tests the discoveries and outcomes were significant.

Moreover, the structured training provides insight into the organisation and its operations and also provided training in presentation skills.

It was fantastic to see that not only had our interns learned new technical proficiencies, such as learning a new programming language, but also their growth in confidence as they saw how much their contributions provided value to our organisation.

Being a mentor for the interns was a challenging but also incredibly rewarding journey. It was an honour to be allowed to help them grow from overwhelmed newcomers to developers competently progressing their project” said Norbert Abel, our mentor from the Firmware team.

With new skills and hands-on experience, two of our interns have returned to Christchurch to continue their studies and we look forward to seeing what they achieve in the future.

We are delighted that our other two interns will rejoin the Endace team and continue to grow their talent with us. Welcome aboard!

And we are proud to continue our strong bonds with tertiary education providers as a platform to present Endace as an employer of choice for IT and engineering graduates in New Zealand.

#Internship #Careers #NZTech #Mentors


Endace’s 2020/21 Internship Program
Kicks off

Original Entry by : Katrina Schollum

Our Summer Internship Program is back! Four lucky interns from a large pool went through our robust selection process and were recently welcomed into the business to start their 12-week program in our R&D center in Hamilton, NZ.

Induction Day

As part of their first day getting to know Endace and the team, each of our four interns was paired with a mentor to complete a team-building exercise (with a little friendly competition). Using only what they could find in the office, and their wits and ingenuity, they were tasked with building a race-worthy vehicle able to propel itself across the lunchroom.  The winner not only got to claim victory but also got to have their name on the build challenge trophy!  The final race, MC’d by our VP People – with her hard-hat on for health and safety – was watched by the full Engineering department, all cheering on the contestants.

Afterward, over some good food, our interns had a chance to get to know their managers, mentors, and other members of the wider Engineering team.  Included in the fun were Endace’s CEO, Stuart Wilson, and CTO, Stephen Donnelly, who were part of the judging panel of senior engineering managers.

“It was great to see the tremendous enthusiasm and teamwork from our interns on display once again, showcasing their innovative solutions and rule interpretations,” said Stephen Donnelly.

Our Program

Endace began as a University project and as an organization we have continued to have strong bonds to tertiary education through our intern program. We are proud of our history and contribution to ongoing learning.

From day one our interns learn about Endace’s history and products and develop relationships with their mentors.  This year, we are thrilled to have two mentors who, in previous years, were themselves Endace interns and offer unique insight from both sides of the relationship.  Joshua, one of the new mentors, said “my time as an intern at Endace really exceeded my expectations, offering the chance to work with people that believed in me and helped me grow my skills and kickstart my career. I am really excited to now be able to do the same for others and watch them grow over the summer.”

The 12-week intern program focuses on involving interns in commercially relevant projects and providing structured training, including lunch-and-learns that introduce the interns to other areas of the business such as finance, HR, marketing, and operations.

The intern program culminates with our interns delivering a presentation at a shared learning session involving interns and their mentors, members of the senior leadership team, and project managers.

Our interns will become sought-after graduates with meaningful, hands-on experience and we look forward to following their achievements.  We are proud of the Endace Internship Program and see it as a great way to help computer science students and graduates build talent and experience and grow the industry, as well as showcasing Endace as an employer of choice for IT and engineering graduates in New Zealand.


Endace Interns Tackle the Industry’s Biggest Challenges

Original Entry by : Endace

Our Summer Internship Programme is back and this year we are pleased to welcome three new interns to the Endace team.

Induction

New Endace Interns Puzzle Over Designing a Self-Propelled Vehicle from Found Objects
New Endace Interns Puzzle Over Designing a Self-Propelled Vehicle from Found Objects

Interns are paired with a mentor and on day one have a team-building exercise (with a little friendly competition). Using only what they can find in the office and their wits and ingenuity, they need to build a race-worthy vehicle that can propel itself across the lunchroom of our Hamilton R&D center.

Endace’s Engineering Managers will judge the event for creativity, innovation and artistic merit. There are two rules: it can’t cause harm to people or property (so no mini tanks, sorry guys) and it can’t use fire in any form (such as for a propellant).

The interns and their mentors have been challenged by the Auckland-team for a rematch at the end of their internship. So, let the games begin!

The Intern Programme

Throughout the next 12 weeks, our interns will be heavily involved with R&D projects that are designed to give them an edge in the technology industry and help shape the future of packet-capture and network monitoring technologies.

They will complete 1,500 hours of project-based R&D work, receive up to 100 dedicated mentoring hours and have the opportunity to prepare formal professional and career development plans.

They’re also given 64 hours of structured training which will give them an overview of running a technology business across different areas – including finance, supply chain, sales and quality control.

The culmination of the 12-week programme is a presentation and shared learning session between the interns and members of the senior leadership team, project managers and their mentors.

Endace is excited to welcome our new team of interns and looking forward to working with them on a number of projects. We are committed to ensuring their internship is a robust experience that supports their innovation, drive and talent development and that it is an experience that they’ll remember fondly. Endace is a committed member of the NZ Tech community.

We are proud of the Endace Internship Programme and see it as a great way to help computer science students and graduates build talent and experience and grow the industry. And it helps demonstrate why Endace is an employer of choice for IT and engineering graduates in New Zealand.