Internship at DataArt Bulgaria: Learn more from Elisaveta Pavlova, HR Manager

In the “Internship in…” section, companies talk about their current internship programs and who they are suitable for. How the internship in the Bulgarian office of the global software company DataArt goes, learn from Elisaveta Pavlova, HR manager.

Name: DataArt Bulgaria
Sector: IT/ Software Development
In Bulgaria it is from: 2016
Number of employees in Bulgaria: 130
Offices in Bulgaria: Sofia and Varna
Main activity of the company: Development of software solutions for clients from various industries (finance, insurance, IoT, healthcare, retail, tourism, etc.)

What motivated you to create an internship program?
Internships are nothing new at DataArt, and we’ve always been keen to work with young talent and support their development. In 2023, however, we decided to take more serious steps in this direction and launch an internship program that is already working in Bulgaria. People without technical experience, but with interests and knowledge in the field of technology, can join it. In this way, we give a chance to people who want to develop in the IT field and learn in real conditions, and on the other hand, it also helps the development of the company at the local level and contributes to the growth of our team.

When does the next release start and how will it go?
At DataArt, decisions related to the internship program are made quarterly and are entirely tailored to our projects and clients. When we have a suitable position or project that allows hiring people without experience, we announce it on our site. There is definitely a lot of interest and there are quite a few willing to join us as interns.

Who is it suitable for and in which departments will you accept interns?
At this stage, the internship program is aimed at people who want to develop in a specific technology or direction. For example as business analysts or as QA specialists. The structure of the company is such that the departments are not so important in terms of the internship program, but rather the technologies and the profile of our customers are important. Therefore, we monitor the market, comply with their needs and launch internship positions according to these criteria.

What are the criteria you care about the most in the selection process? Do applicants need to have completed a specific course or study specific majors?
The first thing we look at when we make a selection of the applications is the education, then the courses taken, whether the candidate has previous experience as an intern and last but not least, what is his level of English. This is important as the intern will be part of geographically distributed teams and will have to communicate with colleagues and clients from different locations. Another significant advantage is that the candidate has completed his studies in the field of software engineering and has completed an additional course in the relevant technology.

In what areas will the interns be able to develop?
After completing the internship, the colleague automatically becomes a Junior, after which he can continue to develop and gain knowledge in the relevant field. DataArt is a company where many colleagues started from this level and are now experts with many years of experience and Senior level. In other words, everything depends on the motivation and individual capabilities of each trainee, and the company strives to support this process through the internal training system, courses, mentoring programs and various projects.

How will relations with interns be formalized? Is the program paid?
A standard employment contract is signed, fully compliant with Bulgarian legislation. In addition, the intern receives all the additional benefits that our other colleagues have. The intern receives a salary that increases automatically after successful completion of the internship program.

How many people will be able to join the next edition of the program and how long will it last?
The internship lasts 3 months, during which the training is quite intensive. In the beginning, a lot of theory is learned and the foundation is laid on which to build knowledge later. We are looking for only one person per position. This is so that we can pay more attention to the intern and he can learn more. Each trainee has a mentor to help and guide them, but at the same time the level of autonomy is quite high.

What are the application deadlines and what are the company’s expectations?
There are no specific deadlines, as the internship program itself is open-ended and, as I mentioned, is based entirely on the needs of our clients and market requirements. When we have a suitable position, we advertise it and then start the selection process. There is an option to hire the candidate immediately after being approved, or to wait 1 month if they need notice. We generally consider the intern’s ability. However, an important condition is that he can spare time, since the job is full-time. An internship with us is not just a formality, but a real opportunity for candidates to learn new knowledge, and for us, as a company, to invest in a person who will then become part of our team.

What will be the selection steps? What can applicants expect?
The selection process includes a conversation with a colleague from the Human Resources department, after which we move on to checking the level of English. This happens through an informal conversation with one of our English teachers. If he has managed this stage and the language level is good enough, we continue with a practical task that we have developed and for which we do not use foreign platforms. After the practical task comes the last step – a meeting with the potential mentor. This meeting is both informative and aims to validate the basic knowledge related to object oriented programming.

For many of your future interns, you may be the first employer. What advice would you give to applicants who are about to interview for the internship program?
The most important thing is that they show the motivation to acquire new knowledge and to develop. To be ready to invest time and effort in their future and last but not least to have prepared themselves with information about the company, as this shows an interest in us.

What are the company’s plans for the future and what role does your internship program play?
Our plans are to continue developing both in Bulgaria and globally. We strive to maintain a good geographical diversification, which is why we have expanded our global presence and now have offices in Europe, South America, USA and Asia. Our internship program is part of the company’s overall strategy to invest in its team, as we believe that human resources are a core value without which no business model would be successful.

See what projects DataArt is working on

See the profile and current job and internship positions of DataArt Europe Ltd at JOBS.bg

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