Ex–Interns of Accurat. Chatting with interns–turned full–time…
Tags: Internships, Front End Development, Data Visualization, Dataviz, Data Science

From left to right: Ivan Rossi, Ilaria Venturini, Stefano Gallo. Photos: Giovanni Marchi, Pietro Guinea–Montalvo.

Ex–Interns of Accurat

Many Accurat interns graduate to full–time status. In a new series, we interview colleagues who began working at Accurat as students. First up are developers Stefano Gallo (who joined May 2018), Ilaria Venturini (September, 2018) and Ivan Rossi (February, 2019). All came to Accurat from the University of Milan.

Interested in becoming an Accurat intern? We’re currently hiring developers. Visit our website to learn more and apply.

What does a full–stack developer do at Accurat?

Ilaria Venturini: We develop data visualizations and web apps with a focus on usability and aesthetics. The exchange of ideas with designers is continuous — we make decisions together to come up with the best solutions for customers.

Stefano Gallo: For projects with unusual components and/or time constraints, we have to strike the right balance between functionality and sleekness. During development, we’re in constant communication with designers.

Ivan Rossi: Accurat’s projects are mainly front–end dataviz. A full-stack developer spends most of his or her time creating crazy visualizations and interactive animations.

The Accurat office in Milan. Photo: Giovanni Marchi.

What do you think makes Accurat’s internship program unique?

SG: The unconventional working environment. At first, I couldn’t even tell who’s boss was whose.

IV: From the beginning, I had the opportunity to work on real projects and had actual responsibilities. I got to work with designers as well as developers and gained a huge amount of knowledge. I always felt that my opinions and ideas were being heard and that I could make a difference.

What’s the most valuable thing you learned as an intern, and how did you learn it?

IR: To work in a team. I had never worked with other people in a professional setting, and Accurat projects are mostly short–term, so changing teams happens often. This helped me get to know most of my colleagues quickly and adapt to the different ways groups functioned.

SG: Not a technical skill, but a different approach to development. I’ve learned how to problem–solve by breaking a situation down and solving little pieces individually, without losing sight of the broader end–goal.

IV: Probably thinking before writing code. Considering the pros and cons of possible paths, choosing the right data structure, making plans, assigning priorities — simplifying a problem before beginning to code. Initially, I was mistaken in thinking that the sooner you start to develop, the better. I eventually realized — with the help of more experienced colleagues — that it saves time and effort to plan first.

What was the most memorable project you worked on as an intern, and why?

IV: It’s a tie between a dashboard for Armani e–commerce sales and an application to showcase the sustainability initiatives of Saipem, which is one of the largest oilfield services in the world. Both projects involved the development of interactive data visualizations with 100% custom visual models.

SG: The website redesign for Infratel’s BUL plan [an infrastructure project to improve Wifi connectivity in Italy]. It was challenging, because the client was in the public sector and relied on Wordpress and PHP—legacy languages that pose some barriers. It was an all–hands effort, but we did it in six weeks!

IR: I worked on the development of a backdrop display at the Lavazza Legend 19 event in Turin. As speakers talked, their words were interpreted by IBM’s Watson with sentient analysis. We designed a unique dataviz language to visualize the emotions behind what they were saying.

Lavazza’s Legend 19 dataviz display.

Why did you decide to work at Accurat full–time?

IV: I discovered data visualization at university and fell in love with it because it combines design and programming. And there’s no better company than Accurat to grow in the field.

Second, the work environment is friendly and supportive. People come from diverse backgrounds, but everyone shares a common passion. The atmosphere is cooperative.

SG: Because of the specialization in data visualization and the graphic elements. There are projects where we get to experiment with new technology, even at the design level.

IR: When I started at Accurat, I didn’t have any other work experience. I had the chance to learn on–the–job, with many different types of technologies.

What sort of advice would you give to someone starting their first day at Accurat as an intern?

IV: Be curious to learn and grow professionally.

SG: Ask as many questions as you can. And enjoy it — share your personal interests and what you’re working on.

IR: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. There’s always somebody ready to help!