I have only been an intern for half a year, and then I say: "Now I would like to try working from Spain, and they say 'yes! You may do that, that sounds cool!'"
With her suitcase packed and ready, Annesofie says goodbye to her Delegate colleagues. But even though Annesofie's trip is to Barcelona for half a year, the reunion will come far before that. They are having a team meeting next week, and Annesofie will continue working from her small apartment in the sun. Annesofie is studying health technology at Aarhus University and has been employed as a full-time intern at Delegate in Aarhus since September 1, 2021. She is in her fifth semester and chose to see if software was the way forward during that semester. The hope is now to get a job in software development. Delegate caught Annesofie's attention at the P-day at Aarhus University, although virtually in 2021.
"Delegate had some one-minute videos where they told a little about the company. And I thought Delegate sounded really cool, and like a comfortable place to be. It seemed like a very 'down to earth' place to be." - Annesofie, "It's nice to be a part of a larger team that we can spar with. But it's cool to have close colleagues who I sit in a group with. In general, everyone at Delegate is really nice, and I'm never afraid to ask for help. Everyone is willing to help, even if they're sitting in another team or working on a different project. There is really room for knowledge sharing, and it's cool to be able to ask an in-house expert for advice!"
Remote work
For flexibility, Annesofie's group runs sprint planning, where two weeks are filled with tasks that Annesofie can then choose from and schedule more flexibly as long as she meets the deadline. Her team works in sprints (like everyone at Delegate), and the method works well even when they are not all together. "It's a great solution because I don't have my schedule yet, so I can't schedule days where I can work a full day." Presence is an important feeling at Delegate, and one that we work hard to ensure that everyone feels. So how does Annesofie and her team bring Presence with them for the next 6 months? First and foremost, it is important to have a good relationship with the customer, so they are also comfortable with Annesofie traveling. Annesofie also participates in the daily stand-up meetings, so she has ongoing contact with the customer as well. "Before [this arrangement], we were at the customer's three times a week, and it's crazy to go from that to 'Yes, you can just move to Spain, see you in half a year!' So it's good to have built such a good relationship and trust with the customer." Annesofie and her team have made arrangements with the customer about when Annesofie works. Although physical attendance has been important to the customer, they have all found a solution together where everyone is comfortable. Flexibility is paramount, leaving room for Annesofie to be busy with her studies or to take more time during quieter study periods.
Student employee at Delegate
Annesofie has been engaged in social activities at Delegate, participating in everything from yoga to spontaneous post-work dinners. She will of course miss these things, but she has no doubt that she will be able to keep up when she returns. Annesofie has also arranged virtual yoga with her other colleagues while she is in Barcelona, so she can maintain contact there as well. Her team and she have weekly group meetings where: "we talk about whether anyone has done something really cool and monthly meetings where we can share. We work on different projects, and it may be that someone has done something really cool that we should hear about. We work a lot with knowledge sharing and we are committed to sharing our smart solutions with our colleagues. It is both inspiring and motivating." #Liftingsolutions is also a big part of daily life at Delegate, and we are happy to be able to test the principle in the real world. This way, Annesofie can maintain her skills in Dynamics 365, so she can hit the ground running when she returns. "It's cool to have a few hours a week to keep myself updated on the systems and the customer relationship, so I can be involved when I come back."
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