Massey Tufulasi Isa'ako's experience as an intern for SilverStripe

SilverStripe intern Massey Tufulasi Isa'ako isn't afraid to fail. In fact, he believes it's the fastest way to learn in a new environment.Being involved in the first cohort of Tupu Tek interns in conjunction with Summer of Tech, Massey secured a developer role with open source CMS company SilverStripe. Tupu Tek is in partnership with MBIE, and aims for greater diversity in the tech sector by creating opportunities for Pasifika students. Through mentorship and various projects, Massey has been given desirable experience as a developer, where he can put his degree into practice. Prior to securing his internship, Massey attended core-skill 'bootcamps' with Summer of Tech, and strongly recommends the CV and interview bootcamps. "The CV bootcamp helped me to set up the interview, the interview bootcamp helped me land the internship".  Professional skills are strongly desired by employers, and Massey made the most of the free workshops available for tertiary students.During his time at SilverStripe, Massey's main aim has been to gain real, industry-credited experience with the goal of obtaining permanent work at the end of his internship. The environment has been supportive, with mentors and colleagues taking their time to clarify technical knowledge beyond Massey's current understanding. He believes the best quality he has developed is the willingness and speed to learn, which he describes as invaluable in any profession. He believes progression within the tech industry as a developer is measured by how fast you fail, and how fast you are to learn. Whilst it sounds daunting, Massey's advice to future interns is not to be afraid to fail, as the learning experiences involved in failure are vital to a developers' growth. Massey's goal through Summer of Tech and Tupu Tek was to secure an internship, and to land permanent work once the internship ended. He believes more companies need to take a chance in hiring new talent, and that interns are an investment for organisations to reap the benefits from further down the line.