From rookie to developer

ProductDock’s Rookie Boot Camp is a paid internship program that transforms rookies into skilled developers. Through hands-on experience, mentorship, and real-world projects, this program has successfully launched several careers, with many interns joining our team full-time. Whether fresh out of school or pivoting into tech, our Boot Camp offers the skills, support, and confidence you need to thrive in the industry.

The Rookie Boot Camp internship program is crafted for recent engineering graduates eager to kickstart their careers. Drawing from our own early experiences, we designed the program we wish we had—a comprehensive training that equips young engineers with the skills needed to thrive in an IT company. Now, let’s hear from one of our recent rookies, Nenad Jecković from Novi Sad. Nenad, a software engineer who completed his internship with us earlier this year, shares his journey from rookie to developer.

How did you find out about Rookie Boot Camp, and what did you think about the selection process?

I found out about RBC during my job interview at PD. I applied for a job, but I did not get it. Instead, they got back to me after a while, asking me if I wanted to participate in an internship. After researching RBC, I liked the idea and was happy to accept it. During the selection process, I had an initial interview, followed by a technical assessment, after which I received feedback saying that I was an ideal fit for the internship.

What was your favourite part of Rookie Boot Camp?

I worked on an exciting project with colleagues who were happy to answer all my questions. I liked that I worked on a simulation of a real project and that I experienced working with colleagues, their attitude towards me, support, and constructive feedback that helped me gain new experience.

Tell us about your Rookie Boot Camp project and your role in it.

I worked on our library application as a full-stack developer, using React, Spring, and MongoDB. I worked on implementing admin panel features such as managing books, subscriptions, and notifications.

What kind of project are you working on now?

Currently, I’m working on a project for vehicle advertisements. Our team consists of five people, including both frontend and backend roles, so we include full-stack development. The project has been ongoing for a long time. I joined the team after my internship, got to know the project, and got my tasks.

Did Rookie Boot Camp help you discover what you love working on the most?

RBC provided me with valuable insights into both backend and frontend development. I still don’t know which suits me better, but I’m glad to have improved my knowledge of both.

What was the key takeaway from your Rookie Boot Camp?

I would say that the key takeaway from my internship has been the valuable knowledge I can now apply to future projects. RBC is a simulation of a real project, so it was easier for me to transition to an actual project. The technologies used during the internship are the technologies I use now. Also, I learned a lot from more experienced colleagues and mentors in terms of teamwork, details about technologies, and technical knowledge. During my internship days, I also had the chance to participate in knowledge-sharing sessions, which helped me learn something new.

Why should someone join the ProductDock team?

From the perspective of someone who is at the start of a career, I can say that ProductDock is an excellent place for anyone seeking to expand their knowledge. The PD team consists of experts who are keen to share their knowledge, making ProductDock a real place of learning. These professionals try to be proactive and innovative and learn something new daily.

What do you like the most about working at ProductDock so far?

ProductDock is a great company with many opportunities for people eager to learn, be proactive, and share knowledge. What I like the most are great colleagues in the first place and working on a big project in the second place.

Share advice for people who wish to pursue a similar path as yours: from rookie to developer.

RBC is a good starting point for beginners. It is based on a real project simulation, during which we work as a functional team on various digital products and web applications. The internship lasts three months, during which the intern learns and adopts patterns of project planning, development, communication, feedback, project reporting, retrospectives, product delivery, and presentation to the broader audience. I advise all young programmers to use every opportunity to gain knowledge and experience.

Finally, could you recommend any software development books or tutorials suitable for younger programmers?

“Get your hands dirty with clean architecture” was helpful to me during Rookie Boot Camp, and I would recommend it to everyone because the principles it teaches are used in practice and are useful for real projects. Clean code is important, and it is used everywhere.