What to expect at your first DrupalCamp: Lessons from a former intern
Walking into a tech event as an intern can be a bit overwhelming. When Tess Slock was an intern at Calibrate, she was dropped straight into the Drupal Developer Days in Leuven.
It turned out to be a great match. Today, Tess still works at Calibrate as a full-time developer, building projects with Drupal every day. We caught up with her to look back at those first-time jitters, what she actually learned there, and what you can expect if you're heading to your very first Drupal event.
What was your first impression when you walked into your first Drupal event?
"I was really surprised by how big it was, and by how many people came together just to share their knowledge and learn from each other. During the event, a lot of the sessions were about new features and what is coming next in Drupal. It immediately gave me the impression that Drupal keeps innovating, and that a massive group of people is constantly working together to make that happen."
Why should a student visit a Drupal event even if they aren't an expert yet?
"It is a great way to get to know both the technology and the community. While there are plenty of deep-dive sessions for experts, there are also tracks for beginners. The events I’ve been to even had sessions specifically for students. It’s a place where you can learn the absolute basics, or if you already know those, dive into new topics. At one event I attended, for example, they had a really interesting introduction to AI in Drupal."
What was the most surprising thing you learned or discovered there?
"Definitely how big the community actually is. I had been to events around other technologies before, but those had always been very small in comparison."
How did attending the event help you transition from being an intern to a full-time professional?
"It helped me connect directly with companies that work with Drupal. In fact, I actually found my internship at Calibrate, where I now work full-time, by going to a Drupal event."
If you could give one piece of advice to a student doubting whether to go, what would it be?
"Just go for it. There is simply no better way to find out if something is a good fit for you than to just try it out."
Curious to experience your first Drupal event?
Whether you are a student looking to learn something new or just curious to see what the community is all about, you are more than welcome to join!
Check out all the details for the next edition at https://www.drupalcamp.be