Our Interns Built a Mobile Web App, Here is Their Story

This summer, we hired three interns to build a mobile web application and learn a bunch in the process. Here is their story, in video form:

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If you don’t have Flash installed (and thus don’t see the video above), you can try this direct link to the video. It plays well on most platforms (including an iPad).

It is also available on YouTube.

Oasis Digital 2012 Summer Internships – Mobile, Tablet, Web

Application Deadline: May 15, 2012.

Applications are now closed.

It’s almost time for our Summer 2012 internship program. You might want to look back to our 2011 program, or our inspiration, the Fog Creek program. Interns at Oasis Digital work on serious, complex projects, though the work is generally exploratory in nature (rather than part of our enterprise development work for customers). Interns write software, test software, write about software, etc. The purpose of the work is to educate and enlighten the interns, and also create something useful to Oasis Digital and its customers.

Who?

We plan to hire two or three student interns.

Unlike some programs, ours is for high school students, or recent graduates about to enter college.

How Long?

The work will last about 10 weeks, from the first week of June through early August. Interns should expect to work around 30 hrs per week, though only a small portion of that will be on-site in-person. Other than a few fixed meetings per week, your schedule will be flexible.

We can adjust the dates if needed, to accomodate college start dates, family vacations, and so on.

Where?

Interns will meet at the Oasis Digital office two or three times each week. Our office is in Chesterfield, MO. Therefore, interns must live in the St. Louis metro area and have transportation available.

At these office sessions, we’ll all work together, and interns will learn from various Oasis Digital developers. Outside of that, interns will work alone, and meet to work together, for a total of around 30 hours per week.

Does it Pay?

Yes, these are paid internships. Each intern will earn about $2200 for a full summer of work.

In additional, our meetings will be scheduled to include a company-paid lunch a couple of times each week.

What Will We Build?

The project for this summer will be a workflow management system, with web and mobile-app (smartphone, tablet) interfaces.

Interns (with help from Oasis Digital staff) will create an end-to-end system:

  1. Database Schema
  2. Server / backend services
  3. Web client application
  4. Mobile (native or HTML5) app
  5. Tablet (native or HTML5) app
  6. Document and deploy all of the above

The schedule goal is to develop an extremely simple version of the above, and “ship” it in working condition, halfway through the summer. Then with the rest of the summer, add interesting features, platforms, polish, etc. GPS, mapping, photo support, multitouch clever interfaces, anything is possible.

More importantly than what we will build, is what everyone will learn. Expect to learn more in this summer than you would in many classes.

What Language?

The exact toolset will be worked out by the interns, and may include:

  • JavaScript
  • Node
  • JQuery and similar libraries
  • Java
  • Clojure
  • Git / Github
  • HTML (including HTML5)
  • PostgreSQL or MySQL
  • Linux, Windows, OSX
  • iOS, Android
  • Various other open source tools and libraries

Requirements

  • Excellent command of written and spoken English
  • Currently enrolled in high school, or just graduated.
  • Top grades or a track record of success
  • Permanent legal right to work in the United States
  • Great (for your age) computer programming skills
  • Live in the St. Louis MO metro area
  • A computer available to work on, when you’re not at the office

How Do I Apply?

Apply via our job application page, not by email or phone. This is the same mechanism we use for hiring non-interns, so it is perhaps overly complex; we expect intern applicants to have a short, one-page resume listing interests and personal projects, not professional work.

Please apply by May 15, 2012.