Kenny worked as an intern in Systematic’s commercial and legal services department for 6 months, starting February 2009.

Kenny’s thoughts on ...  

... choosing Systematic when looking for an internship

Because of my military background, I’ve always had an interest in Systematic, due to the fact that the company provides defence-oriented products.

I’ve worked in the military for eight years, but it wasn’t a place I imagined spending the rest of my working life. On the other hand, I didn’t want to start something completely different, all of which made Systematic seem the right place for me. I thought that by working there I could use my military experience as well as serving as a link between software developers at one end and soldiers at the other. The fact that a number of Systematic’s employees are ex-army officers was also very appealing.

Another reason was my wish to ‘escape’ from military bureaucracy and get a job in a company where innovation and group work truly matter. Systematic’s corporate values are also a good match for my own, so I felt sure I would be choosing the right company. 

... being an employee compared with being a student

At the university, the knowledge we acquire is largely theoretical, and we don’t really have a chance to put it into practice. Being a pragmatist, I therefore sometimes found studying pretty tough. This was also one of the reasons why I decided to do an internship – to find out if I could apply the things I had learned at university in a real-life context.

The whole experience was definitely worth it. I acquired a lot of practical know-how in different areas, which I’m certain I wouldn’t have been able to build up while a student. 

... the best thing about being an intern in Systematic

It was great that I had a chance to step into the shoes of a real project manager. I wasn’t yet another trainee assigned to irrelevant tasks such as making coffee for colleagues! During my internship in Systematic, I was always given a comprehensive set of tasks and had to take on a certain degree of responsibility. This was challenging, but also extremely interesting.

Another thing I really appreciated was that I was given freedom to show initiative and make decisions myself. I didn’t have 10 bosses as in the military, so I didn’t have to get their approval each and every time I wanted to do something.

... what he learned as an intern

I learned much more during my 6 months as an intern at Systematic than in the 5 years I spent at university.

It gave me lots of practical insights into the company, as well as improving my networking and communication skills. This might not seem like a big deal, but it was definitely more useful than, for example, being taught about leadership and management by some university professor with no practical knowledge in the field.

I also feel that I learned a lot about myself during my internship. I realised what I’m good at as well as discovering my weaknesses, thus making it clear what I need to work on.  

... the most memorable experience as an intern

Probably one of my most remarkable experiences as an intern was attending a conference on cyberware in Norway. The greatest thing about this event was that it made me think of my field of work in a completely different way, so I was able to set a new direction for what I was doing during the subsequent 6 months in Systematic.

... a typical day at work

As an intern, I dealt with lots of different tasks and assignments, but it gave me a great opportunity to get around within the building and meet people from different departments.

I mostly helped out with projects in the Defence and Intelligence and National Security business units, which required multitasking. I also started working on a completely new project examining potential business areas for the company. This was a project that I was asked to continue working on once my internship was over.


Meet Helena, Lara and Anders.