Intern Bootcamp 2022: How I learned to Transform, Transcend, Together

In these turbulent times, when all one is looking for in the chaos is a bright spot, I found my very own silver lining, my internship! Joining a company as spectacular as Sabre as an intern is a dream come true. First work stint is always special and comes with unlimited hopes. Though I thought the pandemic-gifted work-from-home culture had shattered most of our “first day at office” dreams, the Sabre Intern Bootcamp’22 experience came as a breath of fresh air! A unique and well-planned concept of a three-week intensive on-boarding program, the Sabre Intern Boot camp gave us a glimpse of the corporate way of work in the best way possible. From the commencement with  “Curtain Raiser” ceremony with some of the great leaders of the organization to the final showdown, the journey has been worth remembering. The Boot camp undoubtedly proved to be the perfect bridge that I needed to transition from campus to corporate. Here are the 5 takeaways from this awesome journey that helped me to transform and transcend together with my fellow interns: Diverse Knowledge for Holistic Development The most unique and enriching takeaway of the three-week dynamic journey as Bootcamp was the opportunity to learn from some of the most experienced associates of Sabre. Introduction to various technologies used by the company, gave us the much-needed head start before we started our career. From learning something as basic as Java, the core programming language, to next generation technologies like Machine Learning and Cloud Computing, these technical sessions were like enthralling trailers to a much more dynamic picture that will unfold slowly as we step our foot in the corporate world. Importance of Collaboration As they say, “Teamwork makes dreams work,” the fun filled activity sessions every day at the camp made sure to instill in us team spirit in its truest sense. Linking us into groups was the perfect idea to get us out of our cozy cocoons and make friends even in this virtual scenario. The more unfeasible as it sounds to collaborate virtually, the more seamless the Get Together Sessions made it for us. From brainstorming a creative name for our respective teams to exciting competitions like scavenger hunt, these collaborative activities helped us  create bonds that we will cherish forever. Putting Knowledge to Application Often, the knowledge that creates something striking is not just the one you acquire but the one you apply. This was one of my key learnings from the Boot camp. This year’s Boot camp introduced us to a unique way of solving problems. All the teams were given a problem statement in the initial days which we had to deploy as a working model by the end of the camp. The problem could be solved easily by applying technologies and skills we had learned in the various technical sessions we attended. This exceptional way of applying what we learn daily in real life projects helped us to work on a plethora of new technologies, understand their use and advantages and their integration with the other existing technologies. It helped us to get out of our comfort zones, learn something new each day and stay focused throughout. Transform to Transcend The main highlight of the Boot camp was undoubtedly the Virtual Hackathon. The four-day long hackathon justified this year’s theme of “Transform, Transcend Together” in its most dynamic form. From brainstorming the problem statement to the final showdown, the journey of working with our teams all day and all night to Transform and Transcend our ideas into a reality Together is an experience I will always cherish. The hackathon was a major learning experience, it made us brush up our technical skills, work on new technologies, and most importantly transformed us into go-getters. In the stipulated time that we had, each team had a unique solution and there was a lot to learn from every solution thereby helping us to broaden our technical knowledge in diverse areas. Adapting To Change Like many other take ways that will stay with me forever, adapting to change is something I have learnt in these three weeks. Transitioning from a student to an employee can be a bit overwhelming at times, but the Boot camp made sure that this transition was as smooth as it could be. None of us ever realized when we got out of our protective shells and adapted to be independent individuals, responsible for our own actions. The Boot camp made us flexible enough to adapt new technologies, new ways of thinking, new surrounding thereby opening doors for a lot of new opportunities. The Intern Bootcamp filled all of us new interns with new zeal and vigor as we stand at the threshold of our corporate journey. It is a huge opportunity for me to be part of such an amazing team and I look forward to my journey as an Intern in Sabre.