(written by Laurens De Beule - element61 Trainee in 2023)
Who are you and what are your educational goals?
My name is Laurens De Beule, and I am a student pursuing a degree in Business Engineering with a specialization in Data Analytics at Ghent University. My passion lies in the fields of data analytics, machine learning, and consulting. To foster both my personal and professional growth while gaining valuable hands-on experience, I decided to apply for a summer internship at element61. I was particularly drawn to this opportunity because it enabled me to integrate my technical skills in data with my business knowledge.
What did your internship look like? What did you do exactly?
During my 6-week internship, my primary objective was to lay the foundation for an application that utilizes OpenAI to accelerate lakehouse development. The functions incorporated into this application had the potential to significantly streamline the process of modifying SQL views once the warehouse was already established. It was a remarkable journey of acquiring knowledge about the Azure platform, prompt engineering, OpenAI, and lakehouse development and successfully integrating them into a practical solution. A comprehensive understanding of the entire context proved to be pivotal. To conclude my internship, I even had the opportunity to present my work at an AI meetup attended by approximately 50 people!
How did you experience the contact with the team of element61?
During my internship, I felt very welcome at element61 and it felt as if I was a full part of the team. It was always possible to ask questions to anyone who was around and they did their best to help you as soon as they could. Everyone was very knowledgeable and friendly, it was nice to be in such a positive environment.
What is your biggest takeaway from the internship?
My most significant takeaway from this internship has been the realization of the immense utility of cloud computing. While much of my university coursework was conducted offline, I've come to understand that cloud computing is the new standard. Alongside acquiring new knowledge in prompt engineering and data warehousing, I consider my gained expertise in the Azure platform to be the most valuable aspect of my internship
What do you want to share with any future students considering an internship at element61?
If you are seeking hands-on experience with excellent guidance from an exceptional team, element61 is unquestionably the ideal place to be. In addition to acquiring numerous hard skills in the realms of cloud computing and data warehousing, I was also encouraged to cultivate soft skills like presentation and communication. I particularly relished the opportunity to contribute to a goal that promises genuine future value, coupled with the autonomy to brainstorm and develop the functions I deemed most valuable.