My Internship at Busbud: Callum May

As I finish up my four-month internship at Busbud I wanted to reflect on my experience and share the challenges I faced and the many things I learned. I found out about Busbud six months ago, and was drawn to the idea of a Montreal startup tackling the global bus market, something that’s never been done before. After learning more about the company, I was impressed by the close-knit team and the modern tech stack.

As part of my interview process, I was given a very interesting and unique challenge. Many tech employers give timed coding challenges that are usually non-inventive and only solvable (in reasonable time) through knowing a trick or shortcut pertinent to that specific problem. At Busbud, however, I was told to build a simple ticket booking webpage. There were some guiding requirements but the design and execution was in my hands. I learned a lot and felt that even if I didn’t eventually receive an offer, I was satisfied with my effort; something I can’t say about every past applicant challenge.

Once I started at Busbud, I was excited to learn more about the web technologies and tools that Busbud uses and practice them in a professional environment. Most of my time was spent on improving the website, but I also spent some time working on the email service and the API. From the beginning, my teammates were always there to answer questions or even spend an hour explaining something to me; surprising since I was “only” an intern! Their enthusiasm to share knowledge was invaluable to my experience there. I asked what felt like a million questions during my internship and every one of them was answered.

In my first week, I was impressed by how extensive the onboarding process was. I attended many meetings with team members from different parts of the business, and even spent an hour answering customer service requests; something I had never done before. Learning about the roles and responsibilities of others helped me gain a broader knowledge of the company and become a more effective team member.

Throughout my internship, I had the opportunity to learn new things beyond my own role. In a company initiative called “Open Mic” each week team members would speak about what they were working on and what they had learned. Whatever the subject or required technical knowledge, everyone was supportive and eager to learn. We also had “Busbud talks”, where keynote speakers from different industries would come in and speak about their experiences and the challenges they faced.

The “work hard, play nice” culture at Busbud is another factor in making my time there so enjoyable. There was always a buzz in the air, everyone was constantly raising the bar and pushing each other to be better. Each week was capped off with Busbud drinks, where everyone could unwind before the weekend with craft beers and bad jokes. The Busbud family welcomed me in and I am humbled to be a part of it.

Overall, I had a great experience, and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I want to thank all the great folks at Busbud who were always willing to share their knowledge or lend a helping hand. I met a lot of inspiring people over the last four months and feel privileged to have worked with them.

 

We’re hiring!

At Busbud, we’re always looking for talented engineers who want to help make bus travel more accessible. If you’re interested in working on a product that’s used by millions of people, with a team that values an inclusive & collaborative approach to solving complex challenges, then join us! We’re currently hiring a Front-End Developer and a Full Stack Developer.