Patrick Orjieh looks back at his internship at ABB as an incredible experience. “It was the highlight of 2024 for me” says Patrick, “The combination of meaningful work, learning opportunities, and team collaboration made this internship unforgettable, and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity”.
Patrick is now in the final year of a Bachelor’s degree in Computing in Software Development at Dundalk Institute of Technology. For his placement year, Patrick joined the Quality Management Systems (QMS) team as a Software Engineer Intern at ABB Dundalk.
“My role involved developing tools and applications that followed every step of the software development life cycle” explains Patrick, “From initial planning and research through to development and documentation”.
“One of the key takeaways was understanding how critical thorough research, planning, and design are in streamlining the development process. Seeing this in action at ABB helped me hone my organisational skills generally, and reinforced the value of preparation. In a work context this made the coding phase much smoother, but it’s also helping me in other areas of my life.”
One of the key takeaways from his time with ABB was the opportunity to be part of a team, despite his lack of practical experience. “The work environment at ABB was incredibly inclusive and supportive” he explains, “I was given real responsibilities and treated like any other team member, which made me feel valued. I was always encouraged to ask questions and contribute my ideas, and the team was consistently open to providing guidance and feedback. This level of inclusion helped me grow both personally and professionally, and it made the experience all the more enriching.”
As a keen football fan, Patrick also knows what it takes to work as part of a team – both in work and outside of it. “I’m passionate about football, and I even got the chance to play with some of my senior colleagues during my time at ABB. This was a great way to build camaraderie with the team, and maintain a balance between work and personal interests.”
“As my internship ended, the team surprised us with a send-off party. It was an unexpected but thoughtful gesture that made me feel truly appreciated. Throughout my time with ABB we were also given the chance to get involved in social events, which allowed me to connect with colleagues outside of the work environment, and added to my fond memories of the whole experience.”
