Then and now: the story of e-Xperience participants

E-Xperience is not only a unique opportunity for both students and young professionals to gain real-world insights, but also a powerful platform to learn fresh skills and amplify their career trajectories. Whether you're embarking on your professional journey or yearning to switch gears, the Allegro e-Xperience program packs the potential to pave a whole new path for you. Stay tuned as we share the stories of past participants - Ania and Szymon and uncover the secret sauce that makes this internship the ideal launchpad for your career.

Why did you decide to apply for e-Xperience?

"At 27, I was already working as a Product Manager in the publishing industry after finishing my studies. But honestly, I knew I wanted something different. The same old, same old just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. Then, I became a parent and a million questions popped into my head about, 'where am I going with my career?' Coincidentally, I stumbled across an internship ad online. I'd always been curious about tech, even though I had no experience up to then. And so, I decided to take a shot at something new and different."
- Anna Stanislawska, Product Manager

"I got to know about the program and growth opportunities at Allegro during my time studying computer science at Lodz University of Technology. A developer from Allegro came to our class and sparked my interest. Although I had already gained some experience working in another company, I decided to apply for an internship the next time the opportunity arose. Fortunately, a spring edition was announced and I went for it. Guess what? I got in!"
- Szymon Jacoń, Machine Learning Engineer

How was your experience during the program? 

"I jumped into the role of a Product Manager and found myself in the area that I'm still in today. I was dealing with purchasing and everything that comes after it. I was paired up with a mentor for the whole 3-month internship, and then it was all about the real deal - working with a development team. I was planning tasks, implementing processes, and basically doing everything a Product Manager does. After a pretty short period, I was already working on real-world cases, which even ended up being implemented in production. The cool part? I wasn't just learning theoretically, I was actually part of a real team, picking up everything I needed to know."
- Ania

"I landed an internship at Allegro Pay as a Machine Learning Engineer. So, basically, I was a programmer with added knowledge in the fields of machine learning and artificial intelligence. The role was a mix of data engineering and a bit of DevOps, all of that in Python."
- Szymon

What was your favorite project during the e-Xperience?

“When I first joined, I took on a project to remake the whole 'Purchase History' tab. I initiated this project during the program and continued with it once I got hired. The way 'Purchase History' looks now is basically the result of what I started as an e-Xperience participant. It's a huge project considering it's a spot frequented by tons of users – it pretty much serves as the command center for their purchases."
- Ania

“I worked on two main projects. The first was setting up a pre-commit tool that runs automated checks to maintain code quality. It was my first encounter with this kind of tool and helped me better understand the Python environment and the importance of quality and readable code. The second project involved writing a lot of test cases for an existing toolkit to ensure its functionality and reliability during adaptations. This gave me great exposure to new tools used for code testing."
-Szymon

What did you find best about e-Xperience?

“I found an opportunity here to learn a lot, and quickly. It was about immersing myself in a real work environment using hands-on examples, which is honestly the best way to learn. The insights I gained in those few months, observing how the teams responsible for perhaps the largest purchasing process in the country operate, is something no course could teach. I knew I was learning from the best.”
- Ania

"The chance to work with relatively new technologies, especially compared to the outdated stuff from my previous job and outdated ones at university, was a big plus. But honestly, the best part was the work environment. I had immense support from my buddy/leader and the team. Anytime I faced a problem, needed to configure a new tool, or had questions (even the silly ones), everyone was willing to help. They'd give thorough responses or share useful links. It's the best takeaway from the program and continues to be the highlight, even after being here for more than two years."
- Szymon

How has your career evolved after e-Xperience?

“I officially became a Junior Product Manager. I got assigned to a development team, where I took charge of 'Purchase History' and the purchase cancellation process. As time went on, I continued to grow and the complexity of the projects definitely increased. I also started working on cross-functional initiatives. At one point, I was even managing two development teams. And as of half a year ago, I've dropped the 'Junior' from my title, and now I'm a Product Manager."
- Ania

"I started my journey here 2 years ago and after the internship, until the end of March this year, I held the position of Junior Machine Learning Engineer. But from April on, I've stepped up to the role of Machine Learning Engineer. So it's a fresh position that I'm still getting used to."
- Szymon

What do you enjoy most about your job now?

“The fact that I'm working on things that thousands of users get to interact with, after sometimes many months of development, is really satisfying. Knowing that something I contributed to is helping many people and making their shopping experience easier is incredibly rewarding. It's the satisfaction of seeing our long-term efforts play out that makes our contributions to Allegro’s development worthwhile."
- Ania

"Being a Machine Learning Engineer here at Allegro Pay is an exciting and specialized role. My team prepares machine learning models used for credit decisions, onboarding new clients, or adjusting customer spending limits. Uniquely, my role is to bring these models to production. It's about creating full-service tools for our data scientists, so they can work on these models more easily and focus on the scientific and analytical aspects of model creation. So there are always exciting challenges awaiting.”
- Szymon

What would you say to someone considering joining e-Xperience?

“Remember an internship isn't just for students and it's not too late to change your professional path, even if you're already on one. Even the smallest step, one you might think you couldn't possibly achieve, may end up changing everything.”
- Ania

"Joining Allegro opens up a world of cutting-edge technologies and endless learning opportunities. Not to mention, being part of one of the largest marketplaces in Central Eastern Europe is truly exciting. Imagine working at such a large scale right here in Poland! Plus, the brilliant minds that you will work alongside are the cherry on top. So if you're considering a move, Allegro is definitely a place worth your interest."
- Szymon

Whether you're starting out in your professional journey or considering a new path, this program is a perfect opportunity for you. Check out more details and apply here.