How an Internship Launched a Career in Engineering at Apryse

This National Intern Day, coming up on July 31st, we are talking about how internships aren’t just about grabbing coffees and learning how to use the office printer- they are a launchpad for long, meaningful careers. We spoke with Connor Shore, now a Senior Software Engineer at Apryse, about how his internship experience helped shape his career.

Connor’s journey began in high school where he gained some experience programming. He then majored in Computer Science at the University of Colorado Boulder and was eager to apply his skills in a professional setting. This led to him pursuing an internship starting his freshman year in the Software Development field. “I always enjoyed working jobs I was excited by so trying to get an internship seemed like the best option to not only do what I love but also start building my career experience.”

Connor landed his internship at Windward Studios, which was later acquired by Apryse. He started as a Quality Assurance intern, getting familiar with the product and processes. Over his four years, he worked on a wide range of projects and felt a real sense of ownership over his code. Connor transitioned to become a development intern and a month or two into it he was asked to refactor HTML output code. “It was exciting (and scary) but was an incredible learning experience. I probably learned more in my internship about working in industry than I did in my classes and began to understand how software companies operated.”

“For me, it was a seamless transition since at the point of becoming a full-time employee after college, I had already worked for 4 years and would work full time during the summers.” Connor acknowledges that not everyone has 4 years of internships under their belt, but his recommendation is to learn as much as possible, ask questions, make mistakes, and build relationships. This will help you integrate into the company and hit the ground running.

It might feel like an internship is just a steppingstone on the path to a “real job”. But Connor would challenge that mindset. “I often tell people that my internship was the best thing that ever happened in my career because of how much I learned and how well it prepared me for everything ahead.”  The challenges you face during an internship will push you out of your comfort zone and help you build long-term skills that will serve you well into your career. 

At Apryse, we believe internships are more than just stepping stones, they’re an investment in the future. Whether you are an intern exploring career paths and gaining experience, or you are a leader mentoring the next generation, internships offer lasting value. 

Thank you to Connor for sharing his personal journey and for showing what’s possible when interns are empowered to grow!

Explore current openings and internship opportunities on the Apryse Careers page. We are always looking for talented and passionate individuals to join our team!