Build the future. Build your career.
with Apption internships
At Apption, we believe internships are more than just resume builders, they’re opportunities to explore cutting-edge technologies, gain hands-on experience, and grow within a supportive team. This past term, we welcomed two talented co-op students from the University of Ottawa, Anjali and Callum, who joined us as software engineering interns. Over the course of their placements, they dove into real-world projects in AI, software development, and data-driven applications, contributing directly to our products, while exploring emerging tools like BERT, generative AI, and GitHub Copilot.
Their experiences not only highlight what it’s like to be a software and AI developer intern at a Canadian tech company, but also reflect the culture we’re proud of at Apption: one that values curiosity, collaboration, and mentorship. From learning new frameworks and applying machine learning models, to gaining insights on teamwork and celebrating victories at company socials, their stories capture the blend of technical growth and human connection that defines an Apption internship.
What It’s Like to Intern at an Ottawa Data & AI Firm
From day one, we want our interns to feel trusted to contribute to meaningful projects that shape how our builds evolve. For Anjali, this meant working in the .NET ecosystem with C# and MudBlazor to make UI improvements to our product, Datahunter. This project challenged her to quickly learn new frameworks while delivering visible results for an active government of Canada deployment. Callum, on the other hand, took on the challenge of building a Python module leveraging BERT (a powerful natural language processing model) to help researchers filter publications by location. His work made Datahunter more intuitive and valuable for its users.
What makes the Apption co-op experience unique is the exposure to cutting-edge AI and developer tools. Both interns highlighted how generative AI, GitHub Copilot, and Canadian-made models like Cohere’s Command-A and Embed-4 transformed their workflows, Anjali mentions;
"to accelerate the actual coding made my development cycle far more efficient. This experience showed me that the most exciting technology isn't just a specific language or framework, but rather the modern tools that fundamentally change how we build software today" ,
showing them that modern development is not just about writing code. It's about learning the right tools to innovate faster and smarter.
Beyond technology, the term was about collaboration and growth. Interns worked closely with experienced developers, received mentorship that shaped how they think about problem-solving, and saw firsthand how a startup culture values curiosity and teamwork. This blend of technical challenge and supportive guidance is what makes the Apption co-op program stand out for students looking for software developer internship experience in Canada.
Learning and Growth Opportunities
One of the biggest takeaways from an internship at Apption is the opportunity to turn classroom knowledge into real-world problem solving. Both Anjali and Callum emphasized that while coding is important, the real challenge, and growth, comes from understanding complex systems, planning solutions, and collaborating with others. As Anjali reflected, writing code is often the easiest part of development; the hard work lies in investigation, planning, and strategy.
The co-op experience also instills lessons in teamwork and mentorship. Anjali shared how feedback from her manager reshaped her approach:
"Up to that point, I held the belief that asking for help too quickly might signal incompetence. [My Mentor's] feedback helped me realize ...asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, but a way to accelerate learning and contribute more effectively to the team."
For Callum, guidance from his mentor reinforced the value of gathering detailed metrics to validate development choices, a mindset that not only improves solutions but also builds stronger decision-making skills.
On top of technical growth, Apption internships are designed to encourage curiosity and adaptability. By working with AI tools, experimenting with frameworks, and learning new workflows, interns discover that the best developers are lifelong learners who remain open to fresh perspectives and evolving technologies. It’s this balance of hard skills and mindset shifts that makes the Apption co-op such a powerful stepping stone for an aspiring software engineer.
Intern Voices: Reflections on the Journey
No two internships are the same, and hearing directly from our interns highlights what makes the Apption experience unique.
For Anjali, the standout lesson was learning to lean on her team and embrace collaboration:
“The ultimate goal is not to prove my individual ability, but to contribute to the team’s success in the most efficient way possible.”
She also discovered just how much of software development happens outside of coding:
“Development is about 90% investigation and planning, and only 10% implementation. The true skill of an experienced developer lies not just in writing clean code, but in the meticulous discovery process that precedes it.”
Callum’s reflections echoed the theme of growth through guidance, especially in his work with metrics-driven development:
“One thing I learned from a mentor at Apption was to always ensure I gather detailed metrics for anything I’m developing to help guide decision-making and validate processes.”
And beyond the technical, both interns shared that their best memories came from the culture, from go-karting outings and golf tournaments to simply feeling welcomed as full members of the team.
These reflections remind us that an Apption internship is not just about building features and learning new technologies, but also about building confidence, relationships, and lasting memories.
Apption’s Perspective on Mentorship
At Apption, we see mentorship as more than a support system, it’s the backbone of how we grow talent and advance innovation. Interns like Anjali and Callum arrive eager to learn, and their fresh perspectives push our team to think differently, experiment with new approaches, and refine our practices. The exchange of knowledge goes both ways, and that’s exactly how we want it.
We know that mentorship in tech internships is about more than assigning tasks. It’s about guiding interns through the full lifecycle of software development, from planning and design to testing and delivery, while encouraging curiosity and experimentation. By sharing best practices and real-world lessons, our senior developers help interns build not just technical skills, but the confidence to tackle complex problems with creativity and resilience.
This approach ensures that every co-op term at Apption is a launchpad. We’re proud that our interns walk away with a clearer sense of their strengths, a deeper understanding of AI and software development in practice, and the assurance that they contributed to meaningful projects.
Looking Ahead: Future Opportunities
The experiences of Anjali and Callum reflect what we strive to create with every co-op term at Apption: an environment where students can learn, contribute, and grow as both developers and teammates.
For students considering a placement, the advice from our interns is clear: be curious, be collaborative, and be ready to learn.
If you’re a student looking for a software developer internship or co-op opportunity in Canada, we encourage you to keep an eye on our careers page and follow us on LinkedIn. Each term, we look for motivated students who want more than just a job, they want to be part of a team that values curiosity, innovation, and mentorship.
Conclusion: Celebrating Our Interns and Inspiring the Next Cohort
As we wrap up this co-op term, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Anjali and Callum for their contributions, energy, and fresh perspectives. They made a real impact on our work, and left a lasting impression on our team.
For future students, we hope their stories inspire you to see internships not just as a stepping stone, but as an opportunity to explore, grow, and connect. If you’re ready to take the next step in your journey as a software developer intern or co-op student in AI and data, we’d love to hear from you.
