Rising Through the Ranks

Hi everyone!

I’m Burcu. I am a student who wants to take a quick step into business life after finishing Boğaziçi University Guidance and Psychological Counseling department. In the blink of an eye, I came to the end of the 2-month summer internship program in Kartaca, which I applied to after seeing its advertisement months ago. When I go back and look at my internship process, I am surprised at how much I have packed into these two months.

What is the the “Rise Through The Ranks” Program?

The Rise Through The Ranks Program is Kartaca’s internship program that takes place between June and August. Applications to this program begin in January and continue until the middle of March every year. As soon as you are involved in the application process, you find yourself in a process designed to improve yourself.

Unlike many other companies, you do not come to general aptitude tests or gamified elimination stages, but to the mission stage where you can show your knowledge, talent, and enthusiasm for the department you have chosen and learn new things. Your job is being evaluated, and after the online interview, you get a response without waiting months. In June, the internship process that you have been eagerly waiting for begins. You can also do your internship in one of the following departments;

At the Application and Service Development Department; technic analysis, code development, code review, unit test preparation.

At the Product and Service Management Department; system architecture design, test automation, orchestration, configuration management.

At the Customer Relations Management Department; analysis, project management, follow-up, functionality, and acceptance testing.

At the Human Resources and Administrative Affairs Department; recruitment, training, operational affairs, university collaborations, company events, office organization within the scope of Administrative Affairs and purchasing processes.

What Kind of Working Environment Does Kartaca Have?

Before starting the internship, the possibility of having an online and inefficient internship experience, not meeting anyone in person due to working remotely, and encountering a monotonous working environment scared me. However, as soon as my classes were over, I found myself in a pleasant working environment, where every moment was filled with actual tasks, not errands. Because of the hybrid working order implemented due to the pandemic, I was able to experience the office environment that I was curious about while gaining remote working experience.

Kartaca’s unique flexible working system was one of the factors that excited me the most when applying here. You can arrive at any time between 8-10 in the morning, provided that you have an 8-hour workday, and take coffee/lunch breaks for up to 3 hours during the day. You can spend your breaks in the kitchen, which is always full of snacks, soft drink cabinets, and great coffee machines, or by making use of the library full of domestic and foreign books.

In addition, monthly events, birthday celebrations, and birthday checks organized by the Human Resources department make you feel how precious it is to be a Kartaca member. While your last day of the internship ends with a sweet farewell party, you are always sent off with gifts to remind you of these beautiful days.

What Awaits Me in the Rise Through The Ranks Program?

If we talk about the content of the internship, no matter what field you are doing, your duty is not to make photocopies, errands, to review files but to gain experience on the way to becoming an employee.

The first week of the internship is spent getting to know Kartaca, the tools used, the way it works, and the people you work with. This tempo, which starts slightly, leaves its place to monthly targets after the first week. These goals are chosen according to your level, and you can ask your internship counselor everything that comes to your mind during the process of completing these goals, and you can generate ideas and get advice together. In addition, in the meetings held every week, you can find an area where you can express your progress, where you have difficulties, and at what point you need help.

At the end of the first month, your progress is reviewed against your goals. Then you move on to the targets of the second month. Instead of doing monotonous work from the beginning to the end of the internship, you have the chance to see and develop a different point of your field. By the end of your internship, instead of leaving this environment with sadness, you can get a full-time job offer to evaluate when you graduate so you can become a full-time Kartaca member.

If you are looking for an internship experience that you will say “luckily”, make sure to apply to the Rise Through The Ranks Program.