Reflections on our experience working at Kongsberg Norcontrol

As part-time employees while studying computer science at the University of South-Eastern Norway, we’ve been given an excellent opportunity to apply in practice many of the theoretical concepts and principles we’ve been taught in class. Seeing the practical applications of our education first-hand motivates us to keep learning and to develop new skills, while also providing valuable insights into the various work methods commonly used throughout the software industry.

As part of the product development team at the company, we’ve been given a wide range of tasks directly related to our field of study. We’ve familiarized ourselves with the product lineup by participating in software testing, and we’ve also been involved in the deployment of a test automation pipeline for one of the products. Within the first few months of our employment, we were tasked with setting up a data visualization platform and writing complex queries toward an SQL-compliant database. During the summer months, we worked full-time performing a security analysis and penetration test targeting one of the web services maintained by the company.

Being a leading supplier of maritime surveillance systems, Kongsberg Norcontrol delivers software products of critical importance to coastal security in ports across the world. The fact that we’re trusted to work on these products shows that the company management values and appreciates our abilities. Knowing our contributions make a real, measurable difference in the grand scheme of things makes every workday feel meaningful and rewarding. While the tasks we’re given are sometimes challenging, they always provide ample opportunity to learn about new and interesting topics we weren’t familiar with beforehand.

 We’ve always been treated with respect and understanding by our co-workers, with whom we eat lunch and have coffee breaks every time we’re here. Importantly, the company heavily promotes a safe and friendly work environment; whenever we’ve had questions or otherwise been stuck, we’ve had no qualms about asking our supervisor or other co-workers for help. When we first started, we were each assigned a mentor to help introduce us to the company culture and how things are done around here. We’ve also been invited to a large variety of different social arrangements, ranging from lectures and seminars to bowling and golf.

In short, we definitely wouldn’t hesitate to recommend applying for a position at Kongsberg Norcontrol. The work we do here always feels worthwhile and meaningful, and the tasks given to us are perfectly aligned with the subjects taught in our classes. We’ve been given a warm welcome by our co-workers, and even though we only work part-time we’ve been invited to a variety of different social gatherings and events. Throughout the past six months we’ve gained a lot of practical experience and technical knowledge, and we look forward to writing our bachelor thesis in collaboration with the company in the coming spring.