Josip Mužić

“The company is very relaxed and chill. I’m not feeling very stressed even though I am developing a complete app all by myself. There are not unnecessary and stupid rules. I’m allowed to come in whenever I want between 7:30 and 10 in the morning, which I really like. And most importantly to me - I’m allowed to bring my dog.

I believe that I didn't only receive adequate training, but that I received much more than what I needed and hoped for. I came to this company thinking I was only going to be doing a few minor tasks. But at one point, I realised that the project managers would allow me to do my work at any speed I wanted. Once I realised they started taking me seriously and that they would allow me to do more difficult tasks (like learning an entirely new language and framework - Dart, Flutter) I started liking the company and working a lot more.

I’ve had many great experiences here even though I’ve only been working here for a few months. The barbecues were very nice. The people are very helpful. But I’d say one thing that’s going to stick with me was the 2 weeks I had to work remotely. I found it very funny that I was told I can bring anything from my workstation home. Unlike the rest who took home a monitor, or a computer, or both. I took a monitor, computer, keyboard, and my office chair. I was also given a company MacBook, which I am obviously very happy about.

Something that made me very happy was how flexible Cinnamon Agency is. After I expressed that I still wanted to work for them while also going to university, they told me that not only would they like that, but that I'm allowed to make my own schedule any way I'd like. They allowed me to work from home, or even come to work and listen to my online lectures here and work in between lectures. I loved every part of this internship and I'm happy to be a part of this company.”

Bruno Kecman

“As soon as I started my internship I began working on an ongoing project, which surprised me, and at first, I was not sure if I was up to the task. With my mentor’s support, I had no issues catching up, and I learned a lot in a short amount of time.

I did not have many expectations before my internship, as this was my first, and I would have been happy with any form of experience I could get. The experience I have gained and the things I have learned have exceeded my expectations.

I would say Cinnamon is like a family. The small size of the company allows for better collaboration, between colleagues and branches. The laid back atmosphere and various company events contribute to a pleasant working environment.

I wouldn’t point out one specific experience, but a reoccurring event. Once in a while, our colleagues give presentations about whatever we might find useful or interesting. There have been branch-specific presentations providing a glimpse into their workflow, presentations about exciting new technologies and frameworks, or just a topic which might be interesting to everyone. I love that anyone can hold a presentation if they have something to show.

For students like myself, I believe there is no better way of developing skills than in a real working environment. I can guarantee that is what you will get at Cinnamon.”

Evgeniya Samsonova

“I received a mentor who helped me out during the process. I was also able to communicate with the management if needed, which at times helped avoid communication problems and information losses. I was also assigned a team lead, and each project has a support designer shall I need any help during my work.

I did tasks I was expecting to do and was assigned both internal tasks as well as actual client projects. The first week is spent doing internal tasks which helps someone new understand how the company functions, as well as all the ins and outs. It also helps understand the different roles people take, as well as all the project stages. I was then assigned projects, and because of a good on-boarding and internal practice, I was able to take on a project fast with no problems.

Cinnamon has a very open culture. The company is organised and has a defined structure which is described well to all the new team members. Work is taken seriously, and time is provided for rest and activities not related to work. Team members are encouraged to communicate and cooperate both during work hours, but also thanks to multiple after-work events and meet-ups. The company is also very flexible in terms of working hours and schedules and is supportive when needed.

I liked that the company trusted me to handle meetings and communicate with clients directly, and I liked that I was not limited to design tasks only. I was given the freedom to lead the design meeting, requirements, coordinate with clients and project managers, and fully take care of the design part of the project. At the same time, if any problem was there, I could ask the team to support me at any stage of the process.

I also liked that I was taught the internal time estimation process, which differs company by company, so it gave me a lot of insights.”

This was our first time cooperating with Rochester Institute of Technology and we knew we’ll get some talented interns, but even so, we were positively surprised by Evgeniyas, Brunos and Josips commitment, skills and professionalism. We don’t take internships lightly because we’re aware that an internship is often a first real-life step in someone's career and that it will set the bar for years to come. And we hope we set that bar high.