Trainee Talk: How Our Trainees Experience Their Start at makandra

At makandra, it is particularly important to us to pass on knowledge sustainably. A culture of continuous learning and development is deeply embedded in our way of working and firmly anchored in our values. We want to ensure that valuable insights are not lost but actively shared and further developed.

That’s why our trainee programis essential to us – it has been an integral part of makandra for many years.

As a steadily growing company, we are always looking for new colleagues. In fact, most employees at makandra started their careers with one of our two trainee programs. In these programs, we teach everything newcomers need to kick-start their careers as full-stack web developers orDevOps engineers in a compact and hands-on manner.

Trainees follow our well-established curricula and are guided by experienced mentors – a unique opportunity to learn from the best in the field instead of having to figure everything out on their own.

But what does that actually look like in practice? We spoke with two of our current trainees: Nino, who is currently going through the DevOps trainee program, and Daniel, who is part of the full-stack web development trainee program. They share their expectations, their experiences so far, and what it’s like to start at makandra.

Nino studied Technical Informatics and had already gained some experience as a working student at makandra. Since the end of last year, she has been a trainee in our DevOps department. She is mentored by Emma, an experienced colleague who supports her on her journey.

Since the DevOps trainee program curriculumis publicly available, I was able to check it out beforehand and knew what topics and scope to expect. My time as a working student at makandra also gave me an initial insight. The trainee program now offers a much more structured approach.

I spend the entire workday going through the curriculum, progressing from one card to the next. Each card sets a goal and includes tasks to complete. Once I finish a card, my mentor Emma reviews my progress.

As a working student, I also worked on internal structures, but as a trainee, my focus is entirely on learning. The curriculum structured in cards is a uniquely well-documented knowledge base—something I have never seen anywhere else. The idea of ever having to dig through PDFs again now seems unimaginable to me.

Emma has been my go-to person since my interview, and she continues to guide me through the trainee program. Twice a week, we discuss completed tasks and clarify any open questions. While learning follows the curriculum, it remains flexible if a topic needs more or less time.

In the DevOps team, responsibilities are clearly defined. If someone gets stuck, a colleague steps in—often, we just sit together and solve problems collaboratively. This also applies to me—even if my mentor is unavailable, I can always ask others, and everyone is happy to help.

I receive helpful feedback and constructive criticism, which I really appreciate. It’s not just about checking off tasks but also about how cleanly and efficiently I work and where I can improve. Each card has an estimated completion time, which is usually a good benchmark for self-assessment.

A direct entry wouldn’t have made sense for me since my studies didn’t focus much on working with large-scale servers. Jumping straight into makandra’s infrastructure without the DevOps curriculum’s background knowledge would have been quite difficult. Those with prior experience or a specialized degree will find it easier, of course.

Still, I am included in Ops meetings from the start and get to see what the team is working on. The internal training sessions—our Lightning Talks—are particularly exciting. They provide an overview of the tools we use and how they’re applied in projects. One day, I’ll work on projects myself, but for now, I’m happy to focus entirely on learning.

You don’t need to bring much except the willingness to learn—because even with prior knowledge, much of it is specific to makandra. While we use many open-source tools, their application depends on the projects and is often unique.

It’s also important to be open to asking for help. Initially, I found it difficult because I prefer figuring things out on my own. But you can’t just Google makandra-specific knowledge. Now I know: there are always experienced colleagues who can explain things faster and better. Asking questions has become easier for me, and I progress much faster.

Daniel studied computer science and gained practical experience as a working student in the DevOps field at makandra. However, he ultimately decided to focus on web development and joined the corresponding trainee program. After the first two months, he paused the program to work on his six-month master's thesis and is now continuing it. He is mentored by Henning and Michael, who support his development.

Since I had to choose a specialization, I reviewed both curricula in advance—they’re publicly available in makandra cards. Additionally, my insights into makandra’s DevOps department showed me what working in that area would be like. By the end of my master’s, I realized that I might miss traditional programming in DevOps. That’s why I ultimately chose the web development trainee program.

A typical day starts with checking emails and Slack before diving into the curriculum cards. The cards cover not only technologies and methodologies but also topics like personal productivity and self-organization. Since the content builds on itself and is repeatedly applied, it ensures long-term learning. The structured approach of the cards also keeps me motivated to continue.

Self-organization is a key part of learning here. Every day, I provide an update on my progress in a Slack channel with Michael and Henning. If my summary is too vague, they ask specific questions. This helps me develop a better understanding of my workload—an essential skill for real projects later on.

The collaboration with my mentors is structured and highly supportive. Henning does the final review of my tasks and provides valuable feedback, while Michael checks in on my progress and answers any open questions. This gives me a clear direction and ensures I always know what to work on next.

If I need a quick answer, there’s a Slack channel where someone is always available to help. In the office, I can also approach colleagues anytime—everyone is supportive and willing to assist.

My mentors provide very detailed feedback to ensure nothing is overlooked. Each completed card is thoroughly reviewed to confirm my understanding. The expectations are high, but that’s exactly what helps me learn and improve. I want to complete tasks as well as possible, not just somehow. At the same time, good work is recognized, which keeps me motivated.

The trainee program allows you to build confidence before fully diving in. Instead of being thrown in at the deep end, you can take the time to learn the fundamentals. The cards serve as a reference and make self-learning easier. This way, you don’t feel lost and can ask targeted questions when something is unclear.

You don’t need to master specific technologies but should already have programming experience and an interest in web development. It’s important to review the trainee program content and scope beforehand—it’s not a fast track to client projects but an intensive learning phase. Those who are eager to learn, open to feedback, and can manage their time well will be in the best place here.