From Student to Engineer: Returning to SINFO

I’m Paulo, a Backend Engineer at Mercedes-Benz.io. I joined the company last year as part of the Summer internship program and later transitioned into a full-time role, marking my first professional experience.

Attending SINFO as a recent employee was truly rewarding. As a student at Instituto Superior Técnico, where I’m currently finishing my master’s thesis, returning — this time on the other side — felt like a full-circle moment. Just last year, I was in the audience, discovering Mercedes-Benz.io for the first time, unaware that it was an IT-specialized company focused on the customer’s digital journey. I didn’t even realize they had a presence in Portugal. This year, I had the opportunity to represent the company and share my journey with students who, like me, are just beginning their careers.

Sharing Experiences and Inspiring Future Talent

One of the highlights of my experience was engaging with students who share a similar academic background. Representing Mercedes-Bezn.io and discussing the summer internship program through which I joined was particularly meaningful. I could personally relate to their perspectives, making it easy to have open and honest conversations.

Many students were eager to learn what it’s really like to work as a backend engineer at Mercedes-Benz.io, the technologies we use, and how they can best prepare for a similar role. Some were especially curious about what I wish I had known before choosing this path and the challenges of balancing a first job with a master’s degree. These moments of genuine curiosity made the experience even more rewarding, sparking conversations where I could share my insights on transitioning from university to industry. It felt great to be the kind of person I would have wanted to ask questions to when I was in their position.

It was also amusing to see the common stereotype among students who believed Mercedes-Benz was solely about producing cars.

Connecting and Igniting Tech

Beyond my conversations with students, I also enjoyed connecting with colleagues I hadn't met before. Additionally, I had the chance to attend insightful and inspiring talks. SINFO brings together a diverse range of speakers and discussions, and being part of such a dynamic tech event further fueled my enthusiasm.

As the only engineer from Mercedes-Benz.io at the event, I felt fully immersed in the technical discussions and the energy of the conference. Seeing how passionate students are about technology reminded me why I chose this field in the first place.

An Experience to Repeat

This experience allowed me to reflect on my own journey, reconnect with Instituto Superior Técnico, and give back to a community that played a key role in shaping the start of my career.

Being on the other side of the conversation made me appreciate the value of mentorship and knowledge-sharing even more. I’m grateful for the opportunity and look forward to attending again.