From data doubts to dashboard wins: Softcat intern Dan Sylvester on finding his footing in tech

As applications open for Softcat’s 2026 internship intake, University of Sheffield student Dan Sylvester shares how a lucky mishap led him to a year-long placement in data visualisation.

When University of Sheffield student Dan Sylvester sent off his internship applications, he wasn’t expecting to land in data visualisation, let alone fall in love with it.

Fast-forward to three months into his placement year at Softcat, and he’s building dashboards, boosting confidence, and learning what makes one of the UK’s best-rated internship programmes tick.

Softcat’s 12-month internship scheme gives undergraduate students hands-on experience across sales, commercial, business operations, and technical & services, and was recently named sixth Best Small to Medium Sized Placement Scheme 2025–2026 by Higherin.

With applications for the next cohort opening on Monday 13 October, this is what life inside the programme looks like through Dan’s eyes.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do at Softcat?

My name is Dan Sylvester. I'm a 20-year-old student at the University of Sheffield and I'm on placement year as a data visualisation intern at Softcat.

What drew you to apply for an internship?

I always knew I wanted to make the most of my time at Uni by either doing a year of study abroad or going on placement, but I think ultimately what drew me to opting for an internship was the future career prospects it would bring. I wasn't too clear on what kind of field or role I wanted to go into after graduating and so I chose to apply for an internship to get a better understanding of the kind of jobs available to me as well as the kind of roles that I prefer within those fields.

What were you doing before joining, and what made you choose this path alongside university?

I study a BA in Digital Media and Society at the University of Sheffield. This is essentially a multidisciplinary branch of sociology with a focus on the digital age and incorporates other things like computer science and communication. But in terms of why I chose the data visualisation path, it was actually a sort of lucky mishap. When it came to applying for internships, I was mainly applying to ones in marketing and the commercial area. But when I applied for Softcat and got through to the penultimate interview stage, the recruitment team had reviewed my CV, seen that I’d done a module in data visualisation, and since the marketing internship wasn’t available this year - recommended that I apply for the Data Visualisation role which I hadn’t realised was an option at that point. I’d actually pretty much lost all faith in securing an internship with Softcat because I was really not confident in the world of data and the module I'd done was a very introductory course, but I thought, you know what, I might as well see it through so I could get some interview experience. And now here we are three months later. I was offered the role and taking it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

How has your experience been so far — what does a typical day look like for you?

My experience so far has genuinely been incredible. I mean, it's my first adventure into the corporate world, and it's been such a different life to what I've been used to. Being a student, my only concept of a corporate life and job has been from media, movies, TV shows or hearing my parents talk about their jobs at the dinner table. So, to actually be part of a company and experience that lifestyle first hand has been really fun.

My typical days when I'm in the office, starts with a commute from Sheffield to Manchester. Then I’ll unpack my bag and head straight to the kitchen for some free coffee and breakfast. And then, I'll check my inbox and calendar, open up Power BI and crack on with whatever project I'm making a dashboard for. Some recent projects that I’ve been involved with are the creation of a commercial finance dashboard with the aim to review the product data and revamping a dashboard for our Sales development programme. And aside from that, I'll be in various meetings with team members or catching up with the other interns in Manchester.

What has surprised you most about working at Softcat?

I think what surprised me most about working at Softcat definitely has to be the culture. I know it's a bit of a cliche answer and it’s one thing hearing it in the application process and during induction, but it really is like a completely different world experiencing it for yourself. I mean, there's so many office or companywide events and parties to throw yourself into and meet new people. There’s never a dull week and everyone is so welcoming and friendly that settling in was just an absolute breeze. But I think what really stood out to me and what surprised me the most was the sort of passion with which people come to work every day. It's passion, not just for their roles, but for fostering that culture of care and fun. It makes Softcat such an incredible place to work. Everyone is so organically themselves and is comfortable bringing that self to work and it helps build this incredible and supportive community environment.

I think one of my proudest moments so far was when the first ever dashboard I'd made in Power BI went live. I did it in a shorter time frame than was anticipated meaning I was given a lot of praise and feedback from my manager and the stakeholders based on that. Ultimately, I was just so proud of myself for actually starting to succeed at a job that I didn’t even think that I would even get past the interview for. So that was a really big boost in my own confidence, but also a bit of a learning curve to not underestimate my own abilities and not underestimate my capability to learn because that is what I'm here to do in this internship. I wasn't brought on as a BI developer immediately. I'm here to learn the role and so just finding out that that's what I'm doing is one of the biggest highlights, because it means that, you know, I'm hopefully on track and making impact!

What kind of training, mentorship, or support have you received since starting?

The support that Softcat provides is just positively endless. My line manager is an exceptional leader, and he's been guiding me through these first three months with such care, patience and passion.

Similarly, I think the wider team are all just so incredibly supportive and what's really stood out to me is how they treat me and the other intern in my team with such respect that is completely irrespective of our status as interns. They treat us with such patience, and it really is such a rewarding feeling to be valued by the team in that way. We're not just treated as a interns hired to do coffee runs but are viewed as genuine team members that are trusted but also challenged and provoked to stretch ourselves in our roles. Ultimately, we are still given that patience, care and extra support through this journey which is great.

What new skills (technical, professional, or personal) have you developed?

Power BI is the main technical skill I've developed so far, and I’ll get the opportunity to develop my technical skills on other platforms later on in my internship. As a student stepping into the corporate world, what might seem like simple tasks to employees like navigating HR platforms and benefits systems are completely new to me so that’s also been a new skill to navigate. Personally, and professionally speaking, I would say confidence is the biggest thing I’ve developed in my internship. I've always considered myself a confident person, but this role has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone and opened up new opportunities. I feel like I now have more faith in my own abilities and work as well as the humility to ask for help.

How do you see your internship helping you shape your long-term career?

Well, to be honest, it's completely derailed my original career plans, but very much for the better! I always thought I'd be straight into marketing, doing an internship in that space and then very slowly working my way up graduate roles. But now, I see this internship as a stepping stone that has put foot in the door to a career in Data Visualisation, so it’s definitely going to be really influential to my future career path.

What advice would you give to someone considering applying for an early career role at Softcat?

I would say absolutely go for it! If you’re going to apply for a role, I would say bring your true and authentic self to the interview because as much as a company is trying to determine whether you're a good fit for that role, one of the biggest things they’re looking for is your fit to the culture. Softcat is such a unique and incredible place to work, the recruitment process is about seeing whether the culture is something that would be beneficial for you to work in as well as if you would offer something back to that. So I’d say definitely just go into the interview process completely as you are. Don’t worry about trying to impress anyone or pretending to be something you’re not. I think really just about going into the process with honesty of your skills and honesty of your personality is key. Who you are as a person is the biggest sell that you could bring.

What are you most excited to learn or achieve during your time at Softcat?

I'm most excited to keep growing in my proficiency as a data visualisation developer and the new technical skills and platforms that come with that. But I'm also super excited to keep becoming a useful and integrated part of a business function as well as making memories with the amazing intern cohort that we have this year. I can’t wait to just throw myself into all the events that Softcat’s social calendar has to offer!

Where do you see yourself in the next few years — and how do you think this experience will help you get there?

I definitely see myself returning to Softcat if they'll have me! At least for the first few years. If I'm still enjoying the role by the end of the year, I do reckon I'll keep going down the data vis / analyst pathway but maybe later in the future, I can consider branching out beyond that role and the tech industry. What’s quite eye opening is the sheer number of opportunities available in all industries. So, I’m excited to also explore what’s out there for my career long term.

For Dan, what began as a tentative step into the unknown has become the launchpad for an entirely new career direction. “I definitely see myself returning to Softcat if they’ll have me,” he says.

It’s a sentiment that neatly captures what the programme is designed to do: turn curiosity into capability, and placement students into professionals ready to take on whatever’s next. Applications for Softcat’s 2026 internship intake open Monday 13 October.