Internships with impact: developing a full-stack application

Exploring the power of technology at BDO Digital

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For some students, an internship means repetitive work, taking meeting notes and maybe learning a thing or two while doing so. But for Robin Dieu, an IT student with a passion for software development, his internship at BDO Digital was anything but ordinary. Instead of staying in the shadows, he was given the chance to optimise a credentials database, a project with the possibility to transform knowledge sharing across BDO firms worldwide.

We sat down with Robin to talk about his experience as an intern at BDO Digital, the exciting project he tackled and what he learned along the way. 

So, Robin, tell us: what was the main goal of your internship project? 

Robin: ‘BDO works with a credential database, a platform where employees can upload, search, and reuse past projects. You can see it as an internal ‘Google’. 

The goal of my internship was to migrate this platform from a low-code solution to a BDO Digital technology stack. The reason for this shift was to boost efficiency within BDO’s ecosystem and create flexibility towards future requirements. Making knowledge-sharing between BDO firms from all over the world easier.

The project pushed me to think holistically, designing data models, optimizing APIs, improving architecture and refining user experience. I was given both freedom and responsibility, and that balance helped me develop rapidly.  

Robin DieuIT student

That sounds promising! What were the biggest challenges of the old system? 

Robin: ‘There were quite a few challenges with the low-code solution. For example: 

  • Limited UI customisation: the design was too basic and didn’t meet BDO’s brand standards. 
  • Performance issues: the system was slow as it had to perform for roughly 120,000 employees and we couldn’t optimise data processing ourselves.
  • Scalability challenges: if we wanted to add custom features, we had to rely on expensive third-party integrations.

Reasons enough to find a better alternative if you ask me? 

Robin: ‘Exactly. And the best part is that the new system is way cheaper and offers a lot more flexibility, it can be much better scaled and adapted to BDO’s needs.’

How did you land this internship? 

Robin: ‘I met Emma Lynn (Teirlinck), one of BDO’s Campus Recruiters, and Jan (Vermeersch), Partner at BDO Digital, at a university fair in Kortrijk. The event was organised through my university, Howest University of Applied Sciences, which has a strong focus on technical profiles. Even though my major is in cyber security, I told them my real passion is coding and building digital solutions. That caught their attention. 

Later, I had an interview with Sven Agneessens, the head of integrations, where we talked about my skills and interests. They weren’t any specific projects available at the time, so they ended up creating this internship project just for me, which was amazing!’ 

That’s impressive! What has been your biggest learning experience? 

Robin: ‘I’ve learned so much about how to develop applications in a corporate environment. Coding on your own is so different than working within a team. I now understand the importance of structured workflows, collaboration, and decision-making in large-scale development projects. 

I’ve also gained hands-on experience in choosing the right technology, balancing cost vs. performance, and making a solution scalable for future growth.’ 

More than anything, this internship showed me what it means to build software that matters, while working in an environment that encourages ownership, exploration and continuous learning.

Robin DieuIT student

Robin Dieu & a colleague

Would you recommend an internship at BDO to other tech students? 

Robin: ‘Absolutely! BDO is not just an accounting or audit company, there’s also a strong digital and tech department that works on lots of innovative solutions. They really value technical talent and give you the freedom to make an impact. 

For anyone passionate about software development, data science, or cyber security, I highly recommend applying. The experience has been incredible and I feel like I’ve made a real difference by being able to work on this unique project.’ 

From the very beginning, I was treated as a full member of the team. I wasn’t just shadowing, I was contributing.

Robin DieuIT student
Team of colleagues

Ready to make an impact at BDO Digital?

As Robin said himself, internships at BDO aren’t exclusively financially oriented or useless busywork. They’re about working on real innovations and creating an impact while doing so. If you’re a tech-savvy student looking for an internship where you can build, create and learn, BDO might be the perfect fit for you.
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