Through my studies since high school, I have taken some delight in working. After senior high I worked for Woodin a fabric producing firm in our sub-region. In the university I heard of internship. I didn’t know what that meant so I looked it up in the dictionary. I found out later that it is just a term people have coined for work.
But what does internship really mean? Through my thoughts, I have come to realise that internship is work for those who want to prepare themselves for employment after school. Really? Is that the only benefit of internship? Far from it, because it can also groom the individual to enter into sustainable self employment.
Currently, I am an intern in an ecommerce firm downtown. The firm’s name is Ahonya. Check up what they do here. I am a growing developer studying Information Technology at a reputable school in Ghana. This article will go on further to describe what every aspiring developer who wants to be hired after school needs to know.
The challenges of writing a CV and cover letter. First of all the effort spent to put up a good CV and cover letter is worthwhile. I wasn’t able to do that, but the interview panel at Ahonya said it was cool. But come to think of it, after school if you want to work for a reputable firm, both CV and cover letter will tell the unknown employer who they are going to hire. In short, you need to write your CV and cover letter well else you will loose the market.
Current technology advancement and current affairs. As a developer, considering our changing world via technology, you will really need to be abreast with newer technologies especially in the business of software development. I tell as a fact, I was shocked to have realised I was way behind time when I got the opportunity to talk to the other interns onboard. I was like:
What am I doing here - I need to go make myself current.
Basics of programming and logical reasoning. The tool for every developer is his knowledge of programming. Employers do not want interns with higher degrees, they want interns who understand the basics of programming, those who understand how stuffs work, those who can sit and make a clear logical step to solve a complex problem.
A more involving person. One who is ready to learn! I say this as a fact, if one is not ready to learn, no employer will come knocking on you to come for internship or work. The main idea of the whole internship program is to introduce the student or human being out of the classroom and face real world facts. No employer will hire a all knowing obnoxious person.
How I rate myself after Ahonya!!! I have learnt a lot after spending even a few days at Ahonya. Listing out what I have learnt, I will say:
- Team work is paramount in every developer community.
- Continuous training will help build the individual developer.
- Paying much attention to project timeline is ultimate.