We caught up with some of our ProInterns members Noah Kalyesubula, Francis, Kiryowa, Micheal Nangulu, Jane Nantege and Lindsey Patra Ayesiga, who are currently working at Yammzit as intern software developers. They are currently in their final year pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering at Makerere University except for Micheal, who is at Uganda Christian University, Mukono pursuing a Bachelor of Information Technology.

1. How did ProInterns help secure this internship?

Jane: I found out about ProInterns from a Whatsapp group where one of the members shared a link to the opportunities on the website. I opened the link and saw the position that Yamzit had advertised and I applied. Luckily I was among the few that were picked to attend the interview and finally got the position. So it is because of ProInterns that I got to know about Yamzit.

Francis: I was in the library reading for my end of semester examinations when one of my friends mentioned to me about ProInterns and that I could get an internship placement through them. I then checked out the website, created an account and that is when I saw and applied for the intern position with Yamzit.

Noah: I heard about ProInterns from a friend who had used the platform to apply for the position with Yamzit. I was interested and visited the website, created an account and applied for the position as well. A few weeks later I received a message inviting me for an interview. 

Lindsey: I also heard about ProInterns from a Whatsapp group. I was interested in finding an internship placement and luckily for me, when I applied to Yamzit, I was able to get one.

Micheal: I heard about the opportunity with Yamzit and ProInterns from my brother. My brother is friends with Kevin who is part of the Yamzit team and he told him about the opportunity they had advertised with ProInterns. I looked for the website, created an account and then applied for the position. 

 

2. What has your internship experience with Yamzit taught you?

Micheal: I am the team leader for the team so I have been able to improve my leadership skills and I have also learnt what it means to work for a goal and not just to earn good grades like it is at the university.

Jane: I have been exposed to the new technology and programming language that I did not know and now I know how to use it. Not everything is taught in class at the university but because of this internship, I now know more.

Lindsey: I have learnt how to work with minimal supervision which has helped me have better self-drive. During the internship, we were tasked and left to do the work without having anyone constantly reminding you about the task. This is has helped me grow professionally as well.

Noah: I have learnt to think critically and also beyond what I already know so as to achieve the end goal.

Francis: The experience with Yamzit has helped me know what the professional world is all about and how important it is to work as part of a team.

 

3. What are the 3 things you would advise other internees?

Lindsey: I would tell them not to be scared to ask for help with the different tasks they are assigned because they are there to learn. They should be willing and ready to work as part of a team.

Noah: They should have the desire to learn more, carry out research on their own and also have love and dedication for what they are doing.

Francis: Internees should know what they want out of the internship placement and therefore work towards achieving that by having a clear vision and plan. Being serious about tasks assigned and working hard because nothing good is easy to achieve.

Jane: They should be excited to learn and about their placement, have a commendable work ethic and also always keep time at the work place and with tasks assigned.

Micheal: They need to be open minded and be ready for anything during their placement. It is also important to make friends with the people you are working with.

 

4. Why is an internship important?

Noah: It is important because of the exposure to the reality of the professional world. You work towards successfully completing a task and not only for good grades.

Jane: You are able to know where your strengths lie and also your weaknesses. This helps you make an informed decision on what exactly your career specialization will be.

Francis: You learn how companies work in relation to your field of study. You are able to know what is expected of you when you finally join the professional world.

Lindsey: During internship you get hands on experience on what having a good work ethic means and are more responsible as you carry out your responsibilities.

Micheal: New skills are learnt during an internship and this is an eye opener to what it is like to work in the professional world.

5. Why did you want to intern with Yamzit?

Francis: Yamzit was offering a longer internship placement period than other places I had applied to, which was in line with the university policy. 

Jane: I was immediately impressed with their profile on the ProInterns website and then I knew that was where I wanted to do my internship from.

Lindsey: I had heard that I would not get much learning experience from the big companies and so I decided to go for a smaller company in size where I could easily get a more one on one learning experience.

Micheal: I wanted to learn something new and that is exactly what I felt I would be exposed to once I joined the Yamzit team.

Noah: The working time they offered was favorable to me and I also felt that it was the place where I could make an impact. 

 

6. What is next for you after this internship?

Francis: I will advise other people I know and come into contact with to use ProInterns.

Noah: I am going to apply the knowledge and skills I have learnt during this internship throughout my course of study and profession.

Micheal: I will keep in touch with the team such that we can all work together even when we return to the university for our last semester.

Jane: I plan to keep visiting the Innovation Village especially whenever there are conferences related to software engineering.

Lindsey: I plan to apply what I have learnt from my internship experience to my final year school project.