Alumni Story - Pooja Kokatnur

We met with Pooja Kokatnur, a Developer at BNZ and Summer of Tech alumni. She shared her highlights from being an Integration Technology Consultant at IntegrationWorks in 2017 and what she wished she had known during her internship. Read what she says about using Summer of Tech to your advantage. 

When and where did you intern? What was your role?

My last year at university was in 2017, and that was the year I did my internship through Summer of Tech. My role was as an Integration Technology Consultant and involved a real mix of dev work and consulting across a number of different organisations. 

What was a highlight of your internship?

One of the highlights was learning about the consulting world -  which I didn’t know much about before I started. The other highlight was completing my internship with two other interns. We learned together, grew together and became friends through the process. I loved working and figuring out the working world with them. 

What was the no.1 thing that you learnt from your internship?

In the consulting environment, we had to work with a range of different clients and technologies. It was really valuable to learn that every company works differently; they have a different culture, a different tech stack, different ways of working etc. It was really important for me to adapt to the client's way of working and pick up new technologies quickly. 

How did having an internship influence your career journey?

My internship was a stepping stone for me. I made some amazing connections and met so many people who now form part of my network and are people I can lean on for career advice and mentorship. 

What was the transition from study to work like for you?

It was challenging for me as I was also doing 2 summer papers at the same time, and getting used to working a 40 hour week. But as time went on, I started to figure it out and get into a good daily and weekly rhythm. 

What role did Summer of Tech play in where you are today?

It was a great platform for me to get to know and talk with a broad range of companies and help me to find out what I wanted to do. Since I’ve been through the programme myself, I always get involved in Summer of Tech from the employers side by participating in the meet and greet, interviews and even mentoring interns. I’ve seen first-hand how beneficial it is, and I love to be able to pass that on. 

What do you know now, that you wish you knew during your internship?

That even someone with years of experience doesn’t always know what they’re doing! Often the way to resolve issues is to experiment and try different solutions. At the beginning, I was hesitant to reach out for help as I worried that I would look silly asking, but now I know that experience doesn’t mean that you know all the answers. 

What is your top tip for a student interviewing for an internship?

Be prepared and research the companies that you are going to talk to. If you have questions or don’t understand something about the company - ask! As much as it is about impressing the employers, they too are trying to hire talented interns. It’s important to have an idea about what you want and find out if that company meets your requirements too.

What advice would you give a student entering the workforce?

Network through events (even virtually) and make use of platforms like LinkedIn. Reach out to people who you think may be able to help you. It gives you a support network that is really valuable to your career. 

What’s next for you?

I’m still figuring it out! I love being a developer at BNZ, but I’d also love to experience different areas and roles - perhaps being a business analyst, people lead or engineering lead etc. BNZ is really supportive in helping me to figure out what I’d like to do, so I am excited for the future. 

Do you have any questions or comments about Summer of Tech?

The Summer of Tech team does a lot of work in the background to make it easy for students - so take advantage of that! Use the platform that they have built. I was only part of Summer of Tech in my final year, but I wish I got involved earlier. Even if I hadn’t gotten a job, the preparation (bootcamps and events) would have been really valuable and helped hugely. 

Thank you, Pooja, for sharing your story with us.