INSPIRING INTERNS
Turing Talent’s New Blog Post Series
Learning from one another is what makes us grow better and stronger, and learning from the best and most famous names in any industry is always a great privilege and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, new faces in tech also have their stories to share, they too have lessons to teach us, they can also inspire us all. Therefore, Turing Talent is committed to giving new faces in the tech industry, be them interns, graduates, bachelors, masters, or PhDs, a voice, a platform where they can be themselves and talk about their journey, their experiences, their ups and downs in the always-evolving and rapidly-changing field of tech. Today’s interns will one day grow up to be the future leaders in tech, so let’s make sure the field grows with them, inclusive and diverse, accommodating to newcomers, welcoming innovation, and embracing change!
Turing Talent has asked some of the young faces in tech, who have found internships thanks to us, for a short interview. This week we are sitting with Chandana Basaveni, as she recounts and reflects on her journey with us. She is a bright and truly inspiring young woman, a worthy start for our Inspiring Interns blog post series.
1. Hi Chandana, and thank you for agreeing to this interview. Let’s start off with an easy question: who is Chandana Basaveni?
Hello and thanks for having me. So, I am from India, where I completed a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Presently, I live in the UK, where I am a master’s student in Big Data Analytics at Sheffield Hallam University. I started my studies in September 2019 and I have just finished the second semester of my studies. Currently, I am in the process of completing a 12-month internship, after that a master’s dissertation awaits me, but after that I will be at last good to start at a full-time position.
2. And did you have any previous industry experience before turning to Turing Talent?
I had worked as a Network Operations Specialist for Amazon for about six months. After that, I did a placement as a Systems Engineer, but eventually I returned to Amazon as a Network Operations Specialist.
3. Wow, that sounds great! You seem to be quite an accomplished young woman?!
😃 I guess you could say so, yes.
4. So, why did you decide then to join the Turing Talent programme, considering how much experience you already had?
I know how to find jobs in India, but the UK market was, and to be honest, still is, unfamiliar to me. I didn’t fully understand how the British marked worked. Even finding an unpaid position seemed daunting to me. So, I was very happy when I found Turing Talent, as you helped me navigate this new and unknown to me world of work. You also helped me polish my CV and taught me how to crack an interview. So, I was really very lucky to have found you.
5. How did find out about us actually?
By chance, really. I was just googling ‘Data Analytics Jobs in the UK,’ and I stumbled upon your website. I started reading it and eventually decided to contact you. You were very responsive and considerate, and soon I found myself with two interviews to add to my timetable. And little by little, after the interviews, after the induction training with you, I eventually ended up here, being interviewed for an inspirational blog post. 😃
6. Where are you working now?
I am currently on my way to completing a 12-month internship with Serelay, that is a company that provides high-quality point-of-capture verifications for images and videos and we work with major media outlets, e.g. The Guardian.
7. Wow, another great accomplishment?! What are some of the most important lessons you got to learn during your time with us?
Ever since my decision to first get in touch with you, I started learning so many new things I didn’t know before, things that I wasn’t necessarily even aware of. How to write a CV, for example. I thought I knew how, everyone thinks they know, but it turned out I didn’t. You also helped me practice for my interviews, we went through the most common questions and how to answer them. I really got to develop my soft skills. I had the tech skills but lacked the interpersonal, communication skills. You helped me develop those.
8. Can you talk about your day-to-day responsibilities? Were your expectations about your intern position met?
Oh yes, definitely. Before I started, I was worried my internship might be underwhelming. But I am constantly challenged, I always get to do a variety of different tasks in order to learn and develop myself, both professionally and personally. But I also get enough time to process any new information I am given. Applying for the position through Turing Talent also meant that I inspire confidence and respect in my employers. They know I could do almost anything they throw at me, and I love being challenged, as that is the only way to learn.
9. So, in that regard, do you think that what your doing is worthwhile, especially in terms of your future career?
Absolutely. I will be a completely different person by the end of my internship. I definitely feel like I am taking a huge step in the right direction, I believe that this internship will definitely help me find myself as a person and what I want to do in live, professionally I mean. 🙂
10. What are some of the huge positives of the Turing Talent programme? What do you say to people considering to join us?
Right from the get-go, you will learn how to crack an interview, you will learn how to be confident and how to show it, you will develop the soft skills that STEM programmes at universities often overlook. Of course, you will also find a great position in a top-notch company, but you also get all the support and assistance you might need throughout your whole experience with Turing Talent. I felt so inspired about the programme that I have already recommended it to a few of my friends. So, what do I say to other people considering the Turing Talent programme?; I guess — don’t hesitate, you won’t regret it.
11. And a final questions: what is the most important lesson you learnt with us?
Never give up.
12. Truly inspiring. 🙂 Chandana, thank you for this interview.
Always. 😃
