This article has been adapted from a post I had written for a CCA I am in which shares career advice and provides peer-to-peer support for students’ career journeys. (Hence, it is in a Q & A format.)

I will be sharing with you my takeaways from my internship role as a data analyst intern at one of my university’s research lab. I worked with my professor to analyse urban mobility data and create a dashboard to display the performance of buses and bus stops in Singapore.

1. What motivated you to sign up for this internship?

I wanted to develop my programming skills further by taking on real projects, as well as exploring the field of research and data analysis related to urban mobility data.

2. How was your internship experience like?

It has been an incredible journey of self-discovery and independence. I honed my problem solving skills by first seeking the answers on my own. I found that thinking in a step-by-step manner and having a strategic trial-and-error approach helped me to learn and apply what I’ve picked up quickly.

I’ve also learnt to be more open to feedback. This is especially important as working in the technology field means there are probably more efficient ways of doing things, such as writing the code for a particular function or algorithm which you may not have thought of before.

I am grateful to be able to have a great mentor to guide me through my project. We truly learn by doing and ‘getting our hands dirty’. To figure things out and improve your skills, consistent practice will help you get more familiar with it and it becomes more manageable.

Lastly, never underestimate the power of documentation and goal setting. Researching and writing lines of code daily means recording and conducting regular reviews to ensure that you are on track are of utmost importance. If a particular milestone hasn’t been met, try a different angle or seek help.

3. Looking back, is there anything that you would have done differently?

Yes, I would like to have connected more with my colleagues. As most of our roles were project-based, we do not get to interact with one another very often. Even the other interns and I were working on different projects. However, finding out more about their projects and experiences as well as seeking help from them has been beneficial. Besides, it’s fun to have nice chats over lunch.

4. What is your biggest takeaway? 

Learning to look at things from the perspective of the end user or customer. For example, something simple and intuitive is often sufficient. As long as the product addresses the needs of users, there is no need for fancy code or designs. To help me discover that, I ask myself questions like “What are my users looking for?” “What do they hope to gain from visiting this page?” “Why are they visiting this page?” “What questions would they have?” “What would they do after leaving this page?”

5. Any advice for those looking to apply for the same job/company?  

Have discipline, keep an open mind and enjoy the ‘struggle’. You may not get it right the first time (or even second or nth time), but with patience, consistency and flexibility, you will.

My internship was originally just for the summer in 2019 but I extended my time because I wanted to contribute more and finish creating my dashboard to make it more user-friendly and insightful. Even though my friends have went on internships at big firms or startups, I chose to explore the field of research and hone my technical skills as an information systems student. I believe that if you put in the effort and work, regardless of the role you take up, there are always learning opportunities and growth for you.

Have you done any internships? What did you learn from them? I’d love to hear your experiences and stories.