“Thriving in the ALX Africa Internship: A Guide for New Students”

I often find myself approached by numerous individuals who inquire about ALX and its program, seeking guidance on how to navigate through it. I completely understand the mix of emotions they experience — the anxiety, fear, and countless questions that arise when first encountering ALX. I genuinely appreciate their feelings, and I’m here to provide answers and support to help alleviate their concerns.

So, let’s dive into some of the common questions and address them:

Q1. What is ALX all about? ALX

ALX is at the forefront of technology training and is dedicated to propelling the careers of young Africans by equipping them with the necessary technical and professional skills to excel in the digital economy.

Their primary objective is to deliver top-notch training to the next generation of tech professionals, innovators, entrepreneurs, and business leaders. By doing so, we empower our talented individuals to not only join the global workforce but also make a significant impact on tech innovation across various industries.

Working hand in hand with their esteemed partners, the Mastercard Foundation and The Room, they strive to play a pivotal role in driving technological advancements. Their collective goal is to ignite Africa’s journey into the fourth industrial revolution, where innovation thrives and transforms societies.

Through their comprehensive programs and strategic partnerships, they aim to shape the future of Africa’s tech landscape, enabling our participants to seize opportunities and contribute to the ever-evolving digital world.

Q2. What can I expect from the ALX program?

The ALX program presents a diverse array of opportunities and resources tailored to support your growth. You can explore various courses within the program, including options such as software engineering, Salesforce administration, data analytics, and AWS Cloud Practitioner.

Q3. How can I get involved in the ALX program?

link: https://www.alxafrica.com/

You just have to enroll in the course you choose and prepare your CV; it doesn’t matter how it looks because they will accept you anyway. Just wait for their email.

Q4. How can I prepare myself for the ALX program?

For me, I didn’t prepare for it; I just waited to start the journey. But if you want to prepare, I will put the link to some resources

This drive link has some books: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1PIjitAJ3FT7wm7aTLhWci5BhOmYmRNao

Git & GitHub: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGOj5yH7evk&t=684s

Q5. How can I address my anxiety or fear about joining ALX?

Feeling anxious initially is completely normal since we often don’t know what to expect or how to proceed. However, as time goes on, everything will start falling into place. You’ll receive informative emails outlining the next steps, so make sure to keep an eye on your inbox.

I firmly believe that knowledge is empowering, and I hope that by sharing some information with you, it will prove beneficial and reduce your anxiety.

1- Getting the accepted email

After a few days, you will get an email to set up your intranet, Slack.

What is the intranet?

An intranet is a website that serves as a centralized platform where you can access your projects, and scores, and stay updated on events. It’s a comprehensive web space that encompasses everything related to your projects, tasks, and important announcements. let’s go deep

Upcoming events

In this section, you will find all the events. If you have a session with your mentors, you will find the link here. You can just click on the link, and it will direct you to another page with the link to the session.

Current projects

In this section, you will find your projects with the deadlines, and if you click on the name of the project, which is in red, it will direct you to the page of the project. This page has all the details of the project, like the tasks, checklist, resources, and requirements.

These are all the resources you are going through for your task.

In your task, they will provide you with the steps and all the details you need to start.

Score section

It’s the section that will keep track of your score during your journey

2- My Planning

It’s the page where you can find your projects during the journey, like what project you have tomorrow or next month, next week or when is your rest

3- My projects

Here you will find all your previous projects and tasks, and you can access them again, see your previous scores, see the concepts again to recall them and access the resources again. it’s like they save every detail for you to go back to them later if you want

4-QA reviews

Sometimes they will ask you and your peers to review each other's works, so here you can find your peers to review their works, and here they will find you to review your work.

5- My evaluation quizzes

After some time they make evaluation quizzes for you, and here you will find these quizzes and the score you got from the quizzes

6-My Curriculums

Here you will find your curriculums

7-Sandbox

That’s very important part, here when you click on Webterm, It will open a webterm for you and that’s how it looks like

What is terminal?

Simply for now, you can say it is a tool for allowing you to interact with your computer, you can think about your computer as your friend and you want to communicate with your friend using words, so a terminal is a tool that allows you to communicate with your computer with words

Here you will do all your tasks, creating folders, and files, writing, test,ing and executing your code

let’s take a look at my webterminal

Don’t worry about what I mean for now; you will learn all of that, but here I communicated with my computer and said to it, "List all the folders and files here”, and the words in blue are the directories, and in white are the files.

I’m not going through more details about sandbox because it’ll be so confusing but it’s the tool you will use to do your tasks and write your code

2- Slack

Slack is a cloud-based collaboration platform that is designed to facilitate communication and teamwork within organizations. It provides teams with a centralized place for messaging, file sharing, and collaboration, making it easier for employees to connect and work together, whether they are in the same office or located remotely.

1. Channels: Slack organizes communication into channels, which are dedicated spaces for specific teams, projects, or topics. Channels can be public, allowing all team members to join and participate, or private, limiting access to specific individuals.

In ALX

you will have specific channels like cohort 13 announcements It’s for mentors and announcers only. Cohort 13 is a channel to communicate with your peers and ask questions. random, and general channels

1. Direct Messaging: Users can send direct messages to individuals or create group chats for smaller discussions.
2. File Sharing: Slack allows users to share files, documents, images, and other types of files directly within the platform. This makes it easy to collaborate on projects and ensures that files are easily accessible to team members.
3. Integrations: Slack integrates with numerous other tools and services, such as project management software, customer support systems, and productivity apps. This enables teams to bring their workflows and information into Slack, streamlining their work processes.
4. Search and Archive: Slack provides powerful search functionality, allowing users to find past messages, files, and conversations quickly. It also archives all conversations, ensuring that important information is preserved and easily retrievable.
5. Threads

It’s like comments in Facebook and Instagram, when you post or ask something and your peers answer your question it will notify you by threads

Like here, I posted something, and someone answered me (commented on my post), so they notified me by thread.

Slack has become widely adopted by businesses and organizations of all sizes as it helps to streamline communication, enhance collaboration, and increase productivity within teams.

Q6. Do I need to download something on my PC?

No, basically, you don’t; everything you will get and do from your intranet

Q7. How to survive

1. At the first month, you need to have 80% to continue at alx internship

2. The rest of months you have to get 70% score

3. Don’t cheat or copy and paste, because there is a tool called Kimba that will detect cheating and report you. At first, it's a warning, but if it reports you again, you will be kicked out of the internship and can’t enroll again.

Q8. How can i contact my mentors

On Slack, in your cohort channel, you can write your question and tag mentors as “@mentors”.

In sessions they are communicating with us and allow you to ask either to write the question or to open microphone and talk.

A small trick 🤏

Sometimes you get errors when solving a quiz and you can’t figure out where those errors are coming from. Do not feat, hre’s a list of things to do to make it easy to identify.

1. Look at the number of questions (e.g 10)

2. Then solve only the first question

3. Click the submit button

• If the number of questions decreases (i. e 9 instead of 10) — that means you solve the right question. Now go to the next question.
• But if it doesn’t i.e. the number remains 10 — that means you aren’t solving the right question. Revert the changes and click the Submit button again
• Additional note: The ALX quizes starts counting from 0 instead of 1. This mean if the number of question is 9, it’s actually 10 question in total.

Q9. Any advice?

1- Personal Brand

A personal brand refers to the unique combination of skills, expertise, personality, and reputation that an individual projects and promotes to others. It is the way you present yourself to the world, both personally and professionally. Just as companies cultivate their brand identities, individuals can also develop and manage their personal brands.

Building a personal brand involves consciously shaping the way you are perceived by others, including colleagues, clients, employers, and the public. It encompasses your values, strengths, passions, and the specific expertise or niche you have developed. It is about establishing a consistent image, voice, and presence that differentiates you from others and creates a positive and memorable impression.

This internship provides a valuable opportunity to build and enhance your personal brand on LinkedIn and Twitter. Seize this offer, as it holds great significance for your future career and will bolster your CV.

Make the most of this chance by establishing yourself on these platforms and leveraging them to create a strong online presence. Developing your personal brand on LinkedIn and Twitter can have several important benefits:

1. Professional Networking: LinkedIn is a widely used platform for professional networking, connecting you with industry peers, potential employers, and collaborators. By actively engaging on LinkedIn, you can expand your network, learn from others, and establish valuable connections for future career opportunities.
2. Thought Leadership: Through LinkedIn and Twitter, you can position yourself as a thought leader in your field. Share your insights, expertise, and perspectives on industry-related topics. Consistently providing valuable content and engaging in meaningful discussions can help establish your credibility and influence within your professional community.
3. Job Opportunities: A strong personal brand on LinkedIn can attract attention from recruiters and hiring managers. By showcasing your skills, experience, and accomplishments, you increase your chances of being approached for relevant job opportunities and career advancements.
4. Reputation Building: LinkedIn and Twitter offer platforms for building a positive professional reputation. By consistently demonstrating professionalism, expertise, and adding value to the online community, you can enhance your reputation as a reliable and knowledgeable professional in your industry.

Additionally, consider taking advantage of other avenues, such as starting a blog on Medium or launching a YouTube channel. These platforms provide opportunities to delve deeper into topics of interest, share your expertise through written or video content, and reach a broader audience. Developing a strong presence on these platforms can further expand your reach, showcase your expertise, and establish you as a credible voice in your field.

In summary, leveraging this internship to build your personal brand on LinkedIn and Twitter, as well as exploring opportunities on Medium or YouTube, can have numerous benefits for your career. It allows you to expand your professional network, demonstrate thought leadership, attract job opportunities, and cultivate a positive reputation within your industry. Embrace these platforms as valuable tools to enhance your professional profile and open doors for future success.

2- Don’t Copy and paste

There may be moments when you feel overwhelmed and tempted to resort to copying and pasting, even just for this task. However, I assure you that this is not a solution.

In challenging situations, it is important to develop your thinking abilities and research skills as a software engineer. It is expected that you will encounter difficulties and have to figure things out. If you simply cheat and copy and paste code throughout your career, you will not gain any benefits. Instead, you will eventually realize that you lack the knowledge and skills to accomplish tasks independently.

When you find yourself in a situation where you don’t know what to do and the urge to copy and paste arises, I encourage you to take a break. Seek help from others, whether it’s asking for assistance from peers, utilizing search engines like Google, exploring resources like Medium and YouTube, Chatgpt, or reaching out to anyone or anything that can provide guidance. Remember, this is not only for the sake of completing the task but also for your own growth and development.

By resisting the temptation to take shortcuts, you can strengthen your problem-solving abilities, deepen your understanding of concepts, and build a solid foundation of knowledge and skills that will benefit you in the long run.

When considering your career and goals, it’s crucial to maintain a determined mindset and never give up. Believe in yourself because you have the ability to overcome challenges and achieve success. Instead of succumbing to discouragement, remind yourself that you are capable of handling any obstacle that comes your way. You possess the skills, knowledge, and resilience necessary to persevere and make progress. So, stay focused, maintain a positive outlook, and remember that you are fully capable of reaching your goals.

3- Find a team

Creating a team environment where you can discuss concepts, collaborate on finding solutions, and share resources is incredibly beneficial. When you work together as a team, you have a strong support system that encourages you to keep learning and growing. Collaborating with others allows you to gain insights from their perspectives and problem-solving approaches while also sharing your own knowledge and experiences with them. This exchange of ideas fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement. It’s important to prioritize building a team early in your career, as it provides a valuable network of individuals who can support and inspire you. Additionally, consider leveraging online communities, professional networks, and mentorship programs, as these resources can also contribute to your personal and professional development. Remember, surrounding yourself with a supportive team and seeking out opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing will greatly enhance your growth and progress.

4- Save the resources

As you go through the process of learning a concept, it’s advisable to save the resources you’ve watched or read for future reference. By doing so, you can save yourself valuable time and easily access those materials when you need them again. Saving and organizing resources allows you to build a personal library of knowledge that you can revisit whenever necessary. This practice helps you avoid starting from scratch and allows you to quickly refresh your understanding or delve deeper into a topic. Whether it’s bookmarking articles, saving video links, or organizing files, taking the time to save and categorize your learning resources can greatly facilitate your ongoing learning journey.

I’m using Notion app for saving the resources, also there is Jamboard Google

Finally

I believe that covers everything for now, and please feel free to reach out to me anytime if you need assistance or have any questions. I genuinely wish you the very best in your endeavors at ALX. Always keep your goals and future aspirations in mind, acknowledging their significance and deserving nature. Remember, it is not those who experience failure who are considered losers, but rather those who give up. Failure is an integral part of the journey towards success, and without facing challenges and setbacks, true success cannot be achieved. If you encounter failures and experience disappointment, take it as a sign that you are on the right path towards accomplishing your goals. Keep moving forward with determination, for your unwavering efforts will lead you closer to the realization of your dreams.💪

My twitter: https://twitter.com/Noransaber11

Sincerely, Noran🌹