My journey from 100% remote paid internship to 100% remote full-time Data Engineer
Introduction
Upon qualifying M Tech in CEN (Computational Engineering & Networking) with Data Science as my core subject, I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to join as an intern in an internationally well reputed FinTech company, viz “Funding Societies | Modalku Group”, on 2nd June 2021.
Every sector has a major concern for extraction, loading and transformation of data before it is used for modelling. I felt inclined towards this particular process of data engineering and had chosen to concentrate on this area.
The key qualities of a good internship are: Training, Experience, Goals, Skill, Mentorship, Practice, Goals, Personality Development, and Opportunities. During my internship at “Funding Societies | Modalku Group” all these aspects were covered with utmost importance and dedication. I was given training and was mentored on multiple applications. The goals were updated on a regular basis to keep abreast with current technology. Regular practice on applications fine-tuned my skills and overall improved my confidence to a great extent. Apart from the technical stuff, “Funding Societies | Modalku Group” also helped me with my interpersonal skills which furthermore contributed to my personal development.
Selection and Onboarding
The interview process was very interactive and challenging unlike other routine interviews. The focus was on my project and the basics of data science. We had discussed at length on my thesis for identification of Diabetic retinopathy and was asked to explain more on it rather than the usual topics of data engineering.
After my selection, during the onboarding process I was familiarised with the ongoing projects of the company and data engineering team. This went on for a month and I was given sufficient time to grasp what I’ve learnt before starting work on my tasks.
I learnt SQL, python and airflow scheduling during my training period. As time progressed I got to learn more and was given additional responsibilities as well.
Challenges at Work
I had to do a third party data integration, wherein I had to bring in data from Snowflake cloud data warehouse to Intercom (third party customer communications platform) data. This was challenging as it was the first data integration exercise for me and I took more time than usual to finish it. But, the team was very patient and understanding. Finishing this task was one of my favourite moments as this was one of the earliest independent tasks I took in the company. Everyone in the team chipped in and was very helpful in my process of completing this task.
Team Interaction
Every Monday we have a Weekly Engineering Team checkin where we discuss the achievements, important announcements and sometimes, if the time permits, we involve team bonding activities/break out sessions.
We have sprint planning meetings where we discuss the tasks assigned to us and make sure they are closed as soon as possible. I also have a call with the team leader where we discuss the work and there is an open 360 degree feedback culture for improvements.This 1–1 call mainly focuses on feedback, mentoring and coaching.
Most of the work involves me working with the Data Analytics team who are our major stakeholders and have been very helpful. Their in-depth insights and knowledge make it easier to resolve the tasks assigned to me. And as far as my current team goes, they have been very patient and helpful in guiding me every time I face a roadblock at work.
The company culture as such is very unique where we can communicate with anyone on relevant topics as there is no hierarchy. We also had an offsite trip for team building in Goa through which I got to meet the employees in India.
We regularly have team bonding sessions with our Data Analytics and Data Science team where we play some online games. These games and interactions help us feel included and connected to the team and the overall company culture.
Conclusion
After successfully completing my internship, I was given a full time Data Engineer role with added responsibilities on the work front.
I am allowed to make more decisions on my own and feel more confident on my resolutions.
It’s great to work in the Engineering Department of Funding Societies. During this journey, I was groomed right from the beginning till now with in-depth practical knowledge imparted through utmost dedication, care and sincerity.
I, reiterate with my gratitude, will work hard and would love to be with “Funding Societies | Modalku Group” in excelling my career growth. I got great support and foundation from my team.
I remain thankful to my team for grooming me from an intern to this level.
My humble salute to the leadership for creating such an open culture and collaborative environment and regards to the Engineering team folks for always being supportive.
