Learn, Travel & Experience Through HENNGE GIP Internship
Interview with Naz about her internship experience in Japan
A little bit about yourself …
— Hi! My name is Naz. I am a fresh graduate majoring in Computer Science. I interned as a Software Engineer in Japan and I would like to share my internship experience.
Why an internship in Japan?
— It is a typical question that I was frequently asked. Actually, I have done a few internships in different places during my undergraduate studies, such as in Maribor, Budapest, Zurich, Geneva. The main reason is I want to challenge myself and learn new things in a new country, new culture and new workplace. In addition to that, interning in a different country is one of the best ways to travel the country and know it inside out. So why Japan? because Japan is well-known for its car manufacturers, unique traditions, culture, food and one of the safest countries in the world. While I was surfing the internet and googling “Internship in Japan”, I found a paid software engineering internship on Glassdoor. I immediately looked the company up to see whether the company was still hiring interns or not. So then I decided to give it a try because the benefits described on the website seemed appealing.
More about the company…
— The company where I interned is called HENNGE. It means the ability to change its forms. The company has been operating since 1996. HENNGE provides Global Internship Program (GIP) for those who are passionate about Software Engineering and meet the qualifications as well as solve the admission challenge. I think one of the most important parts of the internship is the benefits, for example, round-trip airfare cost coverage, monthly subsidy, medical insurance and so forth.
What is special about the company?
— Of course, company products are special. If you are curious about them, I recommend browsing the company website. Regarding the internship, I really liked GIP lunch. It is very unique to get to know about the company, Japanese culture and try different kinds of Japanese food.
How the internship went?
— In the first three weeks, to be honest, it was intense with strict deadlines. Once I adapted to the working environment, it went smoothly.
Any memorable moments during the internship?
— Well, the internship itself is unforgettable for me and it stays for a long time with me. GIP is the only thing that links with Japan in my life so far. Whenever I hear something about Japan, I immediately remind myself about this internship. Coming to the question, I can list some of the best moments of the internship: Communication Lunch, GIP lunch, fun board game, Monthly Technical Session (MTS).
Do you think you learned something from this internship? Any takeaways?
— In terms of software tools and technologies, positively yes, I did. I had a great opportunity to explore web frameworks, cloud-based technologies, continuous integration and deployment tools. I believe what I learned throughout this internship will definitely be used in my daily work-life. Another beneficial takeaway is the internship experience history that will be added to my resume.
Would you recommend this internship program to your friends, future fellows?
— It really depends on their background and interests. If the person is interested, for instance, in Data Science or Machine Learning, I think GIP would not be a good fit for them. But for those who enjoy coding and would like to work in the Software Engineering field, I would absolutely encourage them to try it out.
More about travel experiences during your stay in Japan?
—During my time in Tokyo, I have managed to visit touristy places in and near Tokyo such as The Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, teamLab Planets, Mega Web Toyota City Showcase, Sensō-ji, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Enoshima, Mount Takao, and etc.
What did you like about Japan?
— Number one is the food. I adore seafood except for raw ones. I tried various types of vegetables that I have never tasted like wasabi, naga-imo. For the first time I tried mint flavor ice-cream. Also, Japanese traditional soup, Miso became my favorite soup. Besides food, I like the way how things are organized in Japan. Every single thing from sorting trash to the working environment is organized.
Any dislikes in Japan?
— Good question. Nothing comes to my mind. Uhhm… Actually there are no trash bins in streets unlikely other countries in Europe or in Kazakhstan. You cannot find any trash cans easily in the streets. So you have to carry trash with you until you find one which sometimes irritated me.
Anything you wish you knew before starting GIP or coming to Japan?
— If I could turn back the clock, I would choose a different apartment to rent.
Thank you for investing your time in reading this post. I hope you enjoyed it. You can follow me on Instagram: nazerke.seidan
Nazerke Seidan (Naz) from Kazakhstan has recently graduated with a major in Computer Science from Eotvos Lorand University (ELTE), Budapest, Hungary.
She interned at HENNGE Global Internship Program from 2nd September to 18th October 2019.
