We met with Khushi Chauhan, a Senior Product Lead at Kiwi Bank and Summer of Tech alumni and volunteer. She shared the no.1 thing that she learned from her internship at ANZ as a developer in 2018, her career journey and advice for students entering the workforce. 

When and where did you intern? What was your role?

I did my internship with ANZ in 2018, as one of the first batches of Summer of Tech interns. My role was as a developer for the data platform. Through my internship, I was able to experience different roles and aspects of the business, which was amazing. After my internship I got a job as a Data Analyst then I was promoted to a BA role and now I am a Product lead. I am thrilled to look back at my career progression and flexibility I got  in choosing different roles in the last 3 years. 

What was a highlight of your internship?

It was the opportunity to work with other interns to organise a career fair for ANZ staff. The objective was to encourage non-tech (branch, call centre, business) staff to get into the tech field. The responsibility of organising such a massive event and interviewing platform leads and head of technology was a fantastic experience. 

What was the no.1 thing that you learnt from your internship?

It was the sense of comfort from being part of a group of interns. It was great to go through that experience with them, to not feel alone, and to have a sense of belonging as we worked together as a team. 

Part of this also was learning to not be shy about asking questions. Everyone around us didn’t expect us to know everything but did expect us to be curious and ask questions. 

How did having an internship influence your career journey?

I initially didn’t know what I wanted to do so Summer of Tech opened the door for me to explore different career options. As an international student, I was unfamiliar with the New Zealand job industry. Through the internship, I got the opportunity to explore my interests in tech which helped me since then to pave my career path.

What was the transition from study to work like for you?

It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. In many ways, the university experiences were similar to work experiences, and I could draw from my university experiences (like working in a group project or giving presentations) to help the transition to work. There was always someone there to teach and support whenever required.

What role did Summer of Tech play in where you are today?

I give Summer of Tech all the credit! It played a very big role and made it so much easier for me. The volunteers and Ruth were amazing at giving me career guidance. All the bootcamps were great at preparing us. Through the Meet and Greet, I was able to meet a range of different companies and found out more about the roles they had - many things I hadn’t even thought about. 

What do you know now, that you wish you knew during your internship?

I used to be very shy and afraid to ask questions or reach out for help, thinking it can be a silly or dumb question. But by the end, I realised that everyone is there to help and support. So never be shy! Reach out as much as you can to learn more about the industry and don’t miss out on the golden period of internship to know more about the people and what they do and why they do it. 

What is your top tip for a student interviewing for an internship?

You can use your university study and experience to demonstrate what you have learnt. Just because you don’t have work experience doesn’t mean you don’t have useful experience to draw from. Examples of projects or group work can demonstrate that you’re a team player and your passion for learning. 

What advice would you give a student entering the workforce?

You’ll meet a lot of people and you’ll learn a lot. You can consider it like you’re still at university - and still learning just as much. Each project you do at work is like a new university course. Each promotion is just like another graduation, go with an open mind to learn. 

What’s next for you?

I’m sure there will be some surprises along the way! I’m curious to learn more and see where that takes me. Perhaps into a manager role in a product field but I’m open to many things. 

Summer of Tech is providing a massive platform for students. I always volunteer for events and I love meeting students and helping them with mock interviews. Initially, I was a naive international student but through the Summer of Tech program, I gained huge amounts of confidence and power to step up in my career.