Prior to his internship experience, Khan Shamsuttoha assumed the software developer in an organization was universally viewed as the technical guy who sits behind a computer working alone, with little to no interaction with other members of the team.
It was amid his Queen’s Undergraduate Internship Program (QUIP) experience where he discovered the human side.
A fourth-year Engineering Physics student, Shamsuttoha interned as a software developer at the Queen’s University Centre for Advanced Computing (CAC) where he found the position gave him plenty of technical knowledge as well as soft skills like working with a team and managing clients.
“It took me by surprise,” he says. “Traditionally, in this industry, you sit down behind a computer, you code, you have that morning meeting. But for me in the CAC, what I saw was a tight-knit group. Most people I worked with every day were not just my colleagues, they became really good friends.”
Shamsuttoha worked on full project cycles and was involved in jobs from start to finish. For instance, he helped build and launch the website Kingston in Focus, a collaborative initiative between Queen’s University and the City of Kingston for sharing data about the community during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The project created a lot of conversation in the community as a news story and Shamsuttoha was excited to contribute to its development.
The internship taught him that the job was a lot more than just software development. “If you’re only doing the bare minimum tasks of your job, you’re not growing,” he says. “The more I apply myself, the more I learn, and that’s what I want to do.”
Networking and project management are other skills that he learned on the job and found that he wants to do this in his career.
Now that he has wrapped up his internship, Shamsuttoha will move on to the Queen's Innovation Centre Summer Initiative, QICSI, for a 16-week summer program, with the aim of exploring the potential to launch his own business venture. QICSI offers a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to develop their business ideas and turn them into a reality with guidance from mentors, resources, and funding opportunities. He credits QUIP and the CAC for allowing him to pursue that opportunity.
“They’re immensely supportive of whatever you’re trying to achieve.”
An international student from Bangladesh, Shamsuttoha has been actively involved in the launch and ongoing success of the QSuccess Engineering International Mentorship Program which helps other international students settle into their new home and university. The mentorship program provides one-on-one mentoring for international students in Engineering.
Through the mentorship program, first year international students are matched with an upper year engineering buddy (the mentor) for support throughout the first year in academics, life resources, and social and cultural activities.
“This program also serves international students in Engineering through peer-to-peer and one-on-one support to forge a sense of belonging in the Queen’s Engineering student community. As the International Student Engagement Assistant, Khan has been an amazing support to the mentors in the program," says Julie Hao, Program Advisor, International and Student Experience for the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.
Shamsuttoha recalls his own culture shock upon his arrival in Kingston, and wishes he had someone to help him at the time. Since then, he’s been doing things like planning events and creating newsletters for international students who are dealing with a lot of academic stress and could use help with the social aspects of university life at Queen’s. He supported mentor recruitment in the program and helped launch an Instagram page specifically for international engineering students, providing helpful information on resources and acting as a communication forum.
The QUIP experience may not have confirmed his interest in becoming a software developer, but it has given him an appreciation for the position, and it has helped him realize he enjoys working with people and made him think about pursuing a project management role or taking on another management function in his career.
Because QUIP internships span 12–16 months, they allow students to grow into their roles, take on responsibilities and build deep connections with people. Shamsuttoha experience has provided a lesson he relays to other students.
“Make it a point to improve yourself, explore and do as much as possible. Try tasks outside what your job demands. This opens doors to learning new things. Make connections. You’ll find amazing people in and around the industry who have worked for 10-20 years. Facing challenges often presents opportunities to grow, and having that experience can help you make the most of these opportunities."
This article is relevant to the following Strategic Actions as defined in the Strategic Plan:
