Internship experience: Samantha Tetteh (MSIT’18)

When: May - July 2017

Where: Rancard Solutions, Ghana

How quickly were you able to immerse yourself in the workplace or adapt yourself to the company’s working environment?

I did not find it difficult to fit in because Rancard is the industrial version of Carnegie Mellon University. I had the chance to put into practice the work ethic that CMU instills; hard work and delivering results. There was no reporting time nor closing time. It was all about making progress and having something new to show when required.

What has been your greatest learning moment so far?

Throughout my internship, I learned a lot about failing and then starting all over again. It was heart-rending, because after spending days on research and coming up with a solution, I would end up with wrong results or an inefficient system. However, I never gave up and would start over until the solution was found.  

How has your experience at CMU-Africa prepared you for the industry?

Like I mentioned earlier, working at Rancard was like studying at CMU; sometimes you get tasks you have little knowledge about, but then you are required to do the research and deliver the best solution in the end. My assigned project was quite challenging because my experience in the area was very basic. I had to do a lot of research to gain more knowledge about the project. Also, I was required to come up with efficient solutions and not just a program.

Which factors have contributed to your learning experience?

I was passionate about what I was working on, so that in itself was a driving force. My immediate supervisor was also very supportive in giving guidance to tasks. I had to conduct research and come up with efficient models for him to execute. For me, my biggest take-away from this internship, was gaining a deeper understanding on customizing  a product/service to suit a client’s need.

The internship was very eye-opening for me. It has given me more technical experience and has also helped me grow my soft skills

Samantha Naa Adjorkor Tetteh, MSIT ’18