Mohamed Ibrahim

What motivated you to apply for Co-op/Internship

I wanted to gain professional work experience in the industry and explore different career opportunities.

Can you describe your position in a few sentences?

As a business Technology Analysts at Deloitte, I build software solutions based on business requirements gathered from clients. They are the entry level technology consultants at the firm and focus on the use of technology for their responsibilities. At my division, DSpace, we focused on building prototypes for different service lines available at the firm. We worked on projects from their initial ideation phase to their deployment. Afterwards, projects were delivered to their respective product owner, a Deloitte consultant, who uses the prototype to gauge client interests and make new product offerings.

Did you receive training to perform your engineering duties? Please Explain.

At the start of the co-op term, we had multiple workshops covering topics such as machine learning, cloud technologies, and design thinking. Each workshop was a day long and was tailored to the technologies that will be used in our projects. Furthermore, each team had personalized sessions that focused on their particular tasks and the team's chemistry.

What was your work atmosphere like? (flexibility, formality, team centric, supportive)

The work atmosphere was highly supportive and flexible. Everyone was helpful and cooperative. There was an emphasis on teamwork and collaboration throughout the co-op term.

What new skills were you able to learn/develop during your Co-op/Internship?

During my co-op term, I learned different multidisciplinary skills. I learned technical skills such as iOS, web, and cloud development. I also learned how to communicate effectively with different stakeholders and industry professionals.

How did your experience compare with your expectations?

My experience definitely exceeded my expectations. Deloitte has been making great strides in the technology industry and I was able to witness it first hand. The position was more technical than I thought and had a large focus on the business side. It was great to experience the journey of creating a product from scratch based on business requirements gathered from a client.

What was your proudest moment? 

Presenting our finished project to high executives at the firm and receiving positive feedback.

What advice would you offer to current students thinking about pursuing Co-op/Internship?

I highly recommend going on co-op/internship as it will teach you a lot about the industry. You'll learn relevant skills, increase your network, and grow professionally. I would advise applying through the university portal, attending career fairs, and going to networking events as much as possible.