Just like last summer, three interns from NCSC’s CyberFirst scheme were learning all things cybersecurity at Zaizi over the last couple of months. Here is Zoe* giving us an insight into the day in the life of a Zaizi intern. 

Why did you choose Zaizi for your CyberFirst internship?

I was eager to expand my knowledge in the areas of Computer Science I hadn’t previously explored. CyberFirst presented me with an opportunity to get involved with a tech company and to get hands-on experience whilst still at university. I was connected with Zaizi through an intern interest matching process. I felt Zaizi suited me perfectly.

So, what does a typical day look like?

I commute from South East London to Hammersmith, meaning my day starts pretty early! My alarm goes off at 6am and I jump on a train just after 7am. I grab a coffee on my way into work, then catch up on emails and finish tasks from the previous day until our stand-up meeting at 10am. We use this meeting to update ourselves with what everyone has been working on, any difficulties we have run into and what our plans are for the day ahead. It’s pretty useful to see progress daily as it gives you a small sense of achievement.

What have you done over the last few months?

I will start by saying that the daunting thought of working 9-5 was very short-lived as the last eight weeks have changed my opinion completely. Zaizi couldn’t have been more welcoming and helped us ‘interns’ settle in quickly. I have been placed in a number of roles, from front-end to shadowing architectural development. When I started, the project I was involved with had an impending deadline and so there were many customer meetings and discussions in which I participated. It made me feel involved right from the beginning and I was up to speed quickly with the tasks.

What is Zaizi’s work culture like?

Alongside learning and experiencing a lot from a technical point of view, I have also experienced a tech culture. Being part of a smaller company, you feel your contribution towards a project makes a real impact. But it’s not just the work life here… the social life is great here too. Whether it’s a lunch social, game of pool, PS4 competition or even the recent company trip away (turns out white water rafting isn’t as bad as it sounds!), there’s always a wide range of activities for everyone to participate in. And, not forgetting the nerf gun wars that catch you off guard when you least expect it!

Hi, I’m ‘Eric’ and I’ve been at Zaizi for the last eight weeks as part of @NCSC‘s #CyberFirst internship programme. I’ll be taking over Twitter today to show you all what I get up to here! #ZaiziLife pic.twitter.com/96kZsifT28

— Zaizi (@Zaizi) August 29, 2019

What advice would you give students who want to do a CyberFirst internship?

My advice to other students is to know what you want to get out of your internship and don’t be afraid to ask if you wish to explore anything further.  You are there to learn and everyone will be happy to help you — that’s been my experience at Zaizi. 

Finally, what’s your ambition for the future? 

I feel this experience has given me an insight into the paths I can take. I would love to experience a role that is able to provide me with varied tasks so that I can get a taste of it all before committing myself to any particular role.

*Names and pictures have been anonymised 

If you would like to find out more about our internship opportunities get in touch or find out more about our latest openings

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