Called by the nickname “the master of website migration", Sanh Tran - our Web Developer, a ray of sunshine who always makes us feel delighted to be around, has been embarking on this growing journey with Katalon since an internship 2 years ago. Get to know this authentic human being and the story full of enthusiasm through his mature lens.
Q. How did you land your internship with Katalon?
Sanh: Back in May 2021, I was a university student during the summer break. At that time, I had not entered my final year, so I didn’t look for internship opportunities yet focused on my study. However, seeing some of my friends starting the very first step in their early careers as interns for other companies, I was kind of interested in what it gonna be like to enter the actual working world. Then I applied to Katalon.
The position that I applied for is Software Engineer Intern. After that, the title was changed to Web Developer to specify the work that I have been doing ever since.
The whole process from applying CV to interviewing happened pretty quickly which caused me a surprise haha. That's why I called my journey to land at Katalon a combination of coincidence, fortune, and faith.
Q. 3-5 things that you like about being an intern at Katalon?
Sanh: My first impression when I joined Katalon was the hospitality of everyone who supported onboarding me, especially the HR, IT, and Admin teams as they made me feel very welcome. I was not confident in my English communication skills back then. And I want to give very special thanks to anh Khanh (Henry) Vo - Senior TABP, for his constructive feedback and ongoing words of encouragement. They really mean a lot to me.
The second ‘wow' thing is that our office is so nice with super cool facilities and working zones. I also got provided with modern working equipment depending on my needs.
After onboarding, I looked after everyone's professionalism in how they facilitate and manage their workload. Besides, one point that I think would be helpful for my career development is that it is not common for developer interns to get in charge of main projects. I am thankful for getting participated in the company's actual projects, instead of having to do samples during the internship. This helps me a lot to experience and improve my professional skills and establish flexibility without applying rigid academic knowledge to real-life situations.
Q. How did you establish your credibility to get assigned important projects and showcase your expertise?
Sanh: As for myself, I want to build myself as a conscientious team member. I always try to put 100% effort into completing high-quality work in the shortest possible time and ensure the quality of the output (web page, web flow, demand, nice UI, and as few bugs as possible). During my working time, I learn and listen to feedback from my colleagues,... I think that is the biggest reason for me to be able to get the credit of everyone on the team.
The projects that make me most proud at the moment are probably the restructuring of the company website and the career website. Taking the fact that I took ownership of those projects, there was a lot of pressure on me during the whole process, from ideation, and planning, to execution as I have to prove myself to my senior colleagues to bring the idea to life. I am happy that those projects came out successfully and received compliments from the stakeholders. They will absolutely be on the top list of my proudest career achievements of all time.
Q. Your thoughts on taking ownership during the internship?
Sanh: Taking the experience from someone who has grown from the intern position, and also had chances to supervise other intern fellows, the attitude of willingness to listen is very important. This literally goes with the concept of adaption. Not only do you have to adapt to the environment, and the team culture but also the workload and nature of work. It is taking ownership in terms of seizing the opportunities to learn by yourself. To me, doing an internship means you are cutting a proper amount of time from your supervisor to train and guide you, so it would be beneficial for both sides if the intern is active, show eagerness and responsibility.
Q. Your fair share of mistakes at the starting point, and how did you embrace them as the concept of growing?
Sanh: Of course, it is challenging for every intern at first. We cannot expect an intern to do everything perfectly as they have anything but experience. What's worth mentioning and appreciating is the focus on learning and improving every day.
Q. Looking back, do you portray yourself in your current place and see everything through a more mature lens? Would you like to change anything?
Q. What are your professional goals in general?
Sanh: My only motivation is developing my expertise and taking more challenges to grow. First, I will work harder to get into the Senior level. After that, for my long-term goal, my priority is to advance my skills in the technical aspect.
That’s a wrap on our chat with Sanh. From an unexpected internship to leading major web projects, Sanh’s journey is a testament to how far curiosity and commitment can take you.
Kickstart your own journey at Katalon—apply now to our Internship Program here and grow just like Sanh did.