Sheetal Jain is in her final year at Ujjain Engineering College, where she studies computer science. Sheetal recaps her internship at Tala and reflects on her work with Tala’s growth team so far.
Tell us about yourself! What brought you to Tala?
Being an explorer, I leave no stone unturned. Currently, I’m a final-year student, and the first Software Engineering Intern at Tala India.
I learned about this opportunity via a website that advertises remote work. After reviewing the job description, I applied right away because it was exactly what I was searching for in my final 6-month internship before graduation — a growing startup, a tech stack based on Java and its related frameworks, as well as a remote position.
When I then learned about Tala’s products, I was completely astonished. I’d never seen a product with so much initiative before. I decided right then and there that I wanted to join Tala and help this worthwhile cause.
What’s unique about interning at Tala?
The most distinctive aspect of Tala, in my opinion, is its culture, which encourages everyone, regardless of status, to take ownership of the task at hand. I am an intern, yet my team and everyone I have had the opportunity to work with are always interested in hearing my ideas rather than simply assigning me a task. This feeling always motivates me to brainstorm more and broaden my problem-solving skills.
Walk us through your software engineering internship with the growth team. What are you working on here?
I’m working with the growth team on Tala’s referral features. Essentially, our team is executing unique ideas and challenges to reach more people who could benefit from Tala.
I am assisting them in improving the project’s operational excellence and accepting modest tickets to contribute to current agendas. I wrote test cases to boost code coverage to 80%-90%, reduced duplicate API calls to improve code efficiency, and investigated project dependencies causing potential security vulnerabilities.
How do you envision your future, having interned at Tala?
After completing my internship at Tala, I view myself as a better person who will not only possess greater technical abilities but also better soft skills. Whatever experiences I have gained here so far will undoubtedly help my career. I feel that everyone can write code, but Tala taught me the fundamental substance of software engineering, which is critical for professional growth.
What tips do you have for others interested in a Tala internship?
I would advise everyone to make Tala their first choice because of its excellent workplace culture and amazing team members!
Also, always ask your seniors questions — no matter how silly the question is. The greatest way to learn a codebase may be to review the PRs of your team members. Be proactive and don’t be afraid to take the extra mile. Try to bring something to the table that wasn’t anticipated; it will help demonstrate your abilities. Always pay attention to the Github conversations and avoid repeating them. Before immediately starting to write the code, communicate your plan with your lead. It will save you a lot of time.
Want to join a remote-first company to build a financial system that works for everyone? #TeamTala is hiring!
