Meet Kodez Software Engineering trainees taking over Blockchain research

In the era of Web 3 where everything is built on blockchain and industries exploring the possibilities & range of uses surrounding blockchain technology, it is vital we equip our future researchers and developers with the knowledge and industry projects on blockchain and emerging technologies.  

Meet Nusra Thawfeek and Dilshani Senanayake software engineer trainees from University of Moratuwa, actively involved in Kodez Blockchain research. Nusra and Dilshani joined Kodez in 3^rd of January 2022.  

‍

‍What are your thoughts on blockchain and the range of uses?

Nusra: Blockchain technology is relatively new and is predicted to take over the world in the next few years. At first, as a novice, I had no idea what this technology was all about, and I had a lot of trouble grasping the concepts of this technology. You can think of Blockchain as a database for storing data, which does not allow modifying data once stored and also provides transparency for all the records stored in.
Initially, it was widely used in the financial industry with crypto currencies such as BitCoin and Ethereum. However, blockchain is currently being adapted in a variety of different industries. It is my understanding that blockchain will become the standard or a benchmark for security auditing as it provides transparency and integrity for maintaining audit trails. As aspiring software engineers, it is important that we learn how such emerging technologies evolve & being used in the industry.

Now that you have worked on research and applications what are your future plans for learning more about working with the technology?  Is it something you are interested in to further exploring?

Nusra : I have a better understanding of blockchain now that I have completed certain projects and have done tutorials myself. I am ambitious to explore and research on the technology and become well versed.  At first, the critical concepts were hard to understand and even today I face challenges building a decentralized application on my own.   But I am certain that proper guidance and mentoring would assist me in overcoming the challenging areas and eventually excel in it.  

YouTube & overall online materials have been great for learning about the fundamentals of the technology however those resources lack practical knowledge and usage of the technology. I am confident in my ability, and I will keep working and be engaged in impactful research surrounding blockchain research.

Dilshani -  This is my first industrial internship experience. It is a lot more different experience than what I had in mind as an internship experience. As a newbie, I was assigned to the Kodez blockchain research and development project and then gradually moved around to WIP projects.

I worked mainly with Tharindu (Lead Software Engineer) & Rezaan (Software Engineer). During my first three months on the Blockchain research team, I have contributed by developing blockchain-related APIs and frontend applications from scratch and writing several blogs. The work also required me to dedicate time to self-researching and attending online tutorials.  

I was also exposed to and gained experience working with Solidity language and NodeJS, which I wasn’t familiar with prior to working at Kodez. Kodez also provides access to highly valued paid online course materials which has been a great added advantage for my learning curve. They also sponsor us for completing the Certified Blockchain Expert certification offered by Blockchain Council.  

‍

You said this was your first industry internship and it was fully remote when you started. How did you navigate that new normal?  

Dilshani – Kodez embraces flexible working and trusts us to do our best work where it works best for us so when I feel overwhelmed, I get to tap out and get back to it when I am ready.  

But, getting used to working fully remote was definitely a challenge. This was my first industry internship and I work about 09 hours per day.  For me, working in an office surrounded by people help me navigate stressful situations better. So, there were times working fully remote was difficult for me.

But to keep me accountable I give a daily checklist of tasks by myself and try to complete them within the day. We also have progress meetings with my supervisor and discuss the things we did, the problems that occurred, what are the things to do in upcoming weeks etc. which helps me to be on top of my task and priorities.  

‍

Do you two have anything to tell anyone who is planning on applying for an industry internship while they are still in University?

Do it ! You might feel overwhelmed at first trying to balance everything but the experience you gain while you are still a student is worth it. With the experience gained, projects I have worked on and the people I have been able to work with I can say this internship is more than I expected.  

I am so thankful for the opportunities I got and the work I have to complete so far, with some amazing people. The company gives us maximum support to build our own portfolios with skills for the future. They are investing in us to become equipped to take on any career challenge. So, it would not be an exaggeration to say I’m lucky to joined Kodez and work with some amazing people.

‍