How will it be? What will it feel like? Will I be comfortable with industry professionals? These questions and many more doubts flooded my mind when I chose IFS as my first ever workplace. I was fighting an inner battle brimmed with fear and confusion.
Now, it has almost 6 months at IFS as an undergraduate trainee – Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding and I’m more than happy to disclose that I made the right decision to join IFS where I learned to learn and accept diversity. The open and vibrant culture with awesome people at IFS made it easier for me to get acclimated to it. Especially, the warm welcome and the sincere treatment that I received from my team members made me feel more comfortable and confident.
One brilliant aspect of being an intern at IFS has been the networking opportunity. During this short period, I have spoken to a lot of different people, all with extremely different backgrounds. During these 6 months of time, I was exposed to many new challenging environments and tasks which drive me to discover more of my potential.
Amidst all the amazing experiences at IFS and out of the programs IFS offers to undergraduates, there is one special moment that really made my experience unforgettable. The career guidance session that was done in collaboration with the IFS Cloud organization at the Knowledge City of the Horizon Campus, Malabe was a whole new experience. The session was held on 10th January 2023, on a pleasing Tuesday afternoon with the objective of equipping young undergraduates of Horizon campus with a sneak peek into the Cloud Organization of IFS, its functions, the experiences of our own colleagues attached to it, the skills and qualifications required to cater to how to join the team and much more. As a student fresh out of university myself, I felt as if this was undoubtedly a successful step towards empowering the youth who aspire to step into the industrial world within the next couple of years. We reached the university from our Dematagoda office (in our office vehicle which shows off our beautiful IFS logo: #ProudlyIFS) at around 1:30 PM in the afternoon, and the session was attended by more than eighty students. When we entered the university premises, something that caught my eye was the screen that had names and pictures of our speaker panel with the session starting time. What a thoughtful use of technology!
(This is me looking at the screen)
The Cloud Team at IFS including our Vice President Software Operations – Sagara Sendanayake, Director Cloud Automation – Tharshan Nagarajah, Jayanidu Wattegama – Manager Cloud Service, Devdunie Pabasara – Information Security Engineer, Devni Thuduhenage – Associate Site Reliability Engineer, Pavani Senarathna and Rashmi Wijesooriya – Undergraduate Trainees, Thanusha Silva – Human Resource Business Partner, Vindya Perera – Global HR Project Coordinator and Oshadi Kaumada – Executive Employer Branding joined their hands in making the session a success. It was joyful to see the undergraduates actively engaging in the session, showing their interest in what was being shared with them. What’s more, it was a moment where collaboration truly shined!
It was intriguing to listen to the different aspects of Cloud organization and the exposure one can get, even if I am not a student who follows studies in IT myself. Another major highlight was seeing the trainees like me and female team members up on the stage with the mic, sharing their experiences with the students. It was unique, and I could not be prouder supporting them!
As this was a new experience for me, I was very excited, and I silently observed what was happening around me. I could expand my network more by connecting with the Cloud Team, who I had never met before, even if we were a part of the same vast IFS family. Look at our happy faces below with the Horizon Campus team!
Looking back, it was another day in my career journey where I dared to step out from my comfort zone. The satisfaction gained from supporting the team who guided the students would be a feeling that I would never forget!
Good moments, beautiful people and unforgettable memories will always accompany you, as long as you stay true to your life’s passion. One decision to do something you have never done before could begin a new chapter in your life! And IFS is a greater place to follow your passions and aspirations.
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