Written by: Tharshen A/L Surian Balan, Willie Poh Kaw Lik, Anonoz Chong, Tham Joe Ming and the Hackerspace MMU Community

Table of Content

• Introduction
• What are the procedures I need to be aware of for Industrial Training?
• Should I push my Industrial Training to my final semester?
• How should I prepare for my Industrial Training?
• How do I build a strong resume and cover letter for Industrial Training?
• Where can I apply or look for internship opportunities?
• Should I apply for a startup or an enterprise? What’s the difference and which is better for me?
• How to intern in the US? (Hypothetical – not tested)
• How should I prepare for my interview?
• How do I make the most of my Industrial Training?
• What are some challenges Interns commonly face and how to overcome them?
• Anything else?

Introduction

So, your Industrial Training is just around the corner? Excited? Nervous? Maybe a bit of both? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. A lot of students get pretty concerned, especially if they’re not sure if they can get the dream company they wanted so badly or if they have a lot to learn for their internship. The good news? At MMU, Industrial Training is a pass-or-fail subject, so there’s less pressure on grades. However, Industrial Training isn’t about getting credits for your course, it’s your first real taste of the working world. It’s where you’ll apply your knowledge, gain hands-on experience, and build connections that could shape your career for the future. In this guide, we’ll cover everything from finding the right internship to acing your interview and making the most of your experience.

What are the procedures I need to be aware of for Industrial Training?

For MMU, you will first need to ensure that you are eligible to apply for Industrial Training. For Diploma and Degree, both have different requirements. You can simply follow the academic calendar for your intake or if you do intend on pushing it or taking it earlier, consult with your academic advisor.  

Once you have confirmed your eligibility, you will need to attend the Industrial Training briefing. There’s no fixed date for when it usually happens. You will usually get an email that invites you to a Teams classroom or a meeting link is sent to you. You can check in the online Bulletin Board if you were not informed or have not received any invite to join the meeting or classroom. In the meeting, they will provide you with the MMU Internship notice letter. It suggests the start and end date of your internship period but it can be modified depending on the student’s preference as long as the minimum 13 weeks of Industrial Training is fulfilled. 

During your Industrial Training, you will usually do a short report (it’s like 1 or 2 pages, not much to be honest) where you log what you did at your workplace. This is done for each week. You can share what problems you solved, what you’re currently working on, bug fixes, etc. Take a look below at an example:

Ensure that your report has your supervisor’s signature, company stamp, supervisor’s name and supervisor’s remarks.

Lastly, you’ll have to do a presentation to the supervisor of your whole experience. Companies nowadays (especially enterprises) make you do those as well so you could probably invite your supervisor to join the physical session or record that and send it to your supervisor if they’re fine with it (remember to check with them on this).

Should I push my Industrial Training to my final semester?

This is something for which the answer will differ from student to student. You can look at this from an academic or a logistics perspective:

Academic

It is good to see what the industry is like and requires and still have a chance to do something about it before graduation. If you do your industrial training, and you still have two or three trimesters after the training, you can take the time to identify the gap between your skillset and what the industry requires and do something about it. You can take courses or work on projects relevant to what you have seen in the industry to improve yourself and better prepare for graduation.

This experience may influence your elective or co-curricular choices, or personal projects you may choose to work on while you are still in an environment (university) that fosters self-development and learning. You may of course take a gap of a few months after graduation to do this on your own while applying for jobs, but you will no longer have access to the same resources you did at university.

Also, there is a risk in rearranging your courses. You would have to take non-internship courses in an earlier 7-week trimester. The Faculties (and this involves other Faculties since these courses are often serviced by other faculties) often plan the capacities for these classes for specific intake sizes. If you ‘crash another intake’s course,’ you risk not being able to register into the courses you need, and you also put all the other students in your Faculty at risk.

Logistics

Perhaps the biggest consideration for this is the possibility of continuing from your internship position to a full-time position after you graduate. It is convenient, and it saves you the hassle of doing another round of job applications, if your company wishes to hire you. However – do be aware that this is only a possibility as it is not guaranteed that your company will want to hire you full-time.

Also – consider that the job application process IS a good experience for you to keep your choices open. If you have confidence in your skills and abilities, you should aim high, and keeping your early career fluid may be a good way to advance faster in the industry. More experience with job applications will help you gain confidence in the application and interview process when trying to improve your career.

However everyone is different, and if you prefer to settle down quickly with a secured position, there is that chance you can continue into a full-time position from an internship position – but remember – it is not a guarantee (and you should consider if you even like the company.) If this is your preference, remember to make a strong impression while you’re there.

Another important consideration is that you may get an internship position which will require you to relocate closer to your office (although this may be less of an issue now with the prevalence of work-from-home arrangements, where you may only need to go into the office once or twice a week). It may be a financial burden to maintain your off-campus accommodations near MMU while you get another accommodation for the 12-week period of your internship.

The other option is to give up your accommodations temporarily for 12-weeks, but this can be difficult to arrange depending on the terms of your tenancy contract (which are usually 1-year contracts.) There’s also the logistical issue of moving out of your house for 12-weeks, then moving back in (or somewhere else) again.

So weigh your options between the academic and logistics issues, and decide based on your circumstances.

How should I prepare for my Industrial Training?

This depends on your specialisation, but the one thing they all share and you should invest your time in is projects. No, I’m not talking about your assignments. I’m talking about your own projects that you did in your free time. The projects where you tried to solve a problem or actually have. The projects that highlight your expertise and critical thinking. The projects you or others may actually want to use. The projects with actual users. THOSE projects.

Recruiters look for these kinds of projects in potential candidates. If you put projects that 300+ other students have built in your same batch, what makes you different to them? However, assignment projects can be on par if you go above and beyond the requirements. What’s an example? A group of students I know for Software Engineering Fundamentals dockerized their backend and hosted it on AWS. It is considered overengineering but it highlights that they have learned a technical skill beyond what is expected of them.

Some students like to go for certifications, but the relevance of certifications vary wildly, especially for fresh graduates. If it’s not from official well established courses like OffSec, CompTIA, AWS Certifications, DataCamp etc, the better choice is to invest more time into projects. These highlight your skills more.

How do I build a strong resume and cover letter for Industrial Training?

A cover letter says hi and explains why you’re applying. A resume contains details about you in an easy to refer format. Both should be concise, well-structured, and tailored to the specific company or the role you’re applying to.

Your resume should be one page long. Unless you have A LOT of experience, any longer would be unjustified. Recruiters spend a short amount of time looking at your resume and evaluating if you’re fit for the role. If you limit the content to the most impressive items, the recruiter is sure to see them. Too much content just distracts the recruiter from what you’d really like them to see. It may pass the ATS checker, but the worst case is the recruiters may just refuse to read the long resumes. Risking it would be unwise.

Quoted from Cracking the Coding Interview, 6th Edition 189 Programming Questions and Solutions: “Long resumes are not a reflection of having tons of experience; they’re a reflection of not understanding how to prioritize content.”

As for what you should put in your resume, the content you should usually stick with is:

• Contact Information (Phone Number, email, github account, linkedIn)
• Work Experience (if you currently working or have worked at a prev company)
• Education
• Leadership Experience
• Projects
• Technical Skills
• Certifications
• Awards
• Languages
• Referee (if you currently working or have worked at a prev company)

Your cover letter should be professional yet engaging. In the first paragraph, introduce yourself, mention your degree, and express interest in the industrial training opportunity. The second paragraph should highlight relevant work experience, projects or skills that make you a good fit for the company. In the final paragraph, express yourself more for the opportunity and include a call to action, such as requesting an interview. Keep it formal and direct.

Where can I apply or look for internship opportunities?

In MMU, you can access the MMU Career Connect website to view potential job opportunities recommended by our very own university.

You can also explore both offline and online channels to maximize your chances.

For offline channels, career fairs are one of the best ways to connect with potential employers. Our university as well as others often host career fairs that you can attend with no issues.You can reach out to your lecturers, seniors, or even family members working in your field sometimes, referrals can open doors that job applications alone cannot.

Pro tip: Expand your network a lot, you will find out how powerful having referrals for jobs is.

When it comes to online job searches, LinkedIn is a great place to search for openings and connect with recruiters. Besides that, JobStreet is one of Malaysia’s most popular job portals, featuring a dedicated section for internships. Hiredly (formerly WOBB) is another excellent platform, especially for students looking to intern at startups or dynamic companies.

Apart from job portals, don’t forget to check company websites. Some organizations prefer listing their internship opportunities on their own career pages rather than job boards. If you have a specific company in mind, visit their official website and look under the Careers or Internships section.

Pro Tip: Even if you don’t meet all the academic or technical requirements, apply anyway. Companies may still be impressed by your technical skills, enthusiasm, or willingness to learn, and you might get an opportunity you didn’t expect!

Should I apply for a startup or an enterprise? What’s the difference and which is better for me?

The best choice depends on your career goals. 

If you haven’t explored many technologies yet, a startup might be a great option. You’ll have the opportunity to work with various technologies. The fast-paced environment allows you to learn quickly and take on diverse roles. Code you write may actually go into a living product. It can be intense but it forces you to adapt and learn things. Do note, startups tend to focus less on your training. So you will have to expect very little hand holding. The good thing is most startups have less requirements so you can apply to a lot and pick and choose which may be a good fit for you.

If you have tried out some technologies and built some projects, gaining a deeper perspective on specific skill sets and how larger teams work can be the next best step, hence, an enterprise may be the better fit. The experience varies but things like scaling for millions of users, performance optimization, trying out the higher end software tools can only be experienced in these companies.

Not only that, enterprises have a clear structure of work and communication. This knowledge is really important as the code that runs the world is written in teams, often large ones. Their internship programs are more structured too, training you from the ground up. Your professional network also expands, opening doors to more opportunities.

Enterprises may have higher requirements for hiring an intern. They’ll have multiple interview stages. Each stage assesses a different part of your skill. So you need to be prepared. 

This decision depends on whether you prioritize a broad (startup) or deep experience (enterprise).

How to intern in the US? (Hypothetical – not tested)

No one since 2015 has done it. If you want to stand a chance, here’s what you need to know and do:

1. Ensure you do it when you are still an undergraduate of MMU – this qualifies you for J-1 visa. Why J-1? Because it’s not a lottery-based visa, you have next to zero chance of getting H-1B visa to work there after you lose your student privileges.
2. US companies usually offer summer internships, you will need to move your semesters around to fit that schedule.
3. If you are afraid that FCI won’t let you do (2), get an offer first, tell the faculty that, let them parade you around like a war hero. You get the work in the US.

How should I prepare for my interview?

This also depends on the company and role you’re applying for. Software roles are drastically different to data science roles. A good way is to do some digging on glassdoor or any platform that tells you more about the interview structure of a company. You could also get some senior’s opinion on the companies you’re applying for and they might give you some good insights. Another way is you can just directly text the HRs of those companies and straight up ask them. They are usually very nice so don’t be shy to ask them :P. 

Usually during interviews, the first thing they WILL ask you is about your projects (unless you have work experience, they’ll ask that first before your projects). You can follow this grid from the Cracking the Coding Interview book when explaining your projects. Here’s how it looks like:

Common Questions	Project 1	Project 2	Project 3
Challenges
Mistake / Failures
Enjoyed
Leadership (if applicable)
Conflicts
What You’d Do Differently

Try to minimize each project’s story to keypoints that highlights your critical thinking, your technical expertise and leadership skills (if applicable). You can have this grid in front of you during an interview without it being a distraction. Just ensure that you have at least one of your projects that you can talk about in detail. You should be able to discuss the technical components in depth, displaying your understanding of what you built. These should also be projects where you played a central role.

How do I make the most of my Industrial Training?

Be proactive and take initiative in your tasks. Understand the objective of doing your tasks by asking questions and clarifying your doubts always. It will help deepen your understanding and gain insights in the things you are doing. 

Don’t limit yourself to just your team. Explore other departments to understand different roles and how they contribute to the organization. A great way to do this is by joining lunch sessions with members from other teams, which helps you build relationships and expand your professional network. Additionally, take notes and seek feedback to maximize your learning experience.

One more thing, some companies have one-to-one sessions where it’s just you and your manager (or mentor). This is used as a self-reflection time. You can use it to explain to them what things that you were aware of you can do better on because sometimes, you might not see the whole picture and instead they’ll provide better highlights of where you can truly improve.

What are some challenges Interns commonly face and how to overcome them?

There’s 3 parts in this, let’s go over them:

1. Over-Reliance on AI

It’s okay to use tools like ChatGPT, DeepSeek etc to solve your problems. But if you use it to solve every issue you face, you’re not learning anything. You need to hit the wall. Hit it as many times in order to REALLY understand the problems, concepts and solutions. Furthermore, enterprises often deal with deep, complex problems where AI alone won’t help.  

You can followed this flow whenever i face a problem:

1. Read the documentation
2. Go through Github Issues (tend to be more dated than Stack Overflow issues)
3. Go through Stack Overflow discussions
4. Scan through the whole source code of the tool or package you are using (if it’s an open source tool)
5. Ask AI
6. Ask your manager or seniors for assistance

2. Imposter syndrome

Interns feel like they don’t belong or aren’t good enough, especially in a fast-paced or intense environment. You need to remind yourself that you were chosen for the internship because you have potential. Focus on learning rather than proving yourself that you belong there. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, no one expects you to know everything.

3. Struggling to manage tasks

Your problems get more complex as you progress during your internship. Problems that originally felt like no-brainers can get more difficult, challenging and stressful.  When this happens, you need to start breaking your problems down to smaller problems. A good tip is to ask yourself what is the EASIEST way to solve a given issue. This lets you start from somewhere and you can work on refining your solution.

Besides that, you might have more than 1 task assigned to you at a time, leaving you feeling overwhelmed. Try to manage expectations when multiple tasks are assigned. Here’s how it can look like:

Intern: So i have task A and task B that i’m currently working on, for task C, is this urgent or can it be pushed?

Manager: Task C needs to be done to push to production as soon as possible, Task B should be expected to be completed by this week.

Intern: Alright, I will get Task C done soon and Task B by this week. I will try to make room for Task A if I manage to complete these two earlier. If not, I will push it to next week.

From there, you will know what you should prioritise and get done first, leaving you less overwhelmed!

Anything else?

Some parts in here were inspirations from the book, Quoted from Cracking the Coding Interview, 6th Edition 189 Programming Questions and Solutions. You can check that out to learn more about how interview processes work and tips and tricks the book suggests.