Final-year Software Engineering student based in Perth, WA, actively applying for internships. Would love any advice from engineers on what companies look for in junior/intern candidates — especially for AI or software dev roles. Also curious what the Perth tech scene is like for new grads!
After 8 years of manual coding, I’m finally learning agentic development, only because my job is tracking usage. I'm not a fan, and it’s worrying to see junior devs skip the basics and treat AI as an expert when it’s often just guessing. How often do you see people pushing AI code to PRs without actually knowing how it fits into the grand design?
In my ten years as a software engineer, I’ve discovered a bizarre trend that smooth projects often get less recognition than chaotic ones. It may be due to a perception that it must have been an easy project if it was so smooth. On the other hand, projects with multiple day follows, dramatic reverts, etc get a ton more visibility. Have others seen this on their organization?
I'm unsure how much it actually helps to list personal software projects when looking for a job. I've been a lead several times and did not receive any resume' with a link to a github/gitlab project. I will say I'm seeing requests for this in recent job searches. Anyone actually been asked about their projects?
Is there anyone else who experiences age-based discrimination at work? I'm in my mid-20s, and have been working with seniors who think I'm still too junior to understand complex tasks. I definitely have the expertise, but I can't seem to change their perception. How can I convince others that my skill level is more important than my age?
I'll be honest, it's always been a guess for me as a lead & an architect when I've hired interns. If your grades were good enough to get you hired as an intern, I'd try that company first. You have a history with them and that matters. What have I looked for? Ability to answer limited technical questions and motivation...