Mohammad always had an interest in tech. He applied to mthree in hopes to begin his career after graduating from City University of New York with a Computer Science degree.
Carry on reading to find out more about his story.
Saffron Wildbore
~ 6min read
~ 6min read
Mohammad always had an interest in tech. He applied to mthree in hopes to begin his career after graduating from City University of New York with a Computer Science degree.
Carry on reading to find out more about his story.
“Throughout my degree I learned all the fundamentals and basics of computer science. I had a couple of technical experiences, we had a sort of boot camp where people from different colleges can do this year-long boot camp where you learn about full stack web development.
I got to do a capstone project which gave me a lot of skills, not just technical. That was my first time working on a larger project. I also did an internship in my senior year that gave me a lot of skills to be prepared for the software industry.”
“I think mthree is really good because it’s very open in telling you what the process is like and what you’re going to be going through. Whether you’re more experienced or less experienced, there’s different routes that you can go down, and mthree explains it all - what you’re going to be doing after and how they’re going to support you through it. That’s one of the great things about mthree.
I applied to mthree and was matched up with Steve Ramos as a recruiter, he really vouched for me. That was one of the best parts of it, the dedication that the recruiters have to actually get you a job.
We also had a lot of interview help, we did mock interviews and they were really good and reassuring. It wasn’t a scary thing where they would grill you or be angry that you got it wrong. If you didn’t know something, we were given tips on how to prepare which was helpful.
I think the training was really good, it was self-paced. I think another thing that’s good is that the training is dependent on the client that you’re matched with, some people may have more, some may have less depending on the role.
There’s also training when you’re on-site with the client which is great because mthree doesn’t just forget you, they make sure that you're part of the community. If you feel like you’re lacking in any skills, they’re open in saying you can reach out to them and they can try and provide further training.”
“I was reassured straight away when I started working for the client and saw that 2 or 3 of the senior staff members came from mthree. They converted after their placement ended and became senior engineers, which was really reassuring.
The team that I was matched with is very helpful, super open. I can just ping them anytime and ask them questions about the application. This is only my third week so I'm still learning, but that’s normal in software engineering. You’re never going to know everything once you get in, it’s going to take you months. So it’s good that it’s such a supportive environment.
The role is fully remote so it’s important to have a team that’s willing to help you out and be available to help you with what you need. They know you’re new and will need some kind of help to settle in. They don’t treat you any differently, you’re part of the team. You’re fully situated, you’re in all the meetings. Your voice matters, your opinion matters. It feels good.”
“I typically have a meeting right when I sign on, it’s a stand up that’s on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. You talk through everything that you’re working on, the previous days. We have tasks that we choose to do, they’re called stories.
So you talk about your progress on that story, if you’re blocked, if you need some help and you need somebody to help you out. And after that you get into work. It’s mainly learning as I’m new.
I think the team I’m on here is great because it’s very general and I’m learning a lot of very useful skills. Event streaming is the practice of continuously capturing data in real time, storing it, and delivering it to other systems for processing. This helps power applications such as real-time analytics, fraud detection, notification systems, and more.
Not every company needs fancy web developers, but everyone needs people who understand data.
I ask for small tasks because I do want to get into some code and push some code out, so I think it’s important to have that kind of initiative because it forces you to learn more. For me, the best way to learn isn’t watching a YouTube video or reading documents, it’s getting a task.
As a new person, I go and ask somebody else and learn from them. That’s the best way that a new person can learn in my opinion, just get into it. You’re going to be confused, but you have to ask questions.”
“It’s very flexible, but you do have to manage your time well. Nobody’s going to do it for you, there’s no micromanaging in the software industry. So that forces you to be better, both in terms of time management and technical skills. It’s all up to you, nobody is going to hold your hand. It’s scary at first, but once you get accustomed to that you’re going to like it because you realise how capable you are as a person.
You’re not waiting for your manager to tell you what to do, when to work, it’s not that kind of industry. You’re given a lot of independence, and it’s on you to take that and work really hard and succeed if you want to.”
“If you have any questions, ask your manager, they’re going to be open and they’re there to help you. Take advantage of all the training that mthree offers and get to know people. Don’t just say hello, get to know people personally. I’d ask one of my team members to help me with a bug, and we’d end up on a call for 10-15 minutes and we wouldn’t end the call right there. I’d ask them more questions to get to know them better, it’s really good to understand the people you’re working with.
The best advice really is to stay motivated. Getting into the tech industry can sometimes be demotivating, but you have to keep your skills intact. You might have to find a different way to get into the industry. Apply for mthree!
I was worried about what it’s really like to be an engineer, what if I don’t know everything? What if I can’t do that because I don’t know the syntax of all the coding languages? The main thing you have to know is to be able to learn on your own, do your own research, use all of the tools online and get yourself unblocked.
Ask people, that’s a big piece of advice that I’d give. Don’t be shy to ask people for help. Obviously, don’t rely on people and ask them for the answer to every single step, you do have to try for yourself, but if you’re really stuck just ask.
So stay motivated, ask people for help and keep up on your technical skills by doing projects.”
“My short-term goals are to keep working here and finish my 2 years, hopefully get converted to full-time. I definitely want to be a senior soon.
Long-term, is to just be in the tech industry. I’d like to be an expert in a particular niche. When you’re young, I think it’s good to be general and have a wide range of skills, but as you move up you should really gravitate to a particular niche.”
Want to follow in Mohammad’s footsteps and build a rewarding career in tech? Discover our current roles today.
Saffron is the Marketing Manager at mthree, with over five years of experience creating content that connects. She works across both B2B and B2C marketing, focusing on everything from career tips for graduates to real stories from our alumni. Saffron’s articles are all about sharing practical advice, industry insights, and inspiration to help readers take the next step with confidence.
