On August 1st, 2020, Mustafa Spahić transitioned from an intern to an official Junior Software Developer at Bicom Systems! Mustafa is today’s Case in our ‘From Intern to Employee’ blog series.
Mustafa is currently a part of the COMMSware/Meeting team and is in his last year of studies at the University of Tuzla. He is currently studying Telecommunications with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. Electronics and embedded systems are Mustafa’s hobbies, so when he is not at Bicom Systems, you can find him working on one of his many projects! Projects like an RC Car, Humanoid Robot, Smart House, or his latest wearable tech.
Are you interested in learning more about Mustafa? Read his Q&A below.
First off, how did you hear about the internship with Bicom Systems?
“My friends and I attended the 2018 Bicom Systems Hackathon. That year, the assignment was to create an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Bot. My team made a voice banking assistant that used voice recognition to help the clients do their banking over the phone. We won first place, and I was offered an internship! It was so much fun, and our mentors helped us learn a lot about VoIP in such a short amount of time. I gladly accepted the offer.”
Congratulations! Tell me how your journey has been from Intern to Employee.
“I was assigned to the COMMSware/Meeting team, and my mentor from the Hackathon, Seudin Kasumović, was my team lead. Seudin emphasized learning the fundamentals of the technologies we used, so beginning my first real task was a breeze! My first big codebase was the COMMSWare Web application project. I remember I was overwhelmed with it! But, I started with minor tasks, which helped me understand the codebase better. Later, I had more responsibilities and bigger tasks, which made a smooth transition to a full-time employee.”
How did you manage to work remotely and be a student when the COVID-19 outbreak forced us all home?
“For me, it was a really easy transition! Our faculty organized our classes online, and Bicom Systems prepared us to work from home long before the pandemic started. gloCOM enabled us to have direct contact with each other, and the product my team is working on, gloCOM Meeting, really helped us recreate the office atmosphere at home.”
Describe your typical workday.
“My typical workday starts with a cup of much-needed coffee! Then I check my emails and get prepared for the daily team meeting. In our daily Meeting, my team shares the current tasks and projects we all have. I prefer to work on my more difficult tasks in the morning because that is when I think the clearest. After lunch is when I tackle the easier ones.”
Do you have a favorite industry website, book, or other resources?
“For general tech news I read TechCrunch. A great reference for algorithms and data structures is geeksforgeeks. Sites like Udemy and Coursera are great resources for learning new programming languages. My favorite book is “The C Programming Language” by Brian W. Kernighan Dennis M. Ritchie. It is an all-time classic!”
What excites you the most about the technologies that we use at Bicom Systems?
“The most exciting thing isn’t the technologies themselves, but more so the functionality that they enable for our clients! Most of our tech stack is based on newer and cutting edge technologies.”
Speaking of technologies, tell us more about the latest project you are developing.
“The latest project that I’m working on is a health wearable tech that will monitor a person’s SPO2 level, heart rate, temperature, and skin resistance. This project is also my undergraduate thesis!”
What is one thing you are trying to make a habit?
“I am trying to stretch more often during the workday! Sitting all day can have a great impact on our bodies, so to combat it, good posture and stretching are crucial.”
What would you tell future interns or people thinking of applying for an internship?
“Just go for it! Taking an internship as an undergraduate student is definitely a smart decision. It enables you to learn about the industry and gain more experience so you can confidently transition to full-time employment.”
If you want to learn more about our internship programs, check out our website, or email us at hr@bicomsystems.com.
Do you have any more questions for Mustafa? Or about Bicom Systems internships? Comment below!
