Global Internship Programme in Japan for APU Graduate - Kenny Lock

APU’s Kenny Lock, a BSc (Hons) in Software Engineering graduate undertook a 6-week Global Internship Programme from May to June 2015 at HDE, Inc., based in Tokyo, Japan.  HDE is a trusted leader in Enterprise Cloud Security and provides security solutions to many large organisations in Japan. On completion of his internship recently, Kenny was offered a full-time position at HDE!

According to Mr Vijay Reddy, Senior Manager, APU, “In October 2014, during a visit to HDE Inc Japan, there was a discussion on internship and career opportunities for APU graduates, just when HDE had just introduced their Global Internship Programme. This invaluable internship opportunity was then made available to APU students”.

Kenny explains that he first applied for the internship through the APU Careers Portal. “Firstly, there was a three-step challenge to test my programming skills. After passing that, there was an online interview from the company to know more about my personalities and communication skills. It was happiness when I received a confirmation mail after HDE decided to hire me as an intern”.

 
Kazuhiro Ogura, Representative Director and Chief Executive Office of HDE, Inc. (left) with Kenny Lock (right)

Q: Can you briefly describe your workday at HDE Japan?
A: I was assigned to complete multiple challenging tasks by my mentors, which allowed them to evaluate my technical skills and soft skills based on my performance. Most importantly, I was able to learn and acquire essential knowledge as well as to meet people to develop my personal network, which are both important and useful for my future career.

 
Kenny Lock (bottom, third from left) with his colleagues at the Development Team of HDE, Inc.

Q. How has your Software Engineering studies been useful to you?
A: Fundamentals of software development and communication skills were relevant during my internship. Today's technology is moving at the fastest pace ever. The things we learned before may become obsolete within a short period of time. In my opinion, the most important skills to have as an IT expert are the ability to learn and adapt to new technology quickly and having the solid foundation of the fundamental knowledge that is related to one's IT field. I would always stay up-to-date with the latest news about technology and  the latest IT knowledge that potentially increases my value as an IT expert. With these skills one can be more versatile and competitive to face the next challenge.

 
Kenny doing a presentation in front of the staff during a monthly technical session where employees share their ideas and knowledge about technology

Q: Briefly describe your experience in Japan.
A: People are extremely friendly and the hospitality that I have experienced was like nothing I have experienced before, especially in the working environment of HDE. Everything is taken care of very professionally and all I need to do was only to concentrate on learning and exploring the Japanese way of working and their professionalism.

Q: What are your favourite foods and activities in Japan?
A: Japanese culture was always a huge influence to me while I was growing up. From the mysterious and sophisticated ancient traditional Japanese culture to the fascinating and advanced modern Japanese culture, the explorations to be made are endless. One of my favourite things to do is definitely roam around the famous Akihabara in Tokyo to hunt for rare collector’s items for my favourite movies, animes and mangas as I am a huge collector myself. I am also a huge fan of the Japanese cuisines as it is widely popular all around the world. I think they are generally healthier and there a huge variety of different foods as well.