Accepting real responsibility, applying learned skills in the workplace and expanding knowledge by taking on new challenges. 

Our interns have enjoyed these beneficial experiences – and more – since we started partnering with the Misk Foundation earlier this year. 

The collaboration with Misk and its partner organisations, via the Global Remote Internship Program, saw us bring in two interns, who are helping us in different parts of our business. 

One of these talented young professionals is computer science graduate Lameer Shamsaldeen, who is making her mark with our Technology team. This is her first internship via the scheme, meaning she has had to adapt to a new workplace and a new style of work, and she says she has already learned a lot along the way. 

“I had an HR interview with Dora, which was a screening call, and then I went through a case study with Michael and Kamila. That was the first time I had done a case study interview so I was nervous about it but it was useful as it gave me a better idea about how the process works between clients and contractors and I had more detail about what Hyphen does.  

“After the interviews, I was offered the job and decided to go for it. I thought that I could learn more with a start-up company rather than in a really, really big company where you might not be able to make as much of an impact.” 

Lameer says that working with Hyphen is the first time she has worked in a remote capacity, which has brought challenges to which she has adapted well. 

To help ease her into life with the company, she joined Product and Innovation Manager Kamila Potocarova and Head of Technology David Tschirky. This helped identify the perfect place for her within the organisational structure, adding value for the business while giving Lameer opportunities to learn, expand her knowledge and put some of her skills into practice. 

After helping with project management during the production of a new resource, she is now working with the Technology team on a priority project that is being developed – and is going outside her comfort zone. 

“I was really excited to start the setup of the project because they’re using tools I haven’t worked with before,” she explains. “I have done web development before but with other frameworks so I was very curious whether I could do this before I started but right now, I am doing it, which is satisfying.” 

The Global Remote Internship Program was set up by the Misk Foundation to provide young Saudi professionals with experiences that can help them develop skills for the wider workplace. After meeting a number of high-quality candidates, we selected Lameer and her compatriot Mohammed Almazyad as they best suited the needs of the business. 

Both have impressed thus far as they appreciate the one-month mark of their internships. For Lameer, it has offered her a chance to apply her skills in ways she has not necessarily tried before and that she enjoys. 

She adds: “What I’m working on now is not totally new to me – in fact, it’s similar to my senior project – but there are some key differences. My senior project was related to mobile app development and this is web development but there are a lot of things in common between them. It’s fun, I like what I’m working on now.” 

Remote work is a new experience for Lameer – and one that has come with some challenges – as our diverse group works on various projects. After a spell working more closely with Kamila at the start of her time with us, she is now closer with David and Orlando due to her tech-focused role. 

Despite the geographical distance between the members of our global team, she has noticed this is no shortage of emotional closeness between the group. 

“It’s very friendly here, everyone knows each other and keeps in contact with each other,” she says. “To be honest, that was a bit surprising for me; I like the balance here. Everyone is very professional in what they are doing but there is a casual side where people really support each other so it’s a nice environment to work in.”

To learn more about Hyphen and our involvement with the Global Remote Internship Program, please contact our HR Advisor Dora Lakatos for more information.