I was searching for IT companies that were within proximity. Growing up I always had a passion for technology and cybersecurity. As I was searching, I came across this company called “BET Software”. I then took the time to do some research and analysis on what the company was about, how they operate, and what software tools they use. At that time, I was still doing my 2nd year in Information Technology Management.
As I was conducting my research about BET Software, I came across the Dare to Dream Bursary programme. I reviewed the requirements for the bursary and came to the realisation that I needed to work even harder for my application to stand out. When I finally chose to apply for the BET Software bursary, my overall average at the time was above 60%, which meant I met the requirements however I felt that I needed to shine more and stand out. That is when I started putting more effort into my work and drafted a study schedule that was effective enough to make me improve academically. I reduced my social life activities and put more work into my studies by going to the library over the weekends instead of going out with my friends. I started engaging more with my lecturers by going to individual consultation sessions in order to get a deeper understanding of the content. My average increased from 60% to above 75% which scored me a pass with distinction. At the beginning of my 3rd year, I received a call and was informed that my bursary application had been accepted. I was super excited and over the moon. I will never forget how I felt that day!
The first month of being at BET Software was informative, enlightening, and equally overwhelming. We learned and did so much. During the first week of being at BET Software, we had induction which was basically an overview of the company, how they function, and the different aspects of the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle).
The last week of February 2022, is when we started learning and rotating between the various departments within BET Software. The first department we began with was UI/UX (User Interface/User Experience). We then moved on to Project Management Infrastructure, Project Management Software, IT Support, Business Analysis, Business Intelligence, DBA (Database Administration), Development, and lastly QA (Quality Assurance). This spanned over a duration of 4 months. For every department we went through, we were given tasks to complete and present at the end of that week in order to ascertain our level of understanding of that specific department and to build our presentation skills.
On the 28th of February 2022, we were briefed on a 6-month project we had to build and all 17 of us Graduate Interns were divided into 3 groups. We were given three different projects; however, the projects were linked to each other. My Team was called Cypher and the name of the project/application we built was called PriorifyX. Outside of developing the application itself, we had to learn how to work within a Team, how to resolve conflict, and how to communicate effectively. The whole purpose of this project was to give us an idea of what it meant to run an actual project and how to handle change and challenges that may arise. Our final presentation took place on the 22nd of July 2022 and we presented to a panel consisting of senior management. Two weeks before the final presentation, all 17 of us Graduates had individual meetings with HR where we discussed our preferred departments that we wanted to be placed in. This decision was based on where we felt we would best fit in, the department that interested us most based on the information we learned while we rotated through the various departments. We were then placed into our chosen departments a week later. I chose to be in the QA department, and I have loved being here ever since! It has certainly had its challenges, but I truly believe that this was the right fit for me.
I love being at BET Software and hope for the same experience for anyone else that decides to join the BET Software Team! Your journey starts here…”Dare To Dream”… I did!
Mohau Modise
BET Software Graduate Intern
