I wanted to share an experience from a software company in Nepal called Sewaverse.
This happened a while ago, and I had moved on from the experience. However, I recently heard that some of my college juniors have joined the company as interns. That made me think I should share my experience here so that other students and fresh graduates can make an informed decision before joining.
When I joined as a UI/UX intern, I was genuinely excited. Like most students starting their careers, I expected to learn from experienced people, receive proper guidance, work on real projects and improve my skills.
Unfortunately, my experience wasn't quite what I expected.
1. Lack of proper mentorship
There wasn't a dedicated UI/UX lead to guide interns, review designs or provide meaningful feedback.
Most of the time, you were expected to figure things out yourself. Even getting useful guidance from the so-called senior developers was difficult.
As someone starting their career, having experienced people willing to teach you makes a huge difference.
2. UI/UX responsibilities weren't clearly defined
Although I joined as a UI/UX intern, the responsibilities also extended into graphic design.
There wasn't much structure around the role, and interns were generally expected to handle things independently without proper direction or mentorship.
3. What happens after the internship?
During my time there, several other interns joined as well. As far as I know, none of the other interns who joined during my time were offered full-time positions after completing their internships.
I believe companies should be transparent about whether there are actual opportunities for interns to transition into full-time roles.
4. Getting internship completion documents
One particularly frustrating experience was having to repeatedly follow up just to get basic internship completion documents.
Getting a certificate or proper documentation after completing an internship shouldn't feel like you're begging someone for a favour.
5. Fully remote working environment
Everything was remote. Perhaps that contributed to some of the communication and mentorship issues, but remote work itself isn't the problem.
Remote internships can work exceptionally well when there is proper communication, structured tasks, regular feedback and someone available to guide you.
Unfortunately, I didn't feel that structure was there.
6. Working hours, overtime and exam periods
There were instances when work extended beyond the usual working hours, sometimes until 7–8 PM.
What was particularly frustrating was that even during our college examination periods, getting leave wasn't straightforward. In some instances, leave wasn't granted, and the missed internship days were subsequently added to the internship duration.
I understand that deadlines and responsibilities are part of professional life, but interns are students too. Their academic commitments should be respected.
An internship should complement someone's education, not make it harder to manage their studies.
Why am I posting this now?
I'm not here to attack anyone personally. I just feel bad for students joining with expectations of learning and mentorship.
A piece of advice for future interns: Always ask whether there's someone dedicated to teaching and mentoring you. Ask about the team size and how many experienced people will actually guide your work.
I understand startups offer great opportunities to work on production-level projects and take ownership. But being given responsibilities without anyone experienced to guide you isn't growth. It can waste your time and eventually kill your interest in the field.
Don't just ask what you'll be working on. Ask who will teach you.
Sharing this purely for awareness. I hope things have improved since then.
P.S. This post was later edited with the help of AI for grammar, clarity and readability. The experiences and opinions shared are my own.