Praelexis interviews Lizette de Wet
It could be daunting to reach out to a company to ask for an internship. Sometimes you just need to know who to talk to. Meet Lizette, one of our most dynamic team members (Praelexians as we refer to them). Some of her hobbies and talents include ballroom dancing and ensuring everyone is having a good time. We decided to interview her to get to know her and our internship process a bit better.
Question: Does Praelexis have internships and what do they look like?
Answer: Yes, Praelexis does have internships! Our internships usually run between June and July, and November and February. For each slot, we take between two to four interns depending on the availability of projects that allow for interns to join the team. Our interns work with Praelexians on projects to get exposure to “real life” business challenges and solutions for six weeks.
Question: Lizette, what is your role at Praelexis?
Answer: My role at Praelexis is primarily focused on people, both internally and externally. Internally, I am dedicated to ensuring each Praelexian’s experience is exceptional. We define our employee experience as the entire journey of a Praelexian, from recruitment and appointment to onboarding, skills development and achieving autonomy in their roles.
We also have a dedicated Praelexis Experience Team that I am a part of. Our goal is to ensure that every Praelexian thrives and grows holistically within our organisation. A key part of our process, where I play a big role, is selecting the most suitable candidates for our six-week internship. We often receive many outstanding applications and choosing only two or four of these candidates has proven incredibly challenging.
In terms of external relationships, I focus on building trustworthy relationships with individuals. I’ve learnt that face-to-face interactions are crucial for establishing enduring business connections.
Question: What does the ideal candidate for a Praelexis internship look like?
Answer: Firstly, the candidate should have a passion for learning and a can-do attitude. Secondly, on a skills level, the ideal candidate should have finished his or her third year of studies and should be busy studying an engineering degree with mathematics as a subject. The first prize would be students studying Data Science, Computer Science or a similar module.
Question: Are the internships online or in person?
Answer: All of our internships are in person to ensure that the interns foster meaningful relationships with their colleagues and have easy access to mentorship.
Question: What types of projects do interns work on at Praelexis?
Answer: Normally an intern will work as a part of a team on whatever project that team is currently busy with. In other words, interns work on real-life projects with teams. Sometimes, because of the availability of such projects, we would have interns working on interesting internal projects.
Question: Why is an internship at Praelexis worthwhile?
Answer: As an intern, you will get exposure to real business projects and close the gap between academia and industry. An internship with Praelexis will prepare you for work after your studies.
Question: What is the relationship between the other employees (Praelexians) and the interns?
Answer: All the interns get treated as Praelexians. Your job won’t be to make coffee for others at the office! You will sit in on client meetings, and attend internal and other internal ceremonies. There is no difference between our employees and interns except for the data science maturity level… and wisdom. 😉
Question: Can you do an internship at Praelexis as part of a university programme?
Answer: Sometimes a university refers a student for an internship. Occasionally, with careful talks and negotiations, a student can intern for longer during their studies. But this depends on a few crucial factors.
Question: What do you need to know before applying for an internship at Praelexis?
Answer: You need to have some knowledge of Python or R, as well as Data Science, Computer Science or Machine Learning. And, of course, you have to have Mathematics as a subject.
Question: How do you apply for an internship at Praelexis?
Answer: Send an email to vacancies@praelexis.com. Please attach your CV, your transcript, and a motivation letter about why you want to come for an internship at Praelexis. When applying, include “internship” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you!