Interns, AI, and the Power of Belief: What the Next Generation is Teaching Us

This summer, I’ve had the chance to observe, connect a new wave of interns and recent grads entering the tech industry both at Amazon and other companies, Honestly, I’ve been blown away.They’re showing up to community-led tech events, engaging deeply with tools like Snowflake, AWS, and Azure, and are more confident and collaborative than ever before.

They’re not just passively absorbing knowledge—they’re building projects, asking better questions than some mid-level engineers, and networking like seasoned pros. Many of them are already exploring LLMs, AI governance, and even ethical implications—all before their first full-time role.

This generation isn’t overwhelmed by AI. They’re energized by it.

A Personal Flashback: The Gym Talk That Changed Me

Their energy reminds me of my own early days in tech.
I was an intern too—just getting started, unsure of my footing. One evening, I met a coworker at the community gym after work. It was a casual chat, but at one point he looked at me and said:

“You won’t get a job in this current market.”

I still remember that moment clearly. It wasn’t cruel—it was probably just his reality at the time. But those words stuck. And for a while, they shaped how I saw myself.

Fast forward 15 years: I’ve worked with brilliant teams, shipped global data systems, and now help design data and AI infrastructure on the cloud. That early doubt didn’t define me—but it certainly challenged me.

The Circle Comes Around

There’s something amazing about seeing interns step into the same shoes I once wore.

Back then, I was full of questions—unsure of the tech, unsure of my place, and constantly trying to prove I belonged. Today, I’m on the other side of that table. I’m the one explaining architectures, leading reviews, and building the systems others now learn from.

And that’s when it hits you: The circle has come around.

The nervous intern trying to decode a codebase is the same person I once was—just a few chapters earlier.
The Slack DM asking, “Can I get 10 minutes of your time?” used to be me(Lync or Skype for Business:)).
The fear of saying the wrong thing in a meeting? I’ve lived that.

That’s why I’ve made it a point to show up differently.

Where I once received silence or doubt, I now choose to offer encouragement.
Where I once figured things out alone, I now make time to explain what I wish someone had told me.
Where I once heard, “You won’t get a job,” I now say, “You’ve got this—and I’ll help you grow.”

It’s easy to forget how much moral power we hold as experienced professionals. A comment in a code review, a passing chat after a meeting, even the tone of a Slack reply—these small moments stick. They shape self-perception. They build—or erode—confidence.

By showing empathy to those just beginning, we help complete a cycle. We return the favor we wish we received—or offer what we never had.

And here’s the beautiful part: when they grow and lead, they’ll remember how we made them feel.
The circle continues. And with a bit more kindness each time, it becomes a better one.

Final Thought: Optimism Is a Leadership Skill

The interns of today are the CTOs of tomorrow. And what they’ll remember won’t just be the codebase. It’ll be the leaders who believed in them when they were just getting started.

Let’s be that leader.

Let’s build, learn, and reflect — one post at a time.

— Junaith Haja
Harnessing Data and AI for social good, one blog at a time