Michael Ameteku
Hometown | Accra, Ghana
Major | Computer Science
Company | Amazon
Location | Seattle, Washington
Position | Software Development Engineering Co-op
Michael Ameteku, computer science student at The University of Akron.
What are your general co-op duties?
I work on the Amazon Fulfillment Technology team to improve efficiency in handling inventory-related records. I cannot share specifics because of the NDA I signed, but I submit code reviews and add my code to the central repository. I provide daily progress updates through scrum meetings and weekly progress updates to my mentor and manager during one-on-one meetings.
What surprises/unexpected outcomes have your experienced on co-op?
I am surprised at all members of my team implement Amazon's leadership principles in their daily work and how supportive everyone on my team is.
What has been the coolest part of your co-op experience?
Working from any of the Amazon buildings I want, plus free coffee and bananas anytime!
How will your co-op influence your career?
It will give me a lot of real work experience and offer a feel of what working as a full time software engineer is like.
What have you learned as a co-op that you wouldn't have learned from your coursework?
Being a software engineer goes beyond just programming. The fundamentals are necessary but skills like being able to collaborate with others, plan out your work, and prioritize tasks are a big part of the job. I learned how to be a good team member, how to be nimble and learn fast, plus technical skills like object-oriented programming and reading through someone else’s code.