Nicholas Pillay

College: City College of Technology

Education Level: Junior

Career Interest: Electrical Engineer

My name is Nicholas Pillay and I currently major in Electrical Engineering Technology at New York City College of Technology. Inside and outside the classroom, when I'm a part of something, I always work hard towards it, strive to learn everything about it, and have the most fun with it. After I receive my Bachelor’s degree, I look to never stop furthering my education and skillset, but to also build a career now as an Electrical Engineer in some of the most innovative technology companies that are making a positive difference to countless people. Later in life I also hope to travel to some of the most technological advanced places in the world and see how life is different around the world. Some things outside of the classroom that I hold an interest in are, finance, weight training, watching motorsports (huge Formula 1 fan!), and following the newest technologies as they're released!

What was your role?

Some projects I worked on at Unadat, was Adding new features to Unadat, Design and UI for the app, and deploying the app for public testing.

What did you work on?

What was the impact of your project?

The impact of our project is that we are providing the people with a way to walk around with Unadat in there pocket all day long. They can constantly update the app with new information and stay up to date quickly without interrupting what they are doing. Hopefully this will encourage more users to the Unadat platform and not be intimidated by it.

What did you learn or improve on from this internship or from your teammates?

What I have learned from my teammates, is that you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help with something if you need it. They probably know a way to do something much faster than you’re doing it. I also learned that your teammates care about your success too, so you should work with them as often as possible.

What skills have you gained?

Some new skills I have picked up while at Unadat, is working on UI and design, and creative thinking (regarding technology).

What was the biggest roadblock you've overcome?

The biggest roadblock I have overcame at Unadat is working on the computer science aspect coming from a background where computer science is a small aspect. I had to do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions to get up to pace with the computer science major students here.

How has company culture guided your work?

The company culture has guided my work significantly. While working here, I have had the freedom to input my ideas into my work and do something my way if I felt that this way would get the job done better. This has led me to be joyful while working here and to show up everyday with a positive attitude.

What was your experience at Unadat?

My experience at Unadat has been of the best work experiences I’ve ever encountered in my life. At Unadat I have learned so many new skills and information in such a short period of time. The environment at Unadat was so comfortable and we were greatly encouraged to speak up whenever we had anything to say. I’ve also felt a sense of fulfillment, because of the mission here at Unadat. We did not waste any time here. We were always the most productive because of the various ways of how things are run around here at Unadat. I’m glad I took the opportunity to work here with everyone else.

What was one big project you worked on during the internship? Can you walk me through the process?

One big project I worked on during the internship was designing the pages for the mobile app. First, we had to design the navigation bar using knowledge of what users want from a navigation bar. Then we had to decide what we were going to keep from the website and what had to be moved or removed completely. Then when we figured this out, we had to decide what page this stuff fits on and had to get approval from Sean for everything. Some things were not approved so we had to redesign the app again and fit stuff into places where it would fit better. Now, were currently working on polishing up the final look.

What advice would you give to future interns?

My two pieces advice to the next crop of interns is to always ask questions if you’re unsure about anything and to work with your team and communicate with them often. This is a team effort. Remember that two heads are better than one.