Introducing Elliot, one of our Software Engineering Interns
Elliot, a Software Engineering Intern, shares how Knovel’s supportive environment and cutting-edge projects helped shape his career in Singapore’s dynamic tech ecosystem.
Knovel Engineering stands at the intersection of innovation and artificial intelligence, driving transformative change as a leading consultancy in Singapore’s vibrant tech ecosystem. Our work is defined by solving complex challenges with bespoke AI solutions, but the true engine of our success is the talent we cultivate along the way. Nowhere is this more evident than in the journey of our young professionals, like Software Engineering Intern, Elliot.
Elliot’s story is a testament to the hands-on learning, challenging projects, and dedicated mentorship that define the Knovel experience. We sat down with him to understand what inspired him to join, the technical frontiers he’s conquered in his work, and the personal growth he’s achieved during his internship.
The Journey to a Hands-On Future
For Elliot, the decision to join Knovel was driven by a desire to move beyond conventional software engineering roles. He was drawn in by the stories of innovation already taking place within our walls.
“When I was searching for a summer internship, I wanted to do something beyond the usual full-stack software engineering role. I came across articles on Knovel’s website featuring the innovative work their interns had done. I was inspired to join Knovel as the environment felt supportive and provided each individual with opportunities to pursue projects that interest them.”
This supportive environment quickly translated into real-world, high-impact work. Elliot’s role was not just shadowing or doing; he also began leading his own project.
Conquering Cutting-Edge AI Solutions
Elliot’s internship was a deep dive into the practical application of advanced technology. He was given the opportunity to explore his area of interest project and entrusted with a project that put him at the forefront of Knovel’s AI work.
His initial task involved developing a full-stack application that enabled edge devices to communicate seamlessly with a main server. This project was a crash course in system design, exposing him to critical modern tools and concepts:
- Exposure to Industry Systems: Incorporating tools like Redis and Docker
- Advanced AI: Integrating a Vision Language Model (VLM) and a Large Language Model (LLM) for real-time video stream processing and automated report generation.
This initial success was followed by two more projects that broadened his technical horizons during his 4-month stint, including work on Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) and DevOps concepts and the challenging yet rewarding experience of configuring Kubernetes.
The Power of Dedicated Mentorship
The ability to tackle such complex, cutting-edge projects is not just a reflection of Elliot’s talent, but also the strength of Knovel’s mentorship culture. Elliot highlights the invaluable guidance he received from his mentor, Wen Sher, and his supervisor, Clark.
Elliot credits her for providing the technical foundation and the necessary freedom to explore. “I have learned valuable knowledge from Wen Sher’s experiences, who offered me advice and guidance while providing me the space to experiment,” he notes. Her deep knowledge of best practices ensured Elliot was always building on a solid foundation.
Beyond the technical guidance, Elliot’s supervisor Clark provided the essential support structure. “Clark would also check in with me to ensure I am doing fine, and would help me seek out projects that aligned with my interests,” Elliot shares. This proactive, welcoming approach is key to making Knovel a nurturing environment for new talent.
Even at a higher management level, the CEO of Knovel also shares his knowledge first-hand with the teams. Elliot admires how Hee Chuan is “very knowledgeable of various industries and how our products would fit into our users’ workflows.” Citing an example of project demos, he recalls how Hee Chuan shares concise and constructive feedback from the users’ perspective, communicating with precision and impact.
Growth Beyond the Code
The Knovel experience is designed to foster holistic growth, recognising that an engineer’s impact is amplified by their ability to communicate and collaborate. For Elliot, this meant overcoming a significant personal challenge: presenting his work.
“One challenge that I have overcome at work is presenting my work to an audience. At Knovel, I participated in the R&D monthly meetings, where I showcased my projects to my peers. I also presented my work to my supervisors and business analysts during sync-up calls. As I come from a technical course in university, such opportunities are rare. Hence, I appreciate that I can hone my soft skills while developing my technical skills at Knovel.”
Elliot had the opportunity to overcome the challenge to present to colleagues from different teams as well as his supervisors at meetings. Knovel provides the platform for young talent to develop the crucial soft skills needed to translate technical innovation into business value.
A Culture Driven by Empathy
The culture at Knovel is one of warmth, friendliness, and shared purpose. Elliot describes the company as feeling like a “big family,” where his team bonds over jokes around the bugs they encounter, shares milestones together, and where colleagues from different departments regularly share lunch at the same table.
This sense of community is underpinned by a core value that resonates deeply with Elliot: Empathy.
I resonate the most with ‘Empathy’ as we are creating solutions to our users’ problems.
Elliot phua, software engineering intern
Every engineering decision we make endeavours to improve our users’ lives, whether it’s to make their job safer (reducing risks of physical danger), or make it more efficient to do their tasks.”
This focus on the end-user—making jobs their safer and more efficient—is what motivates Elliot daily. He is driven by the sense of ownership over his projects and the satisfaction of “seeing the fruits of my labour.” Seeing how his colleagues thrive in their roles also similarly spurs him onto delivering his best work.
Join the Next Generation of Innovators
Elliot’s journey is a clear invitation to aspiring young talent: Knovel is a place where you can learn, lead, and make a tangible impact from day one. The combination of hands-on work with cutting-edge AI, a supportive and nurturing culture, coupled with dedicated mentorship from experts like Wen Sher and Clark creates an unparalleled environment for professional growth.
His advice to future interns is simple and powerful:
“Interns should come with an open mind and reach out to their mentors on what they would like to achieve out of an internship at Knovel such that they can curate the growth they want.”
If you are a young professional looking to apply your skills to real-world innovation, deploy cutting-edge AI solutions, and grow under the guidance of experienced mentors, Knovel is ready for you. Come with an open mind, and we will help you curate the growth you want.
Knovel Engineering: Your Trusted AI Solutions Partner
As a fast-growing technology consulting and solution provider, Knovel Engineering can guide you through your AI journey. Our co-creation philosophy ensures that AI solutions are developed in close partnership with clients to address unique needs and challenges. With expertise spanning AI, cloud, data analytics, and emerging technologies, we offer comprehensive, end-to-end AI solutions tailored to your business goals.
Our agile and adaptive approach, proactive technology scouting, and open architecture design ensure that your AI solutions are both future-proof and scalable. By emphasising knowledge transfer, we empower your business to build its own internal AI competencies.
Partnering with Knovel Engineering allows you to confidently navigate the AI landscape, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and best practices to drive innovation, enhance efficiency, and gain a competitive edge in the modern business world.
Interested in joining the software engineering team at Knovel?
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