Mekhi Amos
Mekhi Amos enjoys making connections, taking risks, and gaining knowledge. In late September, he started his first job as abusiness systems analyst in Portfolio Management Office and Services after completing his last rotation as an intern in the Wolson Early Career Development Program (ECDP).
A recent graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs, Mekhi made the most of his Yale IT internships. During the summers, he interned through the New Haven Promise Program. After college, he was accepted into the ECDP rotational program.
Those on-the-job experiences exposed him to working in different departments and on various IT projects supporting the financial aid Office, uman Resources, and the School of Medicine He helped build custom applications on Salesforce, designed and deployed interactive electronic forms through dynamic forms, and manipulated data in Power BI to prepare reports for a better end-user experience.
Mekhi, who grew up in New Haven, is excited about his new job and credits the internship program with jump-starting his IT career. “As an intern, you feel like you are a valued team member. You are given a lot of responsibilities and have a seat at the table. I got to interact closely with my managers and teammates.”
We recently connected with Mekhi during his last rotation at Yale Printing and Publishing Services.
What have you learned about yourself during the internship program?
I’m more confident in myself and my abilities. I was given a lot of responsibilities and was happy to take ownership of the work I was given. I was invited to meetings with managers and stakeholders, which was sometimes intimidating. But I had a lot of support from my supervisors and teammates. They had faith in me, and I feel I gained significant work experience and grew as a person. I kept reminding myself that I have good skills and bring much to the table.
What was the highlight of the internship program?
The incredible support I received from my teammates and the valuable connections I made. All through this process, people genuinely wanted to see me succeed. People always took the time to listen if I wanted to ask about a project or have a conversation about what I did over the weekend. I’m very appreciative of everyone; I would not be where I am today without all the support I received along the way. I never felt alone. There was always someone there I could reach out to who was ready and willing to help me.
What’s next?
I’m excited to start my new job as a business systems analyst working on the portfolio and project management tool. My role is to be the subject matter expert (SME) on this tool and provide support to project manangers. I’ll prepare monthly status reports, create approval records, review invoices and expenditures, and manage project cost estimates. Also, I plan to return to school to get a master’s in data analytics.
What advice would you give someone wanting a career in IT?
I would tell anyone to be open-minded and take risks. If there is something you are interested in but not sure about it, give it a try. You may find out you like it, but if not, check it off the list and move on to the next thing. You’ll never know unless you give it a try. Learn as much as you can. The more skills you have, the better your career choices.
Tell us a few fun facts about yourself.
I love watching Anime. I enjoy hiking—East Rock State Park is one of my favorite spots. Also, I like to bake, mostly cookies and brownies—M&M cookies are a personal favorite.