When I landed in Vasterás in the last week of August 2025 to begin my Master’s programme at Mälardalen University, I was brimming with excitement and nerves about this new phase of my life. But even more importantly, I was curious about the possibilities it held for my career. Around this time, the AI wave was beginning to rise to very epic proportions, and as a software engineer, I was seriously looking for ways to dip my toes into the water. I wanted to study, but at the same time, explore the world of AI and understand how it could transform my career.
Seize Your Opportunity When It Comes
One fateful day in September, I saw the company announcements for Högsvarv (my school’s career fair) on campus. I remember being excited to see lots of tech companies on the list. “Surely, there’s gotta be one where I could intern at!” I remember thinking to myself. I excitedly shared my thoughts with my classmates and some friends already in their 2nd year, and everyone was like, “Oh, don’t bother. You’ll never get an internship. International students rarely do. Just go for the goodies and souvenirs.”
Honestly, I felt a bit disappointed and dejected, but did I give up on my dreams? No. No, I didn’t. I remember stubbornly taking pictures of the company list while my friends rolled their eyes at the supposed futility of my actions, but I didn’t care. Two days before the fair, I sat in front of my laptop and started searching each of the companies on Google one by one. My criteria was simple: Was this company building an AI-powered product, or were they using AI and machine learning in their daily operations? If yes, then they made it to the list of companies I’d speak to on the day of the fair.
Once I had a final list, I then took the time to read about each of those companies in detail. There were about 4 of them (Hitachi Energy, Alfa Laval, SCAILAB, and Volvo). Of the 4, I was the most interested in SCAILAB. It was a startup founded by a current PhD student at my university, focused on generating synthetic data for robotics and machine learning applications. The engineering team was also mostly made up of current students and recent graduates. It looked like somewhere I could really fit in and learn, plus their website and LinkedIn Page said they were looking for AI/ML engineers, designers, game developers, and software engineers.
Have a Strategy
For each of the company, I noted down what they were looking for or what they did and the skills they needed that I had, and used that to make an appropriate elevator pitch for each. I also had a list of specific questions I wanted to ask them: some parts of their operations/business I wasn’t clear about and current or possible future job openings.
The day of the fair arrived, and my strategy was simple. I’d work from the company I was least interested in to the one I was most interested in. That way, I gradually built up confidence and got rid of nerves. I went with a couple of friends and classmates, and in between each booth, we would take some time to discuss, make jokes, laugh, take pictures, and create cool memories
Finally, I got to SCAILAB’s booth, and the CEO himself was there. Deep down, I was so nervous, but I managed to produce a confident smile (I think!), gave a brief history of myself, why I would love to work with the company, and what I brought to the table. He listened intently and, when I was done, told me he was really interested in my profile but was absolutely knackered as he had been on his feet since morning talking to interested students. But not to worry, he gave me his business card and asked me to send an email with my CV, so he could read through it and set up a meeting.
I left the fair very, very happy and excited. All my prep had seemingly paid off, and it looked like I was close to achieving my dreams. And to cap it all off, I had gotten some goodies along the way: a water bottle and a tote bag!
Reap The Rewards!
I spent the weekend crafting and refining my CV to match what I hoped they wanted, then I sent the email to him as requested, ensuring I summarized the key points of our discussion at the fair. And I got invited for an interview the day after!
The interview was pretty chill and laid back. We mostly talked about their expectations, how much time I could devote, how long the internship would run for, and how I intended to combine it with my studies.
In a week, I had signed my contract and kickstarted my internship with them. And within the next few months, I got real-time exposure to machine learning and its applications in several industries while helping build and maintain their web applications and platforms. I also got to push out some really cool features as well.
After 6 months, I’m very happy to say it was a really amazing opportunity, and I’m so glad I was audacious enough to take my shot. I had so much fun, learnt so much, and it exposed me to so many opportunities for further learning in the AI space. I made new friends and connections and even learned how to bowl! Here’s a silly video of me with work colleagues at a bowling alley.
Wrapping Up: Lessons Learned
- If you’re coming to Sweden or are already here and want to do an internship, make sure you do your research. Which company aligns with your goals and desires? What exactly are they looking for? Do you have that profile? If not, what do you need to learn or do to upskill to that required level? That way, your efforts are targeted and concentrated and would most likely get you the desired results
- Don’t let anyone tell you what is or isn’t achievable. Someone I met at a summer outing a couple of weeks ago said something that completely encapsulates this: “Never accept a second-hand No”. Even if everyone around you says something has never worked for them, it’s your duty and responsibility to yourself to still give it a shot.
- When speaking with companies, always lead with the value you can provide. Always! What have you done in the past that is similar to this and that you can bring to bear in this new role/job/oportunity?
- Have a plan, create your pitch, rehearse, and execute!
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