It's often said that certain things in life take us by surprise, and I must say that interning at Huawei was undoubtedly one of them. My final year at the University of Buea came with so many questions — what next? How next? What do I really want to do? Grad school? Independent research? Some cool remote job? By the way, going back home was hardly an option.
Around March 2025, I received a phone call from HR informing me that I had been shortlisted for an interview. That interview took place months later and eventually culminated in an internship offer in August. To be honest, I had never imagined diving into the corporate world this early, and my parents didn't initially support the idea. Ironically, they were the ones who later urged me to accept the offer — something I don't regret tho.
So yes, here are a few non-technical lessons I picked up over about six months at Huawei on the Platform Engineering team. If you admire the corporate world, they should prove quite valuable. Cheers!
1. Tout peut s'apprendre
You read that right! Everything can be learned. Just everything! Our minds have the capacity to ingest new information, analyze trends, and learn new things. Anything. You can learn a new technology, skill, or system. You only need courage, consistency, and the belief itself that everything can be learned.
2. Character Outweighs Skill
Skill can be acquired, expertise can be developed, excellence can be achieved, but none of these matter without strong moral foundations. People want to work with those who are respectful, considerate, and enjoyable to be around, not merely technically excellent but rude. Strive to be someone others want to talk to and collaborate with, not just someone who is capable.
3. Reliability is Priceless!
A top skill in any work setting is the ability to deliver. To deliver means to be able to consistently produce high-quality results such that once someone assigns you a task, they go to bed knowing it won't just be completed by morning, but completed flawlessly. Reliability builds trust, and I'm convinced it is one of the most important factors influencing who gets promoted and who does not.
4. Past Glories are Futile
I had several, and arguably better (permit me to say), Internship opportunities before joining Huawei. Bringing the lessons learned and skills acquired into my Huawei role would be valuable, but carrying the "air" of MIT and the others into a completely new setting wouldn't serve me well. Those experiences are behind me. Ahead lies a whole new journey I must embrace. I've learned to let go of past glories without forgetting the gains, to humble myself, and to adopt the mindset of a beginner all over again. It took some time to internalize this lesson, but it was worth it. I mean, I didn't even mention my past experiences up to twice. This kept me humble and grounded in the present.
5. Know your Company Culture
Companies have their own metrics and cultures — criteria they look for in a junior employee before offering a significant full-time role. For internal reasons, I won't specify what Huawei looks for in interns transitioning to full-time positions. The lesson, however, is universal: know where you are, discuss your goals and strategies with mentors, understand what it takes to give yourself the best shot at a full-time role (if that's your goal), and follow through. Stick to the rules — be a "good" student! I admit I'm still learning this lesson fully myself. 🙂
6. Remember Lesson One (1)
No matter what happens, always remember that You can learn EVERYTHING! This should be your daily motivation. There's nothing you can't understand. No concept you can't grasp. No task you can't achieve. You only need courage, consistency, and the belief itself that everything can be learned.
Moving on, I brace myself with these 6 golden rules and the others I didn't mention here. Working at Huawei taught me a lot I didn't know about myself. I'm grateful to my mentors, sir TF and KTR, the Director of MTN and Huawei shared services, Sir MAG whom I admire so much, and all my colleagues who made these past six months memorable. Cheers guys! One team, One Mission!
Long Live, Big H!