My experience at American Express

By: Mirna M’kasahu Kabwe

Taking part in the GirlCode hackathon gave me the opportunity to be interviewed for the American Express Graduate Program.

When I got the call from American Express, a lot was going through my head. I remember not being able to sleep for days from the day of the interview to the very moment I got the call.

I was very scared and did not know what the outcome would be. When I was told that I had been selected, I immediately dropped my phone on the pavement and started running up and down whilst people passing by stared at me. They were probably thinking that I was going crazy and I was.

This is the most exciting and life changing event that has ever happened to me.

Fast forward 6 months, 8 days, visa processing and a number of onboarding processes and here I am in Burgess Hill United Kingdom, working as a Graduate Engineer. Being a part of a global organization like American Express is amazing as there are a lot of travelling opportunities, networking events, Tech events and social events from baking competitions to pop quizzes, to hackathons, to local community engagement. There is something for everyone.

So far I have gained a lot of independence and I have matured a lot. I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with a wide range of people from different backgrounds, ages, nationalities, ethnicity and job titles.

American Express encourages collaboration and group work and offers an incredible, open, free and comfortable working environment. There are also many channels of support when needed. I am currently in my first rotation working in a team that deals with Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations and machine learning or anomaly and error detection. In this role I am learning about the different tools required to do so and I am very excited about applying them and about learning and developing as many skills as possible.

Besides work, I have been exploring the vibrant city of Brighton, making friends and enjoying this incredible life changing opportunity.