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Most engineering internships pretty much all sound the same. Not Amin Setayesh’s. His internship project fundamentally changed the way developers deploy applications on Snowflake.

But Amin’s biggest breakthroughs weren’t just technical. By asking the right questions, seeking feedback, and pushing himself beyond his comfort zone, he turned his internship into a full-time role. Here’s how he did it (and how you can, too).

Tell us about your internship experience. Why did you choose Snowflake?

I’ve always been fascinated by databases and distributed systems, which is why I moved to Canada to pursue my Master of Science in Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. Waterloo’s co-op program connects students with leading companies, offering students the chance to work with top companies and gain real-world experience while still in school.

One day, while searching for internship opportunities on UWaterloo’s job board, I came across an opening for a Software Engineering internship at Snowflake’s Toronto office. I knew I had to apply. Snowflake has a world-class reputation in data engineering, and I was eager to work on cutting edge problems, alongside some of the top engineers in this field. After passing the online assessment and a few rounds of interviews, I landed the role - it felt like a dream come true.

I joined Snowflake in September 2024 and quickly realized that this wasn’t going to be just another internship. The work was challenging, the customer impact was real, and the team trusted me enough to treat me pretty much like a full-time engineer. The open-door, collaborative team culture made it easy to ask questions, share ideas, and take ownership of projects right away.

As I got deeper into my work, I knew I wanted to stay at Snowflake beyond my internship. So, I had an honest conversation with my manager about what it would take to turn this experience into a full-time role.

Curious how it all played out? Stick around to the end of my story, I share three key lessons that helped me make the most of my internship (and open the door to my next chapter) 👇

Describe your internship experience. How did you start working on Upgrades?

There’s no “busy work” here. Interns solve real problems alongside experienced engineers. It’s one of the things that I love most about Snowflake–is how much trust they place in interns. From the very beginning, I started owning projects with direct impact for customers using native applications. My first big project focused on improving the application upgrade process. What does that mean exactly?

When an application provider ships a new update, every customer using that app needs to be upgraded. Before my project, this process could take up to four hours (what feels like an eternity in software development). The challenge I solved for was twofold: we needed to queue upgrades more efficiently and execute them faster.

To tackle this, I started by writing a design document that outlined my approach, weighed trade-offs, and identified potential roadblocks. Instead of diving directly into coding, I presented my plan to my team, gathered feedback, refined my strategy, and then began implementation. Looking back, this upfront investment in planning was key to the project’s long-term success.

Throughout the project, I worked closely with a senior engineer, who helped me navigate the complexities of building at scale. We iterated quickly, overcame challenges together, and he continuously encouraged me to think outside the box to find the best solutions. I love our “move fast and build things” culture, it keeps the work exciting and meaningful.

The upgrades you’ve worked on have seen an immediate impact on customers and consumers, tell us more.

Before my project, application upgrades were pretty slow, they could take up to four hours to complete. Now, with the improvements I helped build, that process takes just two minutes.

This wasn’t just a small performance tweak–it was a game-changer for both customers and application providers. With faster upgrades, developers could deploy new features, fixes, and improvements almost instantly, creating a smoother experience for their users.

We initially rolled out the upgrade improvements in local regions, measuring the impact and ensuring everything worked as expected. Once we saw success, we scaled the solution globally. But that wasn’t the end of the story.

With global rollout came new challenges: stability, performance monitoring, and ensuring every customer had a seamless experience. My role shifted from building the solution to maintaining it at scale—an entirely different but equally rewarding challenge. Now, my job is to continuously measure performance, refine the process, and ensure no one experiences slow upgrades again (no pressure, right? 😅).

Beyond just making upgrades faster, we’re setting a new standard for how applications are built and maintained on Snowflake’s platform. Our goal is to give developers the tools they need to move fast and ship great experiences for their users. That’s what makes this work so rewarding. It’s not just about solving a single problem; it’s about empowering others to build more efficiently.

Describe the mentorship opportunities you’ve had at Snowflake.

One of the most valuable aspects of my internship was the mentorship I received. I had two incredible mentors, both Senior Software Engineers, who trusted me with meaningful projects, gave me candid feedback, and helped me navigate technical challenges.

While working on Upgrades, I also had support from another Senior Software Engineer in Toronto, who reviewed my code and pushed me to think more critically about my implementations. Having these mentors by my side made a huge difference, not just in my technical skills but also in my confidence as an engineer. Having this level of support has made a huge difference in my career.

What are you looking forward to? What’s next on your Snowflake journey?

The work I started on application upgrades is just the beginning. After months of hard work and development, every customer using Native Apps will now have the same fast upgrade experience, thanks, in part, to the work I did. Pretty cool, huh?

But upgrades are just one part of a much larger picture. The real challenge now is making the entire provider experience smoother. Application developers need the right tools to manage their upgrades efficiently, and we’re constantly improving the platform to make that process seamless.

With the success of this rollout, I’m now shifting my focus to the broader Provider Platform experience, ensuring developers have everything they need to build, deploy, and scale applications on Snowflake with ease.

I can’t wait to keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in this space.

You saved the best for last! What are your top three tips for interns looking to make an impact and land a full-time role?

Own your work, no matter your title. I started with real, impactful work from day one, and as I took more ownership, my manager’s trust in me grew, leading to even bigger projects over time.
Ask for help, but bring solutions. Mentorship at Snowflake is incredible, but it’s a two-way street. When I faced challenges, I made sure to come prepared with ideas before seeking guidance.
Think beyond the code. Writing clean code is important, but understanding the bigger picture, how your work impacts customers, performance, and scale, makes all the difference.

I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had here at Snowflake - from tackling big engineering challenges to working with some of the most talented engineers in the industry. If you’re a student looking for an internship where you’ll be challenged, supported, and empowered to make an impact, this is the place to be.

From idea to execution, hear more stories like Amin’s at careers.snowflake.com/builtby.