Junior Software Developer at Energy One
As part of our series of interviews with team members across the global Energy One group, this month we interview Usman Mateen. Usman, who is based in our UK office, recently joined the team as a full-time member of staff, following an exciting 12-month internship programme.
Read all about his career progression with the company.
Hi Usman, please could you tell us about the internship programme you have just completed here at Energy One?
I joined Energy One as an intern in 2024, while completing the final year of my ‘Computer Science with AI’ degree at Coventry University. My internship lasted around a year, during which I was exposed to both the technical and business-related aspects of how an enterprise SaaS product operates.
During this time, I primarily worked with the Development, Support and Quality Assurance teams. This involved examining our trading and reporting systems and observing how various features and fixes were implemented.
Balancing university studies with an internship definitely had its challenges, but it also gave me the chance to apply what I was learning academically in a real-world context. That mix of study and work really accelerated my growth.
You are now a full-time member of the Energy One team; could you share with us details about your current role and what it entails?
I officially joined as a Junior Software Developer before graduating. At the moment, I’m focused on evolving some of our core systems. I’ve also been exploring opportunities to bring in automation and enhance our internal tools, including working on inference engines and RAG pipelines.
What I really enjoy about my role is the chance to solve problems hands-on and see the impact of those solutions. The work might be deep in the backend, but ultimately it helps us deliver a smooth, reliable and scalable product to our customers, which is really rewarding.
How would you say your time as an intern with us prepared you for your current role?
The internship gave me a strong foundation, not just technically, but also in understanding how Energy One works as a company. I got comfortable with the codebase, the workflows, and the team dynamics early on, so stepping into the full-time role felt like a natural progression.
I also learned how to balance priorities, manage time and adapt quickly, which are skills you don’t always get from university alone. And of course, the best part was being able to turn that internship into a full-time opportunity – it’s great to feel that the work I did as an intern built enough trust for me to continue contributing as a permanent member of the team.
What advice would you give to those looking for a career in the SaaS space?
My advice would be: Be curious, be opportunistic and be active. In SaaS, things move fast, and the people who grow quickest are those who dive in, experiment, and learn “on the fly”.
I’d also say it’s important to get comfortable with both the technical and the business side. It’s not just about writing code; it’s about understanding how your work impacts the solution and the customer experience. And finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Everyone started somewhere, and in my experience, people are always happy to help if they see you’re eager to learn.
And finally, what is your favourite thing to do outside of the office?
Outside of work, I love building side projects. I’m always experimenting with SaaS ideas or automation tools in my own time, which helps me keep learning new tech stacks. Away from the screen, I’m a big car enthusiast, so you’ll often find me either driving, tinkering or following the latest automotive releases. I’m also a big F1 fan and I try to play padel and tennis when I can. It’s a nice balance of tech and creativity that keeps me energised!
