JUMP TO CONTENT

From Wisestart scholarship to Software Engineer: Eliise's Journey

Posting date: 18/11/25

We believe in building lasting relationships with talented students, supporting them from their academic years and helping them transition into meaningful careers. Our scholarship program isn’t a one-time transaction; it’s a long-term investment in people. We stay connected with our scholars, offering mentorship, guidance, and a clear path to potential roles within Wise.

Eliise shares her unique journey into Wise, and how she is making the most of it since she joined - from the projects she is working on, to the connections she is making.

“My favourite moment as an Intern was definitely seeing my project go live - knowing that something I built is out there, being used, and actually helping people.”

Eliise Karafin (She/Her)

Graduate Engineer

a woman staring at a computer screen

How did each stage of your journey at Wise build your confidence?

My journey with Wise began as a ‘WiseStart: Women in Tech’ scholarship holder, which led me to participate in the WiseWomenCode program, apply for a position as an intern, and eventually to my current role as a Graduate Engineer. 

When I first applied for the scholarship, I had no prior experience in IT and was only in my first year at university. Without the support and encouragement from the program, I’m not sure I would have believed in myself enough to apply for an internship in engineering the following year. The program opened my eyes to what was possible and showed me that Wise is where I truly want to be.

What was the transition like from being a student to an intern at Wise?

The mentorship, office visits, and shadowing opportunities gave me a real insight into Wise's culture and work environment. Seeing how supportive, collaborative, and inspiring the teams were, definitely made a lasting impression. After that, I knew my goal was to be a part of this.

Joining the team as an intern was better than I imagined. The transition from student to intern was easier than I thought because of the guidance I received from my team. They made me feel like I really belong here.

Can you give an example of a project where you felt your contributions truly made a difference?

During my internship, I had the chance to work on two projects. For my first project, I implemented automatic contact creation between a business admin’s personal and business profiles. It was a highly requested feature, so it felt really exciting to work on something impactful, solving a real problem. Seeing it released and actually working felt very rewarding.

My second project was quite different - I built a completely new feature. Users can now share their Wise contacts with others! I still remember the excitement of updating the app and seeing a button I had built appear in the real product.

It was a great challenge to plan and scope it out, and to think about how it fit into the product and the needs of our customers. There was a lot of uncertainty around what specifically needed to be implemented but, because of this, there was also more room for creativity, which I really enjoyed.

Both projects pushed me out of my comfort zone - it was a huge jump from being involved in small university projects to contributing to real, customer-facing products. It was exciting to be a part of something so complex, and know that as an intern, I was not just observing but actually making a real impact.

How have the connections and environment at Wise contributed to your personal and professional development?

At Wise, I've learned far beyond the classroom through diverse opportunities—from day-to-day project work to group onboarding and weekly 'Intern Insights' sessions. These experiences help me understand the bigger picture and develop the product mindset needed here.

The strong support system has been transformative. My mentor, buddy, lead, and team have challenged me and made me learn things I wouldn't have on my own.

Meeting fellow interns from diverse backgrounds has also been invaluable. Sharing this journey with others who were learning and growing alongside me made the experience even more meaningful. It gave me a sense of community - people I could turn to to share both struggles and wins, and to figure things out together. Wise did a great job of bringing us together and creating a supportive network. In my current role, those connections have given me a wider perspective and better understanding of different teams and domains across the company.

What’s been your favourite part of your time at Wise so far and why? 

My favourite moment as an Intern was definitely seeing my project go live - knowing that something I built is out there, being used, and actually helping people. It’s such a rewarding feeling and really makes all the effort worth it.

Another thing I’ve really loved about Wise so far is how bold and innovative we are as a company, and how we’re genuinely working to change the way people move money around the world. It’s a mission I really resonate with, and being part of that bigger purpose is really important to me.

What has the transition been like going from an Intern to a Graduate at Wise?

After completing my two-month internship, I was fortunate to join the company as a full-time engineer - an opportunity I'm incredibly grateful for.

Because I moved into the same team I interned with, the people, product, and domain were already familiar, which made the step up feel smooth. At the same time, becoming a graduate has brought a new level of responsibility. I'm now expected to take more initiative, contribute to team discussions and projects and own pieces of work with independence.

Another big shift has been becoming fully integrated into the team. During my internship I mostly focused on individual projects, but now I’m involved in the team's day-to-day work and collaborative projects which is definitely a new learning opportunity.

What advice would you give to someone starting their career at Wise?

Don't be afraid to apply, even if you don't tick every box. 

Embrace new challenges and technologies—it's okay not to know everything. Most importantly: ask questions, reach out, and take every opportunity to connect with others. Wise is full of supportive, talented people who offer invaluable perspectives.

List #1

Articles you might like

Product Compliance: balancing regulation and customer impact

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

11/13/2025

Summary

Yann De Rudder, Group Product Compliance Lead in our Brussels office shares his insights in working in Product Compliance at Wise. "In Product Compliance, you’re not just interpreti

Teaser

Yann De Rudder, Group Product Compliance Lead in our Brussels office shares his insights in working in Product Compliance

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Inside our employee onboarding journey

Teaser

Our work

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

11/12/2025

Summary

Go behind the scenes with Jessica Rivera, our Talent Development Senior Specialist in Austin, as she shares how we set every new Wiser up for success from their very first day 🚀 "Our

Teaser

Go behind the scenes with Jessica Rivera, our Talent Development Senior Specialist in Austin, as she shares how we set every new Wiser up for success from their very first day 🚀

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Beyond the bottleneck: redefining Legal Counsel

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

11/12/2025

Summary

Andrea Macchiavello, Legal Counsel in our Austin office, is challenging the stereotype. She shares her journey from tech sales to being part of a scaling legal department, and how soft skills, t

Teaser

Andrea Macchiavello, Legal Counsel helps teams to accelerate the company's global growth 🚀

Read more

by

Amani Albertsen

by

Amani Albertsen

Starting your career in the age of AI

Teaser

Early careers

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

11/09/2025

Summary

In a recent article, Peter Yeomans, Lead for Early Careers in Design at Wise, shares his insights on how to thrive as a designer in the age of AI. He explains that we are heavily invested in o

Teaser

Peter Yeomans, Lead for Early Careers in Design at Wise shares his thoughts on starting your career in the age of AI. He shares practical tips that can help students thrive at interview.

Read more

by

Holly Sellers

by

Holly Sellers

Inside our People team with Gabriela Rubino, People Operations Specialist

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

11/03/2025

Summary

Gabriela Rubino, People Operations Specialist based in São Paulo shares her move from Customer Support to People Operations 🚀 “Seven and a half years later, I’m still here and I th

Teaser

Gabriela Rubino, People Operations Specialist based in São Paulo shares her move from Customer Support to People Operations 🚀

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

Succeeding as an Engineering Lead at Wise Platform

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

10/28/2025

Summary

Kostas Stamatoukos, Senior Director of Engineering for Wise Platform in Singapore, shares the key qualities that define effective engineering leadership 🚀 “The best engineers stay

Teaser

Kostas Stamatoukos, Senior Director of Engineering for Wise Platform in Singapore, shares the key qualities that define effective engineering leadership 🚀

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

WiseStart Apprenticeships: road to success

Teaser

Early careers

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

10/08/2025

Summary

Discover how our Apprenticeship Program is shaping the next generation of talent in Brazil. Hear from Marcela Paulino Leal, a People Apprentice, about her journey and growth, and gain

Teaser

Discover how our Apprenticeship Program is shaping the next generation of talent in Brazil

Read more

by

Holly Sellers

by

Holly Sellers

Building trust through data

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

10/02/2025

Summary

Yara Burvin, Analytics Engineer in London, shares how she built a game-changing data hub that transformed FinCrime operations at Wise. Read more below 🚀 "At Wise, I have the trust fr

Teaser

Yara Burvin, Analytics Engineer in London, shares how she built a game-changing data hub that transformed FinCrime operations at Wise. Read more below 🚀

Read more

by

Amani Albertsen

by

Amani Albertsen

Why hiring early talent fuels growth

Teaser

Early careers

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

09/25/2025

Summary

Apurv, an Analytics lead in Singapore, shares why he thinks hiring early career talent is essential to his team’s growth and success. "Be prepared to guide them as they move from wor

Teaser

Apurv, an Analytics lead in Singapore, shares why he thinks hiring early career talent is essential to his team’s growth and success.

Read more

by

Holly Sellers

by

Holly Sellers

Scaling Customer Support in Hyderabad

Teaser

People profile

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

09/24/2025

Summary

"What excites me most is the incredible opportunity to build something from the ground up. Leading and building a team from scratch is something very few people get to experience in their care

Teaser

Meet Prashanth Sampath, Customer Support (CS) Lead, who went from being a Wise customer to now building our CS team from the ground up 🚀

Read more

by

Verona Hasani

by

Verona Hasani

View all
Search

Browse Jobs