This week is my last week at my internship here at Encora Inc. In this final essay, I will sum up my experience and learnings from these past six months in just a couple of paragraphs.
Well, in the big picture internships can be incredibly fun and exciting for someone who’s entering the tech space. Mostly if you want to gain experience really quickly and grow in ways you have never expected. But internships are more than just learning tech stuff, they would teach you about boundaries, friendship, ownership, and leadership.
Prepare yourself for hard work 🧠
Transitioning from university into the industry is a big jump: the schedules are different, the learning patterns are different, more is required of you in a short period of time, and most importantly, we are in fact, in a global pandemic. Concentrating sometimes gets hard, so my advice I would give to you is to make out a schedule and really try to stick to it. Include breaks and everything as well.
Mentorship is important 🙌
There are always first times for everything, and you will feel stuck so many times no matter how much you prepare. That is when having a mentor will be a great support in your career. Find someone to guide you and show you how things work in your industry. It’ll not only make your life easier, but that kind of advice is not something you can find anywhere. I appreciate all the time and patience my mentors showed me during my internship and their lessons here in my time at Encora. I am sure I would not be here if it wasn't for them.
The position/company you chose right now is not going to define the rest of your career ⌛️
Adulthood begins, and so many concerns and threatening decisions. I have been in that place this past few weeks. Choosing your future is difficult, I get that. But we have to make peace with uncertainty. “Is this the right position for me?”, “What if I not good at my job?”
The truth is we don't know anything until we try it, imposter syndrome would come and go. I am starting to believe it never goes away, but the main thing is not to be stuck in the comfort zone but to move to the growth zone.
For real, just have fun 🍻
These past few months have been incredible, especially because I got to meet so many great people. When entering an internship make sure you start making friendships and connections so you don't feel lost in the overwhelming process. Online get-togethers are a great way to mingle in these uncertain times, so make time to also hang out with your friends and don't talk about work!
Be fearless 🌟
Lastly, I want to say that when I started college I would never thought I would be professionally and personally where I am right now. I never thought I could pass the interviews to enter this internship and graduate from EncorAcademy. But I did, with determination and hard work. Opportunities are right there for you to take them, you already have the “no”. So, what is left to lose?
