A lot can happen in six months. I started my internship at TSH feeling extremely nervous. Earlier this month, I left feeling like I could take on the world. So, what happened in between?
My first day proved to be a clear indication of the rest of my internship experience. From the get-go, I was met with extremely friendly and extroverted colleagues, as well as a lot of different tasks. I experienced a very learn-on-the-job mindset, which turned out to just be the push I needed to get out of my comfort zone and learn as I went along. There’s an extremely steep learning curve as an intern at TSH, not only because of this mindset but also the emphasis on embracing f*ck-ups. Within my first few weeks, the head of my department, during an online company festival, was sharing the story of her biggest f*ck-ups and what she learned from them. This was a game-changer. I realized TSH truly lived out its values and identity, and as an intern, I could do just the same without any fear of messing up.
So, as the weeks went by, I tried to incorporate this mentality into my approach to my work. And what was that exactly? I thought you’d never ask! I interned as an internal communications intern. Usually, when I say that, unless someone is in the field of communication, I am met with a lot of confusion. Internal communication is a little bit of everything. The role aims to ensure that internally, everyone is informed and connected. For this, I created newsletters, wrote emails, designed posters, created surveys, created presentations, created videos, helped plan internal events, and even lead a mental health challenge! The tasks were incredibly diverse and most of the time, I’d be working on multiple projects at once, so there was never a single dull day on the job!
Out of all my different “creations” as an intern, what I am most proud of was an interview I did with an employee who was rather shy and insecure about his English abilities. He had an incredible story to share in our internal newsletter but felt like he wouldn’t be able to do it justice. As cheesy as it is, the moment he told me how happy he was with the results stuck with me. Ultimately, something that I love about communication is the ability to effectively express a message or share a story, and it was incredibly rewarding to see that my hard work achieved just that.
So, six months flew by. With every mistake, I learned, changed my approach, and improved. I have never been great at dealing with “failure” until this internship, and that is a lesson I will always value. Embrace your f*ck-ups and you’ll see how quickly you too will feel like you can take on the world!