An intern’s perspective of the 5th largest food company in the world
Going from typical student life to the famous “nine-to-five grind” can be challenging, to say the least. You go from having the space and autonomy to make your own schedule and knowing well in advance when major deadlines are coming, to being thrown into an environment where your schedule is made (and packed) for you and where (what seems to be) life-or-death projects are expected to be done from one day to the next. Everything is urgent, everything is important – and you, as an intern who wants to prove your worth, have more on your plate than you could ever have imagined. You feel like have no idea about what you are doing while, being in a world-famous corporation, everyone else does. What I did not expect is that even in the ‘home to the world’s favorite ketchup’, you do not know what you are doing, and neither does anyone else.
Being an intern and, consequently, being at ‘the bottom of the food chain’, I felt like I constantly needed to prove myself. Never say no, I thought. And sure, this might have worked for a little bit, but you soon start to realize that, even in the corporate world, more does not necessarily mean better. However, this is easier said than done, as having the courage to push back and truly take ownership of your own agenda is a skill that requires a lot of confidence – a level of confidence that most interns do not have at such an early stage in their careers. So, we say yes even when we should say no, and if it continues for long enough our internship can quickly go from a learning experience into just a purely overwhelming routine.
Finding your own space in a new environment, especially an established, large, and loved company, is a full-time job on its own. After all, the team you are now a part of has been there long before you arrived and will still be there long after you leave. You are replaceable, and you are aware of that one hundred percent of the time. So, how can someone as young and inexperienced as a first-time intern make a difference? How am I expected to stand up for myself and for my work when I have not even created a space for myself in this environment yet? And, worst of all, how am I supposed to do all of this in one semester?
Funnily enough, the answer to this is connected to a realization that no one prepares you for when entering the job market. Growing up, we are under this false impression that large and successful people know exactly what they are doing – they are masters of their jobs who never have doubts or fears, and never find themselves lost or scared. We believe we can rely on our superiors to show us the way – when, in fact, they do not know the way either. They are ‘trying it out’ just as much as we are, and this is as scary as it is comforting. We are, in the end, all in this together. I do not say this to undermine any of the amazing professionals who have taught me so much throughout my internship experience, as not knowing everything does not make anyone any less. On the contrary – it shows that success does not look like a straight line upward; it is curvy, it is full of doubts, second thoughts, and many, many failed attempts. And… it still is success.
Once I truly understood that not knowing what I am doing does not make me any less worthy of my position, I slowly started to feel comfortable enough not only to take ownership of my agenda but also to find my place in this once intimidating environment. So, if you are starting a new position, be it as an intern or as a manager, remember everyone, regardless of their position, went through the same thing. Be confident, make mistakes, and make the best out of every sauce of knowledge life gives you.