Going into the internship course I was somewhat lost in the professional world. Knowing that I wanted to do something radically different after my Bachelor’s degree didn’t exactly motivate me to dedicate myself to an internship while working my day-job, staying on top of my social life and pursuing the finalization of my degree.
Neurofied, a behavioral consultancy made all of that easier by giving me an outlet for my persistent curiosity and need for human connection. The company that I got to intern for is not only a consultancy, but also somewhat of a think tank. Most companies operate on a somewhat rigid set of services and policies, not Neurofied. With a constantly evolving portfolio of services, and a focus on implementing cutting edge research into their consultancy, I was sitting on the edge of my seat, trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible, even though I knew I wasn’t going to directly need it for my future professional pursuits.
I can confidently say that I’ve learned a lot, not only about behavioral science, or how a consultancy business keeps itself relevant, but also about myself. I realized that my interests do not have to turn into my career. I love communications as a field. As Terrence McKenna once said, and I’m paraphrasing: Culture is a virtual reality we create for ourselves through the language we use. And to understand the language, specifically how we interpret the language, has proven an invaluable tool for making sense of the “virtual reality” around me. Nonetheless I do not see myself turning communications into a career. I love having some sort of understanding about how we influence each other, but am scared of imparting that speculative knowledge onto others, because I feel like a lot of times, people tend to be less fascinated by the processes, and more enchanted by the economic potential of that understanding. Do I want to be responsible for the next reprehensible ad I see?
I was somewhat relieved to find out that the people working at Neurofied were not mindless robots geared towards the ruthless exploitation of knowledge for wealth, but researchers, writers and teachers. Their job is not to use behavioral science to influence an end-consumer, but to explain how the consumer IS influenced BY behavioral science.
I believe that this one degree of separation kept me sane and motivated, and for that I am grateful.
Most importantly, the people at Neurofied understood and respected my desire to chuck a professional 180 and pursue a career distinct from theirs. Regardless of our aspirational differences, they did their best to provide me with the resources and support that I needed, and I believe that I was able to translate them into value for their enterprise.
So in conclusion, even if you find yourself in a situation that doesn’t represent where you want to be or go in life, there are always things to be learned, friends to be met, and experiences to be had.