What are your thoughts on the Changemaker Talent Development Internship overview and the impact?
If the interns are called ‘Changemakers’, then the programme itself is a ‘Gamechanger’. I’ve said it over and over again -- be it to others or myself. In my opinion, the program is one of the best at developing its interns (not that I have much internship experience to begin with). Before, I used to see internships as a nine-to-five job with boring tasks to complete. From what I’ve seen and heard, all the interns are given different assignments and tasks that are original, keeping us on our toes and looking forward to what tomorrow has to bring. Even myself, I have been given various tasks that made me realize my capabilities and room for improvements, all under the guidance of my teammates. I believe that if more internships are half of what they do here in Biji-Biji, most of the students in universities or even people looking for internships will actually enjoy what they are doing and will no longer have the stereotype that internships are just a chance of companies hiring people for less money, more profit and a burden for the students for more experience, less enjoyment.
What is the best CTDP internship experience that you have?
Who would have thought, I was given a chance to host the tri-weekly Lunch and Learn session and weekly Huddle session. To some, it might seem like a menial task that could easily be done. However, it really means the world to me when my colleagues put their trust in me. My supervisor (more like a mentor who is passionate about coaching me) entrusted me with the task of finding the learning video for the session and I got to choose one that I like. I realized that I like making people enjoy what they are doing. This programme has really harnessed my ability to rack my brains for some fresh new ideas, implement them and keep more coming!
What are the challenges and opportunities that you have gained with us?
I have learned many new things. By that, I mean A LOT. To be honest, the first month was really hard for me to adapt. They really weren’t joking when they said they are working in a fast-paced environment. Combined with me staying in a country 10,409 km away from where the office is located, the time zone difference took a toll on my body and mental health. I wake up at three in the morning, then finish my work at noon in order to accommodate Malaysian working hours. Boy, that was the worst possible arrangement for someone who prides herself as a night owl (and it doesn’t help that it’s summer so the day is much, much longer and I could not sleep). Later, Nadzirah told me that I could actually work according to my preferred hours, just as long as I get the job done and attend all the compulsory meetings. I learned that it’s okay to reach out to your colleagues and discuss with them what could be done better for both you and them. I have never been a multitasker. Juggling too much work at one time never gets me anywhere. Luckily, there was the Kanban method that I recently discovered to help me plan things around. There are times that I have a really hard time organizing, but in the end, I still managed to prioritize them.
What are your learning experiences?
One word to summarize my experience here - GROWTH. The process itself is quite hard - even up until now but my teammates are always there to guide me. At first, I was expecting something along the lines of only contacting candidates for their interviews, sifting through resumes day by day and going to bed with nothing to look forward to for the next day. After really getting into the work, I realized that there is so much more to HR than what meets the eye. If before I see HR as a department that only handles recruitment - maybe including a few troubleshooting here and there, now I see it as a crucial part of a company, to develop its greatest asset - the employees. The word ‘fascinated’ would be an understatement to describe how curious I am to find out more about this field. There are just so many new things to learn, every day and every time. Most of all, I learned that it’s okay to make mistakes, as they are part of the learning process.
Do you have any advice for your CTDP fellows/interns?
Don’t ever feel timid. If an opportunity is presented to you, seize it straight away. In an internship, you might feel like it is something that needs to be done for you to graduate. DON’T. Look at it as something that will help you grow in the future, cherish the moments that you have now and one day, you are going to look back and say “Wow, I really did that and have grown so much.”
