16 Feb I am extremely excited to see what the future holds!
As uni is beginning to taunt me from its hiding place just around the corner, I’m starting to realise that my time as an intern is drawing to a close. With one week left in this incredible city, it’s time to begin to reflect on what my taste at real world experience has been like.
Life in the office is really quite different to life in the lecture theatre. I’m privileged enough to go to a university that prides itself on having a ‘real world’ focus. However, even with all of the practical, hands-on experience I’ve had throughout my two years at uni, I still found myself a little bit lost when I reached the office!
My main tasks at my internship so far have involved a lot of research and proof reading. Whilst I use both of these skills extensively in university life, I have never quite used them the same. At uni we’re usually given an exact topic to argue or a pin pointed area to research. In the workforce however, I’ll be given a broad area to research and formulate a report, with no further guidance given. I have to work all of that out for myself. Whilst this makes it a lot harder to complete tasks as expected of me, it is so rewarding when I get it right.
Whilst I love researching and delving into new unknown worlds, proofreading really isn’t my forte. So when Danii and I were given a 90 page English translation of a Chinese document to review for any errors, you could say that I was a little scared. This task took us two whole days to complete and by the end we were really starting to lose our marbles. But afterwards, I really feel like it was a rewarding process! We can say that developed a document that will be sent to clients worldwide and in the process of doing so, my proof reading skills vastly improved!
I am a person who loves routine, so the 5 day working week suits me so well. I love the pattern that I’ve suddenly found myself in and even though there’s always a new adventure every day, the basic outline is the same. Uni life really has no routine to it whatsoever. Every day is different; different disciplines, different classes, different times. So in this way, I am definitely suited to the workplace!
This internship has allowed me to put all of the things I have learnt into practice. Whilst work so far hasn’t directly related to what I have learnt in my university career, I have found myself using many skills I’ve learnt through class. For example, I have extensively used legal research techniques such as critiquing sources before using the information they include in research reports. Even my accountancy knowledge has helped me develop a deeper understanding into the business plans we were given to analyse. This enabled me to provide better advice to clients seeking to invest in the businesses. The tasks I’ve completed so far have really allowed me to tie all of my knowledge together and create an overall view of what I know.
Most importantly, this internship has given me a glimpse into what the future holds for me. Whilst the tasks so far may not be the most exciting, our work is helping real clients and affecting their decisions, meaning that what I am doing is having an impact on the real world! This has given me the biggest sense of accomplishment! And this is just intern work! Imagine what working as a fully qualified lawyer feels like! Needless to say, I am extremely excited to see what the future holds!
Anyway, I have to run and get ready for brunch on the Bund! Until next time 🙂
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