22 Jul I knew coming to Shanghai…..
I knew coming to Shanghai I’d get to go on some pretty cool trips aside from working each week but everything I’ve seen so far has surpassed by expectations. Each weekend we’ve had optional events that Absolute has put together and me being the type of person who hates missing out on things, I’ve said yes to every event and have gone to each one! We got to go explore the Bund and also go up into the Pearl Tower and go to the observation deck the second weekend and although it was the most crowded tourist spot I’ve ever been to, it made for some really cool pictures and some pretty awesome bonding waiting in line for hours and hours. The best part about these trips for me isn’t necessarily seeing the sites and taking pictures, but hanging out with the other interns and the Absolute staff and bonding friendships that I know will last for years to come, even from different continents! This past weekend we got to go to Nanjing, the former capital of China, for two days. All of the interns got to experience a whole new level of heat, exercise, and culture and got to have some fun exploring the city together. Our first event was going to the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum and some of us even climbed the 340 steps (yes I took time to count how many steps) to the top. The view was absolutely phenomenal and well worth the sweat and climb.
Not only with these events do we get to see amazing views but we also get to learn and soak up some culture and history while here. In Nanjing we went to the Confucius temple and a few museums like the Massacre Museum. I had never actually known about the massacre because we never talked about it in my world history class back in school so learning about it here was really quite interesting. One museum we went to even had tons of artifacts found in Nanjing like pots and tools. I really like that this program has encouraged not only the work experience we’re gaining but the emersion of the culture of Shanghai as well. I’ve been to my fair share of historic locations in the United States but getting to learn more of the history here is the icing on the cake!
Aside from the travel trips we’ve had Absolute has planned Career Speakers so we get to hear presentations from Managers and founders of companies making it big internationally. I particularly think this is an awesome benefit getting to hear first-hand how people make have become so successful in the business world because of being in Shanghai. It is proof how helpful these speakers are because our first speaker discussed the use of a LinkedIn account and talked about how to strengthen your profile to reach more people. I hadn’t actually had and account but the next day at my internship my supervisor asked me to check out her profile and see how I could broaden the spectrum of people who see it. And luckily for me I had just learned what makes it a strong profile so I applied it to hers and even made one for myself! It will be great help going back to school and knowing these tips and lessons people have taken time to teach interns like us.
I truly think that these events Absolute put together will be the most memorable part of this month abroad because it’s not necessarily what I’ve learned at my internship that has impacted me (although it has) but what I’ve seen of Shanghai not just from my office window.
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