Gaining Confidence After an Uneven Internship Start

Going to the office on my first day, I was overwhelmed with information. I was trying to jot down important notes and learn what was taught for the whole week.

My team was actively preparing for the presentation and I was afraid that I would let them down by not knowing enough, but I knew it was too much for me to learn in one day.
An Unforeseen Challenge

Right before the start of my internship, I faced an unanticipated obstacle. This obstacle meant that I wasn’t able to start my internship until the end of the third week.

Shortly after I started, the interns had to present what we learned about Tax Week to the partners. Unfortunately, I had missed a lot of the preparation work.

The day of the presentation, I sat down with my colleague. I asked her to explain my portion of the presentation. It took me a long time to understand the information, and I felt like I didn’t have enough time. But I wanted to understand the importance of Tax Week and the impact it had at EY from a higher level point of view.
The Benefits of a Supportive Team

My team was very supportive after I returned. After hours of preparation, I stood with confidence and determination to win over the judges on this presentation. With my team’s help, I was able to connect all their points to how taxes contributed to EY’s growth!

I was surprised at how fast I captured and processed the information on my first day back. Concentration and determination was a key factor in overcoming my challenge.
Communication and Persistence

During this time, I learned the value of communication and persistence.

I was persistent on communicating with my team leads to stay on par with the current status of our projects. Just a simple email or ping providing update about my absence and when I would return proved to be more than helpful.

Aside from the emails, I also learned that the firm appreciates clear and straightforward communication. If I had issues completing a deadline, it was the best to quickly let my manager know.

My training emphasized clear and effective communication. But I didn’t fully grasp the importance until I had to work with my team from afar.
Practical Professional Development

Over the course of the internship, I learned a variety of new skills that I believe will strengthen my professional development. These skills may sound simple, but it has helped me progress in my internship in more than one way.

I learned how to write proper emails, ask better questions, take smarter notes, making connections with professionals, communicating in a professional manner with my colleagues, and pick out key points from informational meetings.

All these skills have shown me how to produce work effectively. I now understand the importance of these skills because it helped me progress on my engagement teams faster and learn newer information which can help contribute to my teams!
iSchool Inspiration

When I was completing case studies and projects at my internship, I found myself constantly referring back to IST 346 – Information Technology Management and Administration and IST 335 – Introduction to Information Based Organization.

I have learned about the importance of management and hierarchical structures from around the globe, and applied my knowledge to a global firm such as EY.

It was exciting for me to understand the basic concepts and ideas behind the Information Technology and Management cases that were being handed to us, because of the courses I took at the iSchool. To be able to utilize prior knowledge into real world employment gave me nothing but joy and motivation to continue learning at the iSchool.
The Importance of a Supportive Company Culture

Needless to stay, I am working hard at my internship. I could not be more grateful for my supportive team lead, mentor, and recruiter.

I understand the value of company culture and appreciation through my initial setbacks. Now I am back stronger and more focused than ever to finish my internship on a high note!