My Externship in Boston
By Phalkun Out
Before the end of the previous fall semester, I applied for a program at Lafayette College called Externship. Through the program, I was matched with one of the senior managers at Turner Company in Boston for three days in January. My expectation for this program was to explore both internship and career options in the future, meet people, and experience the culture in the US as much as I could. It was my first time going out and experiencing something different in a work environment. I was really nervous and excited. To compensate for unrestful feelings, I was lucky enough to discuss with my mentors and ask about their related past experiences. After finishing talking, they went above and beyond by taking me to the shop and pick up a few office clothes, sharing with me all the advice they could possibly give about fashion and what to wear at the work setting.
The day finally arrived. When Rob (the senior project manager at the company) and I were at the company, one secretary showed up. She started to walk me around to each of the department’s offices and introduce me to a bunch of people. I’ve gotten to talk to some of them. They were really pleased and delightful, showing me some of their works and what they did during their workday. I had not only been taken the commercial buildings that they were working on around Boston, but also given a chance to walk around inside and outside their main office at each location.
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I actually spent two extra days in Boston and got a chance to check out the city a little bit. The train station was so much different than what I saw in San Francisco. It looked more traditional. A part of the exploration depended heavily on people on the streets, and I thought it was quite fun.
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Three days at the company and two days in the city went on faster than I thought. The time at Turner was a challenge, but fulfilled my expectations from the beginning. Engaging in effective communication and being a good listener in a professional conversation were the things I was taught during SHE-CAN leadership summit last year. I have now come across it and hope to learn more as I go further on improving the leadership skills that I’d like to obtain.
The opportunity that gave the power to scrutinize the strengths and weaknesses in myself was worth taking, and I loved the nuances that brought from the experience and explored what I thought about everything around me.
The opportunity that gave the power to scrutinize the strengths and weaknesses in myself was worth taking, and I loved the nuances that brought from the experience and explored what I thought about everything around me.
