Getting ready to leave London, I have learned and experienced many things that I can takeaway as accomplishments and skills into my life and future career. Through living on my own and working in such a large city, I’ve experienced the highs and lows of adult life. I have immensely matured as an individual partly because I had to figure a lot things out on my own as well as actually working in an internship and actually contributing my part to the organization. Professionally, I have developed a good network of people in London through my internship and classes. I’ve gained a whole new set of soft and hard skills that I will be able to transfer to my future classes and work. One of the main skills I gained in London was communication. I think the ability to communicate is one of the most important skills to possess especially when it comes to networking in the business world. Working and constantly interacting with colleagues from a variety of backgrounds and adapting to the London style of work was very interesting to experience as there are a few similarities and differences from the States. I was surprised to see the London work environment much more casual and personal than a lot of work cultures I’ve experienced in the U.S.. Additionally, I learned to use a lot of new useful marketing tools which will look great for my experience and resume. A big takeaway for me that I will carry back home with me is to continue immersing myself in new and exciting things because it feels very fulfilling at the end of the journey. A professional takeaway from this experience is to constantly ask questions and be proactive. This is the only way to learn and experience the tasks that you want. I found that it is okay to disagree and express your own opinions and perspectives because some people may have not thought of it. I will be able to carry this into classes at Pitt and any future internships I have as I have developed more confidence in my abilities. 

This summer program has definitely motivated me to continue taking opportunities and risks because even though they seem impossible or scary before, it is really rewarding once you have accomplished it. I want to further travel and study in new places because I think that it makes you much more culturally aware and develops your individuality a lot. Professionally, this experience has shown me a lot of what I like and don’t like to do when it comes to marketing or just in business. Since I was only here for six weeks, my supervisors gave me a lot of freedom in deciding which path I wanted to explore and work on. I had the opportunity of collaborating with various departments to explore the different niches of the company and what interested me. I will definitely take this experience back with me to really hone down on what I want to do in my future career and at university.