The soft skills that I have developed over my internship are the heightened ability to research and quickly learn. During my time in Spain, I have had to familiarize myself with different fields of science and other industrial areas in which I have not studied. To do this, I had to call professionals in their respected field and utilize all of my available resources. I then had to understand the material and become fluent so I could communicate the information to third parties. Another soft skill that I learned was precision in my communication. The project I was assigned to put me out of my comfort zone. I had to go into meetings with confidence that I knew the material and was providing value. The internship developed my self confidence; this is not exactly a soft skill however it can translate to improvement in other business KSAs. The hard skills that I have and currently are developing are accounting and scientific based. I am currently accounting for and creating the financial projections of a new business unit. This business unit will be a factory that produces a product called Cross Laminated Timber. Revenue recognition for cross laminated timber is measured in cubic meters. I have increased my understanding of the construction industry and how to properly allocate costs. I have had to make forward based balance sheets. This has sharpened my accounting skills and increased my analytical ability. My language proficiency has improved by leaps and bounds and I am forever grateful for this opportunity. I have had to make financial models in Spanish, thus, translating two languages GAAP, and Spanish. One’s ability to perform is dependent on various factors; one of those factors is confidence. A student must trust in their abilities, trust they have studied this before and create a deliverable that provides value for their firm.
Lucas Carrillo McGrann