Hi, it’s me again! I’m going to be talking about some skills I’m developing while in London.
Some soft skills I’m developing the most throughout this program are independence and time management. I’ve learned to become more independent as this is the first time I have traveled so far away from my parents; this trip has been a huge learning curve. For example, my phone was stolen the second week here. I needed to research where to get a new phone and file a police report for my stolen phone. I was able to call my parents about the situation, but they can only do so much on a phone call. I’m used to having my parents a thirty minute drive away, so it was stressful having to do this by myself. This is just one example of how my independence is developing.
I’m also learning more about time management. I’ve never been to London before. At Pitt, I knew the general layout of the campus as my sisters also went to Pitt. I walk from class to class knowing all the shortcuts across campus. In London, I’m constantly learning new shortcuts to the tube station or the most efficient tube line to take. I always give myself an extra fifteen minutes to commute so I won’t be late traveling to class or my internship. I also struggle to wake up early, so I have become more comfortable leaving myself just enough time in the morning to travel to class or my internship. I can apply this skill back at Pitt as I will have a few morning classes. My time management skills have improved greatly while being in London.
One technical skill I have gained throughout my internship is the use of Hubspot. Hubspot is used to keep track of sales or other marketing practices. I use Hubspot almost everyday to add new deals or view lists for other purposes of the internship. At first, I struggled to navigate the platform, but now I have a better understanding of it. I’ve also improved on my Excel skills since I use the platform constantly at my internship. I can comfortably apply these hard skills to future jobs.
I’m also navigating cross-cultural situations with a newfound awareness of “American” habits. I didn’t think Americans actually spoke loudly until I found myself speaking on the tube with my American classmates and realized that no one else was speaking as loud as us. Going to the grocery store can also be challenging when looking for specific items. For example, I was asking a grocery store employee where the minced garlic was, but they pointed me in the direction of fresh garlic. After looking up garlic on the store’s website, I found that it was called chopped garlic. So I asked where the chopped garlic was and found exactly what I was looking for. This can be frustrating because it feels like no one knows what I’m talking about, even when everyone is speaking English. But it also frames the struggle to navigate an English speaking country when someone’s first language isn’t English. I’ve now developed more patience for someone who doesn’t speak English well and asks for my help.