This past week in Dublin has been so much fun! I have met everyone in my program and made friends that I am excited to share this experience of 8 weeks in Ireland with. Together, we have traveled to Dublin, Kilkenny, and Glendalough. We have dove into the Irish culture – we learned how to play Gaelic football and hurling, we listened to live Irish music, we have tried traditional Irish meals, and we have spoken to many locals. I have become more accustomed to the culture here in Ireland and I have gotten used to the time zone change. Orientation week has helped me to feel at home here in Dublin as my fellow IIP Dublin participants and I have been traveling throughout the city. While orientation week was very helpful, I am excited and prepared to begin my internship tomorrow!
These next 7 weeks I will be working with a real estate company, Casey Kennedy Estate Agents. I have met with the team online and they were very friendly. I am really looking forward to meeting my coworkers in person and beginning this amazing experience! I have also made the trip to the office to feel more prepared for my first day. The commute was very easy, and Casey Kennedy Estate Agents is located right near the city center of Dublin. I believe that this experience this summer will be a great learning experience for me. This is my first internship and I believe Casey Kennedy Estate Agents will be the perfect first experience. I want to get the most I can out of every experience I encounter while working with Casey Kennedy Estate agents this summer. Throughout this internship, I want to grow my soft and hard skills so that I can become the best worker that I can be.
There are many skills that will be necessary to be successful in the real estate industry. I believe effective communication is a skill that will be very necessary in the real estate realm and to me this summer. Real estate is a field that relies heavily on communication as you work with customers to help them to rent, buy, and manage properties. In order to be an effective real estate agent, you must be able to communicate with your customers to help them receive the best care and the best place that will meet their needs. Additionally, to be an effective contributor to a team, you must be able to communicate with your coworkers. This will ensure that work is being done in the most efficient way. While I believe that I am an effective communicator, I want to continue to grow this skill. I believe the cultural differences between my coworkers and I will help me to grow this skill as I will have to rely on communication more to overcome cultural barriers.
As well as communication, time management is a very important skill to have in order to be successful in the real estate world. In real estate, you most likely will be balancing many portfolios at once. To be successful, you have to manage your time wisely to make sure that you are not falling behind or forgetting any important projects. To make sure that I do not fall behind with any work, I have a notebook where I write down all that I must complete. I also make sure that I allocate enough time for each project. I believe that balancing school work, clubs, and social activities at Pitt has given me enough preparation to have effective time management skills.
Lastly, I believe that organization is a skill that is necessary to be an effective worker in the real estate realm. Being able to keep all of your projects separate and orderly is very necessary to be able to get work done at the most efficient rate. Organization helps one be the most efficient worker and be able to get more work done in a shorter period of time. Being productive allows for more business and overall a more successful business.
Specifically to Casey Kennedy Estate Agents, I believe that having knowledge of local trends and regulations will be necessary for me to be a contributing team member. Ireland is currently in a housing crisis. Additionally, regulations and laws in Dublin are not the same as laws and regulations in the United States. I have been reading about the differences in housing laws and regulations in Ireland compared to the United States. I believe this knowledge will make the start of my internship easier as I will have an understanding of the local laws.