Throughout my first four weeks in London, I like to think that I’ve been able to grow a lot, both as an individual and as a part of the workforce. As I’ve been able to acclimate to my new environment, I’ve found that I’ve been able to grow and develop new skills, both soft and hard. These skills have not only been able to help me ensure that my work is high quality, but that I am being the best possible teammate and co-worker I can be.
Two of the soft skills I have been able to hone and develop are my communication, and my critical thinking skills. Throughout my internship, I’ve run into multiple situations where I was unsure of the task I was assigned, or I needed assistance in approaching a problem. Before, I think I would have tried to do it myself without any assistance. As I have continued to work on more complicated projects, I’ve realized that trying to do everything solo is a recipe for disaster. I am much more willing to reach out for help, and to make sure that I am properly communicating with my supervisors on what my goals and expectations are. On top of that, this internship has sharpened my critical thinking skills. As I mentioned earlier, some of the projects I have been assigned have been quite complicated, dealing with difficult excel models and extremely precise data inputs. As I have continued to approach these projects, I’ve found that my critical thinking skills have grown sharper, because what once may have seemed unapproachable is now something that I am willing to tackle head-on.
Some of the hard skills I have developed through this internship have included database management and statistical analysis. My role in this company right now, without delving too much into specifics, revolves around financial modeling and building comprehensive financial statements. While I am familiar with all of this through previous classes, getting to tackle it head on has made me that much better at it. When I first started building models and statements, my information was far too sprawling and cluttered, which I expected it to be. As I have continued to work, I have found myself building better and more efficient models, something that I can look at and be proud of. As well as database management, I have also become better and statistical analysis. Through my job, I have had to look at a lot of financial projections, and applications for different grants and awards. I’ve been tasked with pulling out all the relevant data relating to these topics, and doing proper research on them to make sure that what we are trying to accomplish is possible.
As I continue throughout the rest of this program, and later in my college career, I can take these skills I have learned (or sharpened) and apply them to my life. Not only in an academic sense, but in a general life sense as well. This internship has made me a more well-rounded worker, and a more well-rounded person, and that is largely due to the skills I have learned while being in London.