We are officially hitting a month living across the big pond and things are starting to catch up. With loads of exams, papers, presentations, and activities, six weeks doesn’t seem to be enough! I’ve had the opportunity to tour Kensington Palace and visit Chinatown recently. Both are extremely beautiful must-sees in London! I also got front-row seats to WICKED the Musical and it was so fantastic… I think I am starting to become a theatre fan! In addition, Pitt actually hosted an alumni engagement event a few days ago. I was able to meet some great London alumni and speak with Dean Anderson about my experience so far! By now, London and my internship with Vaela, have had the time to make their impressions on who I am and who I’ll be in the future. Young collegiate scholars like myself can especially gain various soft and hard skills from these experiences and relationships. From my time, here are just a few!
Through both my internship with Vaela and my classes by CEA Capa, I am experiencing personal growth in many soft skills that will benefit me as a person. By working alongside my supervisor at my internship, interpersonal communication especially in a work setting has been a skill that I’ve touched upon every day since I started interning back in May! I work extremely closely with my supervisor, for we collaborate on projects, take lunch, and even stroll through London together! Not only this, but I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on different investor meetings and financial discussions with a team. Seeing these conversations occur in real-time and even applying my ideas and insights during these moments, has developed my communication skills in a team setting for the better. I can achieve true active listening while effectively using non-verbal cues. This interpersonal skill can help me with pitch decks for a future placement or student communications through my Resident Assistant role back on campus this year. Another soft skill I want to touch upon is adaptability. For in-office work days with my internship, we meet at different locations such as coffee shops, office buildings, or markets. This is because Vaela is a rather small company that doesn’t operate at a set office location. With the consistent location change, comes being able to adapt to new paths of transportation and new settings. I believe now from this experience I can be located outside of a barn and work efficiently!
Now as for hard skills, there are many to touch open. However, a few that have shined the most thus far are the skills of marketing and content writing. Yes, I am a Finance and Accounting major so you may wonder how a marketing-based role has helped me. Along with these, I am also pursuing an Innovation and Entrepreneurship certificate which I believe fits great with my internship. I am learning numerous marketing techniques from social media engagement, investor pitch presentations, and website content. As a growing entrepreneur who runs a small business herself, the social media aspect of marketing has given me so much insight into how to brand your product. I plan to incorporate these learnings into my future business and entrepreneurial endeavors. Yet, with marketing skills comes the underlying skill of content writing. I have been working diligently to write effective content that our audiences can understand and connect with. Recently, I have been working on producing blog articles about other B-corporations like Vaela who we share an aligned goal- sustainability. When writing these pieces, I’ve learned to be short but efficient in my writing. Especially when conveying who a brand is that will be read by such brand, you must be mindful and correct on the work you produce. So far I’ve had only great feedback!
As time still ticks with a few weeks left in London, I will continue to grow in my journey. Whether this is through personal soft or hard skills, I am sure to become a better person in some way, shape or form.