Hi again from Sydney! It’s been a whirlwind so far—I truly cannot believe that I am almost a month into my time abroad. While I know there is always more adapting to do, I feel as though I have the hang of everyday life. I rarely have to use my Google Maps directions to get to class or the beach, and the local grocery store aisles are familiar. I’ve also adjusted to my weekly routine, which largely consists of taking classes, working my internship, and spending time at the beach. Not too bad!
I am so blessed to be interning with Planting Seeds, an Australian nonprofit focused on urban regeneration through education programs. My role is focused on marketing and science communication, which can mean a wide range of tasks. Currently, I am running Planting Seeds’ social media pages, writing articles for their website, and creating worksheets for school programming. I am also learning about the grant writing process through my colleagues with the hopes of applying for at least one grant during my internship. Grants can vary in amount, but I am extremely excited at the possibility of my application helping to fund this incredible organization’s efforts.
I have not worked in the nonprofit sector before this experience, and I have already learned incredibly valuable lessons in the industry. There are differences between the Australian and American nonprofit systems, but there are many similarities. For example, grant writing is transferrable skill regardless of country. However, Australia’s legal regulations regarding the nonprofit sector do differ from those in the United States.
A day in my life as an intern is quite different from that of the other interns in my program. Because Planting Seeds is a nonprofit, they save money by not renting out a permanent office space. Instead, the law firm K&L Gates donates its office space downtown to Planting Seeds on Tuesdays. The agreement is mutually beneficial because Planting Seeds gets a meeting space once a week, and K&L Gates gets to report their partnership with a nonprofit. The office space is located on the top floor in the Sydney Central Business District and offers spectacular views of the city. Walking into the office on Tuesdays is one of my favorite parts of my week—it never fails to take my breath away!
Other than Tuesdays, the rest of my work is remote. This means that my week “starts” on Tuesdays, where we discuss the past week and tasks are allocated to be completed by our next in-person meeting. While it certainly took some adapting, I am glad to now possess the skills to work in a hybrid office. Time management was a learning curve for me, but I have learned to set aside designated work time separate from homework time. My internship supervisor has also been wonderful about meeting with us on extra days if needed—my recent favorite trip was to work in a local library with beautiful hanging plants!
Australian workplace culture is significantly more relaxed, at least in my experience. For example, all my colleagues and superiors insist I call them by their first names. The founder and current leader of Planting Seeds is very accessible and makes an effort to reach out and check in on me. The traditional business hierarchy is not as strict as in the States. It is much more casual and friendly. In my experience, lunch breaks are longer and socializing is important.
If it is not already obvious, I love my internship with Planting Seeds. It perfectly ties in with my career goals of working in sustainable business. I am learning everything from professional communication and accountability to grant writing and the native bee species in New South Wales. I look forward to working on projects and going into the office every Tuesday. I am so blessed to have the opportunity to work with Planting Seeds. I would encourage anyone considering the Global Internship Program to go for it—the best learning happens outside of your comfort zone!