Interning @ Hcook

Tan Si Pei
Jul 21, 2017 · 3 min read

“You will need your resume to stand out if you want your potential employers to notice you…” I am sure many of you have heard such a statement before. Being the typical ‘Kiasu’ Singaporean, I decided to intern during my first-year summer break.

I went onto InternSG, sent multiple applications to countless companies (I mean, who only sends one HAHA, the ‘Kiasu’ trait rearing its head again) and waited for replies. Hcook was the first. At that moment, I simply thought, “Why not? I mean, I like food and a start-up was a good place to learn!” And so one interview later, my two-and-a-half months journey at Hcook begun.

I felt that Hcook really allowed me to venture into all types of experiences, from designing banners to helping to organise events to learning about UI/UX interface etc. It was uncomfortable being thrown into the deep end sometimes, but admittedly rather enriching. And the best part was we got to try lots of food! SO. MUCH. FOOD.

I think the internship thought me how important it was to have an open and flexible mind (Hint: Accept criticism) and to be able to adapt quickly. You have to be willing, even eager to step out of your comfort zone to learn different skills. Google is really your best friend. I recall days spent scrolling the Internet and bookmarking articles from “UI Buttons Design” to “How to create gold fonts on Photoshop” and my favourite, “Why your emails always go unanswered”. And always be humble, okay maybe shameless though, enough to ask others for help. There are skills I am not adept at and initially, I tried to muddle my way through even though I could have just asked my colleagues for help. I only started asking for suggestions nearing the middle of my internship. Looking back, I really regretted wasting so much time producing amateurish work, mediocre on my better days, when there were more experienced people who could offer useful inputs.

Interning at Hcook was not always smooth-sailing, but it was pretty great. There were definitely days when I will be thinking “Argh there is work today, why did I sign up for this?”. Especially when I scroll through Instagram and am greeted with photos of friends skydiving in Europe, enjoying Australia or having pizza in Russia. Nonetheless, I had great colleagues that made it much better! I will always remember us singing and dancing along to All in my Head (flex) by Fifth Harmony, screaming “Flexxxxxx!” until the office beside ours knocked on the walls. It became a ritual, playing the song on the last day of anyone’s internship. I wouldn’t trade this experience for any others simply because I ate so much, and learnt so much.

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