What does all my experiences mean?

Vong Oudom
Jul 27, 2017 · 2 min read

I have three legal internships experience two times with an institution dealing with International Criminal Law, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), another time dealing domestic criminal but also human rights cases with East West Management Institute. The experience I had with ECCC can only be seen as knowledge of Khmer Rouge regime. Similarly, the three experiences have one common weakness, most employer doesn’t count on that type of experience competently; they will say internship is only about learning and not serious. To a place where professionalism and long term business comes into effect, the power of internship cannot mean so much. Adding as part to the weakness, my AIESEC RULE and AIESEC in Cambodia voluntary experience reflects barely anything. Employers who doesn’t believe in unique experience from voluntarism will treat the experience wasteful. That means to say my event management skill, recruitment skill and project management skill mean nothing.

My Trial Monitor for AIJI would mean something, but it is too light because it lasts only one year. And, my translation experience would prove nothing at all in the eye of employer. It may sound cool for a scholarship but it doesn’t really matter. Employer would say this guy hasn’t faced any hardship just yet. How about all my experience in professional training? Where does it plays a part? Does employer sees it as anything at all? The answer is potentially “No”. Why? Because learning is about knowledge not real life practice, while most employer search for a guy who have been through something or around the block. So the answer to all my professional training is valueless.

Now that I have over one year at Transparency International Cambodia, this helps embark a new look on my resume. The next employer could see my potential in being long-sighted and in project-cycle management. The only drawback of TI-Cambodia experience is that corporation or private firm doesn’t really like the work TI-Cambodia is doing. Still leaving in the middle of the second year contract doesn’t really satisfy the employer’s desire. In my case, the moving is due to the better position and better-name employer and better salary. From the perspective of being serious, employer would appraise me, but if from being responsible, employer will look at me that I am moving without thinking of consequent of losing two-year straight experience. But I believe more professional consultancies will ensure my seriousness in future.