How COVID 19 Led Me to KBTG — Ep.3 KBTG
I remember myself finishing my last final essay around 1am on May 21, 2020. After all the pleadings with my professors for multiple deadline extensions, losing too many hours to procrastination, and being physically and mentally drained from consecutive all-nighters that completely messed up my sleeping schedule, I finally hit the submit button. All of that pent up stress, panic, and tension disappeared with a single click. And just like that, my sophomore year ended, and my summer holiday began. Of course, there were no dorm parties, or BBQ restaurants to feast with friends (for COVID-19 has sent us to different corners of the world), but I sure did have my own little celebration. Joy and relief rushed through me as I sang up the stairs, danced in the shower, and dived into my bed for a deep, satisfying sleep that I yearned for so long. At last, I became free.
However, the freedom I am seeking is not freedom from responsibility or effort. As Daisaku Ikeda, the president of the Soka Gakkai International once said: “true freedom lies in the ongoing challenge to develop yourself”. I was determined to not sit aimlessly and watch this summer pass by. I have just entered my twenties. My life is only at the beginning of its second decade. Time has no mercy. It has no compromise. It moves forward without waiting for anyone. Therefore, although unsure of what my career will look like, what I do in the next ten years will be crucial to finding my true self, forging a solid character, and constructing my foundation in life for the future. These ten years will never come back. That is why it’s important for me to take advantage of my youth and energy. Highly aware of this, driven by powerful ambition and hunger for experience, I started researching avariciously for summer internships. After receiving a few offers, numerous interviews and considering various factors, it’s been decided. I chose KASIKORN Business-Technology Group (KBTG).
My first impression upon arriving at the KBTG building remains clear in my mind even today. The moment I stepped out of the car and gazed upwards, I was in awe at the building’s colossal size. A rush of excitement shot through me as I walked around the hallways, admiring the technologically advanced facilities, and the grand and modern architecture surrounding me. Since childhood, I have always wondered what it would be like to enter one of those towering company infrastructures around Bangkok. To me, this was a new world. I felt that this internship gave me a glimpse to the next stage of adulthood, a peek of the upcoming phase of my life: work.
At first, I was unclear as to which department of KBTG I could join. I was concerned that my field of education in Liberal Arts and Humanities (Art, Literature, Music, Philosophy, History) might not be related to this internship. My dream is to become a writer of great character who can touch people’s hearts with words, who can encourage anyone from any walk of life with the power of language. Therefore, I was a bit worried at first that my goal and what I learned might not be able to contribute to such a technology-based company. However, I instantly resonated with the Communication Team whose role is to create public awareness of the company, promoting its brand persona such as “smart but humble”, “tech-savy”, “creative”, “thinker”, “funny” and “understand technology”. To do so, we must reflect these qualities through online articles, graphic, and content. As someone who feels profoundly connected to the idea of character or persona which is prevalent in the field of humanities, I joined this group without hesitation.
Despite a gradual improvement of COVID-19 situation in Thailand, the effects of this pandemic can still be felt. As a result, the majority of my internship consisted of working from home. Apart from assigned tasks, I was not burdened with many responsibilities, leading to a fair amount of free time. It was in these moments that I struggled to find my role as a writer. I found myself constantly asking what exactly is my aim? For a student who lacks knowledge about KBTG and work experience, I had no idea what self-initiated actions I could take. Stephen King once wrote “if you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot”. He further stated “reading is the creative center of a writer’s life”. Cherishing these words, whenever I worked from home, I diligently absorbed knowledge about KBTG through various means. I watched videos from KBTG’s own channels, listened to its podcasts and threw myself into reading as many KBTG articles as possible. Whether it’s from the Medium, the Standard, Techsauce or other sources, I was resolved to learn from the works of other KBTG writers and to study the foundational philosophy of this company, to recognize its fundamental purpose.
Indeed, I did gain a deeper understanding of the ideals and values that form the very core of KBTG. But it was not from articles and videos alone that I was able to achieve this. In comparison to other students, I was quite late to join KBTG Internship Bootcamp, so I missed the chance to meet fellow students and work with them to create a project presentation. Yet precisely because of this, I was able to watch in real-time, my fellow team members and employees in action, an invaluable opportunity that I was privileged to have had. It could be said that I learned about KBTG from reading other employee’s writings or listening to podcasts. However, character, values, and beliefs are not limited to written words. One of the clearest manifestations of these ideas is expressing them through our behavior as a human being. This was how I saw KBTG people. Be it from my precious Communication Team members, janitors, security guards, electricians, chefs, and all employees, I was inspired by individuals who brimmed with passion and vitality. I grew significantly from this work experience because I had the fortune to learn from them. It was a very humbling experience to be working alongside these people of incredible character. Innovation, teamwork, value creation… KBTG people are great examples of individuals who put these noble ideals into practice. That, to me, is freedom; the freedom to dedicate one’s life to one’s convictions.
It was because of the serious all-out efforts of KBTG employees that moved me into action. In response to such wholehearted dedication, I knew I had to give it my all too. I was always on standby, ready to immediately undertake any responsibility given. I participated in promoting the new mobile banking product “MAKE” at different KBank headquarters, watching and taking notes of exceptional presentation skills from my senior employees, and attended one university roadtrip after another. Thanks to the constant warm support from my team, I helped translate and came up with some ideas for KBTG’s monthly content, and was able to share my experiences through these articles. Despite struggling to grasp the content and keep up with the information, or sometimes being quiet and not knowing how to contribute to the conversation, I tried to attend as many online meetings as possible and intently listened.
Throughout this internship experience, I have developed skills, stepped out of my comfort zone, became more independent and refined my character. For that, I am immensely grateful, and will take all that I learned forward to give back to society. Initially, I was accepted to another internship back at my university but with COVID-19 dragging me home, I had to find another one from scratch. And guess what, I found this amazing community of people! As much as COVID-19 undeniably brings on countless problems around the world, it has also brought me here. Through one crazy rollercoaster of a journey, COVID-19 led me to encounter this great company called KASIKORN Business-Technology Group. I end this series and my internship with nothing but appreciation.
Thank you very much, KBTG!
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