Top Learnings From my Internship.
As my time as a summer intern is quickly coming to an end, I thought I would take the opportunity to write my final blog entry on the top learnings from my internship experience. Reflecting on the time I have spent here has allowed me to recognize and be proud of the growth I have made. As a student entering my final year of college, I am excited by the opportunity to take everything I have learned from this experience and directly apply it to my courses. Everything I have learned throughout my time at Skillsoft, I can confidently say I will be bringing with me as I continue to learn how to navigate the corporate world.
1. The importance of networking. While I knew how critical networking can be in elevating a person’s opportunities, it wasn’t until hearing this being repeated over and over again how true it is that the power of networking can take you far. Throughout the course of the summer, my fellow interns and I had the pleasure of speaking to so many marketing professionals across the organization, specifically in our “Lunch and Learn” sessions. In these meetings, we got the opportunity to hear a deep dive into the careers of numerous professionals in leadership roles at Skillsoft. In one of these sessions, the presenter told us “your reputation and your network are the most important things you own”. This simply put statement has stuck with me ever since, which is why I consider the power of networking to be a top learning that I will take from this internship experience.
2. People are a lot more willing to talk to you than you may think. As soon as I started here, I was immediately encouraged by both my manager as well as my mentor to reach out to as many people as I could, in hopes of having on one on conversations with them. It quickly came to my surprise that not a single person declined my invitation of speaking with them, regardless of the role they had. Everyone was willing to give me some of their time, allowing me to establish a connection with them, and answering any questions I may have had. These experiences taught me to never be afraid to reach out. There is truly nothing to lose, and this can only benefit you in the long run.
3. How to lead and give a professional presentation. I learned that a professional presentation combines content, context, personalization, delivery, and preparation. Furthermore, when thinking about content, it is essential to your presentation that you make it matter. In terms of context, keep in mind the four W’s: what, where, who, why, and how. For personalization, make sure to pay attention to who you are speaking to, why they should listen, what matters to them, and what you can leave them with. Regarding the delivery of your presentation, convey emotion behind what you’re saying. Make it clear that you care. Lastly, practice again and again and again, to ensure that you are entirely prepared. As part of the internship program, we were all required to end the summer off by giving a final capstone presentation. At the start of the summer, this was very daunting to me. However, as I made improvements on my public speaking skills, I grew more comfortable and confident. This experience in itself taught me so much about leading a presentation, and I firmly believe I am so much better off as a result. Sometimes it takes those moments that you are initially afraid of and that challenge you to end up pushing you to be better.
4. Keep a notebook. I used a notebook to record daily what I had on my calendar, and what I accomplished. After each day, I always spent some time in my notebook reflecting on what I learned that day and any valuable lessons that came up. I began keeping this notebook to ensure that I wouldn’t forget anything I worked on or participated in throughout my time here, but this ended up turning into so much more as it helped to track my growth. I believe that this notebook will serve me very well down the road when I’m asked about my time spent at Skillsoft. Keeping this notebook has taught me the valuable skill of reflecting on my experiences and accomplishments, and taking the time to recognize the importance of what I have done. I know this is something I will continue in any role I take on in my future.
5. No question is a stupid question. As a student, I know this is typically a phrase you hear your elders say, and although they try to assure you of it, there’s always a lingering sense of skepticism. However, after this experience I now see the truth behind this. And while this sounds like such a simple thing, there are a lot of reasons behind this phenomenon that backs its importance Think about the amount of time a person could waste worrying about asking a question that they consider “dumb,” when instead they could already have that question answered and begun their work confidently and productively. Not being afraid to ask questions allows for open, effective communication, which is the key to success within an organization. I once received the feedback from my manager that he appreciated my attention to detail when it came to asking questions. He himself said that it would serve me well in my career, which is why I consider this a valuable lesson that I learned throughout my time here.
I have learned so much from this internship experience — more than I even imagined. My biggest takeaway is that learning truly never ends, and there is always a way to grow as an individual. Skillsoft as a company holds the values of unleashing our fullest potential and expanding our skills. Because of this, I have loved working for this company, and appreciated how it allowed me to continue my love of learning.
