100% Internship

Course: Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Finance), University of Wollongong, Australia

Company: Pricewaterhouse Coopers

I can’t think of a better way to prepare myself for the world of accounting, other than with a busy period internship at Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
As an intern in the audit team, I supported my department by performing evidence-gathering activities. Although I started out by shadowing my seniors, as time passed, my responsibilities grew from shadowing to actively assisting. My job scope ranged from vouching documents, proofreading minutes and documenting retrieval support, to higher-priority tasks like managing interviews.

Looking back, the long working hours and steep learning curve might seem daunting at first. However, the wonderful people at PwC did their best to ensure I learnt all I could. I was given the necessary resources to succeed, while the continuous feedback process kept me updated on my strengths and weaknesses. I was expected to be professional, efficient and organised. I learned the importance of productivity, and how to challenge and motivate myself to perform my best at all times.

It’s easy to understand why PwC is consistently ranked as a top graduate employer in Malaysia. While it was only a short journey, I gained so many valuable experiences. This internship was a truly worthwhile experience that is worth the long hours, for the memories made, the knowledge gained, and the opportunities received.

Course: Diploma in Hotel Management

Company: The Boulevard – St Giles Premier Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

As a hotel management major, I relished the chance to acquire the necessary experience and knowledge to further my career goal.

I’ve heard of daunting stories where interns are thrown into the deep end, but at St Giles, I always felt I was in an environment that nurtured my ability and encouraged my progression. The St Giles team truly cared about my improvement during my internship with them, and because of this feedback, I believe I was able to make great strides in my performance from week to week.

I assisted the Sales & Marketing team with day-to-day duties, such as preparing paperwork, attending meetings, and managing guests during events. To get a good sense of the hotel’s operations, I also helped out at the Food & Beverage department by serving guests at the in-house Wild Rice Restaurant, and sending out quotations for events. Working in the field gave me valuable insight into various industry challenges. I saw firsthand how crucial the qualities of punctuality, accuracy and consistency are to ensure operations run smoothly.

As an intern, I was challenged to not simply complete my work, but to improve everyday as a business person. I was assigned mini-projects such as contributing to an event order distribution, and a human resources document claims project. My supervisors quickly recognised my strengths and weaknesses, and worked with me to improve my efficiency and overall performance. Through working with various teams and across departments, my communication, teamwork and leadership skills improved by leaps and bounds.

Thank you INTI and St Giles, for the exceptional experience.

Course: Diploma in Mass Communication

Company: Burson-Marsteller

When I learnt that Burson-Marsteller, an award-winning marketing and communication consultancy, was offering internships for students, I jumped at the chance. When selecting internship programmes, I had two things in mind; the company culture, and whether the work I performed would be in line with my field of interest.

My internship not only gave me realistic and practical knowledge of the public relations industry, but challenged me both professionally and personally. From the very beginning I was assigned many interesting projects that tested my technical skills and knowledge. I was involved in a whole host of tasks which not only included media monitoring, media calls and handling media registration, but also writing articles and pitching ideas and PR strategies!

To say that it was challenging would be an understatement. At first, I sometimes got stressed and overwhelmed with the tasks given to me, I had some issues managing my time, and felt like giving up. But my colleagues were very helpful and helped me learn how to overcome these problems.

I ended up doing things that surpassed my knowledge and experience. Because of this, I learned how to work through difficult projects and assignments, gathering knowledge from my more experienced mentors. I was astounded by how much I’ve learnt and grown as a person during the short time I was there.

When I completed the internship, I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. In a little more than fifteen weeks, I had learnt so much. I developed new professional relationships and mentors, as well as a better understanding of my future career in the industry.