Internship or Part-Time Job?

In 2017, I had the chance to experience how a worker lives every day. I was offered by my lecturer to work as his staff in our department's laboratory. I studied International Relations in a well-known private university in Malang City since 2013. Most of my college life spent on joining an organisation called AIESEC and being part of their Talent Management team (read: Human Resource) since 2014. But that's not the point of my story, all I wanted to do is just to share some experience how we should prepare something before welcoming a new life as an employee.

I accepted my lecturer's offer to work as his laboratory staff for six months. It was just two days before my thesis examination, so I could spend my spare time working there. Although I knew the situation and people who worked there, it was a little bit nervous to have a real job for the first time. All I could think was doing my best as I did. They were so nice and helping me to adjust in time.

I learnt about many new things there, especially about administration and customer service. Those things were the most feared job I would like to do, especially knowing that I have weaknesses in both fields. The laboratory people were teaching me how to treat people well and maintaining my professionalism. From there, I learnt how to handle any students who need services in the laboratory. I also learnt how to answer phone calls properly in the office, how to handle rude students, etc.

Not only learning about customer service, but I also learnt how librarians do their thing. The place I worked in is somewhat similar to the public library in the university. Doing data entry for the book which has been donated from the alumni to the laboratory, giving a label, maintaining laboratory asset, etc. Furthermore, I learnt how to decrease my weakness in the administration. I had a little improvement on how making a letter properly, especially toward the higher-ups in the university.

Aside from the professional side, I learnt so much on the personal side by having a job. I learnt how to communicate well to my co-workers, senior, and laboratory head. I know this skill helps me in my future job, and I always improving this skill until now. Before that, I described myself as someone who was not willing to initiate the conversation to the people I have not known for a long time and also not close on a personal level.

I improved my teamwork so much when having that job. It was because I worked with them for almost every day, I spent my working life from Monday to Saturday with them. I was enjoying my job in the laboratory and it helped me to stay motivated in the office. I also finally understood the difficulty of earning money from this job. I got paid during those six months experience, although it was enough for surviving the last days in the month.

The experience I had before was able to help me in preparing for the real-time job I am going to get in the future. Now in 2019, already finished the contract in my previous company and I am preparing myself to welcome a new job. But deep inside, I decided to take an internship in the field I really always want to do, which is Recruitment. I don't want to be hurried by working full-time because this time I want to learn, grasp, and apply every learning experience I would get in the new workplace.

I hope you are motivated to get some real working experience, either paid or unpaid. It helps you a lot in preparing work life. Let's learn together to be better every single day.