This Summer's Silver Lining
Before summer vacation came this year, every University student had a plan on how to spend it. (1) Travel, (2) participate in camps and (3) internships. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and everything took a 180 degree turn – plans had to be cancelled or postponed indefinitely. For the many of us who were actively seeking out internship opportunities, we kept faith and applied relentlessly. I felt that the best way to have a productive summer was to put myself out there to expand my horizons and develop myself on a personal and professional level.
Looking back, I am glad that my persistence paid off in my internship hunt. Weeks into my endeavor, I received an offer from Anglo American to join the HR team. 14-weeks after an entirely virtual learning journey, I am thankful to have been part of a caring, committed and dedicated team which places people at the heart of their actions. A first for many like myself, it was a unique experience to have on-boarded and off-boarded from home. Although communication was a constant challenge in this virtual arrangement, I am grateful to everyone in the HR team for their patience and warmth. A special shout-out to my manager, Candy, for constantly checking in to ensure my well-being and for providing me with clear guidance on my assigned tasks.
My Highlights
Safety, Accountability, Care & Respect, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation are values that Anglo American stand for. What struck me was not just the values seen in PR materials, but the ability to live by them each day. As the saying goes “Culture and values are like wind, you can’t see it, but you feel it”. I certainly felt the Anglo American culture and values despite my entire journey being a virtual one.
One of the highlights of my internship was having the privilege to take part in the “Meet the CEO” session with Peter Whitcutt, CEO of our Marketing BU, and Audrey Ng, Head of HR of our Marketing BU. Noticing a total of 18 interns on call, I was impressed with Anglo American’s decision to onboard all of us when most companies might have rescinded their offers or be on a hiring freeze. Amongst the many questions we posed to Peter and Audrey, what stood out were the reasons they chose to proceed with having interns on board despite the trying times. As an organization, Anglo American values providing opportunities to individuals, and is always open to interns who will bring about different perspectives and ideas to the business. This stands despite the need to contain costs in volatile times. Other highlights of my stint include being given the opportunity to drive our Mentoring Program, executing and delivering on revamping our Learning & Development intranet page, and being a co-host of “Happy Hour 2020” virtually.
Embracing a Growth Mindset
Prior to this internship, I always thought that interns were being given “low-value tasks”. This time around, whenever I am being assigned a task/ project, I started asking myself on the value I can help create. This mindset was supported by my manager, Candy, who helped immensely by providing me with great context and helping me see the potential value of my work. Throughout this time, I have learnt to start asking “How can I solve this better?” rather than “This is too tough”. This mindset has enabled me to take full ownership of my work and respond proactively to solving challenges.
Managing Priorities
Many peers who have been working from home share the challenge of drawing the line between work and play. I am no exception, and this was tough due to the lack of discipline in managing priorities. As I progressed, I have learnt to manage my work in the absence of supervision as I did not want to abuse the autonomy and trust granted to me.
A great example – outside of our main area of work, interns were given 2 projects to work on. The deliverable was a “Future of Work” presentation to our CFO and Head of HR, and “Happy Hour 2020” mentioned earlier. These projects started as an initiative to develop us broadly during our stint with Anglo American. Personally, having to fit these projects around my daily work meant that I had to learn to prioritize. The quote “We don’t lose our days in hours, but in minutes and seconds” is apt here as it is human nature to procrastinate. Mindful that I have 17 other teammates to be accountable to, we sought out tools like Trello and One Note (which I have never utilized before) to stay on top of things and collaborate better.
Deliberation and Big Picture Thinking
On a self-awareness piece, I realized my tendency to ask questions without first digesting the issues on hand. After conversing with colleagues and managers, I became aware that this was an area I could work on to be more efficient. Learning occurs when I work through the process, and I should not be completing work just for the sake of it. When I can ask good questions, it helps in my personal development and in understanding problems holistically. In any scenario, I have learnt to work towards considering the big picture and stakeholders involved – this enables me to act appropriately as compared to solely focusing on the superficial. A highly transferable skill, this will help me in striving to create the most value for my work.
As I get ready for a brand-new semester, I am glad to have spent it productively with Anglo American. As cliche as it sounds, I feel blessed to have been part of an organization where I resonate strongly with the values they stand for. Albeit being entirely virtual, the team has kept my development and well-being in focus. The learning I have taken with me has contributed to my personal and professional development, and will come in handy for my life journey ahead. I look forward to the day where I can finally meet my colleagues face-to-face to express my gratitude!
