temasek junior college internship programme: a reflection

Concepts we thought we knew were put on trial.

My name is Kyle and I am from Temasek Junior College. I joined Design Prodigy as a student intern under the Temasek Internship Programme (TIP) anchored by my school.

what happens in DP?

Actually, I did not choose Design Prodigy as my destination when I was looking to take up an internship. When I signed up for TIP, I only chose the industry I wanted to explore which was, at the time, Business. Little did I know, I was signing up for digital marketing in Business in one of the best companies in Singapore.

When I first arrived in DP on day one, I could not help but immediately feel a sense of anxiety. When my mentor first briefed us on what digital marketing was all about, I felt confused. Being a typical JC student with little exposure to the real working world, I was absolutely clueless as to what I could expect. But, when the days went by, I realised, that I had nothing to worry about.

Along with my mentors, I was able to power through the painful times I had encountered – countless rounds of reviewing the work my team and I had done, redoing and redoing again, independent research till I went crazy, and the list goes on and on. But my mentors stuck with me throughout the entire process. Every evening at 5:00pm, my team and I would always update them on the process. In turn, they would give us feedback on our work and also give us a clear task to complete the next day. This was basically the routine we had day after day for two and a half weeks. Very tiring, but very efficient.

why DP?

So, why DP? Well, if you are someone who wants to just be “stretched” by complex concepts, DP is not for you. On the other hand, if you are someone who wants to take the knowledge you have now, stretch it in all kinds of directions, throw it in the bin, and learn new knowledge again, well, DP is indeed for you!

No, I’m not saying DP will not take the knowledge you have now and render it useless! What I’m saying is that concepts we thought we knew were put on trial, and ideas we believed we fully grasped were undoubtedly challenged here in DP. But, all with the guidance of experienced professionals who are certainly to be trusted. So if you would like an ultra challenge, well, DP is waiting for you.

what I liked about the experience

There have been so many things that really made me feel so reluctant to leave the office on the last day of my internship, but one thing that stood out to me was mentorship.

As I have mentioned on more than a few occasions, the mentors in DP are extraordinary. I remember there was this one time where my mentor was disappointed with my team’s work because of how it was so subpar.

However, as soon as she reprimanded us, she did not leave us hanging.

Rather, she gave us specific instructions to work through the problem, gave us a goal in mind and walked with us towards the finish line. With the thinking they put you through, they guide you by your side, encourage you and make sure you survive your internship.

Not only do you survive your internship, you thrive under the pressure and because of that, I would not give up anything for this experience with new friends and mentors here in DP.

some difficulties I faced during my internship

One major difficulty I faced was learning new concepts and delivering quality work at the same time. Coming from a junior college, I had no background at all whatsoever in Digital Marketing. As such, I had to start from ground zero and build my way up.

But, at the same time, I had to also follow my mentor’s plan for me and stick to it, delivering all that I had to in the limited time that I had. Imagine learning how to play soccer and participating in friendly matches at the same time. Well, it was definitely not easy, but it was a challenge indeed.

what I learnt during the internship

I have learnt how to be independent. Truly, truly independent. With little to no guidance throughout the day, my team and I were instructed to reach an end point by the end of the day. That was not easy as we had to navigate through the woods together with only a compass and without a map. We had to find our own resources and answers under the constraints of time. This really pushed me to work independently and stop asking for answers from my mentors, and to pull my own resources together and find the answers on my own.

I have also learnt how to think critically. Well, in DP’s dictionary, “critically” takes on a whole new level. It means to think broadly, yet deeply, in a multi-dimensional way. It was a real challenge for me, but at the end of the internship, I really took away with me the true value of thinking critically.

what could I have done differently during the internship?

If I could have done something differently during the internship, I would have changed only one thing: having an end in mind.

This was a phrase repeated throughout the internship. My team and I realised that having a goal in mind for the day would always guide us in the right direction. However, we only discovered its importance only one and a half weeks into our attachment. Because of that, we had wasted a good portion of our internship being confused and lost in the woods with no sense of direction as well.

what about you?

Now, the final chapter of my internship has been penned down, signed off, and sealed. A new chapter begins. A new chapter of hope, wishes, and dreams has opened, with the lessons learnt in this internship deeply ingrained in my mind and etched in my heart.

What about you? When is your time to write the chapter of your life you will never forget? Why not now?

Read our university interns’ stories and reflections on our blog. Game to be an intern at Design Prodigy? We typically engage interns during the May-August and December school holiday periods. Enquire here.