Shona:
Have you made up your mind about which internship program to apply for?
Shona:
I'm entirely at a loss.
Shona:
I mean, there are so many good ones.
Shona:
Can you give me some tips?
Shona:
What is your top priority when weighing up these programs?
Peter:
Well, I guess I'd go for ones that can help me with the skill set I lack for my future career.
Peter:
I still need a lot of practical training in dealing with statistics.
Peter:
But keep in mind that you don't want to set your goal too grand, like drawing up a business plan.
Peter:
You might end up nowhere.
Shona:
So I want to learn how to organize ideas and present them.
Peter:
Now you've nailed step one.
Peter:
You must also consider your strengths for a suitable internship program.
Peter:
Otherwise, you might get rejected or end up with one that you are incapable of doing.
Shona:
But I have no idea what I'm good at.
Peter:
Communicate with people around you or whom you've worked with.
Peter:
That's what I did.
Peter:
I thought I was a good team leader.
Peter:
But many people I've worked with for various projects mentioned something else.
Peter:
They admire that I could work around the clock to finish projects on time.
Peter:
And indeed, I'm more focused and perform better when I'm pushed for time.
Shona:
So what do you plan to do next?
Peter:
I'll visit the careers officer to help me with the school application form.
Peter:
You know, the one we have to submit before applying to companies.
Shona:
But it is unnecessary to fill it in.
Shona:
It's only optional.
Peter:
I'm glad I heard from you.
Peter:
Then I'll ask the careers officer to look at my personal statement and give me some tips on polishing it up.
Shona:
Don't you need help with your CV?
Peter:
I have already learned to write it in class.
Shona:
So what kind of company did you choose?
Peter:
I've decided to apply for an IT company.
Peter:
Well, even though I've learned how the IT industry developed in the past, from different lectures, I know nothing about its latest trends.
Peter:
I'm prepared to work in an IT company and fill in the information gap.
Shona:
What do you plan to do next term?
Peter:
I think I'll stick to most of the optional modules I've chosen.
Peter:
But regarding the language sessions, I'm doing poorly in Japanese.
Peter:
I'd better drop it before wasting more time.
Peter:
I think I'll learn Spanish instead.
Shona:
Oh, I learned Spanish for a year.
Shona:
I think you'll find it interesting.
Shona:
Do you know what job opportunities these companies offer interns?
Peter:
I've searched online and browsed some of the schemes.
Peter:
Do you know SCIEC?
Shona:
Yes, I heard they offer internship positions dealing with customer interaction management.
Shona:
But I'm not quite sure what that means.
Peter:
Well, the position offers the chance to become fully aware of customer value and keep in touch with customers to keep them highly engaged and satisfied.
Peter:
These include activities such as PR, communications, marketing and customer service.
Shona:
Sounds like loads of work to do.
Shona:
What about Gemini Technologies?
Peter:
It's an IT consulting company.
Peter:
Although many employees say it's stressful working there, I want to apply for this one.
Peter:
Actually, the company provides service to improve software architecture.
Peter:
But that's pretty demanding as a team of software engineers has to provide detailed analysis and suggestions for required changes before the deadline.
Peter:
As an observer and participant of a particular project, an intern can learn how to work to a strict deadline.
Shona:
That's not my area of expertise, but I'm sure you'll excel at this.
Peter:
I certainly do hope so.
Peter:
Have you checked out Deloitte?
Shona:
Of course, that's a renowned accounting firm and thus its internships offer excellent learning experiences in this regard.
Shona:
You know, things like examining a company's financial statements, the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement.
Shona:
I want to give it a try, but I might get rejected, so I need a backup plan.
Shona:
Have you read anything about Kearney?
Peter:
Yes, it is another consulting firm.
Peter:
It provides opportunities to reach out to other business partners and pay attention to networking.
Shona:
Well, that sounds interesting.
Peter:
I'm thinking about Vortex, but I haven't got anything useful from its website.
Shona:
I worked there last summer.
Shona:
It's an international company with headquarters in Spain, so most of the managers here speak Spanish.
Shona:
Thanks to the internship experience, I became fluent in it.
Peter:
Right, that's not for me.
