My STEP project was an internship that I completed throughout the summer and school year. I worked as a Finance Intern at the Department of Development. I did various projects such as budgeting, managing a contractor, and assisting in daily procedures. 

The biggest transformation I experienced was learning my way around a professional setting. There are lots of unspoken rules or almost hidden meanings behind things. For example, there are “corporate” phrases that people use that are not always exactly what they mean, but, rather, a professional way to get a harsher point across. There is also a certain way I learned to conduct myself regarding tough conversations, promotions, and discussions about pay. I also learned how to evade office gossip which was very important to do within a professional setting. These are not situations school taught me to navigate and understand, but a transformation I experienced while working. I now feel better equipped to handle workplace situations. 

I experienced another transformation that seems common, shifting from a school environment to a work environment. In school, I am always given my assignments. At work, there are times I actually have to seek out more work. This was a new phenomena for me and something I had to learn to do. I learned what the balance of a work load should be and how to communicate whether I needed less or more work to my supervisors. 

I had a friend apply for a job at my company and I wanted to vouch for him, but I did not know at what point I should say something. Before an interview? After an interview? I didn’t know. I asked my mom and a trusted coworker how to navigate this and learned it was my role to help him get an interview, and the rest was up to him. 

In the first few weeks of my internship, my workload was very slow and I had to ask for more. However, my supervisors were not aware of what all I could handle, so I had to learn to communicate constantly when I needed more to do. 

These changes will help me in the workplace in the future. They also taught me it is acceptable to ask questions, especially as an intern. Asking questions actually shows initiative and interest. My supervisors know that I am new to the workplace, and they were always happy to help. Learning these new skills will help me with different coworkers in the future as well as allowing myself to not know things, which is something I don’t think is as common in academia. People constantly are trying to prove themselves, and while that is partially true in a workplace, I think it is more accepted.