Friday, January 25, 2008

Semester Internship



So this semester I decided to do a full time work internship. I've always had some doubts about my career choice as an engineer, so I think this is the perfect opportunity to prove my abilities to properly function in a work environment. It'll also be kind of a break from college, since I'll be working from 8am to 5pm as most mortals, which kills me because I always made my schedule so I could sleep at least one or two extra hours, but I won't have to stay up late studying for an exam, so I'll have a lot of free time on weekends.
But there are a lot of thrilling things about doing an internship: I'll be making some money, hopefully I'll be in a very demanding environment, and I won't be just the assistant, bringing coffees and photocopies to everyone in the office, and I'll gain a lot of experience I know will be useful for the rest of my career (I just hope my innate clumsyness won't stop me from having a good time at work).



It'll also imply some small sacrifices, like wearing a suit. I like wearing funky clothes, but I'll be working at a financial company, where wearing a tie is mandatory for everyone. So I'll have to replace my American Apparel colorful hoodies and Converse shoes by dark, boring suits and dark, bring and uncomfortable dress shoes. At least I'm trying to get colorful ties to match the suits I bought...
Another sacrifice is that I won't be able to join the Work and Travel program in the U.S. for a third year, since my contract ends mid-july, just one month before starting classes again, less than what any employer requires to hire any foreign employer, I guess. Instead, I'll try to have some real vacations (I mean, traveling just for pleasure, not to work and then traveling on my days off, as I've done the last two summers), hopefully in the U.S., or maybe taking a small trip through Peru and Ecuador, financed with my earnings from the internship.
And the last thing that makes me kinda sad is that I'll be away from my college friends, and college in general. I like my college routine: Going to a class, then going for some coffee and laying down on the grass, just talking to my friends about where are we going to party that night, or how we did in an exam.
I start next week. I'm really nervious, just because I don't know what I'm going to be doing, or who I'm going to be working with...I hope I do OK.

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