What I Learned From My Internship

Feb 21, 2017
3 min read

From October to December 2016, I did an internship at Luxuo, a digital magazine for luxury lifestyle based in Singapore. The online publication is under Heart Media, the media company that also publishes the regional editions of L'Officiel, Men's Folio, Art Republik, and other titles.

My main responsibilities were to generate articles about everything luxury - from fashion, dining, travel, art, to events. I personally think that I got a great experience and I learned a lot on how a media company operates.

So, without further ado, these are the things that I have learned from my internship:

1. ON WRITING

I have not found my true writing voice just yet. Sometimes it gets really heavy and serious, but on other times aloof and straightforward.

My supervisor noted that I wouldn't always need to use complex, SAT-level vocabularies (which I inadvertently learn from reading novels/online pieces and movies), especially if it's just to impress. Simple words with good flow works just as well. She also taught me how to construct a structured article so that the points come across clearly.

I think one of the best advices I got was to put the readers first whenever I write articles. Will they be able to understand what I intend to say? Is this topic relevant to the audience? What is going to make them read the whole article? In that sense, writing is almost a form of marketing - where customers are the priority.

2. ON DISCIPLINE & FOCUS

I am someone who gets bored really easily. Personally, sometimes it does prove to be a challenge to finish a task without getting distracted. I find that having deadlines are effective to serve as a motivation to get my work done.

Sometimes, when I revisit my article, I feel like I didn't create such a good piece, especially when it is on my weaker topics such as architecture / automobile. I am not pursuing for absolute perfection since it doesn't necessarily exist, but I think consistency is important and I'm still lacking in that skill. I have to make sure that I come up with good quality products.

3. AN EXTROVERT* IS ALWAYS DESIRED (*fake it til you make it)

One of the feedbacks I got from my supervisor that absolutely hits home (metaphorically) is that I need to be more of a social butterfly. He said that he understood that I'm shy by nature, but if I really do want to get into the industry, I would need to be better in networking, interacting with others, and

I think this applies to every industry out there. Connections are always a good thing to have (If not how do people even get the idea to create a t-shirt that says "Talentless but Connected"), but not exactly what you should invest all your effort in. I personally think that the recipe of success is a mix of a plethora of different skills, lessons, and experience - not just a contact list.

In conclusion, I do believe that I have to improve my communication skills. I have to interact with people more easily and be able to build relationships (with friends / clients / colleagues) more naturally. Communication skills are crucial in any career. Some are blessed with it from birth, but most people learned their way.