First of all, something about myself. I am a computing student who aspires to be a software engineer or developer in future. Now, you may ask, why would you accept an internship position at Allianz because they are more of a financial institution rather than a software development company, it does not seem relevant to my career development plan.
Indeed, it does not. I doubted my decision of accepting this position at first too, but I changed my mind after all. It was a journey that I never anticipate before and I would like to share my experience and gratitude with you, maybe it may help you while you are struggling on your own path.
I admit, at first glance, my job scope and most of the tasks I was assigned may not seem to be relevant to my career aspiration of being a software engineer or developer. However, through these tasks, I gained valuable skills and knowledge that will benefit me in my future career on a more general scale, these are some skills that the job market demands in every field. One of the most important skills I learnt is the application or adaptation of all my knowledge and skills into real-world practices. For instance, I have been learning video editing as a hobby for quite some time and Allianz Academy provided me with the chance to put my skills to a real-world test.
Besides, I appreciated all the opportunities to deal with trainers, agency managers, agents and prospects, because I learned a lot of marketing and communication skills from my conversations with them. To name a few that might beneficial to my future career, customer needs discovery and identification skills which would come in handy when I would like to develop an application or program that aims to ease the life of my target audience.
I also learned how to work independently and in a team, time management and prioritizing my tasks, effective communication with different stakeholders and how to adapt to changing situations and expectations.
But more than that, I learned some life lessons that will stay with me forever. Here are some of them:
Be curious and open-minded: I was encouraged to ask questions, explore new possibilities, learn from other's perspectives, and share my own insights. This helped me to broaden my horizons and discover new things.
Be passionate and enthusiastic: I was inspired by the passion and enthusiasm of the people who work here. They are driven by a common vision and mission, and they love what they do. This motivated me to give my best in every task I did.
Be respectful and inclusive: I was welcomed by a friendly and supportive team that treated me with respect and kindness. I also met people from different backgrounds, cultures, genders, ages, etc. who shared their stories and experiences with me. This taught me to appreciate diversity and embrace differences.
Be grateful and humble: I was grateful for the opportunity to work here and learn from the best. I also received feedback and recognition for my work from my supervisors and colleagues. This made me feel appreciated and valued. It also reminded me to be humble and acknowledge my areas of improvement.
Last but not least, here comes the more personal part. I would like to thank Allianz for giving me this amazing opportunity to be part of this family. I also want to thank the Head of Allianz Academy, Ms Hooi for her guidance and trust; my supervisor and hiring manager, Ms Foo for her support and advice; Gloria and Jayne for their help and trust; my dear neighbours, Xin Yi, Ayden, Jessica, Syazreen for their assistance; and also the Agency Development team, Joo Han, Jacelyn, Angeline, Elaine, Kok Seng, Faizal and Desmond for their fun company; everyone else who made this internship a special one for me.
I would like to express my utmost gratitude to everyone for a such supportive and inspiring journey I had there. You have taught me how to be more confident, professional, and efficient in my work. You have also given me valuable feedback and opportunities to grow and challenge myself. I appreciate your trust and encouragement in every project I was involved in. Work aside, it is a fun and nice experience spending time with everyone. I also want to thank my awesome colleagues for being so helpful and friendly. From all the laughter we had, I can feel the care and love of everyone. You have made me feel welcome and comfortable in this team even from different divisions and teams. I hope everyone can stay this way so that everyone can be happy. This is something that exceeds my expectations in terms of office culture and atmosphere.
This internship has been a life-changing experience for me. While it may not have been the most obvious choice for a computing student, I am grateful for the opportunity and encourage others to consider opportunities outside of their comfort zone. It has helped me discover my strengths and interests, as well as my areas for improvement. It has also inspired me to make a positive impact on people's lives in my own field of study. I am grateful for all the life lessons and values that I have gained from this internship that will benefit me for a long time. I'm truly grateful for this opportunity to be part of Allianz. It was a short but sweet journey that I will never forget.
As they say: "Don't be sad because it ended, be glad that it happened instead". I'm glad that it happened, I will miss everyone dearly and definitely. I wish everyone the best in their future endeavours.
this is not a goodbye, rather a see you next time!
