Finding your voice

By Hayat

Student, International Development and Globalization

Faculty of Social Sciences
From the Field
Ethiopia
Picture of a bag with some little international flags on it.
“A month into the internship, I would have to say that this experience has already been one to remember.”

Hayat, International Development and Globalization
Virtual Internship Country: Ethiopia
Canadian NGO: Forum of Federations
Local NGO: MENA and Ethiopia Projects

In the past month and a half, I have learned to use my voice in uncomfortable times.

Ultimately, the internship hadn’t started the way I anticipated. It was challenging at first to converse with the team and receive input from them through email. This had caused me to immediately categorize them as reserved, passive, and uninvolved.  After giving it a few days, I realized that I am responsible for making this experience one to remember so I took the first step in changing this situation.

By applying all the strategies learned in the pre-internship workshop, I have been able to mould my experience to be worth my while. It’s important to lay the groundwork in communicating your needs and setting expectations when working virtually which has proven to be key to my accomplishments thus far.

So I write this to remind you of the importance of staying true to yourself and taking initiative. It’s important to realize that we are all going through something, but you have the power to change your situation by being proactive. This is especially important when working in a new work environment, team, and society.