Entering the Workplace Microcosm: AddedEducation Internship Masterclass
Internship season is upon us once more. Luckily for this new batch, Mr. Yannick Malo and his colleagues from AddedEducation offered their expertise, advice, and stories to assist the upcoming career starters of Enderun Colleges.
AddedEducation, formerly known as AddedSport, is a Singapore-based undergraduate consultation and profile-building company that focuses on assisting student-athletes and gifted students to achieve their educational goals: from prestigious high school programs to Ivy League Universities across the world. During the webinar, Mr. Yannick and two Titans taking their internship in the company share their experiences and advice to start our young careers.
After the introductions, Mr. Yannick shares how the company grew from its roots of the first client until its vast expansion of scope in the Asian region. He shares success stories from clients from various backgrounds and cultures; from Indonesia to the Philippines, their students have been nothing short of success and closer to their dreams. With their vast connections with international universities and coaches, they are able to secure good schools and scholarships for their students.
“We help our students become their professional selves” – Mr. Yannick Malo
The internship sets the tone at the start of your career. Our speaker emphasizes the role of the internship as the first impression of how we might be going about our life in the workplace. The basics are the 5Ps: Positivity, Professionalism, Presentability, Punctuality, and Politeness.
On Professionalism. In the online setup, the presentation of professionalism takes the form of your virtual presence—from emails to your camera setup. A neutral, well-lit background is recommended to convey an identity of respectability. This setup should include your appearance and even posture, along with a good camera angle. Mr. Yannick adds, “You will get tired. You will get sleepy. You need to fight this; don’t let it show…People are evaluating you by the way you act.”
On Presentability. Dress appropriately. Mirror your colleagues and seniors. Presentability also goes in harmony with professionalism. Fortunately, working from home allows us to keep fresh and groomed throughout the day—as long as we do so consciously, of course.
On Punctuality. This is one of the most fundamental virtues taught and highly valued in the workplace. It simply shows how you respect one another and put a value on their time. Mr. Yannick recommends always arriving a bit before your scheduled “on-time”. It might be for an interview, for a meeting, or simply your work schedule. Having to wait for a tardy colleague, even for a minute or two, creates a bit of uneasiness and chips bits off from your image of professionalism. Lik Hock Yap Ivan, an online motivational speaker says, “If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late.”
On Politeness. As per the golden rule’s logic, you can gain respect by respecting the people you interact with. Thus, being defined as both respectfulness and courtesy, politeness can only guarantee to grant you the same stature as those you are polite to. In the online setup, however, this might be hard to exhibit. Thus, Mr. Yannick recommends being careful in written communication in the online environment. “Use the appropriate tone and explain things clearly, and transparently.”
On Positivity. Mr. Yannick emphasizes all the other Ps around this singular trait—Positivity. The energy and dynamic enthusiasm positively appeal to your co-workers and workplace. A positive outlook gives an advantage to you, your career, and your environment.
Next, the speaker discusses attention to detail as an employee. In a nutshell, starting your career should not be done in a rush. Efficiency, as well as effectiveness, takes time and effort. While there is an emphasis on producing work output of excellent quality in an acceptable time frame, there has to be a balance in your motivation and drive. Mr. Yannick outlines three points in fulfilling a client’s wants:
- Let go of a desire for unattainable perfection
- Focus on getting the essentials right
- Present your work in an organized, aesthetically pleasing way
These three points serve as your guide and threshold when creating an output or finishing a task for your future client or supervisor. “Before you do it quickly, you need to do it well!” Mr. Yannick says as he concludes the segment.
He then continues to his next point on the importance of willingness, critical thinking, and communication. These are skills honed during our years in college; an internship is the best place to apply them. Clarify, discuss with your peers and bosses, and put on your thinking cap. These greatly help with how you are able to approach problems and tasks and work on them together with your colleagues. It is essential that you come up with solutions or know how to approach problems. Problem solving is a valued skill, most especially in your specific industries. Be both active and proactive, be transparent, and do not be afraid to ask questions (as long as you listened beforehand). Along with these, humbly accept constructive feedback and use it to grow.
Mr. Yannick also recommends using tools that help us be sharp and organized. Calendars, to-do lists, and strict time management are must-haves. The online classroom systems have started to introduce and familiarize us with these tools; try to use them in your daily life. These help you stay grounded, organized, and in tune with your work and activities.
Another item to keep in mind at the workplace is your relationships. While relationships with clients are essential, building your relationships with your colleagues is also worth the attention. Showing genuine interest and being an active listener do wonders in building workplace relationships. It keeps the mood upbeat and encouraging for everyone. Keeping positive and building your career network creates your brand and credibility as a career person.
After sharing these gems of knowledge as a youth starting their career, Mr. Yannick introduces their program at AddedEducation: the Young Talent Program. This is essentially an internship for students that gives them the work hours and mentors them to become well-rounded professionals. From specialized internship placements, AddedEducation provides the opportunity for students to transition as actual employed Research Analysts under their company. Currently, these are the internship specializations that they offer: Counseling Management (Client Servicing), Sales (Client Acquisition & Research), Marketing (Social Media & Digital Marketing), and HR Management, and Operations. Thus, aspiring interns can ask and specialize in projects they are interested in.
After Mr. Yannick, two current interns share their experiences with AddedEducation: Austin Veloso and Redd Santos.
Austin Veloso, a Senior student, previous Enderun Ambassador, and current Research Analyst intern at AddedEducation, starts the testimonials segment. Along with his internship in the company, he is also working on his basketball career in Hong Kong. He started his Internship 1 in the company with training in various departments from Client Acquisition to Delivery. Even as an intern, he is given the opportunity to work equal hours as their employed research analysts. He shares his comfortable work environment with assistance from the company and a specialized buddy system for new employees.
Another BSBA-MM Senior student who was absorbed as a Research Analyst in AddedEducation after his Internship 2 in the company, Redd Santos finishes the testimonials segment. Rooting from his passion for sports, he reached out to AddedEducation for his second internship. He especially mentioned his appreciation for their On-Boarding Training, which helped them feel welcome and immediately fit in the company. “They taught me about Google Calendar, which is basically my life now.”, he enthuses. After officially working with AddedEducation and directly interacting with their clients, he was able to recognize the value and hope that they are able to bring to their clients. He finishes, “I definitely encourage everyone here if you are passionate not only about sports but also about helping families achieve their dreams.” The program finished with a Q&A from the audience. Here are the critical points:
Q1: How to prove yourself in an online-setting internship?
Austin: Being proactive. Make sure you do your job and be proactive.
Redd: The little things that show your passion for the job. An extra minute done in research, pointing out tiny powerpoint errors that no one notices. Little things that show how much you care.
Mr. Yannick: Showing that you have a desire for quality work. The Ps that I mentioned earlier, especially because we are in a WFH setting.
Q2: Given the online setting, how do we maximize our internship experience?
Austin: Being transparent with what you are good at and allocating your strengths properly.
Redd: Always being open to more work and expressing my field of interest.
Mr. Yannick: Communicate with everyone and have everyone contribute to the common good of the company. Have proper avenues to vent and discuss.
Q3: Would going on an unpaid internship lower my value at the start of my career?
Mr. Yannick: Yes and no. If you are a graduate, expect to be compensated for your work. If you are in school, there might be stipends and allowances, but do not expect much. Although, there might be instances where an employer might see a fresh graduate with not much skill but with potential. They might hire them as an intern initially.
Thanks to the Office of Career Services for the event and Mr. Yannick Malo of AddedEducation, intern-bound Titans can now start thinking and preparing for their kickstart of careers. For further assistance in your internship journey, you can book a consultation with the OCS through their Facebook page or email them through careerservices@enderuncolleges.com. Check out INK’s recent articles, Internships FAQ Part 1 and 2, for more practical advice on starting your internship journey.
