I was beyond excited when I received the internship offer from Kulkul.
Initially, I did not have high hopes. Besides being relatively inexperienced, I could only commit a short five weeks before returning to school. I doubted my ability to contribute much to the business.
That’s why I was extremely grateful that Kulkul saw potential in me and allowed me to work alongside the team.
A nurturing culture
Despite working remotely from a different country, the culture was nurturing. Everyone was supportive and strived to maximize my learning. The team was one of the reasons why I looked forward to learning new things.
Furthermore, my mentor was always there to provide additional resources, constructive feedback and clarify my doubts. I felt comfortable voicing my ideas and difficulties, facilitating better communication and smoother work and learning processes.
There was also a strong sense of trust within the team, with flexible time schedules as long as we completed our tasks. Thus, I had to practice self-discipline and set my own goals, which are skills essential in any industry.
However, I appreciated the creative freedom most. Kulkul was very open to new ideas, provided that I covered the basic branding guidelines. Thus, I was motivated to think outside the box and explore more ideas.
What I learned
I could choose what I wanted to learn – beyond my routine social media tasks. I chose UX design, which helped me explore more career interests beyond my current field of study. UX design was also something new for me.
While the project was a step out of my comfort zone, it ended up being the most enjoyable experience.
Additionally, I could experiment and discover what worked and what did not work. For example, I realized some theoretical assumptions did not work in certain situations. In those cases, I had to be more flexible and utilize my skills differently.
Overall, interning at Kulkul allowed me to apply my skills in practical settings. I learned things beyond the classroom, thus expanding my knowledge and perspectives.
To sum up, my winter internship experience with Kulkul was both fulfilling and impactful – and it was only made possible with the environment.
Written by: Shermine Ong