The route to self-discovery at 319
written by Harmeet Kaur
Before joining Bold at Work, I never really considered joining a social enterprise for my internship as my main goal was air stewarding. I had wanted to take the opportunity, while young to travel the world and explore new things. But when Covid hit, everything changed. All the mental preparation and knowledge of how to get into a stewarding job were now non-existent.
By nature I was not one to let emotions control me and so instead of letting anxiety creep in, I knew I had to find a plan that would allow me to gather enough experience for the working world before I graduated from Republic Polytechnic. Realising that time was not on my side and that I was only left with just one semester basically guided me to the option of putting myself into an internship. The hope was that there would be guidance from thereon.
The Start of My Bold Journey
It started with an application with Bold at Work through the Youth Corps Internship Scheme. Not long after I was contacted by Ruoyi about my interest in joining them for a role that was related to my course- events management. This was despite the fact that the role I had originally applied for was pertaining to digital media.
I was asked about the things that I hoped to get out of the internship. This took me by surprise. In my mind, I have always had the perception that companies cared more about what you had to offer and not what you had wanted to explore. As such, this gave me a glimpse of the Bold at Work’s culture. Perhaps one that prioritises the growth of everyone.
Besides the fact that it was one of the few options left that was still closely related to my course, I knew this was a workplace I could envisage myself fitting in and possibly learn from.
ZOOM engagements with Bold At Work - 100 year life e-conference
The High-Points
I was not only able to participate in events and programmes that helped others to learn what it meant to be Bold At Work but was also able to discover it myself. Through the 100-year-life conference which was one of the first events I participated in, I had the opportunity to be immersed in the stories and experiences of others which made me more motivated to start reframing how I saw my life. I started first by viewing my life from a longer-term perspective and observing the shifts in my own perspectives.
“If you are unhappy, do something about it, do not just complain and stay in that position.”
This particular quote in the story that Jacky shared during the 100 year-life video, showed the persistence she had in working towards what she wanted. This made me determined to start playing a more active role in planning for the possible transitions to come.
Another key highlight of my internship journey was the opportunity to attend the Design Your Life workshop- a Bold At Work career discovery signature. This process gave me greater clarity about what I wanted to achieve in life for my future. We went through facilitated conversations with like-minded individuals who were open to sharing their experiences and transitions they had made in life. We also explored the different tools that we could apply to our lives especially when it comes to making key decisions.
Me during a values sorting exercise at the Design Your Life workshop
There was one particular tool- where we had to map our values and strengths. I had discovered stability was something I needed and that’s one of the things I hope to achieve in my career. Therefore, with this new knowledge, I was able to start my career discovery and that opened up options available to me.
It was then I contemplated either to pursue my studies or looked into options such as joining the army. Both options while different would provide me with the stability I was seeking for. With furthering my studies I would then have a paper qualification that would enable me to pivot away from events management. And with the option of joining the army, I would be part of a large structural where progression and growth were clear.
Onwards to the Day to Day Happenings
It was not only the big moments but also the day to day happenings that have helped me hone my skills and provided me with confidence when it comes to decision making. For example, I tried bookkeeping, organising an event that I was passionate to explore, facilitation and many more. With these tasks, I was given the trust in making decisions that were critical in building my self-confidence.
Not everything was a bed of roses, it was also towards the end of my internship where I was given one of the most challenging task but it was also one of the most rewarding- Pazaar@319:JuraSEEK B.Bar.
Despite being schooled in a Diploma in Integrated Events Management, I had only been exposed to conceptualisation or partake in supporting the execution of someone else’s event. This was the first time I had to organise an event from start to end. It was hard as there was always a slew of continuous changes. However, at the end of the day, with support from the rest of the organisers, it was a successful event which made all the hard work worth it.
Being Bold At Work
My internship here was definitely more than what I had initially expected. It was a safe space for me to plan my next steps and was something I probably would not have experienced in larger companies. Bold At Work was not only the platform that enabled my self-discovery, it also boosted my boldness in tangible ways that made me less fearful of how I would now face my life in future. To summarise my experience with a quote, I would say that:
“Being Bold At Work means being able to seek the goals you want and achieve them.”