Internship in Energy Sector: The Learnings - Scholarship Essay Example

Internship paper Introduction This paper is about my internship experience between Aug 2006 and April 2007 with Wangdo in Baku, Azerbaijan. I have tried to list down a summary of the work that I did as part of my internship and the various activities that I performed during the course of my stay there. I have divided this paper into sections that list down the tasks and activities of my work and stay in Baku. Though these are by no means comprehensive, they cover most of the assignment that I did there. The paper is listed with sub-headings for each of the main activities that I did as part of my internship. As I list down the summary in each page, it is clear that my internship was an educative experience for me. Professionally as well as personally, it was worth the effort and what was involved was not just the internship part of it, but also the various other associations and friendships that I made as part of my internship. Though I cannot claim to have been a cultural ambassador of sorts, it was nonetheless an enjoyable experience for me to serve as the bridge between two countries. As would be evident from the paper, my internship had lots of extra curricular activities that enriched my stay in Baku. Added to that was the experience and thrill of visiting a foreign country and one that was not a popular tourist destination but was nestled away in the central republics of the erstwhile USSR. With this introduction, I start to describe what I did as part of my internship. Aims and Goals My internship experience was done with an objective to further my understanding of the energy sector and refine my knowledge learnt in college with real life experience. Towards this end I applied to many companies that were in the process of hiring interns. I specifically wanted to apply for companies that had an overseas presence as I felt that this was ideal for me to get a good grasp of what the industry was like abroad and how I could apply my learning’s from college to the internship. It was a two way process that needed facilitation from both ends. From my side, I had to do a good job of seeking out fresh ideas and perspectives and from the employer’s perspective; they had to ensure that my internship was beneficial to their business objectives. Thus, it was a win-win situation for all concerned, provided both sides stuck to the objectives of the internship. After I was placed as an intern, I drew up a course of action with the manager who I would report to during the course of my internship. We agreed on some goals and objectives that were to be reviewed periodically and marked for completion as well as implementation. In the course of the discussion, we came up with several additional items apart from what was stated in the internship job description. These included things like the cultural exchange program in which I was to play a prominent part. Further, the manager also wanted me to learn some software skills so that I could be of use in the up-gradation of their company’s website. Team To begin with, I was sent to Baku as part of a team of five people to undertake reconnaissance and set up an office there. This included doing market research of the country and how receptive it was to our products. Our product line included setting up pipelines and electricity transmission mechanisms that were much sought after by the local industries there. Azerbaijan is an up and coming country that was part of the erstwhile USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republic) and was one of the countries that had a promising oil and natural gas industry. This was one of the republics that after breaking away from the union were striving to develop its oil and natural gas industry. There were plenty of natural resources in the country and these were waiting to be explored and made use of. Thus, our company was into the infrastructural aspects of the economy and was a supplier of the various components and parts necessary for the oil and natural gas industry. In addition, we were also into laying the electricity transmission lines and providing infrastructure to the economy. Translation My work was as a cultural and technical representative with the company in Baku. I was a technical in-charge of the translation department and was responsible for the translation of the manuals between the two languages. I made extensive use of my linguistic skills that I learnt in college for this experience. I was an avid reader right from my school days and I used to pick up everything and anything and read the stories from end to end. This gave me a chance to explore the association of the local and the foreign influences of the work that was needed to be done. My reading habit came in handy during my internship and it was because of this that I was able to translate some of the manuals and the technical literature. This required good comprehension skills and an ability to be fluent in both the languages. To understand the nuances of the language better, I made it a point to speak with the local people in their language. Thus, I was able to notice some of the subtle differences that otherwise may have needed specialized language skills. I translated a book of poems into the local language and also a book into Korean. This was made possible because of the assistance of some of the local people whom we had employed in Baku. In addition, I had also taken on some of the work that was assigned to the other personnel which increased my familiarity with the language. The effort was worth it as the book on the poems came out well and good and was appreciated by all and sundry. We made several copies of the book for use by our offices in Baku as well as in Korea. Market Research One of my other activities was to do some market research for the company and check the feasibility of the products in the local economy. As mentioned above, our company specializes in pipeline and electricity works that includes laying them over the course of many miles. Thus, I did some market research that included surveys, interviews and opinion polls. I conducted a survey with the leading companies and their CEO’s and found out that they had a need for our products and indeed they were receptive to our sales pitch. We framed a questionnaire that took into account all the aspects of our products and sent them to the heads of these companies. From this, they could select the options that suited them the best and provide data to us. We then used this data to frame our sales strategies. I was also responsible for overseeing the materials and resources in the division. I had to ensure that we were making the optimal use of resources and our manpower was not getting wasted. The objective was to use the manpower and resources in such a way as to keep the business going without getting too many people from Korea and at the same time not compromising on the quality of services that we offered. By utilizing the demand for services, we were able to match our offerings with that of what the market wanted. One of the ways in which we could do this was to use the data from the market surveys and make a product map that served as a guide for our sales presentations. SEBA (Seoul – Baku) Azerbaijan Korea Cultural association Our company was associated with a non-commercial organization SEBA that promotes cultural exchanges between Azerbaijan and Korea. More than the trade and employment part of it, I served as a cultural ambassador to the various committees and ensured that there was a lively exchange of ideas and thoughts between the two countries. My experiences as a debater and editor during my college days made me receptive to different ideas. My experiences during the college days came in handy while organizing the various programs under this exchange program. I was able to take on the lead in this initiative and helped build bridges between the communities and the countries. As part of this exchange program, we had students from Korea visiting us and we also had some local people go over to Korea. The interactions between these exchange program students were lively and led to many friendships being formed. It was interesting to note the cultural differences as well as the similarities between the students of the two countries as they mingled with each other and exchanged notes. It was also interesting the way in which they bridged the cultural divide and sought out each other. There were a lot of cultural programs that were arranged for these students and I was in charge of the logistics for the same. This meant that I had to arrange accommodation and food for these students and this proved to be a major task in itself as the students from Korea had to make do with minimal facilities in Baku and thus there had to be a lot of adjusting and accommodation from both sides. I had to arrange for accommodation in a hotel for the cultural troupe who came from Korea and we also had to arrange for the accommodation of the people from Baku in Korea. As mentioned above, this was quite a challenge in terms of logistics and the like. I was in charge of all the tasks associated with arranging for the stay and further needs of the people from both the countries. There was a lot of give and take in this method and overall it was an enjoyable experience for everyone. There were lots of cultural programs between the two sides and they involved troupes of performers who performed from both countries. The cultural programs had a distinct flavor of cultural exchange and they comprised of movies and other means of exchange programs between the two countries. We had to arrange for sub-titling of the movies that were screened in Baku and we also had to arrange for the movies to be shown in the local audiences. This involved lots of ground work and other preparations that were to be made in advance for these programs. Some of the movies that were screened included some popular hits of the mainstream cinema as well as some offbeat ones from the local community. We had to arrange for screen projectors and a good audio system so that the screening of the movies could go on un-interrupted. There were also lots of movies that needed to be screened as part of the cultural exchange and included many of the yesteryear hits and the like. KOTRA Seminars There were a lot of seminars arranged for the benefit of our team as well as the local team members. We attended the seminars and reported on the proceedings. We were able to get some measure of what was happening in the world as part of the seminars. The seminars focused on the energy industry and the oil and natural gas industry in particular. There were also lots of presentations on the electricity industry with particular emphasis on pricing and other mechanisms for exchange. Thus, one of the key takeaways from the presentations was about knowledge of the industry and its workings. For an intern like me, the seminars were a good opportunity to expand my knowledge about the current happenings in the sector of my choice. These seminars not only gave me an opportunity to participate in the discussions on the scenarios of the future trends in the industry but also gave me an opportunity to report on the proceedings in a technical manner to a wider audience. I published some excerpts from the proceedings in a journal that was about the energy industry. Thus this was a good way of ensuring that I got coverage among my peers and colleagues who would otherwise not have heard about me. In many ways, it was an eye opener for me to learn about the various technologies and processes in place and ensured that I stayed up to date with the happenings in the industry. There were some discussions panels that elaborated on what was discussed in the seminar and I took part in some of these panels as a means of furthering my understanding of the industry. Added to what I learnt in college, this was important for me to fine tune my knowledge and also get some real world insights into the workings of the industry. The effort was worthwhile as there were several industry experts who participated in the proceedings and the deliberations of the same were discussed with all the people present in the seminar. I got a new perspective on the whole and these were duly reported in the journals in which I had published my findings. I also presented a paper myself related to my internship experience and the contents of the paper was much in keeping with the kind of work that I did as part of my internship. I drew on sources of information like periodicals and added my own experience to make the paper realistic and also relevant to the topic of the seminar. Website Using the technical skills in the area of programming, I also managed to upgrade the website of the company in English. This task took several weeks during which I consulted with the managers and the technical department on the kind of website that they needed and the provision for which was being done with my assistance. This involved providing a high level design and then adding the components of the same to the technical specifications so that a coherent and structured website could be put up. Liaison with Embassy I managed to translate several of the technical documents and other material for use by the Korean Embassy in Baku. These were specifications that needed to be produced for the use of the Embassy for marketing and related efforts. The Embassy needed these documents so that they could be included in the brochures that they were using as flyers in their interactions with local businesses. By making use of my computer skills, I could produce a glossy brochure that listed all the details about my company and the kind of products that they were making. The high point of my internship was the visit of the Azerbaijan president to Korea and this translated into building embassies on both sides. I am proud to say that this was something that gladdened me as I like to think that I played a part in furthering the relations between the two countries. Though as listed in the beginning, my internship was more of a technical nature, there were other aspects to it as well as the kind of cultural exchange that they fostered between the two countries. I had an opportunity to meet the Korean Ambassador and interact with him about the kind of work that I was doing and he was very appreciative of some of the work that we were doing in Baku. He invited our team over for an official reception at the Embassy that included a presentation by our team followed by an official dinner. Visit of the Azerbaijan president The president of Azerbaijan visited Korea and our company had a small part to play in organizing and arranging for his trip to Korea. There were many details that needed to be ironed out and we took care of some of these before he left for Korea. The visit and our company’s contribution was noted in the press and reported. The fact that several business deals were struck while the president was in Korea added to our satisfaction regarding our work. And our company benefited by being part of the business delegation and we got some deals as well. Learning’s The time that I had spent in Baku was one of the most memorable one in my life. There were enough indications from the beginning that pointed to the fact that this was going to be an experience to remember. The hospitable nature of the local people and the terrain was something that I would remember. Added to that, I got a real world experience of the energy industry that would help me to further my job prospects to a large extent. On top of these were the various activities that I undertook to foster a closer understanding between the two countries that led to a spirit of friendship and mutual give and take between the two countries. I also learnt to enjoy the local cuisine and adjust my culinary habits accordingly. There were several instances where I played host to the local team and let them know what kind of culture and environment that I grew up in. I also learnt from them about their country and thus there was a spirit of exchange and understanding. Administrative procedures I got acquainted with many of the administrative procedures like liaising with the Embassy to get the paperwork for the visa’s done and the like. There were also lots of things that needed to be ironed out that included arranging for logistics of transportation and procurement of material and resources. I also had to take care of the manpower part where I recruited staff for the company and completed the formalities for their stay and work in Baku. Personal life Though the nature of my personal life is beyond the scope of this internship paper, there were nonetheless very many instances where I had a good time with the locals and the friendships that I made in Baku. My personal experience has been that the people of Baku are very friendly and hospitable towards guests. Conclusion In conclusion, I will summarize my internship experiences as they have evolved over the course of the year that I spent in Baku. I have learnt a lot during my internship and I also gave back substantially to the company in terms of the work that I did for them. Over and above, there was lots of intermingling and exchange of ideas that took place over the course of the year. Apart from the technical part of my internship, we went out on week-ends to the nearby ranges where we spent the nights in tents and with camp fires and the like. There was much attention that was bestowed on us by the locals who were very friendly and helpful in their approach. On top of that, we were invited to their homes several times during the course of the year. This was in addition to the time that we spent together in the office and on expeditions. The other point about my internship was that I was paid well for my work and my boarding and lodging expenses were taken care of by the company. This added to my savings and provided me with a cushion or a buffer from which I can gain while I look for full time employment. Finally, I end my internship paper with the thought that exploring other countries and being part of cultural exchanges ought to be encouraged so that students like me from Korea have a chance to tour and see the world outside and engage in the international experience that is a facet of the globalized world. We cannot remain insulated and we should utilize every opportunity to further our understanding of the world that we live in. The is the most important of my learning from the internship. Read More