Writer: Marean Erika Ablaza, Syntactics Inc./WhatALife Intern, February – May 2022

Journeying for years, I encountered numerous experiences that made me realize there are always uncertainties, doubts, and fears that every person will have when they are about to face another chapter in life. However, that realization made me have the willingness to conquer all of those things slowly but surely.

Why did I choose Syntactics?

I always pictured Syntactics as a company that offers a remarkable experience that enables people to gain and equip themselves with commendable skills and knowledge. 

After hearing from one of my classmates that the company was looking for interns, I immediately became thrilled to apply and was one of those people who are convincing others to choose Syntactics to have their internship.

They always say not to waste a great opportunity in front of you, which is one of the reasons I eagerly applied for the position.

Reminiscing on my OJT experiences, I was grateful for the time, patience, discipline, and understanding provided by the team, alongside the gained opportunity and learnings.

How was your experience as an intern?

During my journey as an intern, I gained self-determination to improve myself and continue learning beyond what I must know. 

I had the position as a content writer, and as an IT student, it was challenging for me. However, the team I am under helped me adapt and manage the given tasks. They were approachable and willing to offer and give me tips alongside learnings that I can apply to make my job easier.

My internship experience was never easy, but I also realized that there is no easy path to being instantly good at what you are doing because the process always begins with struggles.

Through my hardships and failures, I learned how to be better because, as the saying goes, “You can never have success without failures.”

I encountered numerous mistakes throughout my 3-month experience and doubted myself and my capabilities because of those mistakes. However, in those months of experience, I also gained self-confidence and motivation to never give up just because of those failures.

A realization then hit me during those times that instead of doubting myself, I must shift my focus and priority to self-improvement.

What are your most memorable memories as an intern?

One of the most memorable memories as an intern is gaining experience alongside creating a bond with my fellow interns and employees in the company.

They were so understanding and welcoming, especially when I had the opportunity to visit the company and work with its employees in a non-virtual environment. I witnessed how they work and how everyone is working with each other.

What was the hardest part of being an intern?

The pandemic affected our learning environment worldwide. For years, we were used to passing activities with days of intervals, and because of that, as I was starting my journey as an intern, I struggled to meet deadlines on the same day. 

I struggled to articulate my thoughts and ideas, which made me consume a lot of time during the first few weeks.

In addition, it also took me weeks to adjust and learn some techniques to improve my capability when it comes to gaining ideas and information to write an article that meets the given standards.

Despite the hardships I have gone through as an intern, I can say that I learned and experienced numerous things that made me who I am today with more knowledge in me.

What are your life hacks for interns?

One of the life hacks I learned during my internship experience is to continue learning and be updated because life will never stop teaching us. We must focus on equipping ourselves with the knowledge to lead us to success.

Moreover, we have to learn the importance of building a connection with other people because having a healthy working environment is a great way to start.

In addition, we need to understand and accept that there will be times when we will encounter failure and hardships. However, we must not be afraid to commit mistakes or fail as it is a part of our learning process during our training.

Lastly, we need to invest our time in mastering the designated tasks and assignments. Honing our skills and capabilities during the process must be our top priority because this will make our day productive.

Even though my OJT experience was only virtual, Syntactics never failed to give me the best experience and learnings. I will always be thankful for the superb months that I worked as an intern. Thank you for believing in me and pushing me to be a better version of myself. I also want to express my gratitude to Syntactics and the people behind this fruitful journey of mine. – WhatALife! / Marean Erika Ablaza

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Also read: An experience I’ll never forget by Hannah Pactores