An internship is not just about sitting in front of an excel sheet or making presentations but also about giving you the practical exposure of working in an organisation. Before going for a roller coaster, there’s always some nervousness and anxiety about the ride, the same was going through my mind and also the thought of how the journey would roll out for me in the next 2 months.
The enthusiasm of spending my next two months in New Delhi and interning was crossing my mind every now and then. UN-Habitat, one of my dream organisations to work with was now my next destination for the next two months. With just a day left for my internship to start, I was ready to put my best foot forward.
I always wanted to work in the on-going Urban Schemes and Projects as they would help me to learn from the ground zero and guide me to analyse the present urban scenario of the country. Also, there was this excitement inside very similar to a child who is over and above thrilled before venturing for the first ride in an amusement park, and that the ride in my case was the beginning of my “Initial Work Life”!
I started my journey with enthusiasm by arriving on time. It was time to step out of my “comfort zone” and do something amazing. So the day started with the orientation and we were given a brief about the organisation, their work and the on-going projects. Moreover, we were given a brief idea about our work which was not just limited to one project but we were required to work on different projects and we had different roles throughout the internship. We were also introduced to our team members and all of them seemed to be great at their work. We got to know that there’s a lot to come in the coming days and we would get to learn a lot.
So the very first task assigned to us was to prepare a draft for the UN’s quarterly newsletter which comprised of news, articles, write-ups and initiatives carried on in India in different sectors like Urban Mobility, Sanitation, and Environment Sustainability, Mapping of Urban Stakeholder for Database. I was also assigned a task of analysing certain reports on potential innovation in urban planning, energy efficiency and transport. My work covered all the major prospects of the urban sectors which were the best thing about the internship.
Interning with UN-Habitats played a vital role in developing my urban knowledge and it increased my interest towards the urban sector. This two-month long journey of working with UN-Habitat made me realise the importance of responsibility and self-dependence. Along with my work, I stayed in a city which was completely new to me and it helped me to start believing in myself and my strengths and capabilities.
Lastly, I would say that the entire experience was like a dream come true for me. The kind different kind of experiences, the feelings of dejection and elation, and the opportunity to work with perhaps the best team and organisation I could have asked for. I learnt how conceptualization is a cakewalk compared to implementation, and that you cannot achieve much without patience and persistence. And most of all, there is no feeling like accomplishing something for which you have worked really hard.
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About the Author:
Manisha Choraria
XUMG
2017-2019