“I want a job which requires everyday travel,” I remember proclaiming before the college break.
But two weeks into my internship and I am still not used to the hours of travel on workdays. Between begging dad to drop me off when he has work to funding UAE’s public transportation on a regular basis, calling my schedule hectic would be an understatement.
Our internship agenda for the second week was going to different labour camps around the country and helping however we could. Two weeks down, and I am starting to think that my internship mentor holds a special grudge against me, because all of them are miles away from where I stay, and I am talking double-digit figures here. What’s more, there is always some walking in the scorching heat involved. So after half my energy is wasted just getting there, I have to sit through the remaining hours doing whatever I am assigned to do. For the travel involved, I had to use multiple means of transportation. Car, bus, bicycle and even the metro during some days. By the time it is over and I get back home, I just collapse on my bed and don’t get up till dinner is served.
My dad was disgusted with this situation and said, “What kind of an internship is this?” I wanted to reply, but I was already out cold.
So when I wasn’t in a deep slumber, I put some thought into his words. Yes, on paper, it looks torturous, but I believe facing and dealing with such problems will help one become a better work person. That’s what I like about internships like mine. Besides work, they offer something important to learn every day, turning the people involved into assets of the corporate world.
Satisfied with the thought, I stop regretting my pre-break statement. Right, then, back to work. Four more weeks to go.
Pranav Unnikrishnan
(Batch 2021)
