FIONA ASOKACITTA, 17
Here's a short testimony from Fiona Asokacitta, a student from Sekolah Pelita Harapan, who participated in The Pathway Project's winter program 2015. She interned at LAISON, an Indonesian fashion retailer. Read on to learn more about her experience!
I interned at LAISON for around a week due to time constraints during the December holiday. Even though it only lasted for a brief period of time, I still managed to gain new insights as to how a start up company manages their affairs. I was in charge of marketing, which meant I had to research new locations for the store, potential trade fairs and when the optimum time to promote on social media was.
The thing I learned most from LAISON is how difficult it could be to stay afloat especially as a small business. As an IB student I was able to tackle various challenges and unfamiliar tasks such as reviewing a contract and outlining problems with it. The job alternated between menial tasks and challenging, time-consuming ones but overall I don't regret the experience at all.
Pathway Project enabled me to find an internship especially with the unique time frame I have to be in one. Many companies do not seek highschool student interns so this has been an excellent way for me to get connections.
I interned at LAISON for around a week due to time constraints during the December holiday. Even though it only lasted for a brief period of time, I still managed to gain new insights as to how a start up company manages their affairs. I was in charge of marketing, which meant I had to research new locations for the store, potential trade fairs and when the optimum time to promote on social media was.
The thing I learned most from LAISON is how difficult it could be to stay afloat especially as a small business. As an IB student I was able to tackle various challenges and unfamiliar tasks such as reviewing a contract and outlining problems with it. The job alternated between menial tasks and challenging, time-consuming ones but overall I don't regret the experience at all.
Pathway Project enabled me to find an internship especially with the unique time frame I have to be in one. Many companies do not seek highschool student interns so this has been an excellent way for me to get connections.
SELLY DJAP, 17
Here's a short testimony from Selly Djap, a student from Sekolah Pelita Harapan, who participated in The Pathway Project's summer program 2015. She interned Project RTW, a Jakarta based online fashion retailer. Read on to learn more about her experience!
I interned in Project RTW for 3 weeks. The internship was very meaningful to me because I did a lot of things. Some of the major things I did were graphic designing, learning new Photoshop skills to make banners, and editing their products before it’s uploaded on the website.
Initially, I tried finding internships myself but it was so hard. No companies got back to me, and it was frustrating. However, once I found out about The Pathway Project, I was able to find an internship in a field I enjoyed, which is fashion design. I am very satisfied with my internship experience. This internship made me more sure about majoring in fashion design.
I interned in Project RTW for 3 weeks. The internship was very meaningful to me because I did a lot of things. Some of the major things I did were graphic designing, learning new Photoshop skills to make banners, and editing their products before it’s uploaded on the website.
Initially, I tried finding internships myself but it was so hard. No companies got back to me, and it was frustrating. However, once I found out about The Pathway Project, I was able to find an internship in a field I enjoyed, which is fashion design. I am very satisfied with my internship experience. This internship made me more sure about majoring in fashion design.
JAE WON, 18
Here's a short testimony from Jae Won, a student from Global Jaya School, who participated in The Pathway Project's summer program 2015. She interned Zakuna, an innovative application development company, for 6 weeks (June-August). Read on to learn more about her experience!
This summer, I did an internship that was provided by The Pathway Project from June until August in Zakuna. My job was to do market research and telemarketing. I can say that this experience is helpful in many respects. It was a practical experience in which I learnt how to do market research and telemarketing. By learning and doing telemarketing, it tested my ability to promote the product and improve my communication skills. It wasn’t an easy job to do but it was very challenging and I learnt so many things that I could not learn from school.
This summer, I did an internship that was provided by The Pathway Project from June until August in Zakuna. My job was to do market research and telemarketing. I can say that this experience is helpful in many respects. It was a practical experience in which I learnt how to do market research and telemarketing. By learning and doing telemarketing, it tested my ability to promote the product and improve my communication skills. It wasn’t an easy job to do but it was very challenging and I learnt so many things that I could not learn from school.
MARCO JANIO, 17
Here's a short testimony from Marco Janio, a student from Sekolah Pelita Harapan who participated in The Pathway Project's pilot program in June 2014. He interned at Bornevia, a customer service software start-up in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he worked alongside Bornevia founder, Benny Tjia for 6 weeks (July-August). Read on to learn more about his experience!
I had been looking for internships in Jakarta for quite a while, and I initially thought the fact that I was in high school would be a selling point. However, things did not go as expected and finding an internship as a high school student was very difficult for me. Some students have the advantage of interning in their families' companies, but unfortunately, that opportunity doesn't come to everyone. I attempted to apply to two different companies and was rejected on similar grounds.
First of all, they did not know what job to give to an intern who is merely a high school student. Secondly, there was the added dilemma of time. Since I am a high school student, I only have time to commit to an internship between early June and early August as I still have to attend school. Unfortunately, these companies saw that a mere two month internship would not be enough time or me to benefit their company in any significant way. Finally, although they did not explicitly state it, it was obvious that they were underestimating my credentials and qualifications simply because of my stats us as a high school student. They believe that I lack experience, which to me, comes as rather ironic because that is the sole reason behind my decision to apply for an internship. I do not require or request a salary; I applied for the experience. The fact that I was rejected for my lack of experience epitomizes the vicious paradox that many high school students experience today. There was no escape. Or so I thought.
I came to The Pathway Project and submitted an application, along with my resume detailing my involvements and other academic achievements. Within less than a month, they were able to connect me with a company that matched my interests: Bornevia. I was interviewed and ultimately accepted as an intern at the start-up company.
I was the company's first high school intern and though my boss was initially hesitant in hiring me considering my lack of experience, I eventually became part of the team. Originally, I was entrusted with much simpler tasks such as arranging databases and updating company statistics. However, my boss soon realized that I was capable of much more in spite of my young age. My boss spent one week teaching me about the different types of marketing, as well as how to interact directly with clients which I mastered rapidly. I was even able to design an email campaign for the company, which looked highly professional.
I was also entrusted with all company social media accounts and became responsible for all inbound marketing activities. I was put in charge of Bornevia's Twitter, Quora and Facebook accounts and was able to publicize quality content which actually managed to significantly increase the traffic to the Bornevia website. My boss also sent me to several start-up events during which I was able to demonstrate my interpersonal skills and represent Bornevia well.
I am proud of that internship for several reasons. It taught me so much and helped me mature by giving me an idea of what the real world is like. Moreover, I made a great contribution. The CEO admitted he was impressed with the quality of work a high school intern could do which was flattering. Finally, it got me my first paycheck, which mean a lot to me as it exemplifies my process of growing up.
I was assigned a fair amount of work, but it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle - I am an IB student after all. I might not have much prior knowledge but through some guidance and assistance, I can be just as productive as any other intern. I was able to do my work well and truly enjoyed the experience. I would like to express sincere gratitude to The Pathway Project because without them, I believe it would be near-impossible for me to obtain an experience like this.
I had been looking for internships in Jakarta for quite a while, and I initially thought the fact that I was in high school would be a selling point. However, things did not go as expected and finding an internship as a high school student was very difficult for me. Some students have the advantage of interning in their families' companies, but unfortunately, that opportunity doesn't come to everyone. I attempted to apply to two different companies and was rejected on similar grounds.
First of all, they did not know what job to give to an intern who is merely a high school student. Secondly, there was the added dilemma of time. Since I am a high school student, I only have time to commit to an internship between early June and early August as I still have to attend school. Unfortunately, these companies saw that a mere two month internship would not be enough time or me to benefit their company in any significant way. Finally, although they did not explicitly state it, it was obvious that they were underestimating my credentials and qualifications simply because of my stats us as a high school student. They believe that I lack experience, which to me, comes as rather ironic because that is the sole reason behind my decision to apply for an internship. I do not require or request a salary; I applied for the experience. The fact that I was rejected for my lack of experience epitomizes the vicious paradox that many high school students experience today. There was no escape. Or so I thought.
I came to The Pathway Project and submitted an application, along with my resume detailing my involvements and other academic achievements. Within less than a month, they were able to connect me with a company that matched my interests: Bornevia. I was interviewed and ultimately accepted as an intern at the start-up company.
I was the company's first high school intern and though my boss was initially hesitant in hiring me considering my lack of experience, I eventually became part of the team. Originally, I was entrusted with much simpler tasks such as arranging databases and updating company statistics. However, my boss soon realized that I was capable of much more in spite of my young age. My boss spent one week teaching me about the different types of marketing, as well as how to interact directly with clients which I mastered rapidly. I was even able to design an email campaign for the company, which looked highly professional.
I was also entrusted with all company social media accounts and became responsible for all inbound marketing activities. I was put in charge of Bornevia's Twitter, Quora and Facebook accounts and was able to publicize quality content which actually managed to significantly increase the traffic to the Bornevia website. My boss also sent me to several start-up events during which I was able to demonstrate my interpersonal skills and represent Bornevia well.
I am proud of that internship for several reasons. It taught me so much and helped me mature by giving me an idea of what the real world is like. Moreover, I made a great contribution. The CEO admitted he was impressed with the quality of work a high school intern could do which was flattering. Finally, it got me my first paycheck, which mean a lot to me as it exemplifies my process of growing up.
I was assigned a fair amount of work, but it wasn't anything that I couldn't handle - I am an IB student after all. I might not have much prior knowledge but through some guidance and assistance, I can be just as productive as any other intern. I was able to do my work well and truly enjoyed the experience. I would like to express sincere gratitude to The Pathway Project because without them, I believe it would be near-impossible for me to obtain an experience like this.
Momar diop
Here's a short testimony from Momar Diop, a student from Jakarta Intercultural School who participated in The Pathway Project's summer program 2018. He interned at Wonderbook and Elite Star Admissions that lasted about a week long. Read on to learn more about his experience!
I had a great experience with The Pathway Project. They offered so many internship options, which is why it was so difficult to just choose one, however because of the Pathway Project I had a great experience. Though the internship was only a week long, it gave me experience that will last a lifetime.
I interned with Wonderbook and Elitestar Admissions, and there we helped build marketing plans and learned how to become an entrepreneur. We not only studied how to start up a business but also how to maintain and improve it as well. When working with Elitestar Admissions, I got to practice college essays and learn more about colleges which was very helpful since I will be applying to university very soon.
What I enjoyed about the internship was that we actually got to do hands-on work, and they took all of our suggestions into consideration, even though we were a bunch of high schoolers.
I want to thank The Pathway Project for all they've done for me, so thanks Pathway Project.
I had a great experience with The Pathway Project. They offered so many internship options, which is why it was so difficult to just choose one, however because of the Pathway Project I had a great experience. Though the internship was only a week long, it gave me experience that will last a lifetime.
I interned with Wonderbook and Elitestar Admissions, and there we helped build marketing plans and learned how to become an entrepreneur. We not only studied how to start up a business but also how to maintain and improve it as well. When working with Elitestar Admissions, I got to practice college essays and learn more about colleges which was very helpful since I will be applying to university very soon.
What I enjoyed about the internship was that we actually got to do hands-on work, and they took all of our suggestions into consideration, even though we were a bunch of high schoolers.
I want to thank The Pathway Project for all they've done for me, so thanks Pathway Project.
ervinna Tantri
Here's a short testimony from Ervinna Tantri, a student from Sekolah Pelita Bangsa, who participated in The Pathway Project's summer program 2018. She interned at Lippo Group to create their official content in Instagram and LinkedIn. Read on to learn more about her experience!
As far as I am concerned, internship opportunities allow us to invest in ourselves by acquiring skills and experiences that would greatly affect our future career. Before I started my internship in Lippo Group, I managed to work in one of my parent’s company in order to know the real work condition. However, things were not going as I expected, the fact that I was in my parent’s company makes me more difficult to cooperate and being treated as an employee as it supposed to be.
Therefore, I attempted to send my CV to other companies, unfortunately, most of them are not willing to accept high school student as their intern. Since, they might be confuse of what job should be tackled to a merely high school student. Moreover, the only possible time that I could spend as a student is in summer holiday. Whereas, the working time in other’s companies will not be any longer flexible like in previous one, in which I can still managed to work only after school.
Overall, without the service Pathway Project provide, it was almost only a dream to me to work as a high school intern. I might not be able to gain this valuable experience working with Lippo Group to create their official content in Instagram and LinkedIn by benefiting Photoshop skills which literally I never use it in practical, and I also make a great connections with them which is incredible.
As far as I am concerned, internship opportunities allow us to invest in ourselves by acquiring skills and experiences that would greatly affect our future career. Before I started my internship in Lippo Group, I managed to work in one of my parent’s company in order to know the real work condition. However, things were not going as I expected, the fact that I was in my parent’s company makes me more difficult to cooperate and being treated as an employee as it supposed to be.
Therefore, I attempted to send my CV to other companies, unfortunately, most of them are not willing to accept high school student as their intern. Since, they might be confuse of what job should be tackled to a merely high school student. Moreover, the only possible time that I could spend as a student is in summer holiday. Whereas, the working time in other’s companies will not be any longer flexible like in previous one, in which I can still managed to work only after school.
Overall, without the service Pathway Project provide, it was almost only a dream to me to work as a high school intern. I might not be able to gain this valuable experience working with Lippo Group to create their official content in Instagram and LinkedIn by benefiting Photoshop skills which literally I never use it in practical, and I also make a great connections with them which is incredible.