I consider myself lucky, since there are people out there who take their time and review my overdecorated, made-for-graphic-designer résumé and a cover letter, and actually offered me a position in their organization. It was a good day when I got the email and I have to thank them for that. Thus, my journey as a white collar worker began.

Getting my hands on practical experiences, I reckon I could give some insights for young, idealistic and narcissistic bachelors out there. Yes, I was like you when I was younger, but at least hear me out. I'll try not to give a lecture, but rather share what I got as a friend and as someone who's on the same level as you. So, here's my story.

1. Each company has their own set of corporate culture and values, each with their own implementation. And no matter how silly it is, you just have to do it.

It might be a simple chants in the morning with some clapping combos, a solemn oath ended in prayers or a semi-hardcore yet radical motivating words that demands everyone to conform with the norm. Yes, sometimes it's silly, weird and make you feel "Whoa! No fancy hand movements, please!" But, give it a week or two and you'll pretty much the same like everyone else, and it actually feels pretty nice when you finally managed to do it perfectly after a while. 

By the way, culture and values are actually the company's way to help attain their goals. And if you carefully adjust your behavior in line with the values, it should help you reach your individual goals, and that leads to the attainment of the organisational goal as a whole. I'm not saying you must, but it just makes you feel belong with the organization. Besides, the clapping combo is actually a pretty neat thing to do since you stopped doing it in kindergarten.


2. And make sure that you know the company's profile before you start working for them. 


Internship is a good opportunity to find which job/company/industry/area suits you. I now work as an intern at a government body; and I have to say that, while it is a thoroughly wonderful experience, I don't wanna work for the government before I turn 40. Why? Because the bureaucratic and stiff working environment doesn't really match my happy-go-lucky personality.

It is always better to know where you're gonna work and what values they are holding. Because if you get into the wrong hands, you'll be forced to be their slaves for years. Doing things you don't necessarily like, in an environment that you don't necessarily enjoy. So, choose wisely!

3. People expect you to perform at certain standard, and sometimes standard is just not your forte. 

Honestly, it takes a lot of adjustments, even as an intern. You have your own pace and style of work. Some of you might burn yourself out and finish the damn job before lunch time, but some of you need one minute of extra rest for every minute that you're working. However, different companies has different performance index, and that means you too. Some of you might find the company a bit tough, but others may find that the rest of the workforce are just a bunch of sinecures. 

"But that's how the job is done around here," your supervisor argued. Until you get a higher position, you just have to suck it up. You can always give feedback, but unless your company is run based on performance management, it mostly doesn't get you anywhere. So, just be responsible and try to get the job done on time. And after all, you're just an intern.



4. You think you know Microsoft Office, and you list it as your personal qualities on your résumé and on your LinkedIn profile. But do you really? 




I'm not talking about some fancy effects on power point where the transition between slides always incorporates some pixie dusts and a dazzling sound effect. That doesn't make you cool anymore in front of your boss and peers. I'm talking about some hardcore level excel formula, formatting on words, even to the smallest scale possible like how to do a proper table of contents (and by this I mean you don't have to type all the dots manually).

So, next time you put down Microsoft Office as one of your 'expertise', you should already feel pretty confident with your skills.


5. Generational differences is such a pain in the neck!



There is a reason why they offer Business Communication course at Uni. And this is the right time to realize that the style and form of communication between age groups are different. Companies nowadays are filled with baby boomers, gen x and gen y; and this is why talking with your boss is so damn difficult sometimes, or why some companies are highly bureaucratic. You guys just communicate differently, value things differently and work on a completely different style. 

Remember that old teacher at your high school that has been teaching for like, I don't know, 30 years? Remember why you don't have a thing for his lectures? It's because you're from the Star Wars generation while they're from the Cretaceous period. Both of you use different style of words, flow and body language. So, next time you're having a conversation with someone way older than you, remember to think whether you're on the same page.


6. Good CVs and cover letter take you to places. 



There are heaps of examples online like on Behance and Pinterest. Grab one that fascinates you, install an Adobe Illustrator (from Torrent, of course) and edit accordingly. It shouldn't be that hard. Keep it simple. 2 pages are your limit. I work in HR and I have to tell you that they don't really read it, and no, they don't wanna know what kind of course you take when you were 8. Keep the information up-to-date, and anything below high school shouldn't be mentioned. I once mentioned that I won some Islamic debate quiz when I was 13 and people laughed. Lastly, only list down experiences that are significant to your professional development.

Many people thought grades don't matter anymore these days. Well, they do. At least on administrative level. People sort out good candidates from bad through grades and the prestige of the University. The latter doesn't really matter if you're a straight-A student. So, if you think getting a 'pass' mark is enough, think again. Even getting a job is getting harder these days, people.

Oh yeah, one thing about cover letter. If English is not your first language, make sure you get some grammar-Nazi (works best if he/she's taking English literature) friend to proof-read it for you. Make it balanced. Praise the company, but don't be superficial unless you wanna work for Smaug. Showcase your talent, then tell them your objectives and goals and that you're eager to learn more. And when you send the email, make sure to mention your University at the title. For example, I get faster response when I put "Internship - University of Melbourne", rather than "Internship - Reinaldy Baskoro". A good friend of mine told me that it works most of the time. Well, at least they took the time to read your email.



7. While some of you think that some subjects at Uni are not really applicable in the real world, they actually are. 



Yes, on the very basic level, they are. During my 'jaffy' days, I hate statistics so much I almost changed my major to African studies. However, the knowledge in world we know today are based on assumptions, and whether some things can significantly affect the others. And when one does, we say that it would happen on normal basis. It also applies in my field. Surveys and psychoanalytical researches rely heavily on correlation and regression, and knowing some basic statistics helps me to understand some hardcore-complexity-level researches done by McKinsey and Haygroup and PWC about my company. Well, at least I know the name of some mathematical symbols...

While you might think that other subjects are redundant as hell, it actually helps you to have a better understanding of the world we know today, thus making other, more detailed things seem a bit easier to digest. Some 'redundant' subjects also keep your brain on its peak level. History, for example, makes you better at remembering things, and maths just makes you better at logic. Believe me, someday you'll feel satisfied that you've taken one particular 'redundant' subject during your college year. Omg, did I sound like your parents just now?


8. And experience? They matter A LOT.



When you got heaps of experiences on your résumé, people assume that you are trained. And you better satisfy their expectations! Everything I learned in the classroom is more related to theories and strategies. I got heaps of literature to support my strategic plans for my upcoming project (Did I mention that companies use a lot of academic works, too?), but when it comes to implementation, your experience matter!

People-to-people relationship, what consumer really wants, example of previous work, task handling, even work ethics, it all comes down to how well you manage yourself and others. It's a completely different quality, that is theory and practice, strategy and implementation, courses and experiences. Make sure you got the two balanced and you'll be in safe hands.

9. Now, start being the cool kids and build your handful of networks!



Next time you're in a career expo. Don't just leave your CV like what everyone else does. Talk. Engage. Leave an impression. Get a name card. Send an email. Who knows where you'll end up in the next 6 months from now? And after your internship period, get referred! Maintain connection. You could link them to other people too. And like all professional would say, "It's not about who you knows, but who knows you!"


10. And finally, get ready for an internship!



It all depends on who employs you. Your job can be varied from making a cup of coffee, copying documents to making a thousand dollar worth of project by yourself. If you're lucky, you can get your hands on the 'serious' stuffs, and don't worry, most internship nowadays are like that. Prepare for the worst. It counts as a professional job, so do it professionally!

When you're stuck, your boss is always happy to help by leaving some breadcrumbs for you to follow, but you have to figure out the answers by yourself. Most bosses will accept almost everything that you give them since you're an intern, as long as it aligns with the company. They also need a new perspective so there are great chance that they will hear you out.


Don't worry it's a hell of a fun experience. You get to know stuffs you don't learn at school and how to actually do things properly. It's the time when you take your knowledge and apply it on real world situation. It's the time to gain experiences, to know does this kinda thing suits you, and to prepare yourself as a white collar, money-making, low-paying slaves of the future. But don't worry, even slaves can dream of changing the world, if they believe, said Disney.


So, I hope my post helps, and from the 8th floor of some random building in Jalan M.H. Thamrin, I wish you good luck!