This is a fictional account of an internship at DHL logistics in Kuwait. Taken from the perspective of a college junior, this essay explains the activities and experiences of the internship. Lessons learned are discussed at the end of the essay as it concludes by suggesting that internships are useful practices that can help students bring their education to life.
¶ … internship spent at DHL in Kuwait. This writing will describe some of the experiences that occurred that relate to my studies in financial matters. Included within this work is a list of recommendations to help improve the internship process. Many of the challenges will be presented and how I solved some of these issues. I will also discuss some areas of improvement for my own personal development that were discovered during this time. This essay will concluded with statement regarding my intentions of working for DHL in the future.
I began this internship on June 6th of this year and worked in that capacity until June 30th. As an financial studies intern, I was placed in the accounts receivable department to learn some of the financial systems DHL uses in their operations. My tasks included tracking down customers with outstanding balances and collecting payment. I often would speak on the phone to customers and occasionally communicate with email.
Another task I worked on while I was there was preparing financial statements. I had the opportunity to work besides some professional accountants actually putting into practice some of things I learned within school. I was surrounded by easy-going, professional people who really seemed to enjoy their work and didn't mind me making mistakes and asking many questions.
Most of the second half of my internship was spent with the marketing department. I learned a completely different aspect of the business and soon began to realize that a company as large as DHL is very complex and has many financial systems. The time spent with the marketing team was very useful as it opened my eyes to how people can be easily convinced into buying certain products and behaving in a particular way. The people in the marketing department were much more emotional and temperamental compared to the people I worked with in the finance department.
Challenges
Communication was sometimes a challenge during this internship. Many different languages are spoken at the facility and it could become a little confusing. I sometimes felt out of place also due to my age and status as a student. Some people were a little disrespectful at times but I expected a little hazing and mistreatment as some sort of rite of passage. The size and complexity of DHL is also a little overwhelming as well. I was also a little surprised at how many hours everyone worked at this location. Many of the work days seemed very long and tedious and it was sometimes difficult to maintain a high level of concentration of sustaining motivation.
What I Learned About Myself
I learned that I am very curious about financial systems but not necessarily in a corporate environment. I really enjoy working with numbers but not in a logistics industry. For me, I need to be very interested in the company itself and crunching numbers must have a greater purpose than just for practice. I really feel I can help an organization with my knowledge and ability to understand complex financial statements.
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