Sofia Bergstrom

By: Sofia Bergstrom
Guest Columnist

“Sofia, you are going to write an op-ed.”

As I am processing these words in my head, my first immediate thought is to do a cartwheel.

Luckily, my senses quickly come back to me as I realize that acrobatics might be frowned upon in an American business setting. But what do I know – I am only an exchange student from Sweden.

Nonetheless, this is what happened to me the other day at my internship at Howard Consulting Group, a public relations and public affairs firm in downtown D.C. I got very excited when I realized that I was finally going to do something that my professor taught me in my public relations class at Northern Virginia Community College. Well, excited might be an understatement. I was close to doing a cartwheel in front of my supervisor for crying out loud.

I studied a mixture of journalism and PR courses at NOVA’s Alexandria campus last semester. This was my first experience of an American college and, I have to admit, I was expecting parties with red cups, fraternity warfare and a mean girls trio. (As I am writing this I realize that I have watched way too many American college movies.)

My prejudices and movie references aside, before I came to the US, I was certain that I wanted to intern at some newspaper. However, life can obviously take a drastic turn with an inspiring teacher and the discovery of new classes because, during my first semester at NOVA, I became passionate about the field of public relations and I began to wonder if that was perhaps my true calling.

Said and done: I edited my resume, wrote numerous cover letters, which I then sent to several PR firms in Washington., and here I am: an intern exploring the American business culture in the nation’s capital.

Besides writing editorials and wanting to do inappropriate acrobatic stunts, I have been trying to adapt to the American business culture whether it’s been learning the appropriate business attire, keeping up with the latest polls from the primaries in Florida or trying the hundreds of coffee flavors from Starbucks. The attire aspect highly disappointed me when I realized that I could not wear my rock t-shirts to work. They definitely don’t deserve to be hidden away in a closet.

My time at HCG has also reinforced my beliefs that practical experience is the key to personal growth and development. I have always been a firm believer that you learn by doing, which is one of the many reasons why I am an advocate for internships. There are a few things that school cannot possibly teach you no matter how talented your teacher is, no matter how good your textbooks are and no matter how new the computers in the library are. School assignments may help students improve their writing and analytical skills in all their glory, but they cannot fully prepare us for what is to come. Also, to know that your work and your hard efforts are useful to a real-life client, not just an example in a book, can really boost your self-esteem and pushes you to the next level.

But whenever you are on new and unfamiliar turf, no matter if you are an exchange student or a native, being “the new guy” means that you slowly but surely have to learn what’s appropriate and what’s not. And the best thing about being an intern is that you are allowed to make mistakes. (My supervisor might be of a different opinion, but that’s not the point.)

You might, and probably will, encounter some difficulties along the way, but the purpose of an internship is to learn and gain new knowledge and valuable skills. The bitter reality is that people often obtain this by making mistakes.

In addition, if you have done a good job at your internship, you will probably leave with positive letters of recommendation and connections in the industry. If that is not a great outcome of the intern experience, I do not know what is. That is what I strive for.

Though it hurts to admit it, I am almost salivating at the thought of the exciting work tasks that I have ahead of me this semester. Perhaps I am a complete nerd. Or perhaps it is a sign that I have ended up in the right place. At precisely the right time. Who knows? This might happen to you if you decide to take a leap into the workplace.

I have another confession to share with you readers before this column comes to an end: I do pinch myself sometimes to make sure that I am not dreaming. USA is not referred to as the land of opportunities for nothing. I have clearly taken my opportunity. The big question is: Have you taken yours?

By: Contributing Author

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