By Kelly Xu

I’m someone who’s spent her entire life searching for answers, and this summer I was able to find some of them. Throughout my time as a student, I’d find myself constantly asking: why am I learning this? Would I ever be able to use this in the real world?

When I entered university and had to select a major, I found myself questioning: am I studying the right program? Am I giving up my passions and hobbies for financial stability? Will I ever be able to find a job that I enjoy? A lot of my doubts arose from the fact that I enjoyed art and creating, but was unable to see a financially stable career in these areas.

This summer I interned in Challenge Factory’s marketing department. During this three-month period, I gained work experience, learned how to apply school theory in real-world situations, and picked up more time-management skills than I would ever need. I also gained interpersonal skills and learned to use countless different new programs like MailChimp and Hootsuite.

But more important than even the skills I learned was Challenge Factory’s future-focused perspective on career direction and development, making it the perfect place for an internship. I’d always been very unsure about the career direction that I want to head down, but Challenge Factory’s forward thinking, career direction course dedicated to interns was able to guide direction and provide me with new insights in evaluating the future of work. I gained more understanding about myself—my personality traits, behaviours, skill set, motivators, and passions—than I had in my entire university career thus far.

I believe that my newly developed internal realizations and external knowledge will provide me with a better start for the future. For example, I now have a better understanding of how to integrate art with business, other than just starting an art business. Currently, I’m researching consulting and advertising with a creative and marketing lens, as well as other possibilities.

There’s still so much more to learn!