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I have come to realize that the work I do at my internship with la Asociación Gremial de Generadores de Chile is hardly the only aspect that I am learning from. Everything from the first job search to the new challenges that come up on a weekly bases in relation to the internship has been teaching me important lessons that are preparing me for future job opportunities. Various tasks, big and small, have taught me the importance of communication and willingness to dedicate time and effort for a better outcome.
Communication and dedication are the two skills I have improved the most throughout my work at this internship. The communication challenges I have had to face were often uncomfortable and even distressing, especially because of the language barrier. Interning for a Chilean company where everyone interacts using highly advanced Spanish with vocabulary that pertains directly to energy, electricity, business, and politics was incredibly intimidating, particularly in the beginning. I started the semester by working mostly with two people, the Director of Studies and the Environmental Advisor. Even while conversing with them, I often felt embarrassed to ask them to repeat themselves when I didn’t fully understand something. Eventually, I begin opening up to more people in the office, talking to them about none-work related topics at lunch, and I learned to build up my confidence. This lead me to worry less about the linguistic mistakes when I spoke and care more about getting my point across.
What I have come to love about working with Generadores de Chile above all else is that it continuously allows me to be a part of contemporary issues relating to energy. Being able to work with this organization means that I have access to information about the newest developments in the political and private sectors of the electricity system, not only within Chile but also at the international level. Nonetheless, I have also realized that it takes a lot of dedication to keep up with the latest happenings related to electricity developments and energy security.
With improved communication skills, I have better understood the significance of the work being done at my internship. While in classes, such as economics and political science, I often feel as though I am taught lessons that are not fully applicable to how things work in reality, at my internship I know that projects are directly related to current events. In school, I learn theories that explain only part of the full story. Moreover, I learn of concepts that are based on the past which often makes me feel like there is a disconnect between the topic and reality. I understand and appreciate what history has to teach, but I prefer if those lessons are balanced with realities based on more current situations. Generadores de Chile is the perfect bridge to this gap in regards to my research project about decarbonization.
