With zero internship experience, I ventured to apply for the ASEAN Foundation’s Internship Programme. ‘You’ll never know unless you try’ - this was the sentence I kept repeating in my head as I wrote my motivation letter, knowing what little chance I had of being selected. To my surprise, the HR team soon informed me that the ASEAN Foundation was keen to have me as a Communications Intern. I was over the moon!

As Communications Intern, I was entrusted to support the promotion of 5^th ASEAN Foundation Model ASEAN Meeting (AFMAM) 2019. I helped plan and produce social media contents for AFMAM. The most memorable task was when I was assigned as one of the moderators for AFMAM online discussion with the alumni. I never once thought that I would get such an opportunity, and I was thrilled and honored to get to experience it. With each task, I stepped a little further out of my comfort zone and gradually became more creative and productive in my work. Just when I thought I finally settled in, COVID-19 came and forced everyone to work from home. My remote internship was very challenging at first. Thanks to the guidance and mentorship given by the Communications Team, I managed to overcome it successfully.

Interning in the ASEAN Foundation encouraged me to be and do better. Throughout the journey, my hard and soft skills improved greatly, and I could see myself gaining a lot more confidence, knowledge and connection. All in all, I highly recommend doing an internship at the ASEAN Foundation, not only because of the apparent experience and skills you will gain, but also because of the rewarding nature of the work and the wonderful people you will meet along the way!