Gladys Dung- Participant of the Career Development Internship Programme (CDIP)

Placement Location: South Africa

The utmost important responsibility of my position was to provide the ground and related data on dolphins to the researcher, including the number of dolphins, the times they surface to breathe, the areas where they appear and the number of visitors and boats for dolphins watching/ tour.

This experience definitely helped to sharpen my core competencies. Working and living with people from all around the world who had different working styles and personalities, I understood that one’s passion for the job can affect the whole team and the working atmosphere. Therefore, it is palpable that being genuinely passionate about your job is one of the most significant things at work.

I have always been struggling to talk to others, from striking up a conversation to maintaining it, so being around volunteers who all were very talkative, was uncomfortable at first. However, all of them were so friendly that they would take the initiative to talk to you. This helped me to deal with the awkwardness of the situation.

Everything was enjoyable. Being in an environment that was so different from Hong Kong, it prompted me to stop and relax. I learnt a lot from people I was working and interacting with while doing what I enjoyed.  I think this is the most loveable aspect of the entire internship.

To prepare students for the globalized world, the Student Affairs Office (SAO) organizes Overseas internship programmes. Through placements in different countries, students gain exposure to the world beyond the educational sector and develop an open attitude towards cultural diversity. For more details, please visit here.