Maxine Marshall, Class of 2010 & 2012
U of U International Experience: Hinckley Global Internship in New Delhi, India
U Background: BA in English & Philosophy, 2010; MA in English 2012
Graduate School: Tsinghua University LL.M. in Chinese Politics & Foreign Policy, 2017
Current Position: Publishing Department at Harper Collins
My Story
Looking back on my time as an intern in New Delhi, one thing that stands out is how I was exposed to professional skills that I would not have have been otherwise. The obvious exposure to new cultures and communication styles was there, of course, but it was more than that. My internship with a non-profit exposed me to tasks like community outreach, public speaking, and proposal drafting. These are tasks that I wouldn't have encountered as an English student looking for a part-time job state-side. My learning abroad program expanded my understanding of what it takes to make an organization run and led me to consider the ways my skills as a writer might be applied in industries other than publishing, journalism, or academia. That realization made a huge difference for me in terms of the kinds of jobs of pursued after I returned home. I became excited about the possibility of working in other industries, rather than seeing a job in anything other than publishing as a failure. I have landed in the publishing industry now, but only after several wonderful years working in other industries, experiences that I see rooted in my internship in India.
When we arrived to our workplace in India, our responsibilities as interns were different than we had expected. We had a lot of down time, and were doing all kinds of administrative support tasks that didn't feel very exciting. Our time outside the office was wonderful--we were in India, after all! But our time at work was hard and slow and boring. We decided to speak to the supervisors about our concerns, but it took a few tries to get our message across. Our first casual attempts were met with reassurances that we would adjust and that things would pick up once we were more settled. Next, we wrote up something more formal, listing our individual skills (things like proofreading, writing, or graphic design) and proposing specific projects that we thought we could contribute to. Our efforts were appreciated and we were each given a few assignments that felt more challenging and more rewarding. But, we still had responsibility for some of the dry administrative work that we didn't love. Through this experience, I learned so much about how to communicate professionally--the value of putting things in writing, of being specific, of making plans. I also learned that work is sometimes work, and developed soft skills like patience and persistence. My attention was drawn to the necessity of some of the unfun tasks that are required in any organization. I don't think I would have learned this lesson at home in quite the same way: when you are abroad, you can't simply quit and look for something else and so I think you learn to adapt, problem solve, or to make do.