How I Learned to Appreciate Working Life in KL (Part II)

Having a huge and critical task at hand, I had no room for error. I had organized many events in the university before, so I had some experience going into the project. But I had never created nor designed digital content before and that was the major requirement for the exhibition. I had to learn right on the spot while ensuring that I was making progress in executing my other tasks each day. I had a good understanding of Photoshop, but I was terrible at drawing and design.  

In order to motivate myself and report the progress of my work, I set up weekly progress presentations with my two supervisors. We would normally have our meetings every Tuesday and I would present the latest designs and write-ups for their review and feedback. I would note down all the tasks I performed each day in my diary. I honestly wanted an outstanding employee evaluation and I didn’t want to let my supervisors and the company down. I was determined to do my best.

I started off with the company artwork which took one week to complete. I had managed to produce multiple designs and submitted them for review. Once the design was finalized and approved, I had emailed it to the person in charge and as luck would have it, the artwork was featured in Page 29, No. 3, October-December 2020 Issue of Asia Palm Oil Magazine by FBI Publications! This was considerably one of my proudest achievements. I had very little clue going into this project but that is the case in every work environment. There will always be a huge opportunity to learn.

With the confidence gained from my artwork, I moved on to booth design customizations and this was the hardest part of the project. I had to create the company header, banners, standing displays, and poster and as any intern should, I created alternatives for each design for my supervisors to choose. The booth design took seven weeks to finalize and at the end of it, I had accepted the entire company’s feedback on how they want the booth to look and designed accordingly. Our company’s booth was completely different from other exhibitionists and this became one of my proudest accomplishments as well.

Another interesting part of the exhibition was the product shooting videos. I have no experience in shooting and editing videos, so I suggested hire a professional videographer. I had reached out to four different videography agencies and emailed them back and forth on the details of our video project. Along with my supervisor, I had the opportunity to create a video concept, story board, and a script. It definitely was a whole new thing than I was exposed to in university. Even though I had the chance to apply what I had been taught in university, I was presented with a lot of opportunities to learn new soft skills. Soft skills can’t be learnt without practice and they are extremely essential to succeed in the workplace.

I had commuted to and from work every day for the first six weeks of my internship. My anxiety was always with me – even when I was doing well in the company. A few of my friends would occasionally meet up with me for dinner at Bukit Bintang or Masjid Jamek. Being with people close to me really took my mind off my feelings. I had gotten my first month’s salary in the fifth week and I recall buying dinner with my very own salary for the first time. There was a KFC in KL Sentral which I ate frequently during my internship. I shared my meal with a stray cat who wouldn’t leave my side. It genuinely was a moment of realizing how far I’ve come and how far I could go. I definitely gave myself a need pat on the back that day. On the seventh week, I had begun work from home as the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) was enforced. It was tougher working from home and I always worked overtime. I was constantly exposed to my work and I found it hard to turn away. My working hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM but I would work until 7 PM or 8 PM (and once even until midnight). I made it a priority to message my supervisor on the tasks I was undertaking each day at 9 AM straight and email a report at the end of the day to update them on my progress. I wanted to display discipline in my work ethic and it felt wonderful hearing my supervisors’ acknowledge it at the end of my internship period.

It was exhausting travelling to work each day but as I worked from home, I missed my commute to and from work. Every morning and evening I would be with the same tired faces riding the train. The evening train back to KL Sentral was always empty and I sat in the same spot next to the window. I would enjoy my train rides back home while scrolling through TikTok, watching true crime YouTube videos (I like to spook myself), or reading novels. Occasionally, I would glance up and take a look around as more people started to pour in. Over time, their faces became familiar. Even though they all looked different, one expression painted on all their faces was exhaustion. They were exhausted just like me or even more. I had no idea how long they’ve been working, where they worked or how far their home is. I thought working for three months was tough but they could be facing this routine for three years or more. I started to sympathize with those people I met on the ride and imagined what it must feel like to be in their shoes. I don’t think I could put up with years of commuting to and from work from a home so far away. The monotony and brutality of the routine would be the death of me. It was amazing to witness hard people have to work to sustain themselves and their families. When I recounted this story to my lecturer, she said this was KL working life. It was amazing and painful all at once to witness and appreciate KL’s working life.

The three-day exhibition was launched on 24^th November 2020 and I was assigned the duty of coordinating all event-related activities. Since the event was organized virtually, I was able to invite my lecturers to attend the event. It was very encouraging to see the support of my lecturers. In fact, I owe it to them for helping me get through my internship. They were aware that I was facing issues concerning my mental health and checked up on me occasionally to wish me well. I honestly very thankful to God for placing such people in my life. The exhibition was completed successfully and I was able to pass the visitor’s report to my supervisors for networking. My last day of internship was on the 30th of November and I had made it a priority to return to the office to bid my supervisors farewell. I had arranged a meeting to give a creative presentation on my marketing strategies for the company while passing on my newsletter designs for their automated ball valve, bellow sealed globe valve, and spring-loaded high-performance safety valve. I also had a debriefing on our virtual exhibition and offered my recommendations to the company.

It was truly heart-warming to hear that I had made a positive impact on the company and my supervisors were proud of me. I look at their evaluation of me for comfort and a boost when I needed it. It filled me with so much joy that somebody appreciated my efforts. I still keep in touch with my supervisors as they were kind people who contributed so much to my growth and self-esteem. The journey walk back to the station was the most satisfying walk ever – even though I was rushing to catch the KTM. It was kind of sad to move on from this part of my journey but I consoled myself that I had performed well and achieved what I thought was impossible when I started out three months ago. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank my friend for helping me secure my internship, my family and lecturers for their love and support.