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Isaac Matiyenga
On Isaac’s last day at the Association for Culturally Appropriate Services, we interviewed Isaac after we held a highly successful seminar and workshop on “Social Media for Leaders in the Multicultural Community”, presented by Dr Violetta Wilk, Lecturer & Researcher in Social Media and Digital Marketing at Edicth Cowan University (ECU).
What Did You Expect To Achieve With This Internship?
I have always been interested to know how things are run in the formal business sector of Australia and one of the very few expectations I had was working with a wide group of individuals, understanding more about the tasks and skills needed in the workplace as an intern studying a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Management. Since I was yet to get exposure into the formal workplace, I was mostly keen to know about what I would learn rather than what I expected.
How Did You Find the Internship Experience at AfCAS?
Getting industry experience as an intern was part of my units in the beginning of the semester, I was in touch with one of the student coordinators from ECU who was extremely helpful in guiding me about the industries or businesses I am best suited for about my internship. She told me about AfCAS and set up an interview meeting with one of the directors. It was when I met Mary and Anne that I got to know more about AfCAS. By the end of our meeting, I was keen to be an intern with them.
What were your Learnings from the Internship?
One thing that got me keen to work at AfCAS was the complex side of things, I was not very sure of certain tasks and how they were done as I was assigned the role of an Administrative Assistant, but I accepted the challenge to learn and become more proficient at it. I learnt the importance of organisational skills about time management, efficiency in conducting tasks, asking questions when I was not sure and being more independent and assertive. I can safely say that each day I came into the office I learnt something new, and my supervisor provided valuable feedback that I will take with me in my career and my personal life.
What were Some Highlights of the Experience?
This experience for me was not just about learning a trade related to my career path but also getting better at communication and professional delivery, checking information for corrections and accuracy before use or distribution. I was happy to be involved with creating client data with the use of Microsoft Excel, using a merchant banking system for the first time was also a wonderful experience personally. The working arrangement was very flexible in case I had commitments or other things to attend but I was happy to maintain my weekly attendance. I was also highly impressed to about what AfCAS was doing in the community and the amount of work that is done in the behind the scenes is truly inspiring.
Any Other Comments?
One the most valuable lessons I took from working at AfCAS is that the spectrum of professionalism in business is much wider than many would think, and this has stuck with me since day one. I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to my supervisor Mary Gurgone, for hosting and supporting me throughout my intern experience. I would also like to thank Anne Butorac for the support and input she provided to me. Lastly, I would like to thank ECU Business for making this internship with AfCAS possible, I am sincerely grateful for this experience, and I shall carry all those lessons and memories with me into the future.
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