The long and leisurely summer days have come to an end, and the students of the School of Humanities and Social Science have had a busy and fulfilling vacation. Some went abroad to broaden their horizons, some gained practical experience in various enterprises, and some stayed on campus to attend summer classes and acquire knowledge of different disciplines...

In this passage, let us step into the classroom with the students to feel the charm of teachers and the beauty of knowledge together!

01 Sharer:

RAO Wenxin (Class of 2020, Major in Translation, Shaw College)

Summer Internship at Tencent Cloud and Smart Industries Business Group Marketing Department

In early March, I submitted my resume on Tencent's campus recruitment website. Initially, I was interested in the CDG Business Group. However, after two months and a total of five rounds of interviews and written tests, I unexpectedly landed an internship at the Marketing Cooperation Center of Tencent Cloud and Smart Industries Business Group. This marked the beginning of my summer internship.

My work can be divided into 2 parts: firstly, planning and executing marketing campaigns related to the front-end of enterprise products and collaboration with high-end clients; secondly, managing collaborations with external universities, including mobile classrooms and summer camp experiences.

I was fortunate to have a mentor and director who provided me with numerous opportunities to study and develop. They not only offered me the opportunity to conduct meetings in the first week, but also treated me as a regular employee. My colleagues and I were responsible for different activities equally. I was responsible for coordinating eight events independently, directly liaising with partners like Peking University, Tsinghua University, and China Tobacco. They also entrusted me with the implementation of a newly conceived project.

During this enriching summer internship, I got to know more about the entire operational process of a meaningful event, from aligning with client requirements to post-event promotion and accumulated related experience. I made significant improvements in multitasking, handling unforeseen situations, and establishing effective social interactions with clients.

02 Sharer:

BAI Xuejiao (Class of 2021, Major in English, Diligentia College)

Summer Internship at Netvue Tianhe Rong Technology Co., Ltd.

During this summer, I interned at Netvue Tianhe Rong Technology Co., Ltd., a technology-oriented company specializing in the research and sales of innovative smart home products.

Unlike well-known large corporations, the company I worked is relatively small. There were only two interns including me during the summer. Each position in the marketing department had only one person responsible for it, making it a very tightly-knit small team. From my point of view, the most valuable experience as an intern at this company was the opportunity to learn across different domains. In simpler terms, we adapted to wherever help was needed. This allowed me to gain a comprehensive understanding of the diverse work content and skills within the marketing department in a limited time frame. In contrast, big companies often have many employees. Therefore, each person is only responsible for a small part, resulting in a relatively narrow scope of learning opportunities. Moreover, the owner of Netvue is forward-thinking and open-minded, and the leader of the marketing department has a strong ability to lead and enlighten individuals. Interacting with them, I genuinely felt that they are role models for me, and I wholeheartedly admire them.

During the gaps in my internship work, I also worked as an IELTS assistant, attended dance classes, and participated in some spontaneous "surprise activities," such as providing interpreting services at an international dance training camp. I always keep myself busy, but I do not want to sacrifice my life for work. So, I dance if I want to dance; I travel if it's time to travel. I originally thought I would be overwhelmed, but I discovered that many things were accomplished during the process of pushing myself. Lately, I've learned a lot from different types of work, not just factual knowledge but also attitudes and perspectives. Doing the same thing for a long time may lead to fixed thinking and overconfidence, while trying new jobs and making new friends has allowed me to realize that there's so much more I need to learn.

This internship has taught me the importance of not seeking perfection but striving for improvement. When starting to do something, don't demand perfection right away. It's impossible to get everything right on the first try. Instead, start boldly and improve gradually.

Finally, regardless of where I am, I've learned to always stay humble and grateful because humility and gratitude lead to good relationships. I should maintain a mindset of gratitude because the feedback and criticism provided by others can push me to improve. Of course, other people's feedback can not affect my goals. I should always have a clear idea of my objectives and move steadfastly toward them.

03 Sharer:

LI Ziyu (Class of 2020, Major in English, Shaw College)

Summer internship in Guangxi Jinmao Titanium Industry Co., LTD., Air Products

Summer is a season of sunshine, enthusiasm, and adventure. This summer has been a colorful journey on my life map. Two distinct internship experiences have given me the opportunity to view the world from a fresh perspective and enhance myself through challenges.

Firstly, I embarked on the international stage. As an intern, I was fortunate to accompany the company team on a journey to the Middle East International Paint Exhibition. We collectively set up booths, showcased our products, and engaged in discussions with customers from various regions. I felt that my horizons were expanding, and my mind was broadening through these interactions. Participating in the business presentations also taught me how to stay calm under pressure, effectively convey information to customers, and adapt to unexpected situations. All of this has made me realize that the stage of work can be very vast.

Turning to Shanghai, I joined Air Products, embarking on an in-depth exploration of data. From selecting target customers to constructing industry profiles, each step of work continuously honed and enhanced my market insight. I learned to collect, organize, and analyze data, gaining a profound understanding of the market trends and competitive landscape hidden behind the data. I deeply understood the value of data in decision-making and the power of information in competition. This internship not only deepened my understanding of the market but also honed my professional skills.

This summer, I deeply experienced the challenges and joys of work, and I felt my change through challenges and development. Life is like this, always filled with challenges and difficulties. But I firmly believe that as long as we bravely move forward, every setback will become our driving force, and every success will instill confidence in us. The road ahead is created by ourselves, and no matter what challenges we face, as long as we persevere, we can surely create our own brilliant chapters on the stage of life.

I chose challenges and development during this summer vacation. I look forward to continuing forward with this courage and experience, creating my own wonderful stories in every summer to come.

04 Sharer: 

ZHOU Yixuan (Class of 2020, Major in English, Shaw College)

Internship at an International Education Institution

This summer, I returned to the international education institution where I worked last summer for my internship. The difference this year is that due to the pandemic last year, foreign teachers were unable to come for in-person teaching. To enhance the teaching effectiveness, the company introduced the role of an Assistant Instructor in the classroom, which was my internship position last year. This year, after the pandemic restrictions eased, foreign teachers from the United States came to Shenzhen. They are experienced educators with decades of teaching experience. As a Teaching Assistant (TA) this year, I feel that I have learned a lot in the classroom about areas that I couldn't have accessed through books in the past, such as material preparation before class and behavioral management in the classroom, all of which are essential skills that front-line teachers must master.

Furthermore, I am an arts students, while almost all STEM courses in the United States are based on science and engineering background. In the process of doing internship, I've found myself continuously absorbing new knowledge in the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. As an assistant instructor, I need to have a thorough understanding of the teaching content. This year, I was involved in two courses: "NASA Space Exploration" and "Harry Potter Chemistry Experiment." These courses required a substantial foundation in physics and chemistry, as well as proficiency in the English language. I greatly appreciate the pursuit of the "think like a scientist, create like an engineer" standard in STEM courses.

I find that the teaching faculty, who are prominent figures in academia, are very approachable. Having the valuable opportunity to work alongside them, I have learned a lot and received invaluable assistance and advice for my career. For instance, the teacher I worked with last year is a university professor in Alabama, USA, who has worked at NASA for many years. This year's teacher, with over forty-five years of STEM teaching experience in North Carolina, USA, returned to Shenzhen with great enthusiasm for international education. They are both mentors and friends of mine after class, offering guidance on life choices and future career development, which I find incredibly beneficial.

To be honest, as an English major student, I was once uncertain about my future academic pursuits and employment prospects. However, after engaging in education-related internships, I realized that I might have a stronger interest in this field. Moreover, I am considering to work in foreign countries in the future, so I hope to accumulate authentic teaching experiences in American STEM classrooms. Therefore, I highly recommend that students interested in education start with foundational roles like Teaching Assistants. This allows you to gain a comprehensive understanding of how a class is taught from multiple perspectives, including basic class preparations, connecting and structuring lesson topics, managing classroom discipline, and post-class student feedback reports. In an all-English classroom environment, I also believe that qualities such as English proficiency, teamwork, patience, attention to detail, and stress management are essential qualities that a teacher needs to continuously refine.

05 Sharer:

YE Hang (Class of 2021, Major in Applied Psychology, Muse College)

Summer internship in Zhejiang Academy of Education Sciences, NetEase company

During this summer, I completed two internships. The first one was at the Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Educational Sciences in May, and the second one was in the User Research department of Netease, specifically in the Netease Yanxuan Food division from June to August. I chose to intern at both a government institution and a corporation in order to gain a deeper understanding of the primary career options and discover what kind of work content and atmosphere I am more suited for and enjoy more.

The Zhejiang Provincial Institute of Educational Sciences has a lot of fieldwork that requires assistance, providing many positions for university students to do. In this role, I primarily assisted psychology teachers in providing counseling at affiliated schools and participated in various activities like the May 25th Mental Health Day and the Psychological Health Service Action in mountainous and island counties. The work atmosphere at the Institute is characterized by stability, with rarely any urgent tasks. Moreover, the work allows for interaction with children, which is something I particularly enjoy.

In contrast, the work environment at Netease is more vibrant. Many college students work at Netease, and people often refer to each other as "classmates" throughout the company. Sometimes, entering the working place is more like being in school, where you can make friends of the same age. Different departments regularly set up stalls in the company campus, organizing various events for colleagues to participate in, resembling the culture of student clubs at school. At Netease, there is no distinction based on seniority or gender; everyone addresses each other by nicknames or aliases. Two months ago, I would have never imagined comfortably using endearing names to address supervisors and colleagues who are ten to twenty years older than me. The company provides many benefits for employees and has facilities such as gyms, basketball courts, and badminton courts. Administrative tasks like requesting leave are straightforward and efficient. Therefore, while the workload at the company can be relatively heavy and uncertain, if you value a relaxed and lively work atmosphere and quality of life, companies like Netease are an excellent choice.

06 Sharer:

LIU Hanfei (Class of 2021, Major in Applied Psychology, Diligentia College)

Summer internship at Perfect World Cooperation

I spent two-thirds of my summer vacation on an internship, which marked my first internship experience in life. I worked on content operations related to psychology at Perfect World Corporation. My colleagues are all lovely and friendly, providing me with meticulous care, which made me feel very warm. The delicious food in the company cafeteria also added a lot of color to this experience.

In addition, during the remaining time, I successfully obtained my driver's license and embarked on a journey on my own for a few days. I also explored numerous scenic spots with close friends, making my summer fulfilling and vibrant!

07 Sharer

LIU Leyi (Class of 2021, Major in Applied Psychology, Diligentia College)

Summer internship in Tencent Music Entertainment

During this summer, I participated in an internship in user research at Tencent Music Entertainment (TME). The main reason for my internship at TME was my passion for music, and user research seemed to align well with my psychology major, so I decided to give it a try. However, after working for the first time, I realized my major and the work itself are that strongly linked. Instead, a high level of proficiency in office tools, especially Excel, was required. Initially, I held the naive idea that "being proficient in SPSS should compensate for not being very skilled in Excel," but the reality proved that mastering Excel is indeed crucial. This is because the work in TME's user research mainly involves monitoring and analyzing user feedback on QQ Music and related competitors, and producing user research reports, which requires extensive use of Excel for data analysis. My fellow intern and I often jokingly referred to ourselves as "data girls.

"TME does not require a fixed clock-in time, and you can arrive at the office around 10 a.m. However, the pace of work in a big tech company is still very fast. I often found myself overwhelmed because I couldn't finish the user research reports on time or got flustered while working with Excel. There were also times when I had to redo my work due to errors in data analysis methods. But working at TME allowed me to learn a lot about the music industry and the internet industry, and I got to know many outstanding colleagues, who greatly broadened my horizons. Although there were many painful and confusing moments during the internship, I did develop and gain a lot, and it made me clearer about my future career path.

The company offers many benefits, such as surprise visits from celebrities distributing snacks, offline performances, free yoga and fitness classes, and afternoon tea on Wednesdays and Fridays. The work atmosphere is also very harmonious, and during our free time, we often chat about topics related to music festivals and concert ticket booking. Perhaps at some point in the future, I will fondly remember my colleagues who suddenly started dancing and singing "The 36 Strategies of Love" while working, some free music festival tickets, and the breathtaking sunset I saw at Science Park D3.