The Real World, Week 2 Learning Process

The Real World, Week 2

Written on June 21, 2011 – 2:48 am | by Justin Fraser

I have now completed two weeks of my internship in Washington, D.C. and I can already see the differences in opportunities and the excitement that learning from the experts can bring into a young professional’s life.

Even though I am working currently as an intern at Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), I have been given the freedom to make the most out of this summer. I have been to numerous conferences, interacted with policy experts and had the wonderful opportunity to work with a group of really bright young professionals with whom I share many interests. I also have the unique opportunity to blog for the Russia and Eurasia Program and speak my mind about foreign-policy topics that are intriguing to me. It’s definitely a great step up from writing papers for classes. Here, I interact with experts on the issue, hear their opinions, synthesize a great deal of information and then add my own analysis. I am learning to formulate my own views, and I’m always surprised by how steep the learning curve can be when one takes the most out of any given opportunity.

Apart from all the caffeine-free excitement that my current full-time internship brings me, I have already applied to two jobs at CSIS, made great connections for the future and have a job interview this week with one of the world’s leading political consulting firms. I am recollecting my confidence, knowledge and optimism for this one but not placing all hopes on it, as I have done for past interviews. I’ve learned that my immediate concern should only be to deliver my best and hope that I will find the right fit for my goals and interests. And since today is one of those rare days that bring out my optimistic nature, I will believe my dearest friends who tell me constantly that the journey on the road to my ultimate goal will be sweeter than the achievement of the goal itself.

Two weeks into the real world, I think I have made significant progress and I’m looking forward to all the ups and downs that will come my way.

Learning Process