Humans of Kent: Dylan Barry, Business Intern, Dubai

Internship of a lifetime

An internship is an accelerated learning experience on its own. It is neither spoon-fed like learning in school, nor is the workload filled with pressure. And in between, is the sweet spot where you learn the basics of work life and the skills required for a brighter career.

As a part of my course in Business Management at MTU, Cork, Ireland, I joined Kent as a Business Intern in January 2021. The hands-on experience I’m gaining here is nothing short of invaluable. Every day, I get the opportunity to apply my acquired knowledge to real work experiences while picking up more learnings along the way. At Kent, I get to witness first-hand, the day-to-day activities of a real-world business, acquaint myself with different fields and find my groove as I pave my way to the corporate world.

While allowing feedback from others as a way of self-growth and becoming self-aware of my strengths and weaknesses, I’ve seen the real value of networking, asking questions, observing, and taking risks to get the most out of my internship experience. Since my arrival, one of the biggest eye-openers was the warm welcome I had received, the feeling of being a valued member, and this sparked my motivation to continue to push forward in my career.

Few of the many things I’ve learned during my internship that I hope to utilize beyond my internship experience, in my personal and professional life:

• I’ve found that there’s a serious improvement in the way I communicate.
• I’ve learned to be responsible and accountable for all that I do.
• Being introduced to real-life work problems has helped in developing my problem-solving skills.
• I’ve learned to work as a team and the importance of work ethics.
• Being adaptive to my surroundings.
• Managing my time better by maintaining a work-life balance.

With Kent, my professional experience has been nothing short of delightful so far. I am situated within the ExxonMobil Project in Basra, Iraq and a member of the procurement team. Being able to find my strengths and interests within the Business field at such a young age will be a massive advantage for me. I want to continue my development in Procurement whilst also getting the exposure from each of the departments. Having exposure to such a well-established company like Kent, I truly feel they can set the benchmark for any company environment I go to next. Each day is a continuous moment of pride for me, which is all thanks to the people around me. There is not one moment I can single out that has been the best as feeling valued and helping the team each day is the most important thing for me. I hope to continue making myself a valuable member of this team, as they truly deserve it for all the support that has come my way since day one.

In life though, one of the lessons I’m yet to fully learn is to accept that mistakes are a part of the game and it’s okay to make mistakes. To let them happen when they do, they will crop up. There is no perfect route. Wherever you aspire to be or do, just give it everything you’ve got. If it doesn’t work out… try again, and then again. I must establish that assurance within myself again and again that mistakes are inevitable, but what I learn from them is what really counts.

This stems from all the experiences I’ve had whilst growing up, recognizing growth within myself has been one of life’s greatest values. When growing up, I always had the tendency to put everyone before myself and taking on responsibilities that were not my place to take. This mindset didn’t help when it came to looking out for my own responsibilities. I have become such a huge advocate for self-care, whilst having that circle of people you love around you. In life, you learn the people who are there for you no matter what, your support system, and being able to give that back to the people you owe it to.

Building new relationships has the potential to expand every aspect of your life— whether you meet a client, a co-worker, or a partner. I’ve learned a lot of valuable life lessons from the people I’ve chosen to surround myself with. I believe that the impact we have on people is often more significant than we think. Establishing strong connections with people has helped shape me into the man I am today and I have my friends and family to thank for that.