Chen Hui delivering group session
Internships are not only for the inexperienced, but they are also a great opportunity to learn a new skill, regardless of age.
Internships are typically regarded as entry-level work experience, but they are also a great opportunity for people who are returning from a long hiatus, in the midst of a career switch, upskilling for the future, or simply if they want to learn more.
Cindy, 47 and Chen Hui, 49 are both interns with Our Journey-however the reason for their choice differs. We spoke to both of them to get their perspective on what it’s like interning with counsellors and how their experience has benefitted them as a whole.
Why did you decide to take on an internship with Our Journey?
Cindy: Counselling is relevant to my career in HR and it provides opportunities to offer value-added service to the organisation. I was very impressed with the network and partners that the agency works with and was confident that I would be given good exposure and supervision. Given the professionalism and their genuity in empowering individual to reach their fullest potential, I immediately accepted the internship offer.
According to research, employees’ display higher levels of productivity and motivation when mental well being is being taken care of.
For Cindy, taking on an internship in counselling will help her plan for her future. “HR constantly preaches the need to constantly develop”. This skillset can help her remarket herself and possibly help her ease into retirement in the long term.
Chen Hui: Fulfilling an internship was part of the requirement for my Masters in Counselling, I chose to counsel because after 15 years of working in a lab (as a microbiologist), I wanted to understand the realm of social science and found counselling a skill that could be applied to many situations.
Chen Hui is also largely interested in doing pro-bono upon the completion of her course.
Both interns have different goals, but both are equally passionate about being able to apply what they learnt to everyday life.
In striving to help others, what are some of your day to day tasks?
Cindy: Typically, when a case is assigned to me, I will be given some background information of the client and the support the client is seeking. It is important to spend time getting to know clients, build rapport as well as understand client’s needs and challenges. After each counselling session, I will prepare case notes and share them with my supervisor. Further reading and research will be done in preparation for next session with the client. In addition, I will seek supervision review with my supervisor after every 4 hours of client contact.
How has pursuing counselling benefitted you?
Chen Hui: My younger son used to have problems in primary school and would engage in conflict, be defiant- resulting in the school having to call me down frequently. After I arranged a counselling session for him , I realised that some issues stemmed from my parenting. This sparked my interest and I decided to pursue a masters in the field. This internship with Our Journey then gives me a practical know how and application I need. Furthermore, it pushes me to constantly improve upon myself in my understanding of others.
Cindy: In seeking to help others, I have learnt how to communicate better with different groups of people. In the short 1.5 months, I have done individual counselling, facilitate children self-development program, work with residents at the grassroots level as well as provide counselling to residents in nursing home. This exposure has made me more aware of my skills.
How has your experience been like so far?
Cindy: It has been a very fulfilling and rewarding experience so far and I am learning a lot. My supervisor, Blythe took time to attend the first few sessions of my cases with me so that she can observe my counselling real-time and provide specific feedback for my learning. This also assured clients that their interns are coached and trained. I am very grateful for the exposure.
Chen Hui: It has been a little nerve-wracking. Due to my lack of experience, I sometimes fear asking the wrong questions. However, I understand that it is a journey and with time, I can better understand my clients. Practicing active listening also helps me gain a better perspective of how to better help specific clients.
Is it strange that you’re a little older than other interns? What are some of the challenges that you’ve faced and do you think your age has been a factor and how do you reconcile these differences?
Cindy: I do not think age affects me at all! In fact, I think in the counselling, age may be an advantage. When I first decided to take the Masters in Counselling, I was mentally prepared that my course mates will be younger than me and if I decide to go into full-time counselling, I have to start from scratch and compete with those in the early 20s. Being in HR for more than 20 years, I am a strong advocate of career planning as I believe one should continue to be active, engaged and contribute to society even after they retire. You cannot think about these things when you reach retirement age as it will be too late! So planning has to start early. Therefore, it is a deliberate career planning for me after reviewing my interest, strength and experience to upgrade myself.
Chen Hui: While it is a vastly different field from microbiology, counselling is just interacting differently. When I took on a masters in counselling, I was mentally prepared to deal with the challenges. Yes, my colleagues are much younger than me, but I am generally excited to intern. I do not see my age as a disadvantage at all. When interacting with children, I just need to adjust the way I speak, but in realising that every child is different, every interaction becomes a new experience.
For both Cindy and Chen Hui, their supervisor is easily a decade or more younger than them. However, they both note that when it comes to experience in the field, they have no issue getting direct feedback from Blythe to improve.
Why should you consider an internship later in life?
An internship can be an invaluable learning experience, and being more experienced can help you perform better as an intern. Besides, with an additional skill, who knows, it could grant you fantastic opportunities. Whether you’re like Cindy who planned for her future and retirement, or if you’re like Chen Hui who has no concrete plans, but is interested in the field- taking on an internship can lead to something much greater.
If you’re interested to find out more about what we do or how we can help you, feel free to drop us a line.
Till then, stay safe and take care.
