Nearing the End of My Internship

Vasiliki Katsorida

Geography and Social Public Policy Student, University of Glasgow

Marketing Intern at CATALYST (PCI Geomatics)


Time is funny when you are doing a virtual internship. I started my internship at CATALYST in my home in Greece, full of excitement and some nerves, trying to make sure that I have gotten the time zone difference with Canada right (spoiler: I accidentally scheduled a meeting for 2am Canada time). The big question in my mind was “Will I fulfil their expectations? “. The first two weeks of my internship included building confidence in myself, soaking in the feedback I was given and trusting that I am prepared to take on this challenge. Other things that were included were the essential air conditioning in the 40° C heat, my mum occasionally bringing me fresh fruit and family support. In the initial weeks I found it important to reach out to loved ones and get their support. In times of doubt within yourself, they will remind you of your capabilities. And soon enough there I was, at the end of week two, on a plane back to Glasgow.

I have always liked my independence and being back on my own gave me an unexpected sense of strength. I got my routine back and the work started falling into place. Getting used to a full-time job, as opposed to my usual university part time job was definitely an adjustment. I love a routine and I found that working from the library or a café really helped me focus and feel that I am in a work environment. Staring at a screen for 8 hours a day can add up and taking regular breaks was necessary. In terms of work, I found that the more I immersed myself in it, the more I loved it. After that first initial period, you start to understand more about how things work, and you earn your place in the company. I feel very blessed that I am so invested in the work I do and have the opportunity to be present in senior level meetings and interact with some very experienced professionals. And then before you know it you have passed the midpoint of your internship and are nearing towards the end.

It is a great milestone. Personally, I find it important to not settle and to challenge myself to go the extra mile so I can be proud of what I have done looking back. I also find that you start to get a bittersweet feeling as you have bonded with people at work and deeply care about the company and its future. Being aware that you won’t get to continue to be part of how it develops can get to you sometimes. As I tackle the last weeks of my internship, I want to keep learning and connecting with more people. I want to take in as much as I can and reflect on what I have learnt over the last 10 weeks. I also want to find the time to start processing my dissertation data, but we don’t talk about that yet.

Wherever you are on your internship currently, savour the last couple of weeks and be proud of how far you have come.

Written by: Vasiliki Katsorida
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