A Journey Through My First Professional Experience

Have you ever felt butterflies crawling in your stomach after your first job?

Join me as I reminisce about nerve-wracking but exciting experiences entering the world of work for the first time.

Hi, I'm Yoeun Youvaneath, a fourth-year student student at the Cambodian Academy of Digital Technology, majoring in Digital Business. During my second year at university, I had the pleasure of participating in a three-month internship under the Innovation for Development (I4D) project of GIZ and the school.

The I4D project offers a unique digital business model aimed at empowering and supporting the development of young talent. This opportunity allowed me to innovate and promote business growth in a dynamic environment, by helping SMEs in northwestern Cambodia, including Siem Reap, Banteay Menchey, and Battambang, with their digital transformation journey. On top of that, this internship offered one of the highest rates of $400 a month in Cambodia at the time.

The selection process was rigorous and many applications were received. Only 20 interviewees were selected, of which 15 received professional training for advanced digital services. In the end, I was selected along with 10 finalists to implement an internship in Siem Reap Province, home to the world-famous Angkor Wat, recently voted "the best place." in the world to watch the sunrise" in 2023.

I get a little carried away as I talk about my hometown. Now, I am going through my journey as I step into professionalism for the first time. My first day in Siem Reap consisted of an on-boarding session with the event organizers, followed by signing the contract and meeting the facilitator and other participants experienced a nerve-wracking moment when I stepped foot into the first office in the afternoon, when everyone was introduced to and learned about the company's policy.And that same day on the evening after work suddenly the rain was pouring so heavily that the road on my way home was temporarily flooded ᅳmemorable moments that are forever etched in my mind.

I interned as a digital marketing specialist at SourKear Investment, a mid-tier real estate company. My role was to use digital strategies to increase the company's social media presence with the guidance of my advisor and supervisor. It was an exciting journey of learning and growth, but I knew there was still much to learn and room for improvement. I would like to express my deep gratitude to the school, GIZ, and the company for giving me this golden opportunity to prove my potential and take another step towards professionalism, and to my senior colleague for taking such good care of me during these past three months.

Many of my juniors at school ask me about my first internship experience. I would say it is a bit nerve-wracking for the first time but trust me, it’s not terrifying but more like exciting. Just trust the process and everything is going to be alright. And I hope that this blog will help answer your questions and calm your nerves down a little bit before you take your first step into the professional workforce. 

My Interview Video:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/e6550f_42178a11669046969bad8ee27f9676ce/1080p/mp4/file.mp4