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Forge Your Own Path - Featuring Mia Sugianto

Meet Mia, a third-year business student with an insatiable drive for Marketing. In 2023, she navigated the internship landscape through the GII Self-sourcing route, landing her an opportunity with Carro Malaysia. Eager to pursue any role aligned with her ambitions, Mia connected with Carro’s President Director, securing a tailored position as a Marketing and Customer Acquisition Strategy intern.

Intrigued by her unconventional journey? Let's dive in!
 

How did you go about identifying and securing your dream internship opportunity?

At first, I didn’t even think about self-sourcing my internship. However, I realized that the marketing-related roles listed within the companies GII was working with didn’t have anything I was particularly interested in. I was close to finding a local internship instead, however, I was very lucky to be introduced to the President Director of Carro by my professor. I wasn’t sure if this internship would be possible, but after clarifying with GII’s Programme Manager, I was elated to know that I would be eligible for this internship under GII Self-source.
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Can you share any challenges you faced during the self-sourcing process and how you overcame them?

I think there were a lot of necessary steps during the application process as the company was not on the GII list. I had to liaise with both the HR personnel in Carro and the GII Programme Manager, Emelynn. Thankfully Emelynn was extremely supportive throughout the process, guiding me through any doubts and uncertainties. 
 

How did you leverage the perks offered by GII, such as administrative and financial support, during your internship?

I was thankful for the grant, as it ensured I could fully participate in the internship experience without feeling at a disadvantage compared to my peers in Singapore. I also enjoyed the Coffee-chat initiative, where they would offer $100 for networking with industry professionals. While my primary focus was on learning from those around me, the financial incentive added a positive aspect to the experience.
 

What skills or knowledge did you gain during your self-sourced internship that you believe have contributed to your professional growth?

I think it’s the ability to communicate with colleagues across all seniorities. I had the opportunity to speak to the on-the-ground sales staff, to the president of the company, thus I could understand different points of views when running the business.
 

Can you provide specific examples of how your GII internship experience has influenced your career trajectory?

While officially assigned to the marketing department, I worked directly under the CEO in the C-Suite office. During this time, I had a valuable conversation with the Head of Strategy from Carro's Singapore office. This discussion provided insights into consultancy, boosting my confidence to pursue this career path. Following our conversation, I was fortunate to find a mentor. 😊 
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How do you reflect on your GII internship experience? What are the main takeaways? Do you envision incorporating them into your professional or personal development?

This internship at Carro has been a valuable and eye-opening experience for me. Through my involvement in marketing and customer engagement strategies, I learned the importance of effective communication and understanding the dynamics between management and employees to create a cohesive and productive work environment.  
 
Additionally, I gained insights into tailoring marketing campaigns for specific markets and learned the importance of building genuine relationships with clients and partners.  

I believe my GII experience and the knowledge and connections I gained allowed me to further embrace a global mindset and to position myself as an asset to any organization looking to expand its reach. The network I built during my internship will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in shaping my future success, opening doors to exciting opportunities.
 

Are there aspects of your internship that you would have approached differently with the knowledge you have now? 

If I could go back, I would work on expanding my network even further, I would talk to more industry professionals to develop a nuanced understanding of how company culture influences operations. 
 

Tell us about the one achievement you were most proud of during this internship experience?

Through my experience on-site in a big company, I managed to deepen my understanding on the dynamics between management and employees. I realized that the challenges faced by the upper management often differ from those experienced by employees on the ground leading to possible operational and organizational inefficiencies. My most notable lesson is realizing the importance of effective communication and empathetic understanding to foster a more cohesive and productive work environment. A fresh and often neutral perspective like the one I could provide is often needed to drive improvement.

Complete the sentence: "I used to think innovation & entrepreneurship.... now I think innovation & entrepreneurship...."

I used to think innovation & entrepreneurship was difficult and scary, now I think innovation & entrepreneurship is still difficult and scary but there are a lot of avenues to succeed. Even if you don’t succeed, failure is normal, and the most important thing is to try again.  

Based on your experience, what key recommendations do you have for maximising the benefits of GII's self-sourced internship program?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, you are there to learn. It’s better to ask than to be ignorant.  

Register Now for GII Self-source 2024!

Keen to experience what it is like to work for an overseas high-growth startup like Mia? Register Now!