What was your internship about?
The Parks Planning team for the Christchurch City Council is in charge of three main areas involving Heritage Projects, Environment Biodiversity and Capital Assets. I worked with all three teams which gave me a range of work experience. For example, I learned new computer skills with mapping, learned how to catalogue heritage items, about long term planning of parks and I also analysed residential surveys about parks.
My work involved mostly collaborative indoor office work and then more independent field trip type work. So some days I would put on some hiking boots and independently catalogue plaques throughout the city such as war memorial plaques. I even had a week working with 1800s cob cottage items- which I later talked about in a council meeting! The team members would help me with the admin and mapping work in the office. They were very patient and their passion for parks created a very positive work environment. I thought that my goofy personality wouldn’t be professional but I was delighted about the dad jokes in the office.
I enjoyed the cob cottage project the most. It was yarn for sure. There were creepy Annabel horror worthy dolls and rats peeking out of storage boxes to keep me company haha totally a cinderella moment. I put on a playlist, and pink gloves and got to work. I also enjoyed the coffee breaks with the park people on the ground who had the best kiwi banter.
As a young person, I was able to figure out the council system and mapping programmes relatively quickly much to the amusement of my colleagues- I guess it’s like a gen Z kind of thing we just fiddle with it and stuff happens.
What's your background?
I am a twin so I went through most of school and university with her. It's really exciting to be living my own life now and not just be referred to as one of the “twins”. Although, I did talk heaps about her with my colleagues. Lol, I was quite a chatterbox at times.
The internship was a perfect fit for me- I love Christchurch. I guess from the earthquakes Christchurch really became like one big family. One of my projects was looking at the New Building Standard for the earthquake-prone buildings following the 2011 earthquake. This was a really sentimental project for me and I felt like it also brought closure for me in a way- I was proud of myself for going through 500 building records which were mammoth! I often walked my dogs around Hagley Park and Mona Vale so it was really fun to learn about all the work that goes on behind the scenes in maintaining Christchurch’s reputation as the garden city.
Due to the experience and confidence, I gained from my internship at the council I am now working for ANZ. I really recommend this programme to anyone that is lacking the confidence to give it a go.
Could someone with a different background do your internship?
Yes and no. I feel like for the parks team it was important to have the connecting factor of loving Christchurch- that really built good connections and convo. But of course, I feel like anyone could have done it who was good at computers and with a can-do attitude.
What's the coolest thing about your internship?
I enjoyed the sense of purpose I got at the end of the day. I guess I got all aspects of my hauroa (something I learned about at school to do with wellbeing). I was around people and so I got that social interaction. I had the flexibility I could catch a coffee with a colleague during my break or go for a peaceful walk down the botanic gardens watching the ducks go down the river during lunch. I was giving back to the community in a way by listening to their requests about parks. I also got my steps up during the fieldwork haha.
What were the limitations of your internship?
Umm... the responsibility! Some days I was too anxious to go to work but I pushed myself got on the bus and turned up. You have to be fully committed as the team is depending on your help to finish deadlines. It has to be something you give your full attention to. Resilience is a word I would use for the fieldwork.
3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...
Lol, it’s like trying to create your own proverbs but like really self-indulging ones.
You’re at university to get a job you are not in a Hollywood movie- get rid of all the expectations and focus on the work. You don’t have time to be anxious!!
Iced coffee and energy drinks are not a meal.
The friends you make in the first year will make or break you. First-year university is like year 9 all over again- it's awkward and you are still finding yourself. Everybody struggles the first year it's not all partying like social media might have you believe- people skip meals and they start dying their hair red and blue. Some of those friends might not stick around but you learn to count on yourself- as cheesy as that sounds!
The first year may be nerve-wracking but the second year is when you definitely feel the burn. Third-year you are going to get an internship and you are going to have so much fun that it makes all the late-night studying worthwhile.