Ode to a special intern

My intern just completed a six month internship with PropertyGuru. Today, she left for a three week study programme in California before she comes back to finish her last year at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Kim Thi Mai Anh is from Vietnam and she is the best intern I've ever worked with.

I've had a lot of interns and they were all special in their own way. Their eagerness to learn keeps me on the edge to always share with them what's best while laying down their career path. It was also refreshing to have these young graduates in the company, as it reminded me of the time when I was just as eager and new to the working world. It is a humbling experience.

Prior to her internship, I had some bad experiences with some applicants. It is amazing how some of these fresh graduates demand and set expectations from the hiring company. They can be completely oblivious to the fact that they have got zero experience. It is a vast difference in comparison to when I first graduated.

Mai Anh brought that humbleness and eagerness to her interview. There was another Singaporean applicant, but Mai Anh shone through with her professionalism and maturity. It was a shame how the other applicant presented herself. So much so that I felt she was taking it for granted.

It was obvious the internship belonged to Mai Anh and I do not regret hiring her. She brought a certain innocence to the team, and a willingness to help everyone and execute every task at the highest level. Even during the most difficult period, she still held it together and did not let her work get affected. Her presence reminded me that humanity still exists in this harsh and hurried world, where we sometimes forget to appreciate the simpler things in life and the people in it.

I am writing this not just as an expression of gratitude to her but also to use her as an example for other fresh graduates. With her humility, wit and positive outlook on life, I am certain Mai Anh will go far. I wish her all the best in her future pursuits. She'll always have a family to return to at PropertyGuru.

Thank you Mai Anh! You'll definitely be missed...