Shanghai internship: New culture and new perspectives
Gemma Dykshoorn describes her Shanghai internship at Silver Fern Farms as "a steep nine-week learning curve, but in the best way." It was her first time in Asia, first time in a city larger than Auckland, and her first time working in a corporate work environment, but after some initial nerves, Gemma quickly got into the swing of life in one of China's biggest and most dynamic cities.
Gemma says exploring the city with friends on weekends was a highlight of her time in Shanghai
Arriving in Shanghai, everything was overwhelming. After trying to figure out phone plans, booking my first Didi, and locating my hotel, I was grateful for the peaceful solitude of my hotel room. The next day, fellow intern Daniel Cha and I did some exploring. We figured out the metro, located our office, trialled local food (and located McDonald’s) and I started to feel more at home in this new environment.
Shanghai is a fast-paced megacity that broke many of my pre-conceived assumptions and biases towards China and Chinese culture.
If I’m honest, Asia was far off my radar prior to this experience. At University, I studied European studies, learnt German, and did a year-long overseas exchange to Germany.
My understanding of the Asian culture and business landscape came from a few Asia-specific lectures during my global studies degree.
When I received an email from my university about the Asia New Zealand Foundation and its available internships, I clicked the link out of curiosity. An internship with Silver Fern Farms caught my eye. As the daughter of a dairy farmer, I have always been passionate about the agricultural industry.
My family’s farm has been a long-time supplier to Silver Fern Farms. The internship was focused on marketing and finance, which happened to be my Bachelor of Commerce majors. I applied, not expecting anything to come of it. It wasn’t until I was offered an interview that the opportunity began to feel real.
Gemma and her fellow Shanghai-based interns at the New Zealand consulate in Shanghai
The nine weeks I spent living and working in Shanghai were incredible. I learnt so much, both through living in China and through the internship experience. While there were challenges, both the Asia New Zealand Foundation and Silver Fern Farms provided consistent support and assistance.
Silver Fern Farms constructed a plan for us interns to learn about a broad range of their business operations and markets. They curated a schedule that involved four rotations, each with assigned mentors and designated outputs tailored to our strengths.
I started by researching forecasts for New Zealand’s primary export industry. We spent two weeks learning about the Chinese E-Commerce market, and another three weeks conducting market research into Japan and South Korea.
However, my highlight project was submitting a business proposal to increase the supply of a product range Silver Fern Farms offers in China.
I used my understanding of New Zealand farming, combined with my university marketing and finance learnings, to create a proposal that I presented to the Silver Fern Farms CEO when he visited the Shanghai office during my stay.
Gemma presenting her business proposal to the CEO of Silver Fern farms
To aid my project, my mentors conducted two review rounds, offering me feedback and suggesting additional aspects to include, ensuring I was fully confident in my final presentation.
The opportunities for personal and career development provided by Silver Fern Farms were exceptional, and yet the workload was always manageable.
Outside of work, I did my best to see everything worth seeing in Shanghai. I spent my Saturdays going to new areas and hitting tourist spots I found on Instagram.
Sundays I spent at Church: my slice of home in a foreign land. The International Church of Shanghai offered services in English, and there I met fellow internationals also navigating life in China.
After Church each Sunday, we went out for lunch, then often for coffee, then dinner, and sometimes even dessert or drinks.
Gemma
Some of my biggest highlights were chancing upon a five-star viewing spot for the Shanghai New Year’s fireworks, going to a North Korean restaurant and visiting some of Shanghai’s finest malls and shopping areas, with their incredible shop fronts and well-lit displays.
I was majorly impressed by the technology in Shanghai. I had a robot deliver my food to my hotel and used face-ID to get into the office. If I had my phone, I could get anywhere, no cards needed for payment or transport. Even ordering food at a restaurant was done via an app. There is much New Zealand can learn about technological advancement from China.
I’ve learnt so much about life in China through this internship. The experience has destroyed many biases I didn’t realise I held. It has also helped me grow in confidence. Living in Shanghai was far outside of my comfort zone, but I amazed myself with how easily I adjusted to the culture and city.
The Foundation's business programme supports New Zealand companies to better understand Asia so they can make the most of opportunities in the region. It also supports to grow the next generation of Asia-savvy business leaders.
Our internship programme helps interns build a better understanding of the people, place and culture of their Asian host country, while developing industry-specific skills that will benefit them as they progress in their careers.
