Why did an Introvert Join Comms?

By Samreeddhee Vaidya

Everyone remembers their first day at work, waking up at the break of dawn, ironing clothes and combing your hair in front of the mirror. I was excited about my work experience week, yet when I arrived at the UN campus, my first question was, “When is the lunch break?”, immediately followed by, “What time do work hours end?”. The dread finally filled me of doing my first 9-5.

In the office, I saw my desk, clean and empty, ready for work, I had mixed feelings. Here, I realised my mistake: picking communications, which makes little sense as a self-proclaimed introvert. A very interaction-heavy unit? I don’t know what I was thinking.

However, after meeting the team and falling under their guidance, I came to be grateful I joined this unit as I started to become more comfortable in the environment and quirks of the office, whether it be through the interesting temperatures due to the battle between AC and windows, the meetings, or running around campus to deliver business cards or take photos.

Here, I realized my mistake: picking communications, which makes little sense as a self-proclaimed introvert.

Even in this break from school, I found myself learning – but this time it encompassed more trials and errors, where I had to trust my skills and try to improve in each trial. I started to pay more attention to intricate details in areas such as photography, where I became more intentional with each shot snapped on the camera. Now, I consciously understand aspects I did not notice before, yet they make all the difference, such as in portraits the backgrounds have to be blurred, the lenses to use for close-ups and wide shots.

Similar to the details which are foundational to an effective article, how subtle word and sentence choices can completely alter the meaning of a text. How your words would change depending on the audience, how to hook them in, and to always have a pen and notepad ready to capture a story.

Despite having only worked for a week, I found the experience to be worthwhile beyond the practical with the interactions, in spite of it being out of my comfort zone, I think that is what made it worthwhile – trying something new and bridging connections with others.

It was a challenging and fun experience, you’re thrown into a maze and have to figure your way out, but you learn, adapt, and grow. Especially since it introduced me to new skills such as photography which I’ve now gained a deeper appreciation for, while expanding on my interests in writing.

Before this week, I was not aware of what the RSCE did, what was the purpose of a service centre? After this week, I’ve witnessed the importance of its role in maintaining and ensuring that all peacekeeping operations in Africa are successful and the role which communications plays in this. After all, nothing can effectively take place without knowing one another.

This week has taught me a lot about delving into newfound interests and stepping out of your comfort zone, dampening my worries about work as I’ve come to appreciate the small things of office life. All in all, better equip me for the future.