Meet Jeanie, Pichaya Wangvarangkoon, a senior year marketing student at Chulalongkorn Business School. She is currently working as a Marketing Campaign Operations Intern at MONIX while pursuing her degree.
What inspired her to join MONIX as an intern and what are the challenges and benefits of having an internship during her senior year? Let’s discover her inspiring journey down below 👇🏻
What inspired you to join MONIX which is a new-born fintech startup, rather than other renowned corporations?
“Frankly speaking, I felt like 4 years of marketing studies has given me theoretical knowledge and I lack the confidence of the real world, business practice experiences. Hence, I was looking to intern to be prepared to work after graduation. I found MONIX on social media. Upon researching about the company, I felt like MONIX is an established startup where I could learn a lot of things and gain real, hands-on working experience. I was also intrigued by the fast-paced startup culture that my friends have been talking about since the first years of university, too”
Any prior knowledge or experiences required before joining?
“For me, basic marketing knowledge is sufficient, but what I feel is that skills can be taught and learned. What MONIX is looking for is someone with a growth mindset and eagerness to try new things. The team and seniors here are very supportive and gave me the chance to try a lot of tasks in various areas under marketing and see what suits me the most.”
You mentioned that you have mentors along the way, can you tell us more?
“The team was really nice and supportive along the journey. I have full ownership of my work, but all of that couldn’t happen without the feedback and guidance of my supervisor. I gain a lot of constructive feedback which led me to improve a lot. Apart from that, I gained career advice from the team. Everybody did not hesitate to answer my questions about their career paths, even though it was not project related. I can ask them for advice and now have a clearer picture of what I want to do in the future. For that, I really appreciate the fact that everybody was so helpful.’’
What are your responsibilities and projects that you are most proud of their impact?
“First, I was involved in preparing the materials for awards nomination. There was a presentation and a write-up in which I helped created the first draft. In the end, the company did win in 2 categories. I felt like everybody’s hard work, including me, has really paid off. Its impact can really be seen, and I was proud to be a part of it. Another project I’ve worked on is creating financial literacy content on Facebook. I feel like it really has an impact on the people and is a way I could help people by educating them through digestible content. Something I did having a real-world impact on people is what I'm most proud of.’’
Any challenges you feel both working and studying at the same time?
“Basically, time management. I still had class projects that I need to get done, but it was manageable. The working hour here at MONIX is flexible, as long as you get the work done on time it’s okay. Also, it is negotiable, and you can take leave during exam periods.”
What have you gained from working here?
“I learned a lot here. It is like four years of university condensed in a short time. First, I really got ownership of my projects. Unlike doing group work for class projects, I got the chance to work alone. And the projects here have a business impact. In class what I’ve learned was mostly theory, so the chance to see those theories in use and get a practical sense of what marketing in a firm would look like is quite interesting to me. Also, I improved myself a lot from working here. It had led me to become more meticulous and thorough in my work because it had real impacts. I was able to see different perspectives and improve upon the depth of my analysis skills. I also gained confidence as I now have a clearer understanding of what it would look like career-wise for me after graduation.”
Anything else that makes you enjoy working here?
“Other than the marketing team, everybody was also kind and supportive. As the organization is quite flat, communication with managers or directors is quite easy and everybody can be easily approachable. Even when I was working cross-team, I feel like everybody is more than willing to help. The whole company has unique talents and diverse backgrounds. By just talking to them I can see the different perspectives and learn from their experience. Also, because it’s a relatively small and growing startup, I can see the whole company’s operation as well as understand the business and industry. It really broadens my perspectives.
Any advice for those who hesitate to join MONIX for an internship?
“You don’t need to be a full package or have lots of skills to offer to join here as an intern. If you have a growth mindset and eagerness to learn, striving to become the best version of yourself each day, then MONIX is the place for you. It has provided me with lots of opportunities, and I’m sure you’ll like it here, too.”
