International Internship of Jennine Boado

Jennine Katrina G. Boado, Batch 18 of our Diploma in Fundamental and Modern Culinary Arts (DFMC) program, shares her internship story here. She completed her internship at the Ritz-Cartlon Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

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Excerpt from Trina's Internship Journal:
I remember my very first lunch at the Ritz-Carlton’s employee dining room. It was right after orientation; it was officially my first day at work. I was feeling nervous and excited at that time. I could not focus on my lunch because I was thinking, maybe everyone in the kitchen would be so serious and strict; maybe it’s going to be all work and no play. Or like, since this is the Ritz-Carlton, maybe I should know (almost) everything and make sure I perform every task perfectly and flawlessly. I had so much irrational thoughts that day because even up to that moment, I was still awestruck that the Ritz-Carlton accepted me. So, when I arrived at the culinary department, the kitchen was so busy, but everyone greeted and welcomed me. From that day until my last working day, I was treated both as an intern and a regular staff. Chefs would more than welcome and entertain my questions and always gave time for learning. At the same time, they would give me tasks of different levels of difficulty, just like a regular staff. I still learnt from the simple things, such as some more efficient knife skills, storing ingredients properly, using scraps and trimmings/being resourceful, etc. I also learnt a lot of new things, such as infusion of different flavors, modern gastronomy, new and unusual ingredients and dishes, and even the basics and classics of culinary arts. There was also room for mistakes, which challenged me to improve. Since there was cultural diversity in our workplace, misunderstandings could not be avoided. Yet, it didn’t become a hindrance to celebrate the diversity. Every single person was open-minded and valued the differences of between others. It may be a cliché to say this, but this internship at the Ritz-Carlton really changed me into a better person, a better culinarian. It changed my attitude at work, from being close-minded and obsessive-compulsive, to being optimistic and meticulous. It trained me to practice a humble mindset, to say, “I don’t know it yet, but I would like to know how”. Moreover, I was able to improve on my social communication with my colleagues, and most importantly, with the guests. All in all, this internship abroad made me better in many aspects; in my professional skills, language skills, confidence, as well as my adaptability, independence, and cultural awareness.

An internship abroad is certainly an out-of-the-comfort-zone experience. Yet, it totally gave me a new perspective in my profession, and in life. It just made me more assured of the career path that I am taking. I will continue pursuing this career ladder while feeding my limitless curiosity in the world of culinary arts.