The Company, Where I’m Supposed to Be

Here I am, a senior navigating the whirlwind of thesis and internships—all crammed into one semester. Talk about a trial by fire!

Finding an internship wasn’t easy. At the start of the second term, all I could do was anxiously await replies to the company emails I’d sent. Looking back, the journey was a gauntlet of interviews, each one seemingly promising, only to end in silence. Desperate, my friends and I even resorted to pounding the pavement in IT Park, resumes and application letters in hand. Still no luck. Exhausted and discouraged, I remember saying to myself, “One offer, any offer, and I’m taking it.” The pressure was immense, especially seeing my batchmates already starting their internships. At that moment, Bini’s buhay ay di karera song was not a vibe.

Three weeks passed before I finally landed an offer. The Company Cebu wasn’t even on my radar at the beginning of my series of application phases. I knew about them, even considered applying, but I got caught up in following where my friends were applying. A classic case of FOMO clouding my judgment! Lesson learned: I need to chart my own course. I even encouraged them to apply, but they were not interested in the company. That’s why I had to make a hard decision—not to cut them off, though, but to pursue my application process. My path in The Company Cebu started with a simple Facebook message inquiring about marketing internship opportunities. The rest, as they say, is history.

What I was most excited about was meeting new people. (King and Shanna, fellow marketing interns from my university, are exceptions—though I’m thrilled our paths crossed at The Company Cebu!) I immediately loved the youthful energy and vibrancy of the staff. Most are young professionals making their way in the corporate world, and interestingly, they were in our shoes before because they were interns as well before. Ate Nickie, the HR Generalist, was my first point of contact. She immediately put me at ease, gently guiding us through the onboarding process. Her guidance during that first week was invaluable, constantly reminding us to take it easy on ourselves. I remember being introduced to the front desk workflow, and she patiently explained everything, making sure we weren’t overwhelmed by the Google Sheet and basic data entry. She was always available to answer questions and offer support. Her signature: “Boughhhs! ” expression after we finished a task became a source of encouragement for us interns. Her humor was a perfect match for ours, probably because she’s a recent graduate herself, just a year ahead of us. It’s a little sad that she is leaving for her board exam preparations, but I wish her all the best.

Have you ever met someone and instantly felt a connection, like you’d known them before? That’s how I felt about my fellow interns Ness and Al (HR), Ash and Pritz (Accounting), and of course, my university buddies King and Shanna. We’re the 10th batch of interns at The Company Cebu. During breaks or any downtime we had in the office, our energies meshed perfectly. We shared the same humor and even similar experiences, like applying to multiple companies, with The Company Cebu being the most responsive. They’re always available whenever we need actors for our reels. Al and Ash starred in one of our reels, which features a trendy audio track and showcases the ITscape.

Before sending my applications, I wanted to understand the arena I was entering. What drew me to The Company Cebu was their focus—a co-working space designed to inspire creativity and collaboration for creators, startups, and companies from all over the world. A haven for productivity, in short. Knowing that professionals from various industries work here, I saw it as an incredible opportunity to network with passionate and driven individuals. Whenever I’m in the space, everyone is focused, working diligently at their laptops and desktops. And they weren’t kidding about “companies all over the world.” The diversity of people working here, including many international professionals, is striking. They’re all comfortably working with the stunning backdrop of the ITscape.

The view, honestly, is incredible. It’s what drew Tom, an entrepreneur from the UK with businesses ranging from contact centers to recruitment platforms to AI data entry, to The Company Cebu. He’s one of many international professionals who appreciate the space. He’s incredibly friendly and approachable, always ready with a smile or a greeting. I introduced myself as an intern, and we chatted about why he chose to rent a space here.

Tom mentioned that the co-working space gave him the chance to speak at an event, something he hadn’t done in a while. It allowed him to connect with the professional community. Apart from that, he also emphasized during our conversation how friendly everyone is, from the other coworkers to the staff.

“The culture here is quite visible—friendly, young, enthusiastic, and entrepreneurial. People selling all these things—it’s cool,” Tom added.

It was a striking realization that my experiences as an intern at The Company Cebu closely mirror Tom’s, particularly in terms of the people we engage with here. Beyond the picture-perfect views, the networking opportunities are immense. It’s not just about individual productivity; it’s also about building real-time connections with people. My internship is still unfolding, but so far, it’s incredibly promising.