WHAT ARE YOU UP TO NOW?
I am currently taking the summer off, with the possibility of returning to Parliament Hill in the fall.
UPDATE: Camilla joined the office of MP Terry Beech (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance) as a Legislative Assistant.
POST-INTERNSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
A highlight is that I may have the opportunity to continue working in my MP's office, furthering my chance to continue networking and develop my expertise on government procedures.
HIGHLIGHT FROM THE INTERNSHIP
A significant lesson I learned was the importance of representation during policy and decision-making processes. Unless MPs identify with certain demographics or they are essential to their re-election, the concerns of some groups can easily fall through the cracks. As a result of this, the importance of voting weighs heavily now where before I didn’t fully understand the value of it. Also, learning about legislative procedure in Parliament and about how government works was a significant highlight as I got a front seat view of how consequential government policies are in our society. I also learned a lot about democracy, how it is practiced and is ever evolving, along with various political ideologies, and I see our country and the world differently as a result. I've learned Canada is incredibly regional and even though I was working within the federal parliamentary system, I also learned a lot about provincial politics.
HOW DID THE INTERNSHIP HELP YOU GET WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?
It helped me improve my time management skills and allowed me to become more confident with networking. Also, being knowledgeable on government processes will allow me to bring unique expertise once I return to the corporate world. This experience has expanded my career options, allowing me to qualify for roles in government relations within the corporate world, whereas prior to this internship I focused solely on sustainability consulting, analysis type roles.