It’s International Interns’ Day and this year, we’re getting to know our very own interns, past and current, and hearing from them on what made them apply for an internship at RICE. In the first of a two-part series, we sat down with Mirrah, a current intern, and Alecander, an intern-turned-full timer, to get all the tea.

Tell us a bit about yourself and how long you have been at RICE.

Mirrah: I joined RICE in late June so I’ve been at RICE for about a month now.

Alecander: (Don’t worry, Alecander is not a typo) I’ve been at RICE since October 2023 when I first started off as an intern while completing my university studies. As of this April, I’ve officially transitioned to a full-time role.

What made you apply to RICE?

Mirrah: I visited RICE’s office with my classmates as part of my school’s industry outreach and I was hooked on the culture and work environment that I saw firsthand. Fun fact: I actually sent in my resume on the same day after the visit!

Alecander: I wanted to try an unconventional way of applying for an internship by directly sending my resume and CV to the hiring manager. Keeping in mind that this was after sending out close to 50 applications – my energy was waning off, but after reading about the open culture at RICE, that definitely sparked something inside me and made me click the ‘send’ button.

Favourite memory at RICE so far?

Mirrah: My favourite memory so far during my short time here would be seeing the reactions of people when I tell them I was using a Windows on Mac. They’re always either shocked that it’s possible or questioning why I do that. 

Alecander: This would definitely be our annual RICExAKIN Christmas party when I wore a blow-up Santa costume into office and had to subsequently co-host the party with my team (while still an intern) without a mic cause the system was down.

Mirrah, what do you hope to learn or develop most during your internship?

Mirrah: I hope to learn more about PR and what PR professionals do on a day-to-day basis to get a sense if this is what I would want to pursue in the future. I also want to hone my ability to manage different projects at the same time. It’s admirable how everyone at RICE can keep track of the different activities in all their accounts!

Alec, if you could give one piece of advice to a new intern, what would it be?

Definitely try your best to do and learn more during your internship at RICE (always ask for feedback too!). I’d say it’s one of the best real-world experiences you’ll get – to see how different teams work on clients across different industries on a vast range of activities.

Finally, what’s your most controversial food-related hot take (IYKYK)?

Mirrah: You’re not eating mala if you’re opting for the non-spicy and less spicy levels. Where is the ‘la’ in your mala?

Alecander: Iced coffee > Hot coffee