Week 7

July 6th, 2019

This work week brought me a lot closer to my coworkers and was a great way to wrap up my second to last week here. Because of the office dynamic and the busy time of year, there are rarely a lot of people in our office on a daily basis. The beginning of this week just happened to be when everyone was in the office and led to a lot of “team time”. Monday we had a staff meeting which was really interesting to sit in on, as they discussed the future of the company and the work that was going to be done in the coming months. The dynamic of this office continues to surprise me, as they work together no matter where each person is working from. July and August is when a lot of people go on holiday so coordinating the shifting of workloads was really interesting and almost made me thankful that I’m going home in a week. I’m sure they’ll all get everything done, but from my perspective it all just seemed very stressful. In addition, the content team is taking on more social accounts that they’ll have to manage, just as one member goes away for a three week holiday. They had a meeting at a local coffee shop to plan how they were going to manage it all. It also gave them a chance to converse more freely, without bosses listening in. This was the first time that I really felt like part of the team and was able to connect with my co-workers. This used the NACE teamwork skill as I built connections with everyone outside of the office. Hearing the office drama is how you know “you’re in” and that’s something that I’ve observed in just about every job I’ve had. 

In terms of actual work, I’ve been doing more basic tasks, as most people are swamped with work as everyone heads on holiday. I’m still trying to get the most out of the experience by observing and going to meetings. It’s hard as an intern because I want to be helpful, but I also have to make sure that I’m getting the best experience I can, and I think that’s one of the things that I’ve struggled with the most. 

In the living situation side of things, the group dynamic is ever-changing. Friend groups are shifting, even with one week left. Some moments I know I’m going to miss this experience and living with these people, but other times, I’m more eager to get home. One week left, and my goals are to get through the remainder of the work for this class and make the most of the time here, which is proving to be a delicate balance.