Dear future intern,
This week was spent mostly finalising all of the work I did and archiving everything. I added subtitles to the videos that have been made. I exported them all for YouTube. I digitally organised and filed away all my work for future reference. I followed up my Ask for Evidence Campaign entries.
The highlight of the week for me, was a co-worker realising she has been pronouncing my name technically incorrectly throughout my internship and finding this unacceptable. This was during a sci-fi and fiction pub quiz we went to. We came third place! (they also went to a movie quiz but I couldn’t make that one, sad face) Next week, I will be attending a talk with them at the Science Museum. It will be a nice way to catch up.
I’ve learned a lot during my time here about what kind of career I want and how to work effectively. Since it’s a small organisation, it is run in a similar way to a team; so, I’ve been trying to figure out what makes a team thrive. Here’s what I’ve come up with:
- The immediate people around you. I’m the type of person that can plug their earphones in and work without any socialisation; but even to me it was obvious that the general atmosphere of the office is a prime motivator. I would say it is probably even more important than your role in the company.
- Getting things done. Duh. I used to procrastinate on action by trying to make a very neat plan and only following it through when I was feeling 100% in the mood in order to get the best result. Now as a general rule, I actually think having a working prototype is much more valuable. You can always iterate to improve on it. The Pareto Principle has never clicked into place in my head as well as it does now.
- Collaborating, but splitting responsibilities clearly.
- Last but not least, trusting your team. Give them freedom with their tasks, let them own it, let them fail, let them get creative and then be proud of the things they create. This perhaps applies more to management. What can I say, it worked on me so I assume it will work on other people.
Perhaps the biggest surprise for me out of all this, is that I enjoy working. I know it doesn’t sound serious, but I honestly thought I would hate a 9-5 job. It’s actually quite nice as long as you’re working on something challenging, and have room to explore new concepts.
Looking back, I can only wish the Charity Insights Scheme offered longer placements. I’ve met some great people and I haven’t dreaded a single day of work. This is all I can offer you to look forward to future intern.
Yours truly,
Koral