08. August
August, you flew around the corner and ended real quick. What’s up with that?
What took up most of my time this month is this internship I’m currently doing. I’m over halfway now. I’ve got 5 weeks to go. Time is flying, freaking flying.
It is a Marketing and PR internship so I’m learning all the things, and it’s going good, but there are a few things that I’ve been noticing that are different in comparison to other internships that I’ve done previously.
One thing I’ve noticed is that we (we, meaning the interns) are constantly referred to as “the interns”. I know that’s what we are, but I overhear the team talking about different tasks and dividing them up between us and very rarely do I hear them say our names. It tends to be, “one of the interns can do it” or “see if an intern has time to do it. It’d be nice to hear, “maybe Francesca and so and so” could do it. There is just a level of respect by calling someone by their name, and they’re probably not doing it on purpose, but I feel as though not calling someone by their name takes away their importance or makes them feel less than.
In my previous internships, there has been a real sense of collaboration, and I feel that it’s lacking this time around. We’re in shared office space, but it feels very separate. The team is on one side, and us interns are on the other side. Now I understand that’s the set up, but because of this I feel that it does affect the collaboration or the lack there of.
When I first started, I remember feeling like an imposter in my first week because the girls that are also doing this internship were talking about what they’re studying at uni and and how long they’ve got a go, and I’m sitting there and I’m saying how I graduated 5 years ago, and recently quit my job and, and I felt a bit out of place, and I know that just because I’m no longer at uni shouldn’t matter, but that how I felt when I started.
With that said, I am enjoying it. What makes it enjoyable is the people. The fact that I’m not doing it alone, and I have people who are in the same boat makes it easier to get through days that might be a bit boring.
Another thing I like about doing internships, is that you find out what you like and what you don’t like. You can have certain expectations and then once you get into it, it changes and suddenly you’re learning that what you thought you would like, turns out it’s not your favourite thing in the world.
Some days I feel like I’m on the right track and doing what’s right for me, but then I feel as though I’m not making enough progress and I question a lot. There is a lot of growth happening, and even though I don’t always see it, I feel it and that’s good enough for me.
August felt like a slow exhale - somewhere between holding on and letting go. This month brought stillness, shifts and small moments that mattered more than I expected.