The thought of employment always frightened me. When family or friends would ask me about my plans for the future, I would always joke about “studying for as long as I possibly can” just so I could avoid getting a job – “I’d go as far as to get a phD if I had to” I’d say.
While the thought of continuously educating myself is not a bad one, it is not a true sentiment. It is just a form of procrastination, an attempt at delaying the inevitable: full-time work.
I don’t know what exactly scared me about work life? I guess it was a combination of things.
Firstly, I was not certain of what career I would like to pursue. I studied communication as an undergraduate, which is a very broad topic, and didn’t help narrow my search. As such, I felt scared to commit to a career path.
Secondly, having been in the education system my whole life, “getting a job” always seemed like the end goal. Now that I am reaching that goal, the future seems pretty bleak. What now? All I could envision was the repetitive, mediocre routine of mundane jobs that lie ahead. Which did not seem particularly exciting.
Finally, I’ve always been a good student. I know how to be a good student. Yet, I had no self-confidence in my skills within the workspace. For example, I am not particularly assertive which is supposedly a necessary quality to thrive in “the real world.”
Thankfully, this internship opportunity has completely altered my perspective.
Firstly, it has helped narrow my search. While I am still unsure of what exactly I want, I know what I don’t want. Although I very much enjoyed the company culture I was in, I do not have a taste for influencer or social media marketing. It does not inspire me. In managing the execution of campaigns, I realized I needed more creativity. Which I will now seek in the future. I also discovered that the culture you work in, is almost just as important as the work itself. The digital agency I interned at had a very casual work environment and flexible work hours (which is often the case in creative sectors.) And this inadvertently increased my motivation and productivity.
Secondly, this internship expanded my vision for the future. For instance, I now appreciate the fact that a job will structure my time. I no longer view it as a mundane routine. In actuality, routine allows me to be more productive outside the workplace, and feel more motivated in other aspects of my life. Meeting older colleagues also showed me how we aren’t so different. Employees always seemed so much older and so much more “adult” than me. But these adults are not so different from students. Most were students not so long ago. And have just as much fun.
Finally, the internship reassured me that I indeed do have the skills to thrive in a professional context, as I received excellent feedback from my colleagues about my work ethic.
I now feel excited to explore all that work-life has to offer!