People say stepping out of your comfort zone inevitably leads to career advancement and professional success. But what happens when there is no comfort zone to begin with?
In February 2021, I began my digital marketing & e-commerce internship at Mercatum Gravitas Primo B.V. This refers to the parent company of several vintage stores in Amsterdam. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company was in need of interns who could assist with the digital activities of the brand, since their focus was forced to shift from their physical to their online stores. The company did not seem or promise to be an example of a conventional organisation, but since I needed an internship as soon as possible I thought I would give it a try.
Everything started off with a great “vibe” may I say, since the office was always filled with intriguing personalities with a multi-cultural background. Everyone had their own unique story to narrate, and the days were passing by learning new things and figuring out how a company works. The artistic aspect of the company – and the people – was rather compelling, and it was fascinating to witness what each of these very different people had to offer to the whole. The first two months I acquired a great deal of knowledge on Photoshop, product photography, Shopify, copywriting, e-mail marketing, Instagram strategies, as well as customer service. It was a time where I felt like a sponge, constantly absorbing information.
Then, the shops in Amsterdam opened up again. And why is that so bad, may you ask? Well, the office started to feel like a scene of The Walking Dead. The employees who were there before to assist with the digital activities of the company had returned to the physical stores. An enormous warehouse in Diemen was occupied merely by the boss and a few interns. Since the majority of the sales came from in-store purchases now, the focus of the company shifted again from online shopping to the physical stores. There was no longer a concrete goal for the online department and the interns had to run on auto-pilot. There were no meetings, deadlines or reports that we had to work on. It was just us and an overwhelming amount of inventory that we had no idea how to deal with.
And here comes the ultimate question; Is a fluid environment like this supposed to spark creativity and lead to unprecedented results? Or is it more likely to cause confusion, lack of motivation and ridiculous levels of boredom? I believe for each individual is what they make out of it. Personally, I thrive with deadlines, concrete plans and a large vision above me. I tried my best to function in a non-conventional company and to a large extent I am convinced I offered more than expected. The ending period of the internship was not a so-called success, but overall I believe the practical knowledge and the soft skills I acquired are still invaluable.
Would I recommend this internship? In general, I am afraid I will have to be brutally honest and say a big fat no, especially as a first dive into the job industry. But nonetheless, for somebody who is not a control freak, values artistry & chaos and is down to have a good and chill time with colleagues, I could not think of a better place.
And as I often say; not everything is for everyone, but every experience shapes us to what we are.