When I started my studies here in Amsterdam, I was very hopeful to intern in an exciting new office, expand my network and grow both personally and professionally. Nothing seemed to stop my ambition to do exactly that, however then the unexpected happened: the Corona pandemic.
I was planning to go to Manchester, to work at the Invasion HQ, a company offering experiences for young people all over the world. Once the pandemic hit, I assumed (rather naively) that it will be over after a couple of months. Seeing as it has been around for almost 1.5 years, there was no other possibility, than doing the internship from home.
As I started the internship, I was a little sceptical of how it was going to work and whether my personal expectations would be met. In the first week, I quickly realised that in order to make this internship work, it will take both my and the companies full commitment. I was lucky enough to meet Katie, the marketing manager, who was the best supervisor I could have asked for. We met weekly on Zoom and not only spoke about the tasks at hand, but about life in general. A funny anecdote was how I always misread the time on the Zoom link, as sometimes it would be in the Amsterdam time zone and sometimes the British time zone. Note for future self: Always check which time zone is marked in the Zoom time!
Over the course of the first couple weeks, I found what made my internship from home difficult: the millions of distractions that we have in our homes. Pre-corona, I always saw my house as a work-free zone; a place I come back to and enjoy my rest. Now, I had to change my mindset to create a work environment which was not easy. The fridge, the TV and most of all, the roommates, are distractions that I wouldn’t have thought I’d struggle with. The balance of making sure you get your work done and not procrastinate while getting distracted left and right, made me realise that disciplining yourself to do your best and stick to a schedule, is the way to go.
Ask anyone that knows me, I hate routine and repetition. The fact that throughout the internship, I was able to focus on a 9 to 5 schedule every day, with no one pressuring me to do so, made me grow both personally and professionally. I still managed to expand my network and make the most of the opportunities that I got. Hopefully, once the corona pandemic has calmed down, I will be able to visit Manchester and check out Invasion’s office in person!