I’m writing this during my lunch break, halfway through my second week of work. It’s definitely been interesting thus far!
First Impressions:
1. This staff is so small.
My supervisor, Alejandra, has already explained to me a number of times that everyone on staff “wears many hats”, because they just don’t have the manpower or the money to get everything done otherwise.
2. “Office swag”
Ken, who is the HR guy and basically seems to know everything about everything, welcomed me on my first day with what he called “office swag”, consisting of a NOLABA journal and coffee mug (which is great, because I happen to collect them). I also have a desk with drawers and everything (I’ve already been storing snacks and hoarding mints), and my very own Dell desktop computer (which, to be honest, seems a little ancient). I’m located in this tiny little nook of the office with virtually no traffic, which definitely has its advantages and disadvantages, but another intern will be starting next week, so I’ll be sharing my little corner.
3. Independence
I didn’t really know what to expect, but still, I’m shocked at the independence I have! My supervisor (who is great and always makes sure I understand everything that’s going on; she is also always so put together and glamorous that I feel like a total slob)will basically send me email updates telling me generally what needs to get done, and gives me a really long leash. I get to make a lot of judgment calls, and I have to remind myself to stay proactive because nobody’s watching me for the most part. I’m still kind of getting the hang of things, and I’m trying to ask enough questions that I’m clearly engaged and enthusiastic about the work (which I am) but not too many that my supervisor feels like she’s babysitting me and can’t get her own work done. But honestly, there will be six interns (only three of us have started), and with such a small staff, I think everyone’s just glad they can delegate and free up their time a little bit.
4. Flexibility + low stress
My hours are 9-3pm M-F with an hour lunch break, which I was told via email before I started. However, for the first three days I didn’t eat lunch because I was waiting for Alejandra to tell me to take my break, which she never did, and I was too afraid to ask. I was coming home grumpy and starving at 4pm, having not eaten since 7am, which was definitely not working for me. So, the next day, I just left around noon when I got hungry and came back 45 minutes later. I then talked to Alejandra, who then explained that I could get lunch whenever I was hungry and I didn’t have to ask (a conversation that made me flashback to when I first asked a college professor if I “may go to the bathroom” and everyone laughed at me). Basically, this job is crazy flexible. If I come in a little early, then I can leave a little early, if I finish my work I can just head out, if I want a snack or a cup of tea I can get one. As long as I get done what I’m supposed to, I have a lot of freedom and flexibility.
5. This is a real job.
My first project was basically doing research and putting it all onto an Excel spreadsheet, which was interesting, but a little tedious. But now, a week and a half in, I’ve got three different projects on my plate. Part of me was expecting to be making copies and grabbing coffee, but it’s all hands on deck around here and I’ve certainly got my fair share of actual work to do. I’m focusing on workforce and industry clusters right now, but those projects should be wrapping up by the end of the week so who knows what I’ll be up to next. In the past, I’ve worked a lot of customer service jobs, but this is my first REAL office job (I had a quick stint as an administrative intern at BU School of Medicine last summer, but I was working for a family friend, so it didn’t quite feel so real-life). There’s a staff meeting every Monday morning that I get to sit in on, and while I only know about half of what’s going on, Alejandra takes notes for me and fills me in later, and it’s really cool to see firsthand how the team wraps up projects, and reviews what they should do moving forward.
6. I know nothing about New Orleans.
I’ve been riding the streetcar in every morning, a commute which takes anywhere from 30-45 minutes in the morning, and 30-75 minutes (ugh) in the afternoon, a commute I was less than prepared for. It’s a fifteen minute walk from my house to the nearest streetcar stop, which is okay at 7:30am, but miserable in the 4pm heat when I’m wearing pants. I’ve also been going for walks on my lunch breaks to explore the area a little bit, and I have gotten lost more than I’d like to admit. And after seeing all these restaurants, shops, bookstores, etc…, I’m realizing just how little I’ve seen of New Orleans in the past two years. I’ve been compiling a list of places I’d like to check out, and (free) activities I’d like to do, completely based on what I see when I walk around. I’m also trying to check out every coffee shop in a two mile radius, so we’ll see how that goes. I’d like to really take advantage of living in New Orleans this summer, especially when I’m working downtown, right in the middle of everything.