How to Create a Work Environment That works For You

The best way to not feel like just a lost intern is to create an environment that doesn’t make you feel like just an intern.

Hello everyone! My name is Lana Rahmani, I’m a senior studying Advertising with a concentration in Brand Strategy and Research here at Klein School of Media and Communication.

Over the summer, I had two internships that have prepared me for the future but I wanted to do one more internship to double check and see if a big corporation is what I want since a lot of people are against working in big companies. Hint: It’s not that bad and I will explain why.

I’m currently an eCommerce intern at QVC where my day to day tasks include loads of Excel work, updating gift pages, uploading shows gift items and resetting pages. Funny thing, I started as a campaigns management intern and then the eCommerce team adopted me after my supervisor quit before I even started. I’m thankful because if they didn’t take me in then I wouldn’t have known that I loved eCommerce so much.

Working at a big corporation like QVC has been very different, there are so many people, the buildings are so big, and sometimes you tend to find yourself lost. The best way to not feel like just a lost intern is to create an environment that doesn’t make you feel like just an intern.

I started off by decorating my desk with pictures of things and people I love, putting motivational quotes and I making sure everything is organized. Second, I asked my supervisor if I can take my work laptop and do my work in other parts of the company, perhaps, a coffee shop or the kitchen area, and last, I made sure to speak to everyone. I found these tips very helpful to get out of my comfort zone in a such a big company.

One of my favorite parts about working for QVC is the walk a mile meetings. Interns can schedule meetings with anyone that works in the department that they are interested in next and it is extremely helpful to when trying to figure out your next steps.

Overall, this has been an amazing experience, it made me like the corporate life and I’m extremely thankful for my lovely team.

3 Comments

  1. Hey Lana, it sounds like your experience at QVC was extremely worthwhile. It must have been really cool to be able to set up your own office/desk space. I would imagine it would make me feel much more comfortable with getting acquainted to corporate life. It sounds like you were able to really connect with important people through the “walk a mile meetings,” which sound similar to a program offered where I worked. I found it extremely beneficial to chat with people who held different positions and even work on assignments that did not pertain to my field. That kind of exposure is the type of invaluable experience internships offer. I wish you all the best in the future. Good Luck!

  2. This was a really refreshing post to read. Corporate work environments aren’t always exactly the work environment you want and it can be easy to feel like a small fish in a huge pond, but creating an environment that feels like you can really make a difference. Thanks for this!

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