It’s a Dog-Help-Dog World Out There
A few weeks ago, we lost our design intern. He moved on to bigger and better things, landing a gig as a designer at a big Center City communications firm. We’re all glad for him, but it left us hanging in the balance, devoid of our graphically inclined intern. The three remaining interns – copywriting (me), business (Kristen), and PR/Events (Melanie) – were struggling to pick up the leftover slack. Our everyday task of keeping up-to-date on press postings was getting behind, and any design work was being pushed back.
Enter Kendall, new design intern found via Kristen. Kendall is an experienced designer from UArts, and was eager to start at QCM. I was in the office with her on her first day, and I had an interesting challenge. I found myself getting Kendall started with her initial paperwork, as well as helping her figure out how to set up her email, intranet, desk, etc. I had only just done all myself this about two months prior, and here I was passing on the lesson already. It was a bit overwhelming at first for Kendall, because like I said we were pretty backed up on design work. She had her hands full the first day, but prevailed successfully.
The point I’m trying to make is this: Interns gotta look out for each other. We’re all a little frazzled when we first start, unsure of what to do, who to talk to, and even things like when to take lunch and what proper dress code is. Sometimes full employees are too busy to notice we have to figure out these small things. The most helpful person so far for me used to be a QCM intern, later hired full time. She’s one of the only people who understands what we have on our plates, and knows we need a guiding hand sometimes. We’re trying to make good first impressions and look like we know what we’re doing in a new environment. It takes a few weeks to get comfortable sitting at your desk, talking to the other employees, and coming in and out of the office. Help out each other, especially the newest interns. Give them the help and answers you wished you had when you started. Teach them things you had to figure out on your own. It’ll help save them time, make them look better, and make their lives easier. Karma will reward you in the long run.
P.S. I couldn’t find a good “dog helping dog” photo, so here’s a shot of two labs. They’re my favorite dogs, the most loyal and lovable. Hope it brightens your day!
Sean
