Monday morning and I'm on my way to the office.
It's a cold, dark February morning and I must admit I'm a bit nervous as I stand in the elevator going up. I apply the last layer of lip gloss and take a look in the elevator mirror. I feel my outfit is wrong. Is the shirt too much for the first day? As I pass the second floor, I also notice a toothpaste stain on it. Damn, now everything is ruined. I was supposed to come in with the highest confidence and shine on my first day, and here I am with the wrong outfit and a toothpaste stain. When I arrive on the fourth floor, I see through the glass door that the office has already awakened. It’s 8:50, and they are already in meetings, and people are running back and forth with coffee cups in their hands. I think to myself: "oh, my days of student sleep-ins are probably over."
Now a new chapter in my life is beginning, I am starting my last internship before entering the job market. The world outside is collapsing. There are two terrible wars going on, the economy is bad, and the tv show "Bäst i Test" has moved to Channel 4. I think about the absurdity that I am undergoing an inner crisis over my future when people just a few hours away are fighting for their lives. I think about those who once had a normal life, those who got up normal mornings to their usual jobs, just as we do here. But this is not a completely normal day for me. All this is happening outside the door, and right now, standing in front of this glass door, this feels like the biggest thing happening in the world.
I eventually walked into the office in the end. Although it may seem that the road there was long, the first days, weeks, and months quickly passed by. It has now been 12 weeks since I started my internship and there are only about two weeks left until I enter the job market. What have I learned during this time?
The variety of tasks, the freedom, and the personal responsibility are things I have greatly appreciated. In a way, you could say I have grown up. I've realized that exciting and fun things won't just appear in front of me, I have to take action and get involved in things to be part of them. This has been very educational. To be involved in the dream project, one must step out of the comfort zone and prove to oneself that "I can do this," and this is not always easy as an intern and new in the industry.
I've learned that the agency world is much more hectic and fast-paced than working in-house, but also incredible. Working with various clients with completely different goals and agendas really challenges one's creative and adaptive abilities.
I will take with me that a positive and healthy corporate culture is also incredibly important. I will take with me the great conversations about everything under the sun with my supervisor Anna Lundahl who has pushed and supported me during this time, thank you for that. Her guidance has helped me to stand my ground in an industry full of strong personalities and wills. I will take with me that everything also doesn't depend on a stained shirt, because in the right place and with the right people, no one cares about that.
