Sitting at my desk, angling my phone for a Zoom call and hoping my dog’s barking downstairs would go unnoticed, it’s fair to say my first day at Petersens was unlike any other. We were one week into lockdown and I was beginning a 12-week placement which would be conducted entirely through Zoom Calls and WhatsApp. Yet, despite never setting foot in the office, it has been one of my most useful experiences to date.
Rob and Emily made me feel welcome early on and got me up to speed with clients quickly. Being able to learn on the job meant I could see what worked a lot quicker, as well as start contributing a lot earlier. Whilst we spoke regularly, not being able to ask a lot of questions or discuss every idea meant I had to use my initiative a lot more. It encouraged me to get resourceful, think ahead and be decisive, which in turn has made me a lot more confident in what I can do. Whilst I would like to actually meet the team, I think anyone who has had the opportunity of a remote internship during lockdown will have a unique set of skills to refer to in future.
The diversity of Petersens’ clients is one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about the internship. Being able to work with new industries, audiences, and platforms each day keeps me on my toes, and of course there’s been the added challenge of adapting for business during the pandemic. My internship with Petersens has kept me feeling productive and useful in what is a tumultuous time and I’m so glad for their decision to modify the placement and push on. I can’t say for certain how the pandemic is going to affect graduates like myself or the already-competitive communications industry. What I do know is my time with Petersens has given me a considerable steppingstone in this career path, for which I’m extremely grateful.
Comentarios