Tag Archives: office culture

How to Spoil Your Intern

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I am a very lucky intern.

So lucky, in fact, that I almost feel bad writing this post–I think we’ve all heard of the Internship Coordinator from the Black Lagoon, and unpaid (or grossly underpaid) internships are becoming more and more of a controversy. So writing a post about how spoiled I am seems a little silly, especially since it’s most likely job-seekers who are reading this blog, rather than employers.

But then it occurred to me that those of us who are scrounging for internships now will eventually get to a point where we’re going to have entry-level or interns under our supervision. So if nothing else, maybe these lessons will stick with those of us who have been there. Maybe this will help us to not be the future Internship Coordinators from the Black Lagoon.

“Who can tell me what ‘leverage’ means?”

The most important thing, I think, is to make sure your intern is a necessary part of the team. I’ve said before, I’ve never felt like the smallest or least important voice in the office (even if I am the littlest fish in the pond). My coworkers are sure to include me whenever they can–my manager in particular will stay back at the office so I can go on outreach or to events with the group. My manager has also been careful to ask me what my interests are so that she can include me on projects that are related to my goals. Even if I’m only doing a small part of the project–research, drafting a letter, whatever–I’m still learning more about the process and the topic itself than I would have had I not been involved.

But then there are the little things my coworkers do for me. They make sure I don’t pay for anything. Obviously I pay for my lunch every day and my gas to and from the office, but if we go out for food or drinks as an office or have to travel to an event, they refuse to let me pay for myself and will let me take my car only if it’s by far the most convenient option. When I persisted once about buying my own lunch when we took a coworker out for her birthday, the office director said that when he started his first job with an elected official, his boss’s policy was that interns didn’t pay, and he’s made sure that’s how it’s been in every office he’s been in. This seems a little much, and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to include it in this post, but considering they don’t pay much for the 40 hours a week that I work, this is a really kind gesture.

There are so many more things that my coworkers do for everyone in the office, not just me, that make this such a great place to work. One woman brings fresh roses from her garden for our desks. Everyone brings treats: we’ve had doughnuts, treats made from fresh rhubarb, and ice cream. We celebrate birthdays and holidays–we even had a retirement party for a man from a different office one time.

I’m so spoiled, I won’t even get out of bed for anything less than fresh rhubarb bars. (Click the picture for a recipe! But only if you can say ‘rhubarb bars’ five times fast!)

Do you have any dream-team internship stories? Or horror stories? If the office environment is terrible but the experience might be good, is a job worth it?

On Culture

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Nothing can affect your work like the culture of a space. The people in a class can either make the class awesome or miserable—the human element seals the deal either way.

An office is no exception. And let me tell you, I lucked out when it comes to office culture.

Like I’ve said in previous posts, I’ve basically been trying to absorb and commit to memory everything my coworkers do. I’ve learned so much about my home state, about outreach, and about how lawmakers actually do their jobs.

But I’ve also been so amazed by my coworkers’ commitment to our office’s culture. They go beyond just being their pleasant and interesting selves—they make a conscious effort to make the office a great place to work. And it makes such a difference.

Want to know what you can do to make your office a better place to work? Look no further! Here are some tips I’ve picked up so far.

1. Food.

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Never underestimate the power of food. My coworkers make a point of bringing food to the office, especially when it counts most. We have a series of meetings on Mondays, so someone always brings treats for us to munch on during our meeting on Monday. Someone brought snacks to the office when we were preparing for a big event the next day. When someone in another office in our building retired, someone brought in ice cream floats and angel food cake.

Food makes people happy and saves them from falling asleep at their desks at 2:30. But it also sparks conversation and brings the office together and makes it a community. Remember that people appreciate it when you bring their favorites–one of my coworkers doesn’t eat gluten or dairy, so I made some pastries with almond flour and coconut milk and brought them to work one day, and made sure she took home the rest.

2. Holiday Decorations

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Don’t be afraid to get festive. Our office currently has red, white and blue decorations up for Memorial Day/Flag Day/the 4th of July. I’d say almost all of the people who come into the office comment on it. People like it when an office is welcoming.

Decorations are even more important for the people who work there. Festive and other decorations (we have big leafy plants plus little trinkets and things the lawmaker has been given from different groups) keep the office from feeling like a big, gray, carpeted cage. Color and brightness keep people interested and alert.

3. Comfort

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I’ll never forget this—the director of our office is one of the coolest dudes ever. He often accompanies our lawmaker to events she attends, and he stands there like a bodyguard—tall and straight-faced serious. And he knows how to direct the office and make sure things get done. But he also makes sure that we’re having a good time. The first day of work, he came around the corner three or four times throughout the day, took a peek at me, then yelled, “Guess what, guys! She’s still here!” The gentle teasing made me laugh and helped ease my nerves. Later on in the day, he also brought over the bowl of little chocolates we have sitting in the break area and offered me some. Those little things made me feel so welcome and relaxed.

4. Fun.

partyIt might be because she was a teacher for several decades, but one lady in our office makes sure we’re always having fun. She’s all about having parties for holidays (I found a bunch of pictures of everyone in costumes for Halloween on the office’s shared drive), remembering people’s birthdays, and adding some fun wherever she can. We had a really, really busy week a few weeks ago, and after a planning meeting one morning when it was really getting down to the wire, she pulled out a Staples Easy Button for us to press whenever we got something done. It made things almost like a game. It takes about three seconds to go push the button, but it makes things that much more fulfilling and enjoyable.

I know this doesn’t sound like much, but I promise you it is. We had a big event here in town last week, and folks from a few other offices came here to help us make everything happen. People commented constantly on how lovely our office was and how they don’t have decorations and no one ever brings food and you guys have Cherry Coke?!

The key to happiness.

The key to happiness.

Bottom line: Cherry Coke = happiness. Don’t be afraid to have a little fun.

Combating the 40 Hour Blues

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When I was in high school, I always argued with my parents about who had it harder. I was pretty sure that I did– I started school at 7:30 in the morning, often getting home at 6 or 7 after extracurriculars, only to be faced with a mountain of homework. Even on my lazy senior schedule of 7:30am-1:30pm, I was convinced that being a student was harder than being an adult worker. Maybe that was true in high school, with back to back classes and 7 classes worth of homework every night.

But I can definitely say that working 40 hours a week this summer has been more taxing than my first year of college. I definitely worked a lot my first year at Scripps, but the rhythm suited me. I woke up around 8:30, ate a leisurely breakfast, and had plenty of time to do reading, problem sets, and work on essays between classes and my work in Scripps IT Department. I saw my friends (especially the roomies) throughout the day, and almost always paused work for a long, social dinner. After 9 or 10, I declared my working brain dead, and did only fun things before I slept. I was remarkably unstressed compared to high school, and although I worked more and played less during finals and midterms, I was always surrounded by friends, in a beautiful environment, and could wear the comfiest or cutest clothes I wanted.

My work this summer has not been stressful–it’s an incredibly supportive environment, very focused on learning and professional growth for interns. But the rhythm of the “normal adult work week” , and the office environment, has been getting me down. I’m in a grey cubicle, in a huge windowless room, for most of my day. After work, I’m often ready to collapse in my bed, but I also desperately want social interaction with people my own age. That’s not as easy as it is at school, where everyone’s a 3 minute walk away (or zero minutes, when it comes to my lovely, lovely roomies). The weekends feel like they pass too quickly.

I still have a lot of professional interests that point at a 40 hour workweek for most of my future. So I’ve been trying to develop strategies to feel good on the grind.

1. Exercise! One of the great perks of my workplace is a free office gym, which is right next to my workspace. I’ve been going pretty regularly after work for the last week, and I feel great. I’ve been coming home after my workouts with much more energy to go out or get things done at home. Even just 30 minutes helps me transition out of late afternoon stupor.

2. Purposeful socializing I’m used to plans just falling into place casually, but when my free time is so limited–and many of my friends are also working–it takes a little more forethought. I’ve met up with friends working nearby for lunch, or to hang out right after work. I’ve been filling my weekends and nights much more than I’m used to. I’m an introvert, so usually I’m cautious about wearing myself out with too many plans. So when I feel super worn out, I just have one-on-one hangouts with people I don’t have to impress. It satisfies my people need without overwhelming me.

3. Sleep Sleep deprivation makes me grumpy and stressed and prone to eating sugary foods which exacerbate that mood. Sleep is great! It’s like free coffee.

4. Tea and snacks I love jasmine tea. Jasmine tea smells great, keeps me alert, and generally just keeps happiness levels high. There’s a water cooler with a hot faucet near me, so I make tea constantly. I also make sure to have little snacks on hand–Luna bars, veggies, sesame sticks, and beef jerky. I’ve found that a big lunch makes me sleepy, and then hungry two hours later. Snacks keep my energy levels constant throughout the day.

5. Books No, I don’t read at work, but my commute and time at home are so enriched by reading. I started with The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, which is like female empowerment steampunk-y scifi. Now I’m switching back and forth between Cryptonomicon, by the same author, and God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism by Abraham Joshua Heschel. Even though my work is super interesting, it helps me to engage my brain with something totally unrelated. (I’m also watching multivariable calculus lectures online in preparation for fall semester. Yay for different modes of thinking!)

What are your happy strategies?