So, what have you missed?
Well, for one thing, I've (temporarily) moved to a new city! If you had asked me a couple months ago where I was set to be working this summer, I would've said Windsor. You know, the place where the castle is? But much to my surprise, I was actually placed in Manchester for the summer. It's a really beautiful city and even after just a couple of weeks here, I can confidently say that it's home to some of the best brunch (particularly French toast) I've ever had.
I've also realized that The North (capital "T" capital "N" of course) has a culture entirely it's own. Having lived in Edinburgh, I'm used to Southern (read: London/home counties) accents and y'know the odd Scottish accent here and there. But Northern accents are completely new territory for me. I don't know how many times I've had to say "Sorry, what did you just say?" to my coworkers. And I am thoroughly amused at how much everyone here loves tea (or a "brew" as they say), how often people say "mate" (even in professional conversation), and how weird it is that dinner is called tea (and lunch is called dinner, apparently?)
Another thing you might have gathered is that I've started a new job! I'm currently two weeks into an internship in Human Resources and am only just starting to figure out what all those crazy acronyms and abbreviations mean. See? I'm learning a lot! Working that 9 to 5 lifestyle hasn't been too bad. After a couple months without uni or any sort of responsibilities, I was in desperate need of some structure. Sure, I don't have tons of time after work to do anything mildly fun besides go for a run and watch trashy television (you know the show I'm talking about...), but that's what weekends are for!
I like that my particular role within HR means that I have loads of opportunities to not be desk-bound and to visit other offices, sites, and people. Having a project to complete over the summer in addition to day-to-day tasks also means that I get to utilize some of the skills at university- like research, time management, and problem-solving. So if anyone ever says to you that you'll never use your academic research skills in the "real world," well, they couldn't be more wrong. I also think the people in the office are a really great bunch. It can be hard to be the new kid (literally), but I've learned that there's no such thing as a stupid question and that everyone is willing to help you out.
I'm not one to sugar coat things though, and I'll be honest when I say that moving to Manchester, even for this short time, has been a difficult transition for me. I know what you're thinking: "Leda, you moved to a different country just a few years ago- how in the world can this be so hard?" But, hear me out. I think what's made this transition a bit challenging for me has been the fact that there's lots of change for me going on at one time. Starting on an internship is a tough enough adjustment as it is- especially since this is my first exposure to a corporate environment. But when you do that combined a new city and a new flat on your own, it can be especially difficult.
Even so, I'm really grateful to have this opportunity to learn- about the corporate world, about HR, and about myself. It may not be perfect, but I'm trying to make the most of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment