Media and Communications student Kathryn has wrapped up her internship at MyLaTrobe. She shares some of her thoughts on being an intern during Semester 1, during the transition from working in an office to working from home.
Being an intern was something I was nervous about, but excited for, because I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to be part of a workplace in an area I interested in working in. I was looking forward to the things I would be able to do, but working from home for the rest of the Semester was something I wasn’t expecting.
Before COVID-19 lockdown
I was lucky to experience around two weeks in the MyLaTrobe office before having to work from home. Besides researching and drafting article ideas, I was able to go out and cover the International Women’s Day 2020 event on MyLaTrobe’s social media. It was a highlight before things changed for not just me, but for everyone else too.
From a group environment to working from home
I thought the transition from working in the office to working from home wouldn’t be too difficult, but it didn’t turn out that way. I had already begun to miss the routine of going to the office and getting right into whatever task I was doing. I missed having my coworkers less than five metres away from me so I could ask questions and chat from time-to-time.
Working from home reminded me that I am now working by myself. In the two weeks at the office, I was already comfortable hearing my coworkers in the background as I worked at my desk, and greeting the other staff as I head to and from the breakroom. Working at my desk at home and sending messages on Slack whenever I had a question didn’t bring the same atmosphere as being in the MyLaTrobe office. Not to mention I wouldn’t be able to go out and cover any events La Trobe were going to hold before we went into lockdown.
But there was nothing I could do but to keep pushing and adjusting to a change that I had no control over. I sought out tasks I can do from home, as well as trying to balance my other subjects during the semester. It took some time but I got there in the end. Like anyone else who was doing an internship during Semester 1, I wish I was able to do more and not just work from the comfort of my home.
It took a lot of courage from me to take that step and send in my application form, and I’m glad I did. I learnt a lot during my time with MyLatrobe that I will take away into whatever I have planned next. I want to thank the staff who took really good care of me and helped me out whenever I had a question despite not being able to talk to them in person, and I hope I will cross paths with them again.