Well, I’ve been in Dublin for about three days, toured many new sites, taxied around the city centre, ate several different cuisines, moved into my new housing, had my first grocery store mishap, took a public Irish bus, and whew! What an eventful start to these next eight weeks. I write this blog post after a day of orientation, in which the EUSA staff here in Dublin went over housing protocols, safety policies, and internship preparation. Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to meet and talk to people in my program from Pitt and across the United States, who are all working on incredible projects over their time here.
For my internship, I will be working for Sweete, Ltd., which is a business-to-business company that works with other firms on rewards programs and incentive packages they then deliver to their customers. It is a marketing company, more specifically sales promotion, specializing in loyalty programs. In the past, they have worked with Schweppes, Snickers, and Aviva (which is a European insurance company). I spoke more about it in my last blog post, but they have about ten employees who source, make, and deliver free client dinners, golf excursions, and flights across Europe.
After discussing the job with my supervisor before I accepted it, it was apparent that this internship would be what I made of it. A lot of my duties would surround data entry, calling and emailing clients, and learning the process of product development. However, she made it clear that I could let her know if I wanted to see different sides of company operations, especially since I am a finance major working in a marketing-focused space. This gives me the flexibility to sharpen the skills I will need in my future career and the ability to cultivate new competencies in a distinct industry.
One of the skills I see myself using often is communication, both verbal and written. As I begin to understand the company culture and requirements of tasks I will be completing, having strong communication abilities will allow me to fit in, clarify unclear instructions, and voice concerns. Business in Ireland tends to be more “high-context” than the United States. This essentially means that bosses tend to expect a higher level of interpretation of directions in order to arrive at the correct conclusions. In the US, managers ask, “Is everyone on the same page?” and may go over everything that was discussed in a meeting to ensure each person has the same takeaways and knows expectations. I will have to navigate this ambiguity and learn how to double-check information with my supervisor so I know what is expected of me. Also, while engaging with customers, I will need to confidently and professionally answer questions, giving a well-informed response with all necessary details. This means that I must know what is going on with each project to provide the highest quality and accurate information. Otherwise, there will be confusion on both sides, which is never good.
Another key strength will be, of course, time management. This has always been a struggle for me in every aspect of my life, and though I have gotten better at being efficient, time blindness does tend to be an issue I face. Even before starting the day at 9 am, I will need to make sure I arrive at my internship location on time. I know the walk takes thirty-four minutes, and it will take the same amount of time if I take the public bus and make my transfer. Knowing me, I will naturally want to leave my building at the very last minute and have to run into work. The Irish are a little bit relaxed when it comes to time, but consistently being late would not be a great impression on my work habits and will set a negative precedent for my future.
Efficiency in the office and getting the correct tasks done in the correct order will also be something I will need to master. Unlike university, where I can more or less decide how to split up assignments independently, I will be handed a set of daily and weekly tasks and must complete them by their respective deadlines, regardless of what my dopamine levels would point me to do. Depending on the magnitude, tediousness, and time consumption of each deliverable, I will need to establish a schedule and ensure I am working fast enough to keep up with the demand. This also could mean I will have to know when to ask for help from coworkers or find a solution to increase personal productivity on whatever I am working on.
Despite the high standards I am setting for myself, the sixth of June cannot come fast enough. I am so ready to jump into work and learn even more about the company and industry!