This past orientation week we got to play Gaelic sports and explore different parts of the country. My favorite Gaelic sport out of the ones we played was Gaelic football. On our Friday trip, we went to the Wicklow Mountains, Glendalough, and Kilkenny.
The first day of my internship will start this week following the bank holiday. I am eager to start work and get involved at my internship. A typical morning for me will consist of a good breakfast to start the day. Once I finish up my food, I will have to get ready for work and hop on the bus. My typical commute is about 40 minutes, so it is essential to be efficient in the morning.
When I finally get into the office, I will check in with my supervisor and get to meet all of my colleagues. After the initial greetings and introductions are finished I will be able to get started on my first set of responsibilities. During my first work week, I will get to oversee two of the client events planned. This will help me get an understanding of how everything runs. While I am very excited for these events, I will also have to be strategic about my time. I will need to prioritize getting all the work I need to do in the office finished ahead of the days when I am working at events.
A big part of managing what needs to be done for the work week is creating a detailed calendar and frequently checking in with the right colleagues. Setting aside time to sort out what days I am in the office compared to events allows me to break down my schedule clearly. For example, if I have a research proposal I need to update then marking down which date the proposal is due by and where I left off. This is essential because I will most likely have several tasks to keep track of. I might have to update a research proposal, contact venues to check in, and oversee events all within a few days.
In terms of prioritizing my tasks, I will make sure to break down my larger projects over time and finish smaller tasks as soon as I can. If I have a research proposal that I am writing from scratch and I have to update supplier rates by a similar date it is important to distribute my time evenly. This means writing part of the research proposal and updating a set amount of supplier rates each day. That way when deadlines do approach I can ensure that I put an honest effort into my work. Being thorough and producing quality work takes time. As a result, you have to think ahead.
Checking in with colleagues on my team is another part of my internship I want to make time for. Building workplace relationships will not only make it easier to finish projects, but to get advice. As this is my first internship, I am looking to use this as an opportunity to develop my career skills. Since my colleagues will be more experienced, they will definitely have suggestions on how to navigate professional challenges and ways to grow professionally.
The event planning industry as a whole is very involved. There is a lot of detailed work that goes into planning trips for our clients. On top of the guidelines outlined in my job description, there will likely be a lot of other tasks I get to work on. I am excited for my role as it provides me with an all hands on deck environment. I can experience several parts of the industry and see what areas I like the best.
Aside from my work hours, I will also have to complete my academic requirements set by Pitt Business. During orientation week, I made sure to complete small parts of each assignment throughout the week. I will make sure to follow this format once my full work week starts, so I do not feel too overwhelmed. Even if it is just getting a couple of words down on a page to get the ball rolling.
Overall, I think that any job requires careful planning. You have to figure out a work routine while balancing your mental health and other responsibilities. That is really when you start to appreciate the simple things even if it means eating the same bowl of oats and drinking the same cup of coffee each morning. Hail to Pitt!