This week I began my internship at 4Property. I have become accustomed to my new workplace, and I have even made new work friends. A few coworkers and I spend lunch break together and this week we went to St. Peter’s Park to sit and eat. I find that these friendly faces help to make work fun while also still being productive. Additionally, I did not find it very difficult to get used to the cultural workplace differences between Ireland and the US in that my supervisor is very kind and is always willing to help or further explain and communicate. I am also one of seven interns, so it makes it easier that I am not the only new worker. I have been given many tasks by my supervisor, but my main project for this summer is to convert an outdated financial model to a new and improved financial model using a platform called Xero. On the other hand, my workplace is located in the center of Dublin, so on my lunch break I am able to walk around the city and find new places to eat. Overall, I am enjoying my work so far, but I am even more excited to begin my actual project here at 4Property.
In regards to time management, I am not having too much difficulty, yet this week was more of a welcome week rather than a vigorous work week. This week, I read up on the background of the business, was introduced to a new software, and learned about the platform that I will be using to help convert the financial model. However, I believe that the time management skills I have now will aid in my ability to appropriately delegate and effectively use time next week when I begin the real project.
While I am busy trying to balance exploring the culture of Ireland while working my 9-5 job at 4Property, I believe that I have the tools to make the most out of my internship while also balancing travel on the weekends and exploring Dublin and other Irish cities during the week. I make sure to work as hard and efficiently as I can during the work week so that I have the luxury of being able to travel on the weekends. For example, this weekend I had to finish reading a module on one of the companies I will be helping before I traveled to London on Friday night. I believe the excitement of traveling helps me to stay on task in that I know that I have to sacrifice now to have a fun weekend.
On the other hand, my supervisor makes us write a “SCRUM” each work morning. In this “SCRUM,” each worker has to summarize what they completed the day before in the first paragraph, and in the second paragraph, we summarize what we want to accomplish that day. I have found this to be helpful to stay on track during the day. I find this to be a source of motivation in two ways. In the morning, I lay out what I want to accomplish. This is a source of motivation in that I want to stick to my goals. On the other hand, I find it to be motivating in that during work I am aware that I will have to reflect on the quantity and quality of my work the next morning. This makes me want to do the best quality of work and to use my time the most efficiently that I can. Overall, I believe that I will bring the “SCRUM” into an everyday practice for myself in that I find it to help me do quality work.
Lastly, I do have a notebook where I write down what I want to accomplish during that day and I check it off as I accomplish them. While traveling and the “SCRUM” make it easy for me to stay motivated during the work day, this notebook ensures that I will not forget any assignment. Throughout this internship, I want to continue to work on time management as it is an important aspect of any future job. Additionally, when I work my first real job, I do not want to have to quit all of my other hobbies or stop seeing my friends and family. I want to continue to use these skills and practice time management so that no matter how busy I am in the future, I can continue to do the things outside of work that bring me joy.