A lot has happened this past week in Prague! Our Internship Program finally kicked off last Monday, and it has been an adjustment from the first week when we were exploring and having fun on our own time. I have made what feels like a 180-degree turnaround, now working a 9-5 job sitting in an office. I am working for a small business, and we have only a handful of employees in the office at a time. With this being said, we all wear a lot of hats. I came in as a marketing intern but have definitely been asked to venture into other areas of the business as well. I have been rapidly gaining knowledge about the company itself, and there is a lot to learn!
The theme of this week’s blog is to reflect on time management during this internship experience. Honestly, it was a little rough the first week. While I am expected to work 9-5, I have so many other responsibilities or personal activities that I need to make time for in addition to managing my work. During work itself, the structure of my internship is to work on and complete one project a week, roughly. So this past week, I was simultaneously trying to memorize all the different designers we work with, pricing and products, the four brands we are in charge of, and becoming familiar with behind-the-scenes work all while developing a website. It was a lot to do at once, but it will benefit me to be able to multitask and work in different areas. Though it was stressful, all the work I did last week will help me perform better in my future projects during my time here. Since I don’t have a schedule or any specific deadlines to meet, I have been making a daily hourly schedule for myself to hold myself accountable and be as productive as possible. This includes self-care, like getting lunch or coffee when I am feeling worn out. Though my internship is rather unstructured, I enjoy that I am able to work at my own pace and have the freedom to structure my own work.
Outside of the workplace, I have been trying to figure out what to prioritize in my personal life, and there are so many options. First of all, being in a new country, I have the urge to go out and explore as much as I can. Whether that’s grabbing dinner with friends or going on a walk to see new parts of the city, I have been trying to do that when I can. But I also need to find time to do things for myself, like going to the gym, grocery shopping, food preparation, doing laundry, and any other personal errands. On top of that, I need to get proper sleep every night, which I haven’t been prioritizing much. Additionally, I want to travel on the weekends as much as possible. For example, me and a group from the program ventured out to Vienna, Austria, this weekend. Figuring out how to balance all of these activities will be a hard task, but I want to be able to make the most of my experience while I am here. While I know I signed up for the International Internship Program, a major part of this experience for me is more than just the work. The fact that I am in Europe with access to so many different cultures and places to see excites me, and I want to take advantage of that while simultaneously taking care of myself and my needs.
So far, I’d say my time management skills within the workplace have been great. Because of this schedule freedom, I have been able to maximize my time and be productive. I think sometimes I am being a little too productive though and could try to get my head out of the computer at times, but everyone is so busy all of the time doing the same. I think that is just the culture of my workplace, and I will have to practice self-care by taking short brain breaks and getting out of my chair, even if that’s as simple as walking to the other side of the office. My time management outside of work has been subpar though. I’ll give myself the excuse of still adjusting to a new country and the 9-5 lifestyle, but I hope to work more on balancing my time in everything I need to do during this coming week.
