Hey again! I’ve now been in Prague for 3 weeks and I can officially say I am very situated here. I’ve gotten used to the ins and outs of my workplace and the city as a whole. I still haven’t explored everywhere in Prague that I’d like to see, but I plan on doing that in the coming weeks. Last week, my group and I went to Bratislava, Slovakia, and Budapest, Hungary. It was the first trip we took here and I loved both of them. Bratislava was small so we were only there for 1 day. Budapest was awesome. I got to try the traditional Hungarian langosh as well. During the week, EUSA hosted a pub quiz about the Czech Republic. This weekend, we went to Krakow, Poland. Again, the city center was nice and historical. We met plenty of locals that seemed to be happy to see Americans visiting Krakow.

I continued working at Nekrachni 4 days a week. I usually finish work before 4, which is nice because it gives me time to go to the gym and then relax before dinner. During working hours, sometimes I experience uncertainty in the tasks I’m supposed to complete. At first, I didn’t know how to navigate this issue. However, over the last 2 weeks, I’ve learned the best ways to approach this.

As an American managing social media and marketing for their new English-language app, I’ve found myself navigating a landscape of uncertainty. There’s no problem with communication via social media with young English-speaking people, because I am accustomed to that. Instead, it’s figuring out how to do the job when directions are unclear and dealing with times when I don’t have many tasks to complete.

One of the hardest parts is innovation without an example. I get assignments like “manage social media” or “create marketing content.” But often, I don’t get much detail on how they want it done, what style to use, or even what the final result should look like. It’s not that I don’t understand the main goal; it’s more like trying to find the right path without a clear map. . This often makes me wonder if I’m doing things the way my supervisors expect, or if there are hidden rules I’m missing because I’m far away and from a different culture.

Also, a big part of the uncertainty comes from how much work there is – or sometimes, how little. In a fast-moving startup, things can change really fast. What was important yesterday might be put on hold today, or a new, urgent task might pop up. This means sometimes a project I’m working on might just stop, or I might finish a task and then have nothing else to do. There are times I spend a lot of time just waiting for the next set of instructions or for someone to make a decision. It’s not that they’re trying to leave me with nothing; it’s just how a company works when it’s growing fast and trying new things.

So, how do I handle these unclear situations and the times when I’m waiting?

First, I talk a lot and ask questions. If a task seems vague, I don’t just guess. I’ve learned to ask questions that help me understand better without needing someone to hold my hand. For example, instead of “What do you want?”, I might ask, “For this post, should it be more informative or funny?” or “What are you hoping to achieve with this?” When I don’t have much to do, I reach out to my supervisor. I ask if there’s anything I can help with or if I can start getting ready for upcoming projects. This not only helps me get clearer directions but also shows I’m eager to work.

Second, I like to try different things and see what works. When I’m not sure about a task, I often come up with a few different ideas or drafts. This lets my supervisors pick what they like best, and it gives me clearer feedback for next time. I also pay close attention to which social media posts do well. During the quieter times, instead of doing nothing, I use that time to teach myself new things. I might research new social media trends, look at what other companies are doing, or even write some general content that could be useful later. This way, I’m always ready and building up my skills.

Overall, I’m learning to be flexible and not get fixed on a specific task for a long period of time. Not everything will be perfect all the time. Everyone is busy doing their own tasks. That’s why it’s important to ask for instruction before everyone goes deep into their tasks. This is a skill that I’m happy to say that I’ve improved since I’ve been here.