The past week has consisted of an increase in workload and a lot of vintage shopping. Since the previous interns have left, a lot of the tasks they’d work on have been passed on to me which has been a bit of an adjustment. I now get to work on the weekly newsletter, the vendor newsletter, vendor sales reports, social media content, vendor outreach, market research, and whatever else I’m needed for. Although the increase in tasks has been a little overwhelming at times, I feel like I’ve become more comfortable with my position and what’s expected of me. I think having multiple things to be working on throughout the day has helped to diversify my day and is helpful when navigating my time management of tasks. I’m able to plan ahead and understand what I need to get done, and sometimes a task has a more fluid deadline but if I know it’ll take longer I like to work on it chunks that way I can also revise as I go along.
I definitely think the relaxed work culture has strengthened my adaptability as well. As mentioned, some tasks are on less strict timelines and although I don’t always do well with that, I feel like in a work environment I find it more manageable. I’ve found the structure of the internship to also be more fluid and there are a lot of liberties I am given which can be scary at times, but it’s helped me to trust in my judgement and take chances on things I normally wouldn’t. I think the increase in professional freedom has helped me to learn when to pivot and change things as I go along. I’ve found this skill to be one of the most important because then I am more open to possibilities and can think differently depending on what a situation needs.
A hard skill I have gained in this position is design experience. A good portion of the tasks I’m doing involve designing content for social media and vendors which is something I had no experience in before. I only designed presentations for class, and they were more for functional purposes rather than esthetic. In this position I am learning to work with different programs like Mailchimp and Canva to create media and newsletters that are both functional and aesthetic. These tasks have also been a good creative outlet for me which I’ve been enjoying.
When it comes to navigating cross-cultural situations, I’ve found it to be not as difficult as I expected it to be. I do think a big part of this has been because everyone here speaks English, so communication has been easy to navigate. I also think I’m a pretty adaptable and curious person so even if there is a cultural difference between my own and in Sweden, I have been receptive to it. I am very curious about the differences and similarities between Swedish and American culture, and I find that at least those I work with have shared the same sentiment and have been open to having conversations about culture. I feel like I’ve been able to learn and question in a respectable way and in an environment that has returned the same attitude. I also think being emersed in another country and fully working/living here has strengthened my adaptability and given me more perspective on cultural differences.
One thing I’ve really enjoyed about Swedish culture is their love for vintage shopping. I spent a good chunk of time outside of work, doing some vintage shopping and going to outdoor flea markets across Sweden. The area I work in is known for their vintage shopping and have multiple shops on each block dedicated to secondhand stores. It truly feels like I’m in heaven sometimes just walking around and seeing how many there are. They also have really nice, unique pieces that I enjoy shopping for. I appreciate this emphasis on secondhand and cared for vintage pieces, and it’s something I’d love to see more of back home. Sweden has been treating me well so far and it’s crazy to think how fast time is flying but it’s been such a good time.