What does an “adult office job” working remotely look like?
3 Jun 2021, 17:29 Me ''I’m super nervous, I really don’t know what to expect!”
13 Jun 2021, 17:47 Eve “I’m the exact same!! It’s the unknown, isn’t it?” “I also am just so curious what they’re going to have us do?”
13 Jun 2021, 19:42 Me “Right? What are we actually going to do day to day?” “I’ve always wondered that about “adult office jobs” to be honest :D”
This was the exchange me and Eve Davis, the other Saltire Intern I am working with, had the evening before our first day as marketing interns at Celtic Renewables. I remember this day quite well – I spent it tidying up my desk area trying to create a comfortable home office corner in my room. After all, this is where I would spend up to 8 hours a day for the next two months. I mean, I did already have experience in studying from home over the last year as well as a one-day-a-week-internship as part of my course. However, working a full-time job at a company in a country I wasn’t even in myself, knowing that I was not going to meet anyone in person for the duration of the internship? That was a different story.
I thought about how to dress properly for an office job while there were temperatures of up to 36 degrees in Berlin, Germany, where I currently am. I thought about my background for meetings – would the flower wall tapestry I have hanging over my bed seem unprofessional? And what if a family member walked in while I was in an important meeting?
I worried so much about everything that could possibly go wrong that I forgot to look forward to everything that could go right during this new, exciting experience.
Now that I am half-way through the internship it almost seems silly that I was concerned about all these things, which I now know are completely irrelevant. My choice of clothes is nowhere near as important as my performance, especially while working from home. Nothing about my background is unprofessional and while no one in my family has ever walked in during a meeting, should it happen in the future, I doubt anyone would care.
And lo and behold – I finally found out what an “adult office job” (working remotely) looks like – well, at least I think so. You do send and receive a lot of emails. Even way more messages on teams. A (shared) to-do list is your best friend. Good relationships with your co-workers and managers are the key to enjoying your time at work. And you really are sitting in front of a screen the entire workday – I really started valuing my time away from it.
After four weeks at Celtic Renewables, I truly feel like a part of the team – everyone has been so kind and welcoming, ensuring that I feel comfortable and am taking away skills from the internship while giving to the company.
Reflecting on the first half of this amazing experience almost makes me sad – I can’t believe my time at Celtic Renewables is going by so fast. However, I am also excited to see what the second half will bring and what stories I will have to tell at the end.
