As we have all experienced by now, the Coronavirus outbreak altered our lives drastically this year. Classes during the spring semester were shifted online very abruptly and we had to adjust to working virtually for practically everything. This included my internship.
In January, I began my first internship position doing marketing and editorial work for an event planning company called The Bash at The Knot Worldwide. This internship was everything I had hoped for. I was going to an office to do a job I was passionate about, working with amazing people for a fantastic company, and getting hands-on career experience. Unfortunately, this was altered in March as cases of COVID-19 began to skyrocket across the country. At that time, our office was told to work from home for the time being.
I was very lucky because I was able to continue my internship while being at home. I would log onto my laptop every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, trying to maintain the same schedule I had during the semester. I would video chat with my manager when needed, monitor our company Slack channels, and still attend company meetings. Fortunately, I had an ongoing list of assignments and tasks each week, so I was able to work on my own time and plan my days accordingly. During March and April, Google Calendar became my #BFF.
Due to quarantine and social distancing, physical parties were no longer possible. The marketing team, along with myself, created new content to promote virtual parties or small socially distanced get-togethers. I had the opportunity to write articles featured on The Bash website which included topics like postponing parties due to COVID-19 and even different Zoom backgrounds for virtual events. This was no easy task, but we wanted our vendors and clients to be successful and remain safe while doing so. During this time, I also created content, scheduled, and monitored the company’s Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook pages.
Originally, I was asked to return for the summer, however, that was no longer possible due to the evolving pandemic. Although my original internship plan changed drastically, I am thankful for this experience. I was able to expand my knowledge, learn from professionals, as well as get hands-on marketing, editorial, and public relations experience. I also learned how to manage my time successfully while balancing a full school schedule. This experience taught me that I am flexible, determined, and capable of anything–and I am eternally grateful for this opportunity.