Written by Taylor Johnson
The coronavirus was quite unexpected for me. I knew little knowledge of it, but I didn’t think it would cause the world to completely shut down. I’ve never experienced anything like it. As I’m finishing up my senior year at DePaul University, this is also a crucial time, as I recently just started a new internship. I was so excited to be offered the Marketing + Communications intern position with the marketing agency, The L3 Agency. I remember first coming to the office and meeting the team, discussing the details of the role, and what day-to-day tasks look like. It was a beautiful day, everyone was so warm and welcoming, and I was thrilled to start working.
As my official start day slowly began to approach, the virus began to spread more and more rapidly. Causing my first day to be rescheduled, then officially assigned remotely. On my first day, we started with a group meeting call, using Google hangout. As I was a bit bummed and nervous to have to start remotely, wanting that hands-on experience, my team made my first day a day to remember. From positive affirmations, comfort, organization and regular check-ins. Everything ran so smoothly, you’d think they’ve done this before, but in reality, this was new for them too. This made things much easier and relieving for me, as I continued on with the day.
During my first day, I was able to be a part of my first conference call with one of the clients. Being able to see how these are done, what entails, and what to include in descriptive note-taking. After the conference call, the team and I had a separate meeting to review it. This gave me more insight, a clear understanding, and information, so I’m well prepared for client conference calls in the future.
I’m coping with this “Work from home” regimen, by remaining professional, tackling assigned tasks, and being an awesome team player, just as I would in the office. Spreading positivity and shedding light during this hard time, as everyone is feeling it, has helped me keep a smile. Knowing we are in this together, and making it happen, is what motivates me.