What I wish was different
Miscommunication and a lack of structure were defining features of my experience. Assignments were often unclear, prior decisions were easily reversed, and although interns would ask questions to help clarify an assignment, crucial details often slipped through the cracks. For group projects, different information would get passed along to different interns, which added to the confusion. On multiple occasions, we would find ourselves blindsided by deadlines we didn't know about or tasks that weren't mentioned at the outset of a project. The workload itself was far from demanding, but I often found myself spending more time worrying about whether I was meeting my employer's expectations than actually completing my tasks. It felt like there was simply no way of telling if I had completely missed the mark until I had submitted a draft and then received the specific instructions I needed the first time around. I would like to chalk these negatives up to the chaotic landscape of the 2020 pandemic, but I can't say that with certainty. I appreciated the desire to give us creative freedom and flexibility with deadlines, but I really wish I had been given a clearer picture of my basic responsibilities and what was expected of me.
