post-internship reflections

a few random reflections in no particular order:

• at first free, departments rely on each other. for example, the communications department needs to know what sermon series is coming up so they can design and print out new worship folders. until they communicate, nothing gets done.
  
• i have recently discovered the importance of a good website for your business/organization. because really, that is how people do research today. we have welcome cards in the backs of the pews for visitors to fill out. one of the fields is "how i found this church." a good percentage write "the website." our website is functional and decent, but it's somewhat old. we're in the process of redoing it. (it's a rather long process since we're redoing more than just the website... we're redoing the logo, etc, too.) i think some of the staff don't see the point in redoing the website, but the fact that over half the people that visit found our church via the internet, it just proves the importance of a good, sharp, informative website. it's worth the time and money.
  
• i've discovered that i have a lot of growing up to do before i would become a manager/boss of someone. i think by nature, i'm a better follower than a leader. i'm more laidback when it comes to sharing my opinion/giving orders. when we have department meetings, i usually have an opinion, but i rarely feel it's strong enough to share/argue over. perhaps that will change with more time and experience... it's just a personal observation i had.
  

no longer an intern.

as of last friday, i am no longer blake the intern. i am blake the... unemployed. and that is fantastic by me. :)

friday was a pretty grand day. without a doubt, the best day of my internship. i came in friday morning and finished printing out the care ministry brochures i'd been working out. (my boss LOVED them, by the way.) when i finished, i asked anna what else i should do. she paused to think... since she'd taken over the focus again, there wasn't much left for me to do. so she said, "you know what, blake? here's your assignment. go online and google "photoshop tutorials." then play around. i want you to have fun on your last day here!" how AMAZING is that?! so i played around on photoshop all day! (which was GREAT since i haven't had too much experience with photoshop.) then anna told me how much she appreciated me and what a help i've been and how she's going to miss me. and then i cleaned out my desk (there wasn't a whole lot there, haha)... and left... the state! i spent all of last weekend in chicago with friends. and let me tell you, on monday morning, it was SO refreshing to know that i didn't have to be at work! i definitely loved my internship... but... it's really nice to have a couple weeks to myself. and i'm back to my collegiate habits now! (staying up late, getting up late.) haha.

...more reflecting to come.

before i forget...

a woman just came into the office, wanting to use the giant cutting machine. since i'm the first person you see as you walk into the office, she asked me, "are you the go-to girl about how to use the cutting machine?" since i did, in fact, know how to use the cutting machine, i responded, "yes! i can help you." so we went into the copy room and i showed her how to adjust the machine settings and how to place the paper in and how to actually use the giant machine (remember? the big, huge one that could chop your arm off if you're not careful?). i demonstrated a couple times and then watched her do it. "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" she exclaimed, with a sigh of relief.

...aaand that's all. i just wanted to document that i am a cutting machine PRO. :)

winding down.

so i have 5 days of work left. crazy? yes. exciting? yes. a little sad? yes. it's hard to believe it's nearly over.

lately, i've been encouraged. this week was long. (it probably had something to do with having the previous week and a half off... then jumping right back in to everything.) but despite that. i was encouraged. several people told me this week that they're "really going to miss me." my pastor, the receptionist, both my bosses and a few coworkers. and i don't know... i guess it just helps make it worthwhile. (not that it wasn't already. i've learned more than i could have imagined i would. i showed up at the office on may 24 and jumped in headfirst. they gave me projects and i ran with them. and i got LOADS of experience.) but just hearing people tell me that they appreciate me and my work and that they're going to miss me... blake the intern... it's rather encouraging. :) my pastor took a bunch of us staff out for ice cream on wednesday. he said, "i'm taking you guys out because one, you're all really great people and i love you guys, and two, because our intern is leaving us next week and i want to make sure she knows how much we love her and appreciate her." aww.

so as this is all winding down, i'm still not exactly sure what i want to do "when i grow up." but i know this... there are parts of working in a church environment that are very appealing. i know a job is all about the people you work with... and in this case, i work with a bunch of amazing people! we'll see where God ends up leading me... but regardless, i am truly thankful i got to spend these 9ish weeks as a publications intern at efree. i've loved it.

a break.

this has been a lovely week. because i haven't walked into the office once. :) i traded a desk and computer for a beach chair and towel. i love my job, but it was a needed break.

breaks are good for clarity of mind and for reflecting. i only have 15 days of work left! that right there is just crazy talk. how can it already be winding down? then again, i've gotten a ton of experience and i've learned bunches... i feel like i've gotten a good grasp on what this kind of work environment is like.

so what's next? my aunt told me the other day that she could help get me another internship next summer... with the ST. LOUIS CARDINALS!!! she worked for them for several years and still has several connections. i'm not sure all that it would entail, but it would be excellent experience. i mentioned this briefly to my mom and she thought it was a great idea. the efree job showed me what it's like to work in a "church environment." if i end up getting the cards internship, i'd see what it's like to work in a more public venue... with only my favorite team EVER!! so i don't know. but it's sure fun to think about. :)

one month in.

so i've been working for just over a month. despite the longer-hours-than-i'm-used-to and the everyday-ness of it, that's still hard to believe. a whole month has gone by.

looking back, i've done a lot in those 5 weeks. i've worked on 4 focuses (not sure how to make focus plural, but... you know what i mean), several brochures, and... lots of little projects. (oh, and lots of boring stuff like printing labels and making copies. but you know, all of that stuff has to get done by someone...) :)

right now, i'm trying to decide if i could work in a place like this, post-graduation. i still don't know what i really want to be when i "grow up." but... i think maybe i could see myself in a working environment like this. i mean, after i take a few more classes, i could completely change my mind. right now, i think it would be amazing to work at some sort of magazine. but... who knows? at this current job, i'm not really utilizing the "writing" part of my major. but then again, i've always wanted to work in a coffeeshop, and that utilizes... let's see... none of my degree. :) so i guess we'll just have to wait and see where the good Lord leads me. and you know, i'm really ok with that. i'm thankful i like this job enough to say i could potentially see myself working at a similar place.

the details.

so today my boss said something profound. (well... in the eyes of a little comm. intern like myself, anyway.) :) she said that "when it comes to a piece like the focus, people don't really notice the little things you do to make it look good. they just know it's good." and that is so true. i can spend all day finding the "perfect graphic," resizing and cropping pictures, enhancing the brightness and contrast, curning the text so everything fits in the columns... essentially, being a perfectionist. and no one will notice all of that. they'll just notice that it's sharp and clean and informative.

this job really makes me see print in a fresh light. i have a significantly greater appreciation for writers, graphic design artists, and editors. they have a huge job and few people will ever be able to fully appreciate their work for the details. i guess that's just part of it.