Well today is my second to last day of my summer internship. (But I’m celebrating that today is the last day I have to wear business clothes because tomorrow is dress down day). This internship has been a blessing in disguise because, although it wasn’t my “dream job,” it was my first-grown up job and I’ve learned a lot about what I value in a career. Here are my takeaways from my internship, Thinking Out Loud style.
1. Work is a big part of your life, so you should love it. By the time I got home at the end of the day, the day was basically over and I wasn’t “fulfilled.” Yes, I would wake up early and work-out (something I love to do) but that’s pretty much the only part of my day I can say I “loved.” I hope to find a full-time job in a field I’m passionate about because I don’t want to feel like I’m staring at the clock and counting down the hours.
2. However, I’ve realized that “dream jobs” are very hard to come by. In my mind, my dream job involves working under 40 hours a week, making good money, not sitting at a desk all day and doing work that makes me happy. HAHA. Obviously that’s not realistic and this summer has been eye-opening in the sense that I’ve realized that no job will ever be perfect. Even if I loved the field I was in, there would always be some downsides. I have pretty much eliminated many of my job “must-haves” and have decided that loving what I do is at the top of my list (see above).
3. Desk jobs aren’t for me. Spending 8+ hours at a desk all day has been a huge challenge for me. Mix that with keeping quiet, sitting in a cold office and doing repetitive work caused me to go a bit stir crazy.
4. Snacks are necessary. Packing snacks for every few hours was new for me (I haven’t packed a lunch in a few years) so the first few days were a fail in the nourishment zone. Snacks not only gave me something to look forward to, but gave me the energy to get through the oh-so-real midday slump.
5. I’m SO lucky to come home to dinner. I’m very fortunate that my mom makes dinner (almost) every night and I don’t have to fend for food or force myself in the kitchen after a long day. Obviously this won’t be able to continue for the rest of my life so I realize how grateful I am now.
6. College life is awesome. I may not like the stereotypical college atmosphere (partying, drinking, etc.), however, I love the freedom. The freedom to schedule classes, plan my days out and take naps when I want. This is something I’m going to take advantage of for the next two years because as much as I want to be done with college, I don’t necessarily want to leave the lifestyle yet. Good thing college is 4 years 
7. If I don’t workout in the morning, it’s not happening that day. Plain and simple…I don’t have any energy after work. I applaud those who workout in the evenings! It would probably release a lot of stress from the day.
8. I’m lucky to have a job. I have many friends who couldn’t find (or chose not to look for…) a job or internship this summer. While I may be envious of their free time, I know that my summer experience will be very beneficial down the road.
9. I’m well aware of the stereotype that my generation is lazy and I want to continue to defy that label and work for my success. I don’t want anything handed down to me. Just like I’ve “earned my grades” in school, I want to earn my place in the workforce and work my way up the ladder. Who knows, maybe that dream job does exist 
10. High heels are cruel. End of discussion.
What have you learned from a previous (or current) job?
Our morning sessions featured presentations from different departments of the company (Marketing, Sales and HR) and, before we broke for lunch, we had the pleasure of listening to the CEO and Founder Daniel Lubetzky speak. Daniel may have been one of the most inspiring individuals I’ve ever met. His dreams and vision for the KIND and how we can change the world makes me so excited and proud to work for this company.