Suzie and Michelle are marketing interns who joined the Dreamfora team in late June. Although they have only been here for five weeks, they say with confidence that they have settled in pretty well. As their six-week internship draws to a close, they reflect on their experiences and special moments of being a part of the #DreamTeam. (There’s no such thing, but this definitely should be what we call our community.) Each intern was asked five questions - keep reading to get the inside scoop on their summers at the office.
What does your general day look like? Do you have any routines?
Suzie: It’s almost always the same routine. I get to the office around 9:45 am, turn on my computer and make myself a warm cup of tea - preferably, chamomile. Although once that runs out, I just go for whatever. Tea over coffee, always.
Michelle: My morning at the office starts around 9 am. Unlike Suzie, I need my daily dose of caffeine. My morning coffee is very important for me to kick start my day. The interns share a lot of tasks, so Suzie and I normally respond to the customer reviews that Dreamfora receives and deliver them to our boss. Then, I set a short list of individual tasks for the day, and go straight to work!
Tell us more about your projects. What is the hardest thing about your job? What is the easiest, or the most enjoyable?
Suzie: The hardest part involves my own limitations as a content creator. Working at Dreamfora, I have been creating our app’s instruction videos from scratch - recording, sound editing, video editing … the whole shebang. Each step in the process takes a lot of effort, time and concentration. Although it’s challenging, it’s still the most enjoyable part of my job because I’m able to continuously learn on the job, and try out new things. The interns were also asked to work on improving the content of the app itself. This meant editing existing content and adding some of our own. It took us a long time to finish, but when we did, it was extremely rewarding!
Michelle: For me, the hardest part of the job is sitting in the same chair for 8+ hours. During my first week, it was pure agony after five hours. I’ve gotten used to it more since then, but it’s still amazing to think that so many people do this everyday ... for years! The best thing about my job, though, is being able to work on projects that I actually enjoy. I do a lot of creative work, including writing for Dreamfora’s official blog and managing its social media accounts. Currently, I am testing different ways of reaching out to our followers on social media to find the most effective method of communication. This includes creating memes or experimenting with different types of Instagram stories, hashtags, and even a post’s content and length! Sometimes, I wonder: At what other job would I be able to make memes during work hours? Or have the autonomy to write whatever I want to?
I love that. What would you say, then, is your proudest moment at Dreamfora?
Suzie: It’s hard to say… For me, it would have been completing my first individual assignment – an instruction video that I had been working on for two to three weeks.
Michelle: A proud moment for me would be when Paul showed us the updated contents of the app. Suzie and I had devoted a lot of our resources into creating and editing content for the app itself, so it was amazing to see our work come to fruition. It was exhilarating to have contributed to enhancing the app’s user experience.
Thank you both for sharing your work experience! Moving on to more miscellaneous topics, do you have a work song (or podcast, etc.)?
Suzie: I listen to a variety of songs while I work, but mostly EDM or alternative/indie rock. In fact, just before this interview, I was listening to "Waste" by Foster The People.
Michelle: Mostly upbeat pop music or fast-paced hip hop music that help me concentrate. When I’m feeling tired, though, I like to listen to Bon Jovi’s songs - they really do resuscitate me back to life.
Last question: how do you decompress after work?
Suzie: Lots of ways! By eating something spicy or having a nice, cold beer.
Michelle: I don’t want to bore you, but in total honesty - I just turn on a show or pop open a book on my bed.