Week six early starts, nearing the end and the inevitable art of the fist-pump

Week six early starts, nearing the end and the inevitable art of the fist-pump by Michael Cheary Week six: early starts, nearing the end and the inevitable art of the fist-pumpWith only a few short weeks of work left at reed.co.uk, our interns understandably have mixed emotions heading into week number six. There was little time to think about these emotions, however, mostly because this week included lunch with the Chairman of reed.co.uk.N.B. If you’re not a fan of  hand gestures, look away now…AndrewI always thought I’d be the person to shout to people, ‘I’M LIVING IN LONDON FOR 8 WEEKS!’ anytime a smidgen of eye contact was made.  Yet, as of this moment it still hasn’t quite hit me.I’m not sure if its due to the fact that walking to King’s Cross every morning has become such a natural custom, or due to the fact that I have become in tune with what I consider the city’s daily routine from the way people expertly ‘jaywalk’ with reckless abandon, to how the pub is a required evening ritual to unravel the tangle of life’s stre ssors, and to how commuters manage to delicately waltz through the crowds of the underground with considerable grace.  Hey, I even managed to stop wearing flip flops!Whereas I used to always involuntarily double take every time someone spoke, now hearing an American accent manages to catch me by surprise.  (On a side note, my mental thought process has started to take on its own Anglo-American accent).  It’s almost a shame that it’s taken me the entirety of this internship to finally get used to being here.This week also included lunch with James Reed, chairman of REED Global.  Usually the thought of a meal with a global firm’s chief executive incites uncomfortable sweating, but to my (and my armpits’ relief), we had the pleasure of meeting a down to earth man who had nothing but sharp banter, charming humour, and profound advice to offer us about life.  So needless to say, a lunch in the presence of wise mentorship and a group of friends that I feel like I have known f or years is a refreshing and delightful change to my daily slew of slightly depressing salads.As the internship starts to wrap up, it’s hard to think that in less than a few weeks’ time I’ll be back home in California, where I no doubt will have to adjust back to the lack of red double decker busses and captivating culture to which I have grown so accustomed toMaybe that’s when it will finally hit me that I spent my summer in someplace special.Stephanie4 words. Selfies..with..Mr..Reed!Now who could say they had the pleasure of taking their CEO out for some Italian lunch? Honestly, the initial thought of going to lunch left me with so many thoughts running through my mind. Although the deepest question still lingered…What do I order?You can’t go too heavy, and risk getting sleepy after 20 minutes. But go too light, and you’ll finish before everybody else, intensely staring at their plates until the meals conclusion. I decided to play it safe pasta.After the internal ba ttle of choosing from the menu was conquered, it was on to some questions. As Andrew shot the first bullet, we all began to bounce off each other and ask Mr. Reed questions about work, inspiration, motivation and even travel. His responses were extremely insightful and I certainly left with a new outlook on achieving career goals.After the lunch, we all took a leisurely stroll back to the office together. Each step we took built anticipation for the moment we had been waiting for. It was picture time. As we took turns to stand in front of the reed.co.uk logo, we spontaneously chose a fist-pump in our photos which kind of caught on.Well, kind of…AllyThe interns and I have taken to some earlier starts than usual, owing to certain project deadlines insisting themselves upon us. The phrase ‘crack of dawn’ does not apply to the early morning intern. I know because I’ve woken up before the moment at which the crack of dawn is supposed to occur. There is no crack it’s like stead ily adding milk to cold black tea. Gradual and sad.We’ve all been lied to.Still, the early starts have done their job. In the silence of an empty office all one can really do is work in silence. Silently working. Well silently, and smugly. Especially when nodding to one’s co-workers who come in at laughable hours such as 8:30 or even 9:00.At any rate we’ve managed to send out surveys that will provide glorious information for our project on Generation Z. You most likely will have heard of this survey, seeing as it’s swept the globe faster than the globe can even spin (that’s one axial rotation per day for those whose fingers are whipping away to the nearest Google search).We’re considering buying extra server space worldwide just to handle the incoming traffic of responses. We’ll consult the budget later I reckon.Let me just take this nap first.ConnorWeek 6 has come to an end, meaning my time left here at reed.co.uk has dwindled down to just two more weeks. This, regre tfully, means that after this obviously wonderful piece of literature, there is only one blog to go. Don’t worry, we’ll get through this together.This week was a short one, both literally (because of bank holiday) and figuratively. I am perpetually developing my skills and am noticing the time required to not only complete my daily tasks, but learn new ones, has diminished. At the end of this week, I discussed with my superior (who has demonstrated exceptional patience throughout my time here) different ways in which I can improve my performance, which tasks/areas I want to focus more on, and which I would like to stray away from.One of the concerns I have had in this internship so far is not being sure that what I am doing will necessarily be applicable in my future. As you can imagine, I want to concentrate on those tasks/skills most relevant to my career. After expressing this concern with my superior, she was able to shed some light on how exactly I could apply the knowledge I have developed from each of my assignments.Going through the list of all my assignments, to my surprise, I was actually able to derive, from every one of them, a significant learning purpose; some way in which I could utilize that knowledge and apply it in my future endeavours.The latest lesson learnt during my time here at reed.co.uk.YaseenIt seems so long since I first walked in to reed.co.uk’s office, wide eyed, and suited from head to toe.  It has now been 7 weeks and my last week is flying by.Our largest projects are all due during the last week. The pressure is on, and I am proud to report that these interns mean business.  What did you think? That we would crumble under the pressure, that we would give in to your plan and beg for mercy, beg to cancel some projects.  NO.  Not us. Is that all you have reed.co.uk? We shall prevail.  We will do whatever it takes. This team has an unstoppable inertia, and being a part of it has been an absolutely delightful treat.I don†™t mean to be so emotional, but I can barely hold back the tears as I imagine leaving warm and sunny London for cold and rainy Los Angeles.  Once you’re done re-reading that statement, I’ll start being serious again, and seriously, I do not understand why anyone would be sad to leave London.  It is unreasonably expensive, unnecessarily cramped, and ever so gloomy, but for some unthinkable reason this city has managed to charm me off my feet.  I am almost more depressed that I am going back to a city where people smile all the time, I have started to almost enjoy the gloom.On a less dismal note, this marks the end of my Eurotrip. If I am not back to write my blog next week, please, my lovely audience, know that I went out with a smile on my face and a reed.co.uk mug in my hand.Until next timeThe interns have finished week six. Stay tuned to see how they get on in their last few weeks.  Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Adv ice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Career Development Features