Was it the right amount of time per week? What about for the duration of the internship?

 

I worked 20 hours a week, split amongst Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and keeping Fridays as a “flex” day. This turned out to be a well-balanced arrangement that allowed me a day in the office with both Sheena and Natasha and a day each individually.  Additionally, I found it the perfect amount of time for managing the workload that was given to me.

 

What is the most rewarding aspect of your internship?

 

The most rewarding aspect of my internship are definitely the days on site and seeing all the aspects we worked so hard to plan and coordinate come together in a flawless event.  (For the weddings specifically, I would have to say that the vows and father/daughter dances got me EVERY time).

 

What kind of working relationship did you have with your Sheena & Natasha?

 

Someone was in the office every day with me and it was a great to have such immediate feedback and instruction if I had a question. I also really respect the independence and responsibility Sheena and Natasha entrusted me with by giving me a task to figure out how to complete on my own and problem solve or sending me out independently to work with a vendor or client.

 

Was there an aspect of the internship that surprised you did you learn something that you didn’t expect?

 

One thing that I learned was exactly how much goes into the very running of a business such as TIH. Especially with the event staffing component (in addition to Spirited!) along with the wedding coordination, there are many facets to TIH and there is a lot required that I would have never known or really thought about when conceptualizing what goes into it. As an intern, I had a firsthand view behind the scenes from managing communications to employee information to vendor appreciation and marketing.

 

What were your favorite things to do?

 

My favorite days were ones where I was sent out with the errand list but also had a bit of in office work. On one day in particular I remember going through my typical Monday tasks and then running to Choice Linens for some décor for the TIH booth at an event later that day, picking up some flowers at Pikes Place market and also running to the store for restocking the event kit. I think the reasons these days were my best were that I felt very useful and connected to both the internal and external workings of TIH.

 

What were your more mundane tasks?

 

The most monotonous tasks were probably the ones that (although very important to running the business) felt more repetitive or impersonal such as creating Event Information forms or filing the employee information.

 

What advice do you have for incoming interns?

 

I would tell future interns to prioritize tasks as you will be given many, or have one thrown at you while in the midst of another one, and if you need help with this to always go ahead and ask Sheena or Natasha which should come first. Checking in is really important and can help them have an idea of where you are at in the to do list.