Culture Shock

Imagine going from working as a babysitter to working for a billion-dollar company. It’s hard for me to imagine, and I’m living it.  The closest thing I’ve had to a real job was working as an intern for a small company. By small I mean small. 5 people. 5 people, including me. Now, I’m an intern in an office of 1,500.

Not only is the amount of people who work here far greater than anything I’ve ever experienced, the culture is entirely different as well. At my old internship I was a puppy dog, following my boss around as if I was on a leash. Here, they don’t hold you by the hand, they let you do your work, and make the mistakes you need to learn. It’s exciting to know that they trust me to get the work done right, but also terrifying how much actual responsibility I have.

Then, this company is modern. So modern. The common area is furnished with green turf, hanging chairs and yard games galore. They not only emphasize a work-life balance but encourage it. They provide employees with areas to have some fun. It’s refreshing to see senior chief officers playing ping pong, and employees shooting hoops on the basketball court.

I used to work on Saturday nights a few hours at a time, wiping whatever was for dinner off toddlers faces. Now, I work 40 hours a week cataloging information, managing a marketing campaign and blog. Just try to picture the culture shock.