I cannot believe my program is halfway over. It feels like just yesterday I was arriving in London and meeting my flatmates. Yet also, at the same time, I feel that I have experienced so much.
I have truly enjoyed my time in London. Despite the fact that I have never lived in a big city before, I found that I adjusted really well. One of the adjustments I was most intimidated by was using the Tube to get around, but within two days of my arrival in London, I was already (somewhat confidently) making solo trips around the city. I’m pleasantly surprised by how easily and familiar the Tube feels to me now.
What I maybe did not expect to have as much of an issue with was my internship. I am working for a food and restaurant PR agency in the bustle of King’s Cross. While I do not have a similar relevant experience to compare this one to since I have only worked in retail before this internship, I was a bit surprised by the lack of training and communication, which I hear is less common practice in the United States.
My biggest cultural confrontations stemmed from the lack of communication and warmth coming from my coworkers, which can feel very isolating when I need help or want to feel included with the rest of the team. Obviously, I know that it is probably harder to build the same closeness with my coworkers because I only work part-time and am a hybrid worker.
I realized that many of the people I worked with had assumed that I was older, graduated, and experienced in this field when I actually am not. I learned that it was important for me to clarify assumptions, set work-life boundaries, and reach out to other people first. Now that I know that this is the culture, and less about me personally, I am able to put my frustration aside and embrace these differences.
I think it is good that I am having this experience to learn now before I graduate in May. I’m not sure where I will work, but I am sure there are similar cultural differences across many states in the U.S. as well. I think that my experience as an intern in London is helping me learn how to adjust to unfamiliar work culture, which is something I may experience after college if I get a job outside of Florida.
