Week five Procrastinating, Computer Screens, Coventry and Amsterdam

Week five Procrastinating, Computer Screens, Coventry and Amsterdam by Michael Cheary Week five:  Procrastinating, Computer Screens, Coventry and Amsterdam  This week our interns completed important projects, got some new hardware, and travelled to exotic lands. Oh, and Coventry.  Here’s what they had to say about  week five:ANDREWDo you remember how at the beginning of every term while you were in uni you said to yourself, “I’m going to start things early, work hard everyday, and not procrastinate?”Do you then remember saying a couple weeks later, “I really shouldn’t have procrastinated?”  After looking at the list of projects we still need to  start  finish on our white board within the next three weeks, that feeling of mild despair has come over me this past week…  Partly because I’ve always had an over-sensitive panic mode button in the back of my mind, and partly because the movement of projects between “In Progress” to “Done” seems to be moving slower than the stagnation of tourists trying to figure out how t o navigate Piccadilly Circus’s underground station.  (Side note: Completely hypocritical, but if I could I’d write the 10 Commandments as to how  not  to be an annoying tourist in London).  The neon jumble that is our mess of sticky notes plastered on our desk, detailing the subtasks we need to complete for each project is one of the few things keeping me moderately sane on the inside.  While in the back of my mind I’m beating myself up for not planning things out sooner versus having my head up in the rainy clouds of London, there’s something reassuring about this all.  It’s oddly comforting to know that the bad habits we cultivated in school can still plague adults in the professional workplace; “Familiarity with dealing with the side effects of procrastination” might have to find a place onto my LinkedIn.It may be a frantic rush, but the light at the end of the proverbial tube tunnel is steadfast approaching, unless you’re the unlucky fellow stuck queueing for the central line.  That light may never come in that case.  STEPHANIEAfter an amazing bank holiday weekend attending a beautiful wedding in Coventry (I promise, I don’t make these things up; it’s my third one this summer), I managed to come in to work and look at our white board full of tasks and deadlines and realise we were in week 5 already! And it hit me. As the tasks get wiped away at the end of each week and our board gets clearer, summer is gradually escaping back to its cave and our time is slowly but surely coming to an end.The routine of waking up, getting the 07:48 train, having a nice newspaper read (and the occasional nap, then waking up with people intensely staring) and skipping up the escalators to work shall surely be missed. But I digress, although, I shall save my Emmy-style speech for the very last blog.So far, each task I have been a part of has been so different from the next and, even though the last couple of projects will be challenging, I can’t wai t to start tackling them. I would say one main thing I’ve enjoyed the most is using my personal experience in finding jobs as a fresh graduate and use my first-hand insights to enhance customer experience for reed.co.uk.It’s exciting to see teams of people that are open to suggestions and an alternative view on things and I feel this is one main reason why reed.co.uk is developing so well. They’re not afraid of change when it comes to improvement.As the weeks are winding down and our bonds are much closer, it seems like just yesterday we went to eat at Wagamamas on day 1. Well, like I said, I shall leave the sentimental reflections for the last blog post. Till then, we have important projects to finish: reed.co.uk wasn’t built in a day!ALLYI cannot recall when The Monitor was installed at our desks. This is not because I have a hazy memory or short attention span. I was away Monday and Tuesday and did not have the privilege of witnessing the birth of this equipment into our lives. I wish I had. The Monitor, which stands sentinel at our desk and proudly displays all our dates and projects, may as well be a child to me, so attached have I grown to it and, dare I say, it to me.All it takes is a casual swipe of the mouse pointer from the netbook to that mysterious land of the east, and whatever one is carrying swoops off to the big screen for all to see. Magic, you say? Why of course not, mostly it’s technology. With a little magic sprinkled in of course.Some days The Monitor gazes into the distance with our calendar appointments blazing bright. Other days we gather round it and work on our project unified by a single screen. Some days, I admit, The Monitor lays blank and forgotten until all of a sudden we notice the void in our lives and race to turn it on again, imploring forgiveness for our negligence and ignorance. On no day does The Monitor let us down.Why, it was but a few days ago we were gathered at The Monitor like children round a campfire. Wit h a draft of our presentation in front of us we could communicate together in a way that was far less feasible before. Even as we wrote our individual career guides for reed.co.uk, The Monitor was there standing tall and silent, showing us the career guide template like a teacher reveals an answer. Heroism in its purest form.Many have written on the efficacy of this machine. Many agree it is the future of desktop information technology. Some naysayers hold fast to their camp and deprecate this innovation, while some straddle the fence and say nothing. This intern knows where he stands. Do you?CONNORAsk and you shall receive… After writing last week’s blog, I have experienced an increase in the level of accountability as my assignments have progressed. I even got the chance to edit and update what is perhaps the most important financial document that is required of the company.I am becoming progressively more efficient with my daily tasks and it seems as if the amount of hours in the day have diminished. It’s hard to believe that five weeks have already gone by and the next three will presumably pass even quicker.This Bank Holiday, Yaseen, his cousin, and I travelled out of the UK to a city that I, honestly, never expected to have the privilege to see: Amsterdam. Now, before your pre-conceived notions of what an intern would do while on holiday in a city known for its widely controversial amenities, I just wanted to say that I am in utter awe of the immense beauty this city has to offer. I swear I took a picture of every street, building, and immaculate dish we encountered. It seemed as if every decision we made while there was the right one. From our accommodation with terrace having a 360 degree view, to the Italian and bagel cafes we randomly decided to walk in to, it all went seamlessly. Overall, the city surpassed all the (good) expectations I had of it and it will go down as one of the best weekends of my life.All in all, it was a solid and very fas t week. Perhaps, that is because I was anxious for the weekend’s escapades but I am glad that my work responsibilities have grown.YASEENThis is not the usual blog which my audience has grown accustomed to.This weekend was not the typical weekend. Excuse my short and simple prose, for that is all my weary brain can handle at present. I am happy to report to my blog family that I have successfully travelled to and somehow returned from Amsterdam.  I decided that was a great place to end the paragraph for the gravitas of that statement to actually sink in. All stereotypes aside, I am quite convinced that Amsterdam is the nicest place in the world. I know what youre thinking: stupid American, go travel and see the beauty this world has to offer. But I will have you know I have travelled quite a bit, and what I truly meant was that in terms of people, scenery, and general affability of the city, Amsterdam tops them all.  I will not comment on the relaxed nature or laws of the country , but I can say that all of my stupid childish expectations of Amsterdam were shattered.The reason I bring up my trip is because I could not help but see the relationship between this liberal, relaxed country and our very own reed.co.uk. The liberal nature of the country allows its citizens and tourists alike to engage in any kind of activity they choose to partake in, a freedom that most countries cannot fathom, let alone grant. At reed.co.uk not a single employee is forced to “clock in” or out, and there is a work culture so agreable it does nothing but create a drive to work.The city’s backdrop is as beautiful as any other, but with its liberal views it is also able to be extremely efficient. reed.co.uk has an office as advanced as NASA (OK, possibly an exageration), with lovely colour schemes, and filled with the most open-minded individuals, in a relaxed environment, with no a dress code, which most would think may lead to some chaotic corporate disorder. It is amazing to see how much more efficient employees perform when they are given some personal liberties both physically and mentally.  reed.co.uk is the UK’s top recruitment specialist, and the more time I spend interning here, the less trouble I have understanding why or how. I do apologise for my ghastly juxtaposition of Amsterdam and reed.co.uk but it is currently 4:30 pm and my office chair seems to be slowly creeping to the pub.The interns have finished week five. Stay tuned to see how they get on in the coming weeks.