The start of any new job can be both scary and exciting; this is how I felt when walking through the doors of tbk for the first time.
As an eager soon-to-be-graduated master’s student from Western University, my first university-relevant position felt like a leap from my well-known and comfortable classroom setting. I remember asking myself, “Am I ready for what’s next?”
For me, beginning an internship at a marketing and software agency was an entirely new experience. Past job experiences included a lot of blog writing, PR writing and event coordination. I had never been in the type of setting that tbk is before.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect—would I be doing simple tasks that required no thought, or would I be bombarded into the digital world without understanding what I was doing? To answer this question, I was somewhere in the middle, and that was perfect for me.
The first week was a lot of onboarding information. Trust me, there’s a lot to take in. tbk has their own unique way of running their business, so jumping into all the programs and procedures can feel like a lot at once. However, they have everything outlined in such an organized fashion, so it’s easy to follow along and understand everything.
Aside from the training, I was surprised when tbk assigned me tasks. My initial thought was, “they really trust me to do this?” Throughout the week, Kylie McConnell, tbk’s Director of Accounts, assigned me tasks as if she had complete trust in me; that was a good feeling to have. She was also incredibly patient with my millions of questions. Trust me, don’t be afraid to ask! Kylie is super nice, and it’s better to ask then do something wrong and have to start over again.
My week included uploading content to WordPress for some of tbk’s clients, such as Jiffy Lube® Ontario and Renin™; updating Tricar’s Content Management Plan; responding to Jiffy Lube® reviews on Google; and even preparing and dropping off a proposal to a potential new client (I know, I’m surprised they trusted me to do this too!).
At the end of my first week, I was so thankful for tbk and everyone I was working with. Not only did I feel welcomed right away, but as the week went on, the team didn’t shy away from talking to me and including me in conversations.
This was my biggest fear as an intern—would I be included or not? Well, considering my very first day included joining in on a Mac ‘N’ Cheese Cookoff competition, I’d say I definitely was included. As someone who is incredibly shy at first, tbk really took away my fears and made me feel as part of the real team.
At the end of week one, I kept thinking: “I’m definitely ready for what’s next.”