Life as an Intern at Bridge Space
When most people hear the word “intern,” they think of the clueless kid in the office that is there to wash the dishes, fetch coffee, and take out the trash. The intern is there to “gain experience,” yet not many traditional interns can put true experience on their resume without feeling like they are lying.
Fortunately, this is not the case at Bridge Space! During my time here, I was immediately thrust into the action of starting Lee’s Summit’s most innovative business. I began working closely with a team that can be compared to the ‘92 Dream Team.
During my time as an intern so far, I have has three major learning experiences:
1. I have been provided an opportunity to seek out the right career field for me. Working at Bridge Space has offered me numerous experiences to dip my toes in all sorts of sectors in the business field. By doing this, I have been able to narrow down where I want my focus to be in the future.
I took an accounting course in high school and had enjoyed it, so I thought I would give it a whirl in the “real world.” Quickbooks and I soon became best friends, although it was a forced relationship. Not only did I feel my personality fading after looking at numbers all day, but I also found I didn’t enjoy pouring over profit and loss reports and balance sheets. #shocker
So, there were a few things I learned when I was doing accounting work. First, there is a lot more money in the world than I thought there was. Second, I did not enjoy accounting. What was even better than finding out I loathed “real world” accounting was the support that my coworkers had given me throughout the process. Ben and Amber were more than willing to guide me through finding the aspect of the business that I enjoyed and was passionate about.
2. There are multiple traits that I have gained that help me in day-to-day tasks outside of work.
After Bridge Space opened its doors to the public in early September, it was show time! Amber and I developed a Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen-esque relationship. By helping the ever-amazing Bridge Space Community Manager with the increased foot traffic in the building, I gained the confidence to talk to inquiring guests on tours.
Most importantly, communication has become essential in every moment of the day. There were the rough patches when I would forget about emailing somebody or returning a phone call. Some redirection and emphasis from Ben and Amber quickly provided the reason why
communication is important. What really did the trick was seeing the confusion spawned from my negligence. Knowing that others were depending on my word led me to be more diligant about following through with my word.
3. Through all of these experiences, developing and being a part of a community has been the most important and rewarding thing I have been a part of at Bridge Space. Creating an environment for our members to collaborate and develop relationships with one another has shown me the importance of finding a place you feel you can belong. Without community, life is boring and harder than it needs to be. Seeing our members interact with and support one another ensures us here at Bridge Space we are doing something right.
I have had my fair share of jobs while I have been in high school. I started out sacking groceries and stocking shelves at the grocery store near my house. After that, I worked at sporting and outdoor goods store. Later, I was a swim coach for elementary and middle school-aged kids. Finally, I still work as a barista at a local coffee shop. With all of these jobs came many valuable lessons that have helped shape who I am today. But my internship at Bridge Space not only has provided its own teaching moments but also enormous benefits to my education and future career.
Everywhere else I have had a job at had me in a station or certain position with little to no flexibility. The ability to experiment with and put a focus on certain fields in the business field is one of the biggest reasons I recommend interning at Bridge Space to those that inquire. Without this, I still might be aspiring to be an accountant (that’s scary to think about)! #NoThanks
I still take the trash out before I leave and make a new pot of coffee for the members, but the whole staff does that as well. It’s safe to say that I have learned more inside of the old post office than I have at school. Isn’t that how an internship is supposed to go, anyway?
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