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I started searching for a summer internship in February. I was interviewed for 3 positions, was hired at 2, and worked at 1. That final number would of course apply to Gramophone. After 3 months, countless hours, and just 2 days left of my internship, I’m proud to say I’ve accomplished a lot. Wait! Pause. Did you just read that right? Did Ela, a first-time employee with minimal (if any) experience in the business world, actually carry out and complete real tasks? I’m here to tell you that I did. And through the 3 months of my summer internship, I’m even more proud to say that I couldn’t be happier with my experience. 

I started my first week at Gramophone with a brand new set of clothes, a new pair of shoes, and a deep breath. Due to unanticipated traffic that seemed to raise my blood pressure a few points after each minute of inching down Route 70, I arrived at the office 20 minutes late on my first day. Yet, Kate was understanding and led me straight to my desk to begin my day. After a short few weeks, I had already formed and started to carry out my “big project” of the summer: A list, description, and explanation of every brand sold at Gramophone. From Arcam to VIP Cinema Seating, I spent time each day exploring product websites and transforming boring, spec-filled info into buyer-friendly nuggets of information that are just long enough to give customers a taste of the brand. While this project helped me to learn about Gramophone’s brands, and gave me a taste of the electronics industry, my work will mainly be used for in-house display around the showroom and on the soon-to-be unveiled e-commerce site. 

Another project that I worked on this summer was the revamping of Gramophone’s Flickr page. Starting in mid-July, I reorganized every photo and arranged them to be grouped by album and collection. I tagged, titled, and placed every photo in its correct location on Google Maps. I then began to add photos to groups, and even became the administrator of the newly created “The Best of Home Theater Living” group. Lastly, I searched brand websites and marketing folders to add professional high-resolution photos to the “Brands Sold at Gramophone” collection.

Other side projects that I completed include engaging and interacting with followers on Twitter and friends on Facebook, along with a set of 25 published and soon-to-be published blogs on the Gramophone Blog site. I also wrote new on-hold messages for the Gramophone phone line, and helped meet and greet guests at the Kaleidescape Event. 
 
So I guess I have gotten a real taste of the “working world”. I’ve told Kate numerous times, “I hope the real world has as much fun as we do.” And unfortunately she replied, “Gramophone’s the exception.” So maybe I was spoiled during my internship. Maybe the “working world” is full of unsmiling faces, grumpy morning hellos, and so many trips to Starbucks you start to count down the minutes until the next coffee run (oh wait, we do that last one here too!). But I have to wonder, if I’ve been able to accomplish so many tasks, projects, and assignments in just 3 short months as a summer intern, why can’t the working world be like this too?

-Ela