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The internship I completed the summer before my senior year was one I will never forget. Between the coffee runs, transactions, and time-blocking, I truly learned so much about myself and the professional I have become. There were times where the internship was not easy, but there were also times during this internship where I experienced so much of what I hope my professional life is like. This company and the people who work there are all working towards a common goal while handling their own transactions. I really enjoyed this aspect of this professional setting because even though everyone was still checking in on my progress with the work I was doing, I felt like I was doing something on my own and figuring it out by myself. 

My first challenge was time blocking throughout the summer in the most effective way. I was faced with multiple days where I had to work sometimes three out of four of my jobs this summer. In order to be effective and prepared throughout the day, I had to plan accordingly for each job. Although I had worked multiple jobs before, I found it wasn’t the preparedness aspect, but the mental energy that I did not have. Because I wasn’t getting myself mentally prepared for the day, I was not prepared however, by the end of the summer I had began time blocking even the time to prepare what I wore for the next day.  

My second challenge was understanding the work environment I was stepping into. Having a challenge is something that I believe I thrive off of, and this summer’s internship was no exception. I believe this challenged me where I can now have multiple things going on throughout the day and not feel unprepared for the longevity I need to have. It taught me more about responsibility for my physical health which I am grateful for, and it taught me to be grateful for every moment in the work-force. This internship taught me the type of work environment I would like to be in and the open-dialect I would like to have with my co-workers.

It has affected my career search in an indescribable way. I would have a different attitude coming into the search as well. I can confidently say that even though I thought I knew what I was getting myself into, I was constantly reminded to expect the unexpected. This prepares me for my career search because I will now know the specific inquiries I should make before taking a position. 

In my first journal entry, I did not have an understanding of what I would be doing for the duration of the summer. Because of that, I believe it was harder for me to adjust to what I was expecting. In my personal performance evaluation, I wanted to try to manage my time better in and out of my internship. After my performance evaluation, I did manage my time better and I tried to time block at any time that I could. 

I feel like I was mentored by many people in the office. I feel like I learned something from every coworker I met and talked with. My internship coordinator Shannon taught me how to time block and also watch the vocabulary I use. One example of this is when I would say “I’m sorry” she would mention that I look weak, and that by changing my vocabulary to “excuse me” I look better to those around me. I also learned much from the transaction coordinator, Jaleesa, not to let people take advantage of you in anyway and to be more assertive for what I need. I also learned that all offices are different, but that if I had a question, I needed to try and figure it out for myself at first, and then ask questions at the end. I learned from the agents in the office how I want my future schedule to be like and only spending a certain amount of time in the office rather than having a “desk job.” I realized that seeing them not be in the office all the time meant that they had the freedom to go and do their work from other locations, which is definitely something I will be looking for in my future career. 

I would suggest this internship for students who are interested in seeing what a real estate office is like. I would say that it is an internship with lots of potential for adaptability to different fields of work, however, with the growth of the business, it will prove to need additional help which will give them more opportunities to expand their internship program. I think another piece of advice that I would give to someone who was about to step into this role is to not let the small things affect you, or show that it affects you. There are times when you may get frustrated because you don’t think you are doing the right work, but staying patient with yourself is extremely important in this internship. 

The final piece of advice I would give is to finish strong. This internship is not for everyone, neither is real estate. I am very grateful for the opportunity I was given to intern with Blue Ridge Fine Properties and learn about the office environment it promoted and the different aspects of office life. I am grateful for the clarity I needed to move forward and still continue to look for different career paths. To me, I am grateful to say that I finished strong. I learned what I truly needed to learn from this internship, good or bad, and I will take all of the lessons with me after graduation and in life.