Getting to know the ropes on my first day

As soon as I arrived at Brunswick, Refilwe the receptionist gave me a warm welcome. This set the tone for the day as everyone in the office was extremely friendly and emphasised that they would be available should I have any questions for them. Rachel (part of the panel that interviewed me) showed me around the office and introduced me to the team. On my desk I found an induction programme for the day that set me up with times to chat to different people in the office. I’m glad I was welcomed like Beauty and not left alone for a week like Justine Dangor was (as she shared with those who attended the “Grow Tomorrow’s leaders” workshop on Saturday) – I appreciated that Brunswick had put some thought into introducing me to life in their company. I spent some time looking through the Brunswick information folder and also talking to the other intern in the office, Thobeka. Thobeka is from Tshwane University of Technology and has been at Brunswick for six months already. Her internship is part of her International Communications degree. She is part of the research team and she talked me through how I would go about doing various things, including what to say when I answer the phone! One of the biggest pieces of advice Thobeka gave me was to ask for specific instructions when I am given a task – such as finding out when the work needs to be done by. It really helped to have her to explain things to me that I would otherwise have had to learn by trial and error. At lunch time the two of us went to the café down the road to eat and chat some more, and in the afternoon I helped her with a few tasks she needed to finish. Having so many friendly people in the office really helped to put me at ease, and I’m looking forward to learning a lot in the next two months!