Week 2: French and the World Cup Bringing People Together at Lionsgate

Now that I have settled into my internship at Lionsgate, I am trying to get to know the people who work around me. I have formed good relationships with my boss and his assistant, as they are the two people I report to everyday. Since I am the only intern working in my department I have had to make an extra effort to reach out to my coworkers. While everyone is very nice, there is definitely a sense of hierarchy in the office. My boss is really good about introducing me to other executives within the company such as the CEO, Vice-Chairman, and President of TV, but it is not like they are looking to hang out with an intern. I work next to three other executive assistants who are not much older than I am and I am slowly starting to bond with them. Everyone is pretty busy with their daily tasks so chances to chat do not come often.

The other day, one of the assistance had to make reservations for her boss at a restaurant in France. Unfortunately, the restaurant did not speak any English. She hung up and was attempting to Google Translate what she wanted to say and I saw this as a perfect opportunity for me to step up. I have studied French for five year and I just came back from Belgium so I was feeling pretty confident in my speaking abilities. I got up went over to her and asked if she wanted me to make the reservation for her and to both of our surprise I did it! I was so happy that finally my years of studying French finally paid off. She was so appreciative and we now have plans to go to lunch!

Now that I am known among the assistants on my hall, my goal is to branch out to the other assistants around the corner. I was invited to a World Cup viewing at lunch, to watch the opening match (Brazil v. Croatia), which as a devoted soccer fan I found this as an opportune time to connect with the other assistants. It was semi-successful as I am now acknowledged by almost everyone on my floor and knowing we have something to talk about is comforting. Later in the week, I was minding my own business, doing some research while simultaneously watching a World Cup match on my computer (…oops), and one of the assistants walked by me and said, “Hey, I see you watching soccer there.” I began to have a panic attack because I thought I was busted, but instead he started talking to me about the game and asked what cite I was watching it on. These little moments have helped foster my relationships with my coworkers.

Who knew that my French knowledge and irresponsible office etiquette would acquaint me with my colleagues?