First Impressions

Integrating into an office style can be a difficult process when first beginning an internship. Lucky for me, the environment at my internship is extremely laid back and welcoming. I am interning at a non-profit organization in Camden, New Jersey called Center for Family Services. Right now, I am located at the Promised Neighborhood Family Success Center where community members are able to come in for free computer time and various workshops. Since the whole goal of the site is to be welcoming to families in need, the "office" is set up like a house. This makes the environment much more casual than I was expecting. I have noticed that the other workers all dress nicely, though, and maintain a professional tone in their actions.  Everyone that works on the site seems to be very close; close enough that they can joke around and create a very comfortable working environment. I have been very fortunate in the friendliness of the staff. They have welcomed me into their office with open arms and I am finally starting to feel like I am part of the Promised Neighborhood employee family. The office is also a very diverse group of people. Every race is represented in the staff and there is even an employee who recently immigrated to the country from Ecuador. Working with such a diverse group has also been a great experience thus far. I am being exposed to cultures that are somewhat different from my own and yet we are all there for the same purpose: to help the people of Camden City. The first few days, I definitely felt awkward and unsure of how to interact with everyone at the office. Now I am feeling much more comfortable in my routine and with my co-workers. Hopefully, it will get easier and easier as time goes on!