The Intern!

Blog Post—My Summer with The Second Shift

These days the “Summer Internship” often gets a bad rap. Images of coffee runs, copy machines, and other monotonous tasks may come to mind. Such was not my experience interning for The Second Shift this summer. Working in their warm and inviting office on East 25th street, I spent my days learning about product management and social media marketing and connecting with women who have been successful in finance, sales, PR, and many other fields. About a million months ago, December to be exact, I was flipping through the alumni magazine of my school, Connecticut College, when I stumbled upon an article with the caption, “Through her business, the Second Shift, Gina Hadley ’91 is putting in the long hours so other women don’t have to.” I read the article and went straight to The Second Shift website where I learned that TSS was doing much more than putting in long hours so other “women didn’t have to.” They were bringing the conversation about work-life-balance to the forefront and emphasizing the value of the female voice in the workplace. More than that, I found myself inspired by the stories of members and began to see the varied ways for women to be successful and professional, particularly if they feel empowered, valued, and supported. I wrote an email and sent a resume to info@thesecondshift.com, hoping they would have advice for a college woman looking for a way to grow professionally over the summer. After we chatted for a while, Gina offered me the company’s  first ever internship. I was thrilled.

Flash forward to June. I arrived at their office unsure of what to expect. I felt a bit like a fake adult as I walked in with my leather bag and first day of work outfit, more used to my backpack and Nikes from campus treks and library marathons. Imposter syndrome didn’t last for long. Within a week in the office, I was busy at work posting Instagram stories, creating member polls, and helping Michelle, our Product Manager, transfer data from the old website to our new one. Six weeks later, I am about to leave The Second Shift to study abroad at Oxford for my Junior year. As sad as I am to go, I am leaving with a whole new set of skills and, more importantly, a sense of the type of work environment that I value. Watching the women in our office, I was amazed each day by their teamwork and ability to balance work and life in a city with so many competing pressures. I saw that women can and should make their workplace work for them so they can continue to grow professionally and contribute meaningfully in their fields. Thank you, The Second Shift, for showing me the possibility for professional success that I have as a woman when the right support and opportunities are available (and also for helping me improve my Excel skills along the way).