Before I started my online marketing internship at RadiusOnline, I was a little nervous. Not because I was dreading the job, but because my fifth day in the office was my 21st birthday. I’m not the kind of girl who makes a huge deal out of birthdays, but I thought it would be a little uncomfortable just because I was joining a tight-knit team where I was the new girl. In my head, I pictured two scenarios: either that no one would know me well enough to care, or it would be like a scene out of The Office where a boss resembling Michael Scott would go over the top with too much enthusiasm over something that no one else in the office cares about. Needless to say my expectations were low.
What ended up actually happening was not at all like anything I pictured before. I was wrong about thinking that no one would know me well enough to care. I had to give a presentation introducing myself to the company on the day before my birthday, so on my last slide I mentioned that I would be turning 21 the next day. It turned out that everyone in the office was actually listening to my presentation, because on the day of my birthday I came to my desk to find it covered in balloons, streamers, and a banner. When I logged into my computer, there was even a cat wearing a birthday hat set as my background. See below for details:
It was an awesome surprise, and the day kept getting better. All of the interns went out to lunch and took me to get free frozen yogurt and Moe’s. When we came back from lunch, it just so happened that LanNhi ordered cupcakes to celebrate everyone who had birthdays in the past few months. So I had free Mexican food, free frozen yogurt, and then cupcakes. Basically it was the best birthday ever.
It feels good to be in an environment where everyone is so welcoming and fun. It was the first day that I came out of my shell and started to realize that I would really enjoy working here. Between my desk being decorated, lunch with my intern team, and socializing with everyone over cupcakes, I had a great day. And I know what you are thinking. Yes, I was productive at work that day. But I also had a ton of fun. The best part is that I still have that cat picture set as my background. So here’s to a great summer at RadiusOnline!