Hi! Our names are Peri and Lindsey. We are Millennials. Well, at least Lindsey is a Millennial. Peri is technically a Gen Z, but we don’t hold that against her. As we entered the year 2020, we envisioned the endless possibilities that lay ahead. As we would both be finishing up school, we would finally be entering into the job field, or in other words, adulthood. Of course, as January and February passed to March (aka the month where everything changes), we realized this year would be far from what we hoped and dreamed, but instead a whirlwind of stress, worry, and unpredictable obstacles we would have to face when entering the working world in a pandemic. Similar to the rest of 2020, starting our careers exclusively online isn’t something either of us had anticipated.

We admit we carry some bias when we say the Trainee program at Faulhaber Communications has the best online onboarding either of us has ever had. Please don’t read into the fact this is the only online onboarding we have ever received. But this isn’t a post about how fantastic the team is (they are), it’s about how difficult it is to begin our careers online, and how we all must learn to adapt to the new normal.

To make one point clear – there are some pretty significant upsides to working from home. For example, we were both able to write this in the comfort of our office (our bedrooms), curled up with a cozy blanket, a snack and a candle. We didn’t need to commute to an office, and with minimal distractions it was easy to focus on what needed to get done. In moments like these, we can both come up with hundreds of reasons why working online is without a doubt the most ideal situation. But with every hundredth reason, we came up with a thousand other reasons why working from home is not the best set-up when starting your career. Then we did what any good Millennial (and pseudo-Millennial) would do – we wrote a blog about it.

When beginning an internship program, you can’t help but imagine the wonderful experiences you will have. Not only will you get a bit of understanding of what it is like to feel like to be a real adult for four months, but you will build your network, make connections, and learn how to foster relationships in an industry that is solely built on them. Our experience may have lacked your typical in-office ‘water cooler’ conversations, legendary FAULHABER parties, and coffee-break chats, but through a little extra effort and lots of Microsoft Teams meets, we were able to build lasting and meaningful relationships with our coworkers.  It’s true, the incredible feeling of in-person connection is not as easily come by in a two-dimensional world; however, intimate relationships can be facilitated online.

Another unforeseen positive outcome from starting your career virtually is an increased level of self-motivation, to really speak up when you have an idea or wish to take a part in a task. Additionally, because you are less monitored than if you were in an office setting, you develop amazing time management skills with the increase of freedom. With this trainee program, there was definitely a lot of trust instilled in us from the wider team, specifially in terms of workload and what we were assigned to which was a great learning experience.  To help make the most of your virtual trainee experience, read FAULHABER’s 5 tips here.

This year has been unprecedented beyond measure and has affected individuals all over the world in different ways we cannot imagine. Although it is difficult starting a career through a virtual setting, we can’t help but look back and be thankful for this incredible opportunity with FAULHABER. Our fellow co-workers, who have truly gone the extra mile throughout the past four months to ensure we feel included and well-versed in all things going on within the company, and are more prepared for our next steps. For that, we thank you (but still wish we could have properly met you).

To apply to our Trainee program, visit here.