And that's a wrap!
The last four months have been filled with so many incredible memories - and we can’t believe it passed by so quickly.
By now, you know that we ended up working on two final deliverables, both web tools, and each designed to improve an aspect within the experience of signing up for an RESP. Last Friday was our final presentation to Prosper Canada and the Bridgeable team, where we were able to explore our summer’s process and its results in detail. We had such a fun time showing off the two tools through mini-skits, complete with guest Bridgeablers acting as parents looking to sign up and learn more about the different types of RESP accounts! It was so rewarding to be able to look back at the summer, and go through all of the things we were able to accomplish together as a team, from start to finish.
Dear Tumblr world, to be honest, I had a hard time thinking about how I should end off this summer for you. There was so much we could have written about our tools, our process, and everyone’s reactions… but beyond reviewing what we did, I realized there was something else I’d rather share. So without further ado…
The three most important things I learned this summer
1. Ask for help. No seriously, do it.
Perhaps this is just the norm when it comes to creative work environments, but working at Bridgeable was an incredibly comfortable experience. Both Kristin and Jessica can attest to the fact that I was extremely (to the words-can’t-express level) nervous at the beginning of the summer, and I definitely came in with the mindset that asking for help would mean that I was incapable.
Boy, was I ever wrong.
I think that so many of us enter our first internships forgetting that we, and the people who hire us, know that this is an initial learning experience. These positions have been designed for those of us who have little to no experience, and so we should never forget to inquire away, as to get the most out of every last drop of this experience.
2. Trust in the process
It’s so easy to get away from yourself and start imagining solutions before you’ve gotten to the crux of the problem, especially when what you’re imagining is really exciting! There were so many moments in the beginning phases where Kristin, Jessica, and I would get completely absorbed, talking about all the amazing things we would love to create.
Of course, this happened because we were really excited about the project’s potential, but at the same time, when we did this we forgot about the most important aspect: the user’s voice. And we definitely learned this as we went further into the process, as many an idea that might have been great, wouldn’t quite have worked for the people we were trying most to benefit.
3. Working at Bridgeable means loving what you do
For those of you who have read “So Good They Can’t Ignore You”, or know of its principles, you’ll know what I mean when I say this. In my brief time at Bridgeable, I can honestly say I was always surrounded by passionate and creative people. People who not only did what they loved - creating beautiful things - but also loved what they did - creating real solutions for our community and the world around us. I’d like to finish off with what I think was the most important lesson of the summer: when you feel good about what you do, the end product is almost always better.
