Tribulations of a new Laika cadet during Covid times

Photo by YUE LIU on Unsplash

My name is Laura and I am a 20-year-old French student that started at Laika in mid-February. As a communication and marketing student passionate about international and travel, I have always dreamt of going to work in a dynamic company in a European capital, and today I thank my lucky star for getting me there! 

But for six months, I have sent so many applications all over Europe that I couldn’t remember the name of the agencies that actually answered me. But Laika immediately caught my attention because its innovative and curiosity-driven approach was so new to me. After two online interviews, I packed my things and boarded Laika’s space shuttle.

LANDING IN THE LAIKAVERSE

On my first day, I was very excited to discover Laika’s Berlin office and to meet the whole team. First day out of quarantine, in a new city, in a new company, I felt like a businesswoman! After doing my third Covid test in one week, I made my way to the beautiful Laika office in Berlin.

I was nervous coming up the stairs, but to be honest, the team had me at hello (and at the joyful barking of Zelda). My desk was full of Laika’s goodies and all the material I would need for my internship; from jellies to PR calendar, I was ready to start! 

I jumped right into team meetings, editorial tasks, content creation, but also into coffees with colleagues and (online) party nights! I had never done PR before so I was understandably worried about my future tasks, but I was instantly put at ease by the team: as well as supporting Laika, I was about to learn a lot.

Even if my first week was all about getting used to the Laikaverse and the crew, I could get started on very challenging projects and new missions: for example, starting a white paper, or monitoring media for big clients. From personal creative projects to supporting the team, Laika instantly gave me the opportunity to work on very diverse tasks, and to always learn some more about PR and communications. I also joined the YoungStars team, our crew of interns, and working students! 

Through Laika’s clients, I discovered a lot of companies, which quickly allowed me to discover new (sometimes very specific) fields and new technologies such as fintech, new software, and healthtech. At Laika, we communicate the technologies, minds, and ideas of tomorrow, I found that out very quickly. 

MEETING LAIKA’S SPACE DOGS (IN SAFE DISTANCE)

I was really nervous about meeting the team because I was about to spend five months with this crew. But they all were welcoming, funny, and very skilled, and I knew I was about to learn a lot and have a great time. In these difficult times of pandemic, not everyone was in the office, and I was also given the possibility of working from home. Although I preferred to go to the office, I could meet everyone, whether it was over a cup of coffee or over an online meeting. There is also always our little sunshine Zelda, our VP of happiness, who fulfilled her role wonderfully. Asking for help is sometimes difficult when you don’t have the person in the same room, because you don’t want to bother. But even if everyone is busy, their (sometimes digital) doors are always open, and I never felt lost on my tasks.

I was really worried about traveling and starting an internship in these times of global pandemic. But even if I was preparing for the worst (doing my internship totally remotely), I was hoping for the best. Complicated times are always full of unique and life-changing opportunities, and this internship is one of them. Even if it was a leap into the unknown, I am happy to be part of the team, and I am looking forward to working on more great projects.

I think that I can conclude by saying that despite the difficulties of the current situation, my first weeks were a real success!