In the second week of my internship, our team was tasked to conduct internal interviews to help us identify our community stakeholders’ needs.

I’m no stranger to conducting interviews, and I felt comfortable asking questions and contributing to conversations within my team already. But I dreaded it like I did most social interactions outside of my bubble.

Whenever I have to perform and interact with others, it often feels like I am in literal danger. Like I’m being chased by a lion or getting laughed at for saying something stupid. To my brain, these scenarios warrant the same response - Run! Hide!

I am hyper-vigilantly aware of it.

I also know the “cure” for it - repetition and frequency.

To keep on facing your fears, and do it in increments over time.

Talk to the coworker you haven’t been introduced to yet.

Share your ideas in a team meeting.

Raise your hand to speak during an online seminar,

or present your work to the team.

The more you do it, the easier it becomes.

My team was there to ease me into interviewing again. I felt fully supported as I transitioned from co-conducting interviews to leading them myself.

If social interactions make you feel like you are running from a hungry lion, you are not alone, and remember; in moments of dread - be the lion.

“How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time.”

This is the third blog post of a series by our 2021 Marketing Intern, Yana Brewster. Keep an eye out - she will be continually posting as her internship journey progresses!

See her third post here: Summer of Tech Internship - Aligning Values