A Tale of Two Internships

And the impact of meaningful work and having fun.

Note: Shout out to all the positive comments / replies after last week’s post about going by Andrew. I enjoyed hearing your own name stories.

While I was earning my degree in computer science and engineering from The Ohio State University, I had two very different internship experiences that shaped how I approach work.

It was a time I made a lot of mistakes, like having a stud earring and frosted tips.

The first internship was working as an IT specialist at a small manufacturing company in Cincinnati.

Full transparency: my mom was the HR director at the company but I swear I got the internship out of merit… Okay, yes, my aunt also worked there. But it was my credentials that got me the gig, I swear!

It was pretty much the stereotypical intern story: lots of data entry, reorganizing old files, and other low-stakes “busy work.” At one point, my manager (who was not my mom or aunt, they were in different departments because, again, I earned that job!) sat me down and literally told me not to work too fast because he was running out of things for me to do.

Since I get bored quickly, I tried to find ways to make the work at least a bit more fun. But any attempt I made was quickly shut down.

Listening to music? Can’t have headphones in. Adding a fun picture to the product manual I was creating? Not professional. Sharing a joke in a meeting? What would HR say?

I really wanted to say the HR director was my mom so I’d be fine, but alas, I didn’t want to play the nepotism card.

So I resorted to mental games to stay sane. It was… fine. It was experience, a paycheck, and a possible job after I graduated. But not exactly inspiring.

A Different Experience

Compare that to the following summer, when I interned at Procter & Gamble. From day one, it was an entirely different experience.

My manager made it clear: the work I was doing mattered. In fact, he said, “If you don’t get this done, I have to do it later, so I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

He encouraged experimentation, even if it meant mistakes. He welcomed my ideas and even my sense of humor. I cracked jokes in presentations, got to lead projects, and left that summer with a job offer.

Guess which company I chose in the end?

Creating Your Own Meaningful Work

The environment you work in, and whether it allows space for meaning and fun, can completely transform your experience.

Caroline Attwood, Unsplash

But if you’re currently in an environment more like the first (as opposed to P&G), know that work doesn’t have to feel this way.

What I didn’t know during that first internship is that we do have some control over our day-to-day experiences. And with thoughtful choices, we can make any situation better (even if it’s not perfect).

If you’re a leader:

Recognize that meaningful work and a culture of fun aren’t fluff, they’re effective. They increase retention, improve morale, and make recruiting easier. When people feel like their work matters and they can enjoy doing it, they stay longer and give more.

If you’re a team member:

Don’t wait for top-down change. You can be the one who starts making the day more meaningful and fun for yourself and your team. Acknowledge each other’s efforts. Celebrate wins. Lighten the mood with a shared laugh or ritual. Culture is contagious.

If you’re an individual contributor:

You don’t need permission to create a better work experience. You can define what makes your work meaningful. You can find joy in the process. Whether it’s tracking progress, gamifying tasks, or just adding a little personality to your emails, fun is a tool, not a distraction.

You don’t have to intern at a Fortune 100 company to find meaning in your work. You just need to be intentional about how you create it, for yourself, your team, or your entire organization.

Goal for Next Week

Here’s a playful challenge for you: what’s one way you could make your work more meaningful or fun this week?

For me: in preparation for our upcoming Skill of Humor Masterclass (name TBC), I’ve been wanting to upgrade my home studio. But I keep putting it off, so I’ve decided to make a behind the scenes video of the process and hope that makes it a bit more fun.

We still haven’t formally announced the masterclass (or settled on the name) but if you want to make sure you’re specifically notified about it when we launch, click here.

Keep having fun,
-Andrew