When I first imagined working in a computer office, I pictured those movie scenes with workers scrambling to their desks and papers flying everywhere. With all of the websites and tasks that Meyer Computer, Inc. is responsible for, I was sure that this office would be something like those hectic scenes. But what I walked into on the first day was the complete opposite! Everyone was so calm and quiet, even though I knew that each person had a lot on their plate. Everyone got along so well and knew how to enjoy themselves, joking around every now and then. There was a complete sense of aloha and that is one of the most important things to have in a working environment.
I was a junior at Baldwin High School when one of my teachers told me about an internship with Meyer Computer. Getting a job was one of my main summer goals, so I happily applied once I heard about this opportunity. What scared me a little, at first, was discovering that writing was a key part of this job. Writing wasn’t always one of my strongest skills, but I found out that the writing I would be doing here at Meyer Computer was way more fun. Here, colorful words were the perfect way to express how amazing the island of Maui is!
When first starting at Meyer Computer, my main supervisor was Lisa Almeida. Right from the first day, she taught me everything I needed to know about the social media and marketing aspect of this company. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but Lisa guided me through everything and made me feel comfortable. Once getting the hang of things, she would check up on me and proofread all of my pieces. She, and the entire staff, really made me feel welcomed right from the start. Especially the office cat, Zippy, who always came around to cheer everyone up!
Throughout the whole internship I got to share my knowledge about Maui’s many different features through blog writing for sites like rentalsmaui.com and kahanavillage.com. Being that the majority of readers were to be Maui visitors, I was taught to think about the audience. While I was writing, I would have to remember to explain myself, especially when using Hawaiian words like “honu” I would also have to type out “Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle.” This was also the perfect way to brag about what a great island we live on! I wrote a total of twenty-three blogs this summer and while it was a lot, it was worth it to see my writing actually published online for people to read.
This internship, which was my very first real job, will be an experience that I will always remember and look back on! I learned a lot, from what was happening on Maui to stories of Hawaiian mythology . I also got a sense of how huge the Internet is and how it works as a whole! Even though this internship may not have been related to my career path, I gained a lot of knowledge on an important part of today’s community — social media. Overall, I am glad that this opportunity served as my first job. From today on, I will always be able to share with others the blogs that I wrote and published online, all thanks to Meyer Computer!