When I first came to Notion Press, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that I loved reading and this was a publishing house, so I was excited about the possibility of getting to read a lot of books. I started working at Notion Press as an intern in February this year and my internship has taught me more than I had imagined. I am about to pursue my post-graduation in publishing so I wanted to get some experience and gain some knowledge about this field and I couldn’t have found a more suited place to do exactly that.

Before I started my internship I was really confused about making the right choices, but the last 3 months have definitely cleared a lot of doubts I had about the industry. It has also given me a better understanding of where my strengths lie and where my career may take me. The best part about my internship was that I was paired with a full-time mentor from the get-go. I always had a friendly face to teach me more about the industry, how the company works, to guide me through my tasks and answer any question I had. I looked forward to coming in early every day, listening to some music that my boss played and then start work fresh.  I learnt a lot of other qualities from my mentor that I know will definitely help me in the future. I was made to create a list of all my tasks for the day. This made work a lot easier, organized and it was a good way to make sure that I don’t miss out on anything. My boss was a friend and a mentor to me. We worked on so many cool projects together and I enjoyed working on them with her. I didn’t realise making pitch decks for books would be so much fun. I also worked on the cover design and title options for a book. Part of my work also included reading a lot of interesting books and giving my views on them.

 I also wrote a few showcases for books and articles for the company blog. I learnt so much about the industry working with experienced professionals and watching them work. But the most interesting project that I worked on alongside my boss was the editing of a book from scratch. I learnt so much about the editing process, how editing is beyond just reading a manuscript and how the target audience plays an important role in the making of a book. This also showed me how Notion Press is different from all the other publishing firms out there and what makes the organization so unique.

This was my first time being a part of an office environment of this kind and I was a little nervous about it. But the vibe here was so different and chill, also everyone was really friendly. There is a really cool breakout space where everyone meets for coffee and people also like to sit there and work with their headphones on. My favorite part was the Harry Potter wall at the entrance. Just being in office and observing everything around me has definitely prepared me for any future endeavor.  My internship helped me improve my professional skills and step outside my comfort zone. I was doing something new every day. It wasn’t like every other 9–5 job where you sit glued to your desk all day. You can move around, work in the breakout space for a while or sit on a beanbag with your laptop or even go to the conference room to work. In the morning you are greeted by the ever-charming Oliver/Ollie, at the reception desk, who always brings a smile to your face.

At Notion Press it is not just all about work, there’s always something an employee can look forward to. There were celebrations for Women’s Day and once a month we had fireside chats with celebrities who have chosen alternative careers. They shared their stories and told us a lot about how they were changing the world – like the Mr. Pradeep John, the Tamil Nadu weatherman, Mr.Raghuvaran, the voice of Shinchan in Tamil and, Mr.Premanand Sethurajan, the Scientist, a YouTube sensation. It was another great opportunity to learn something new and interact with people from both inside and outside the office.
I’m so glad I got this opportunity; I had the best 3 months here at Notion Press. I’m very thankful to everyone who helped me and most of all, my boss Mridula for being such a great mentor and sharing her experiences with me.