Beating 70:1 Odds: The Chaotic Onboarding of DelightRoom's Youngest Intern
Wait, I beat 70:1 odds?
On my first day at DelightRoom, I heard something shocking. I was the one who beat out a 70:1 competition! The odds were so much higher than I expected that it didn't even feel real.
Once the initial daze wore off, I realized just how many people were applying to DelightRoom.
Hoping that future applicants can show off their skills without feeling too much pressure, I'd like to share my journey as DelightRoom's youngest intern, Jaime.
DelightRoom, I choose you!
I had been keeping an eye on DelightRoom long before I applied for the internship. The future DelightRoom envisions perfectly aligned with my own values about work.
"Changing people's mornings into a better, more wonderful time."
I thought this was a place realizing that ideal goal in a realistic and agile way. Since I also find joy in the process of changing people's daily lives for the better, it was a team I desperately wanted to join.
I also wanted to learn from the Delighters' awesome attitude. Watching through content as Delighters woke up at 7 AM to work out even during an overseas playshop, and fearlessly dove into unfamiliar tasks for the sake of growth, made my heart flutter.
"If I become a Delighter, could I grow exponentially more than I have now?"
With a pounding heart, I used to peek at the careers page from time to time.
Here we go, writing the application
As soon as DelightRoom's 'Content Marketing Intern' job posting went up, I immediately pulled out my portfolio. Putting aside the question of whether I was ready to work at DelightRoom for a moment, I decided to just go for it. After all, "getting it done" even when facing unfamiliar goals is a core Delighter trait!
Scouring the job posting: Do I have the face of a Delighter?
The Content Marketing Intern position I applied for involved creating various marketing content and finding influencers to build Alarmy's presence on social media.
Because I had previously been in charge of social media content creation at a startup team and had planned multiple promotional events for clubs and extracurricular activities, I thought this role was a perfect fit for me!
I was also confident I could thrive in social media management, drawing on my experience running a channel similar in size to Alarmy's Instagram. Being a heavy user of various productivity apps and having used Alarmy for almost three years, interacting with related content every single day was another factor that boosted my confidence.
The more I read the job posting, the more I desperately wanted to pass and work as a member of DelightRoom.
2. Writing the application: Know thy enemy, know thyself
Only two documents were required to apply for the internship: a resume and a portfolio! I went through the process of rearranging my existing portfolio to focus on the skills DelightRoom needed.
The thing I referenced the most was DelightRoom's very own 'culture deck'.
What kind of mindset Delighters have when approaching projects,
What unique company culture DelightRoom has,
What their values are regarding the product!
Being able to closely examine DelightRoom's philosophy and way of working was a huge help in the application process.
I was particularly impressed by the commitment to "become an app that not only helps users wake up well in the morning, but creates a successful morning so they can live a productive day." It was a part where I could really feel the deep thought they were putting in as the app that kicks off a user's day.
I also reorganized my portfolio while pondering how I could work like a 'Delighter' and what kind of content I could provide for a 'user's successful morning'.
By thinking about how I wanted to leverage my personality and strengths to help achieve DelightRoom's current goals, I was able to submit my application documents without much difficulty.
The real round begins👊 Application passed, interview prep!
On February 25th, the scheduled announcement day for the resume screening, the good news arrived.
Through Ninehire, I could receive announcements via both KakaoTalk and email, making it super convenient to check! Thanks to that, I was able to smoothly coordinate the interview schedule with my personal plans.
Now all that was left was interview prep! With the goal of 'properly explaining my skills and the work I want to do at DelightRoom', I re-read my application documents and the culture deck.
On the day of the interview, the DelightRoom building was visible as soon as I came out of Sinnonhyeon Station Exit 8! Being located less than a minute away from the station, I was able to arrive safely before the interview started.
Overall, the interview took place in a comfortable atmosphere. I was especially touched when they gave me a small mirror and my beverage of choice in the waiting room before the interview, helping me prepare with peace of mind.
The questions required me to have seriously thought about my future tasks and Alarmy's image to answer them, but thanks to the thoughtful care of the Delighters guiding the interview process, I was able to comfortably explain my thoughts.
Heart pounding... what's the result?!
Successfully passed the final stage!
I first received the good news over a phone call after the interview, and then they sent me an offer letter via message. Maybe because it was news I so desperately wanted to hear, it still didn't feel real even after getting the acceptance message.
The moment I realized, "I'm really working as a member of DelightRoom now," was the moment I saw the monitor at my desk on my first day!
What in the world was on my monitor screen?
Jaime's first-day-at-work review will continue in Part 2.
To Be Continued…