​There are so many things I am enjoying about my placement with Bookshop it is difficult to choose a favorite among them! One of the best parts of the experience so far, though, is how fun in nature the work is.  
When I was assigned to Bookshop, I was prepared to do anything that was asked of me, though I was very nervous that I might not understand certain things because I’d never been a part of such an impressive organization. The first meeting when my first set of tasks was given to me, however, I practically vibrated with excitement over them. Though I could see down the line when we got to parts of the process I was unfamiliar with that it would become more difficult, I was so relieved and overjoyed by my initial assignments. These included coming up with curated lists for Bookshop, developing a strategy for the Bookshop Facebook page, and researching content creators/influencers on social media who might be good fits for Bookshop’s purposes.
The curated lists are shoppable themed lists that Bookshop can share with potential customers. Examples of these might be “Historical Romances Not Set in England” or “Cozy Fantasy Books to Snuggle Up With This Season.” For each list, I have to come up with a theme that one of those Bookshop employees who oversee me can then approve or nix. If the list is approved, I have to find a minimum of seven books that fit the theme and can be purchased through Bookshop. This is fun, of course, because I love books and reading but can also be challenging as it’s necessary to create a nice mix of books and I cannot possibly have read all of the ones that I would like to add to the lists, so I have to do a good bit of research to ensure they are of high quality and don’t have problematic issues or authors that might cause a customer to think poorly of Bookshop.
Developing a strategy for Bookshop’s Facebook page is also very fun for me, as running a Facebook page is how I make the majority of my income and I feel very confident making suggestions. It’s so nice to feel like I have something real to offer there!
Finally, researching content creators and influencers across social media is also relatively painless and even enjoyable work. It can be a bit of a slog looking for new people to feature as there are already so many on Bookshop’s list of contacts, but it’s difficult to complain about having to scroll through Instagram or TikTok for the sake of “work.”
In addition to having generally enjoyable work to do, the entire vibe of the company as I’ve experienced it through the meetings I’ve attended has been such an incredibly pleasant and inviting one. Every single person that I have interacted with has been welcoming and encouraging, and though I am mostly in the background of meetings, I admire the way that the employees communicate with each other. They have a wonderful energy and there is usually a lot of laughter in whatever meeting I might find myself in. What a joy!