Every element you mention as being part of an in-office experience has been completely absent from my career.
Never made a connection that proved valuable later on. Never received any mentorship or even any guidance, I was always simply given a task and expected to complete it. Company culture doesn't even feel like a real thing outside of HR blurbs. Spontaneous collaboration was outweighed by interruptions and meddling from management.
Maybe it's just because I've never worked at a FAANG or BigCo, but I have a hard time believing these points.
Never made a connection that proved valuable later on. Never received any mentorship or even any guidance, I was always simply given a task and expected to complete it. Company culture doesn't even feel like a real thing outside of HR blurbs. Spontaneous collaboration was outweighed by interruptions and meddling from management.
Maybe it's just because I've never worked at a FAANG or BigCo, but I have a hard time believing these points.