Think About It - One More Time

Please respond to this question during the last few days of your internship.

For the past four weeks, you have been deeply involved in the world of work. You have been immersed in a corporate culture, shadowed professionals, chatted with co-workers, and tried out many new "hats." What did it all mean?

In the proverbial "25 words or less" (okay, maybe 50 words), distill the essence of your internship experience. What meant the most to you?

Maybe your mentor made a comment that really resonated. Perhaps it was something you observed in your co-workers that provided you with a "eureka moment." A task that seemed mundane when assigned may have proved to be profound in a way you never expected.

Whatever it is, tell us what you will take away from PRIME 2011.

Calendar Post- July 22

Today you met people engaged in a wide variety of careers.  Without exception, they were enthusiastic about what they do every day.  Which vocation appealed most to you?  What was it that attracted you?  Is this a job you think would get you out of bed and off to work with a smile on your face each morning?

What part of the day was most interesting to you?  If you could, would you change anything about the day, besides the weather?

Think About It - Week 3

During the next few days, pay conscious attention to the corporate culture at your internship. Corporate culture refers to the "personality" of an organization. It defines "how things are done around here." Corporate culture guides the way employees think, act, and feel at work. A good fit between an employee and the culture of his or her workplace almost guarantees success and happiness, and - one could argue - may make the difference between a job and a career.

Please read the short article entitled, in part, "Uncovering a Company's Corporate Culture" at http://www.quintcareers.com/employer_corporate_culture.html
(Note: There are underscores after employer and corporate. If you click on the link, you may get an error message. Type or paste it into the search bar of your browser, and it should take you to the article. If all else fails, do a Google search for corporate culture. You may need to temporarily allow pop-ups.)

Towards the end of the article, Dr. Hansen lists questions which delve into organizational culture. Ask some of these questions of yourself and/or your co-workers. What do the answers tell you about the culture of the place in which you are interning? Share three or four of the most intriguing answers here.

Calendar Post - July 15

Today you saw at least five careers in action:  city planner, leasing agent, historian, animal trainer, musician.  Did you notice any common thread running through the day?  Was there a career or an activity that intrigued you?  Are you likely to follow up and learn more about it?

What was the most interesting part of the day?  Tell me at least one new fact you learned about Arlington.  Will this new knowledge have any impact on your day-to-day life?

Think About It - Week 2

Respond to this post after you have spent at least one full week at your internship. If you like, start your post with a few sentences summarizing your tasks so far. Devote the remainder of your response to this "thinking assignment":

Choose an adult who works with you at your internship. This might be your mentor, but it may be someone else at your work site. Discover the official title of the job he or she holds. Write a short paragraph about the day-to-day tasks you observe this person doing. Include your opinion about the level of satisfaction he or she seems to derive from the job. You may base your opinion on your own observations and/or on conversations with the person you are observing. Is this satisfaction intrinsic to the job itself or related more to job environment, co-workers, etc.?  Is it, perhaps, most related to the person's outlook on life?Next consider briefly whether this job is something you could see yourself doing as a career. As you justify your answer, are you surprised by what you "hear yourself saying"? Would your answer to the the question be the same if this job were located somewhere else?

Think About It - Week 1

Please comment on this post after your second or third day as an intern, but not later than July 8. If your internship is not scheduled to start by July 5, please e-mail a reminder of this fact to me at becki.oloughlin@apsva.us

Write a short summary of your first impressions of your internship. React to the work environment, your mentor, your co-workers, and the tasks assigned to you. Discuss ways in which the internship has and has not met your expectations so far.

Don't forget to come back and read your fellow interns' posts throughout the week and comment on at least two of them. Remember to keep your comments positive and supportive. You should do this (read and comment) even if you will not start your internship until after July 8.  Be sure to check back for questions other interns may have asked of you.