This internship has been smooth and relatively easy. The work has been straightforward and I've been able to set my own pace without anyone breathing down my neck. There was no one who was unpleasant or obnoxious; in fact most everyone was friendly as friendly can be. I can't think of a single thing that I should have or would have done differently (which is very good), and what stood out to me the most during my time here has been the dedication and enthusiasm that this office has in its work. It's been a pleasure to work here, even if my job has been tedious at times (spreadsheets will do that to you).
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I'm going with option B for this one.
The advice that I would give to future interns is this: be prepared to adapt. You could end up working somewhere completely different than the one you were expecting, and so you will have to adjust to those circumstances. I wanted to intern somewhere science-y, but instead I worked in the fund research department of the San Diego Opera. This is also a skill that is very handy later on. Flexibility is something you will need in the working world, as things are always subject to change. Developing flexibility is easier than it seems, too. Any plans that you make or things that you schedule, always include a bit of room time-wise in case anything throws it off. There hasn't been any "inspiration" for college thinking from my internship; instead it has given me straight knowledge on what courses to take if I don't find any other job that I want. Non-profit research and work has its own dedicated courses in college, and I can get a degree in it if I want to go into non-profit as a career. There's much opportunity to be found in finding ways to get free money for organizations or yourself (legally, too). I haven't found any colleges yet that I'm starry-eyed for either.
One of the things that I'm thankful for in this internship is the casual atmosphere of the office. It is still a professional environment and productivity is still expected, but it is very laid-back at the same time. The dress code reflects this, as wearing a V-neck or a polo shirt is still office worthy (much to my enjoyment). I've also grown to appreciate thorough work and due diligence. Since I've had to sift through tax forms and PDF's for information, how well I can gather information depends on how well that information is documented and archived. If the people filing their tax forms do their job well, that translates to easier access to info. The same is true for the opposite. in other words, DO YOUR WORK WELL, so that no one else has to pick up your mess.
I have already included my answers to the IPOL questions in my last post, so for the sake of keeping up with the blog I'll include the link again.
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G28ojUE_qFvP1OeCSeiXNz-ayhSTTIdU-G4XsjL3buc/edit?usp=sharing For my IPOL, I will be speaking from memory; no note cards, no memorized speech, it's just me knowing the answers to the questions I'm putting in the slides (there will be a link for those below). Any questions that people have will be saved for the end of the presentation. The documents that I will use for the presentation will be presented during the IPOL.
The link to my 5 slide powerpoint is here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1C5HiX40AheRJzY82omUdcSB4TJ29YxG2AnzQ8YeYZtQ/edit?usp=sharing The link to the questions that I've given general answers to, and will go into in depth during the presentation is here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G28ojUE_qFvP1OeCSeiXNz-ayhSTTIdU-G4XsjL3buc/edit?usp=sharing What I had understood about self-advocacy and communication hadn't changed during the past 3 weeks here. That isn't to say that there wasn't a need for it; I have just known the importance of these things before I started this internship. I have been practicing communication daily: sending and receiving emails frequently, following up by physical check-ins, giving updates, etc. Self-advocacy hasn't played a very large part so far, but I still understand the need and reasons for it. Communication is also incredibly important in the workplace for reasons stated and un-stated (nothing would be able to get done.)
Overall, everything's going very well. I've started the week finally free of the spreadsheet, which was taking up most of my time, so I've been working on my renewal letter. I'm going to present both of these things as my projects, by the way, as there has been a considerable amount of time sunk into them. Making them my project wasn't a process, mind you, I just started doing work and it snowballed slightly from there. However, just because I didn't develop a plan for these doesn't mean they don't qualify. Doing the spreadsheet work made me teach myself the most efficient ways to research non-profit organizations quickly. If there is ever a need in the future for funding for a non-profit, I can find out which grant makers would be willing to give, who can give the most, and what red tape there is around their giving. The letter of renewal is also being included because it is part of the grant making process. If you get funding for a non-profit for one year, you can possibly get funding for a second via the same donor. Writing the right letter helps with that (it shows them what their funds were used for, how they were used, and why they should continue funding.) Also, as mentioned in my previous posts, there were no significant challenges to my work.
I have an old, klacky keyboard. Very satisfying to type on. Half of an $8 sub for lunch.(taste is worth it) This is the roof of the lobby. Fancy. The fire station near my work building has this design all over its exterior. A close up of the stairs. Definitely marble. There's an enormous mirror in the lobby.
My work week and school week are more similar than I would have initially thought: they both start and end around the same time, I have to take similar transportation to get to where I need to go (bus), and the time I have at the end of the day is about the same as well. The responsibilities and interactions are a bit different, since I'm mostly independent in my job, and not being given new assignments every day from a teacher. The responsibilities that I have aren’t too many: showing up to work on time, being diligent in my work, being respectful of everyone’s time. The usual responsibilities of an office intern, really. The interactions I have are limited, either saying "hi" to people if they drop by my office, or talking with my supervisor and my work. I suppose this would get me ready for a desk job if I ever get one; time is money, and wasted time is wasted money. For the "character building and growing" experiences that this post is asking for, then I’m sorry to say that those qualities aren’t very applied here. That isn’t to say that the office is oppressive in its environment; quite the opposite. I’m simply saying that spreadsheets aren’t going to get you very far on a spiritual quest to become the Dalai Lama. The experiences I'm getting from this job is how to behave in an office setting and how to manage myself, which I already have mostly down. And for the "meaningfulness" that this post is looking to find in this job, I haven’t found any greater meaning other than actually doing my job. Actually, I take that back: I have seen a greater purpose to my job. I’m helping out in an understaffed section of the Opera’s fund management, so that it can continue to produce fine operas for people to enjoy. I’m also helping find the future paycheck for everyone else who works for the Opera, even the union shop that builds and delivers the stage background scenery and props. Though, these prompts have gotten on the “self-reflective guru” side of topics lately. Perhaps it’s me looking into it too much. Perhaps they really have gotten too deep. Or perhaps I’m simply doing it to add more words to the word count of this post. Either way, I have completely derailed myself from the subject matter. So enjoy some photos and selfies that I’ve put on my blog after this post. Too-da-loo, and don’t accept any knave’s wooden nickels, you hear?
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Joshua McCuinI'm student at HTHI, I love |