What I'm Listening To

I looooove this song! It's so positive. The video is creative and funky too. If I made a music video, I'd definitely use this as my muse!

Professional Envelope Stuffer

Look at these envelope stuffers!
Doesn't it look like they're having fun?!
Photo borrowed from http://www.coralsprings.org/
baldrige/Photos/VolunteersEnvelopeStuffing-lg.jpg

Yesterday, as I was stuffing envelopes and making spreadsheets, I realized how much I hated my internship. "Hate" is such a strong word, so let's say that I STRONGLY DISLIKE IT. Yes, it's a resume builder, but I feel like I have so much more to offer. I'm not using the skills I've learned in my public relations classes. Instead, I'm using skills I learned as my dad's secretary two summers ago.

A long time ago, my dad once told me, "If you're a floor mopper, be the best floor mopper you can be." Yesterday, my mentor told me, after a long venting/complaining session, "Build your own opportunity."

Last night, a lady from Edelman in Orlando spoke at the FPRA steting. She gave some suggestions about the job market, internships, and post-graduation. She had some good talking points, and touched upon some important subjects. One thing she mentioned was internships. (How coincidental.) She said some of the things my dad and Dr. White said.

These words of wisdom sound good, but how do I do it?

I'm not going to say WHO I'm interning with, because that would look really bad, but the company is old. They've been doing things the same way for years. I can respect that. If something has worked for you, and it has proven itself effective...stick with it. But this point is exactly what makes it hard for my "creative juices" to flow. The projects I've been assigned to have been going on for years. There are templates for look at and task sheets for me to follow and check off. As a new-comer, I don't know how to change it or improve the projects.

How can I, an intern who won't be there much longer, try to change or suggest new ways to operate? How can I "build my own experience" like Dr. White suggested? I don't know how to stand out from the other four interns in my department.



Photo borrowed from:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yFTewYHRa4U/TAUZq0D_83I/
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A year ago, I wasn’t as confident in my skills. I hadn’t taken any PR writing classes, and I didn’t think that I could be a valuable intern. People often tell me that I’m modest and that I don’t give myself enough credit because I’m a humble person. I doubt my abilities at times. But one thing I cannot deny is that I’m a talented person; I’m a stand-out individual. God’s given me so many skills, and I don’t think this internship is helping me cultivate them.

(I will admit that I have a tendency to be melodramatic, so I’ll try to wrap this post up with something a bit more optimistic.)

Maybe this internship is teaching me something…I just don’t know exactly what that “something” is. Maybe, at the end of the semester, I’ll see the growth.

It’s similar to a growth chart. When I was a kid, I didn’t think I was growing like the other kids in my class. I always saw how they grew from year-to-year and how they were getting tall. I used to get REALLY upset. I wanted to be tall too! One summer, I went to my secret height chart where I kept up with my growth. I looked at the pencil marks on the wall, and looked at the dates written by them. To my surprise, I had grown. While I was in the moment, comparing myself to others, I failed to notice my own progression. (I may be getting off onto another topic, but stay with me.) In April, when I look back over my tenure, I pray that I get something more than paper cuts from this internship.