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 imagine yourself doing as a career. As you justify your answer, are you at all surprised by what you "hear yourself saying"? Do you think your answer to the question would be the same if this job were located somewhere else?
The communications director at the Chamber of Commerce is one of the employees who I have been working most closely with. She handles things like posting and publicizing events or information through social media, writes the Arlingtonian and e-news letter, and updates the Chamber's website. Amy is not an overly expressive person, but I can tell when she is explaining tasks to me that she loves what she does. She gets along with everyone else here and although her interest in communications is an independent reason for why she loves her job, her co-workers and work environment also add to her satisfaction in working here. Amy works part time so she's here Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
ReplyDeleteI can see being a communications director as a future career for myself. When you're younger, you dream big, and when you realize you want to go into Journalism, you want to be a news anchor. Although this would still be my dream job, it's not practical. As I've continued gaining exposure to different fields of journalism and communications, I've taken interest in more and more of it. Working with Amy has shown me that to be in communications and journalism, you don't need to be employed at a news station or directly related to media. She has been able to do the same job at an organization like the Chamber, and I hope to someday as well.
Audrey, I really like your comment about how when you're younger you dream big, but most dreams aren't practical. I have the same outlook on what I see myself doing in the future. It's great that you've been able to find someone who can show you realistic ways of having your dream job. I hope everything's going well! (:
DeleteI too like the comment on when your young you dream big. All though most of the time your dreams when you are young are unrealistic I say go for them 100% because you never know what will happen.
DeleteAudrey, I like your realization that other careers utilize media and communications. This reminds me of the trip we took to the airport, it's similar how they employ people that you typically wouldn't think would work there. For example, I didn't realize that a marketing agent works at Reagan. So far it sounds like you're having a great time so far, hope the rest of the month goes well!
DeleteIt's really great to see that you're enjoying your internship and you're meeting people and making connections that you can further as you try to pursue your career. I completely agree that although you sometimes can't follow your dreams directly, you can sometimes settle for something that's just as rewarding.
DeleteIt's great that you found a way to pursue your dream job in a practical way. I think that that is the part most people struggle with when trying to find a job, making their dreams become reality.
DeleteI think journalism can be practical, it's just one of those jobs where you have to work at and be a little creative to make practical.
DeleteI agree that practicality is important to keep in mind. Everyone dreams big and sometimes those dreams can't become a reality in the way that you want it to, so I'm glad you're able to see that and still find a way to do what you want.
DeleteYesterday, Christina and I got to go with our mentors to Washington-Lee to film the superintendent. So far in our internships, we've spent most of our time editing videos and sitting in front of computers, so it was nice to get out of the office and experience filming first-hand.
ReplyDeleteAt AETV, since everyone wants us to have a learning experience, I'm spending most of my time with Jeremy Koller, Christina's mentor. He is one of the leading editors here, just like my mentor, Darrell Johnson. Jeremy edits videos, as well as composes music for the background and effects that are inserted into clips. He spends most of the day with Christina and me, but when he's not working with us he's in his office editing his own assignments. Jeremy took Christina and me out to lunch one day and told us about his experiences that led him to his job. He seems pretty enthusiastic about it for the most part, and he encourages us to make our career choices based on what interests us, not what we think is going to make us the most money.
I see myself working in film making, not in broadcast journalism, but most aspects are the same; including the programs they're using, and the cinematography. This experience is becoming more and more beneficial to my outlook on what I see myself doing in the future, and both Darrell and Jeremy consistently want us to learn something new everyday.
I like the advice on following your interests and not just the money parts of a job. I think it's really important to enjoy your job if you want a happy life. It's awesome that your internship is so closely related to what you see yourself doing when you're older.
DeleteI love the advice on going down a career path that interests you, and not which has the highest salary. My mentors have given me the same advice, and they told me to major in a career that I have a strong passion about, not which would pay more. Sounds like your having a great time, hope the rest of the month goes well! :)
DeleteI happen to work at a computer right in front of the editor of about half of the Connection newspapers. As an editor he spends most of his time in front of his own computer, receiving stories from reporters and editing them down. All e-mails containing press releases or story ideas sent to the newspaper go through him as well, so it's his job to take that information and put it into Word document format so the interns can work on it.
ReplyDeleteThough it's kind of hard to get an idea of how much he enjoys his work without asking him outright, he has worked with the Connection newspapers for over 15 years. He is very friendly with both interns and co-workers, so I think it's pretty safe to say that he is at least satisfied with his job. However, I'm not sure if I would be completely satisfied if I had a similar job. My impression is that the work might become dull over time. If I had to make a choice in which money was irrelevant, I would probably choose to be a reporter. Being out in the field seems preferable to sitting in an office every day.
Do you know what kind of stories he usually edits?
DeleteDo you think that during your internship you will be able to go out into the field with one of the reporters to see what they do? Your job sounds great!
DeleteI think it's really good that you're realizing now as opposed to later that sitting around all day is something you're definitely not interested in! It's better to learn these things now than later, when you actually are stuck in an office every day.
DeleteOne thing that I have been wondering is how does the newspaper find out about the news stories? Does the newspaper have contacts that work throughout the area, like in the airport?
DeleteBen- As far as I know, he edits all of the stories that go into one of the six or so newspapers he is the editor for.
DeleteClaire- It looks like I'm going to be getting a chance to go out and write a story, and I'm pretty excited. I was ecstatic just to see the calendar events that I edited in the paper, so seeing my own story in a real newspaper would be amazing.
Matt- A large number of the stories that the newspaper covers are emailed to them. Our newspaper only publishes once a week, so we have a whole week to receive stories and decide which ones to use. It seems like we do have contacts who know us and send us story ideas whenever one comes up.
Rodolfo Luna is a tax auditor at the Arlington County commissioner of revenue business tax division. He helps other coworkers when they have problems. He also does BTN lists like me; except once he has finished making them he analyzes them. Different types of products are taxed differently. Computers have a lower tax than furniture. Once he has separated the types of items bought he multiplies the total cost by the tax rate. That is the process of how businesses are taxed in Arlington. After spending eight days in an office with Rodolfo, I have come to learn that he is very hard working and respected in the office. The younger employees never have a problem asking for his help. He also skipped his lunch one time so he could finish his tax. He is very dedicated from what I can tell. He seems to find a good amount of satisfaction at his job. I think the satisfaction comes from the lighthearted work environment, his appreciation of math, and his positive attitude.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think I could see myself working as a tax auditor. The job is too repetitive for me. I’m not surprised that I feel that way. I was also surprised that it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. There are parts of the job that are cool. Today I got to see the gross sales of Chipotle for the past three years. It’s really cool to see how the company has grown. It’s also cool to see how much of the sales are directly sent to the county due to the food tax. If the same job was located somewhere else I think it would be even less interesting because I wouldn’t live there. With my job being in Arlington I can recognize places around where I live which makes it more interesting.
I glad you were able to find something redeeming in an internship that you initially didn't think was going to be a interesting experience. I can understand why you don't like the idea of a repetative career. In the bakery most of the experienced chefs get to do a lot of different things but I mostly end up doing the same typs of basic tasks. I don't mind decorating the cakes as much because I can make different patterns but when I have to paint the cookies sometimes I have to make the same design about 200 times or 300 before I can move on to a different task or design.
DeleteIt's great that you found something interesting in a job that initially seemed boring. I agree about the repitition, is there a job that you see around the office that seems to have the same fundamentals but less repetitive tasks?
DeleteThere are some people in the office who help people when they come to the customer service window, that's about it for the variation in the office. When those people aren't helping customers, they are just doing the same thing as everyone else.
DeleteI think all good jobs require a lot of repetition and menotony in the beginning. It's how employers filter out who is serious and interested in a profession, and will slog through the muck to obtain a limited number of positions.
DeleteMy mentor is Dr. Opsut and he is showing me everything about the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where we are working on military Health affairs. I have found the office to be very secure because ever morning he has to check me in as a visitor due to the fact that I have not been cleared by the government yet. It is a very confusing building, mostly because the agency is still moving in (they switched buildings recently) and there are confused people looking for signs everywhere. The first week has been many teaching sessions by Dr. Opsut just to help me understand what his department does. There are many data sheets, meetings, and acronyms that are still a blur in my head. However everyone that I have meet so far has been very enthusiast about what they do. Dr. Opsut is a fantastic teacher and I have not heard a single bad thing said about him. He never stops smiling and is happy to share food with the office. I have learned much about the health care situation and even more about downloading and formatting statistical data. It is hard to imagine myself working in an office environment of any kind, but now I have seen it in a new light. I doubt I would become a programer in the foreseeable future, but there is the possibility that later in my life I would make it a career.
ReplyDeleteThat's great that you are able to learn more about things from a different perspective.
DeleteWhat about the work you have been doing has changed your mind about the office environment?
DeleteWell mostly the people around me have been very relaxed. I used to think it would be more strict in that everyone would just have their head buried in papers or fixed on a computer, but everyone seems to be checking Facebook and having long conversations about their personal lives. They still get their work done too.
DeleteThis past week, I have continued to work with the landscape architects in my firm on a project for a church in Alexandria. Since day two, I have been constructing section (cut-away) views of the paths that will go throughout the site. It's neat stuff to do, considering I get to use drafting software (AutoCAD), Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. And today, as a surprise, I found out that my work will part of the final submission!
ReplyDeleteA person that I believe has a strong passion for their job is one of the landscape architects, Jordan. Throughout the day, Jordan is normally is at his computer drafting, but today he and Matt (the other landscape architect) were marking up blueprints for final project designs. From what I observe, Jordan's satisfaction with his job is pretty high. He always comes into work in the morning cheery, and his enthusiasm persists throughout the day due to the work environment and his co-workers.
However, am not sure if I can see myself doing landscape architecture as a career. I love the office, atmosphere, and the technical problems I face, but quite frankly, I got pretty bored with the drafting part of it. I found that my niche is more in photo editing and designing, and I enjoyed using Google SketchUp, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. All I can say is that ill keep an open mind to anything throughout the remainder of my internship, because it's too early to try to shut ideas away.
It's really great to know that your work is being part of the submission- Christina and I worked on a video of the Symphony Orchestra start to finish and it hasn't even aired yet! It's really rewarding to know that our mentors trust us enough to work on projects such as those. I hope everything continues to go well! (:
DeleteI think it's really cool that you might have a chance to have some of your ideas represented for everyone to see.
DeleteIt's so cool that you're getting to use all these different programs now. That way, if you do change your mind and end up going into architecture later, you'll be a pro at them!
DeleteYour internship sounds awesome, and even though you don't see yourself pursuing it, it's awesome that you're getting to experience this work field. Congrats on being featured in the final submission!
DeleteEvelyn Poppell is the Bureau chief of the Arlington Department of Health. She is not my mentor but I have been working with her some while it has been busy in the office. Because she oversees all of the departments of the Public Health division throughout her day she has meetings with all of the department heads, including my mentor who is head of Environmental Health. On one day, she had a meeting in the morning with all of the inspectors to go over what they found when they went out into the field after the power outages. In the afternoon she met two other departments. One was tracking the diseases that arose because of the power outages and the other was tracking the recent outbreak of tuberculosis in Arlington. Through conversations with her she has said that she really enjoys what she does because she finds the health aspect of Public Safety very interesting. Though I think she does like everyone that she works with, and tries to make everyone else feel happy and comfortable in their jobs at the Department of Health, I believe that she enjoys what she does because of the job itself and because she is able to help people.
ReplyDeleteI find her job very interesting but I don’t think that I imagine myself with a career in the Department of Health. I have enjoyed being there because like one of my coworkers told me, it is where science is applied, but I see myself in a career doing scientific research.
It's great that you have a strong idea of exactly what work you want to be doing. What kinds of things would you be interested in researching?
DeleteThroughout the course of my internship, I've been working with my mentor Betsy Jones. She's the Senior Catering Manager at the Sheraton Pentagon City and she coordinates most of the weddings and other parties people have. She also works closely with caterers; she tries to get people the lowest rates possible by making it so that, if the need be, they only have to pay for their event's food. In addition to catering, she's the one who helps to set up/design the layouts for her clients' events. Yesterday, I helped her set up one of the ballrooms for a wedding that's occurring today. The clients had picked the color scheme, and it was our job to set up the room the way they wanted it. She has a very large responsibility- it's her job to make sure people remember these events.
ReplyDeleteWhile it may be a very stressful job (time restraints, difficult clients, etc.), she handles everything professionally. I know that she is very satisfied with what she does, and she loves being able to help her clients in any way that she can.
This is a job I can definitely imagine myself doing. I enjoy the tasks I am given, and I enjoy the results. Despite the stress, I think lots of great experiences would stem from a job like this.
That's great that you get to be doing something that both you and your mentor enjoy. What kind of tasks do you get to do?
DeleteIt's great that you and your mentor both can find rewards and benefits in your job. It must make doing even the hard or tedious parts of the job more enjoyable.
DeleteIt's nice that as a catering manager that she not only manages everything from caterers to clients, but helps set up decorations herself. I'm glad you both enjoy you jobs and that you can actually see yourself doing this in the future.
DeleteI've been working with a freelance photographer as my mentor for the past two weeks. I have assisted him with some of his projects including a documentary photography project about Columbia Pike.
ReplyDeleteMy mentor sometimes goes out and shoots for his various projects, at the moment he is attending meetings to prepare for an exhibition at George Mason. He also gets hired by various people to photograph their events. He definitely enjoys his job even if at times there is a stalling in offers, because he is doing what he loves. There's a certain satisfaction in being able to do something you love as your career, so I think much of the enjoyment comes from that. I used to think in absolutes. I would definitely do this or that, nothing would stop me, there would be no detours, and I would consider no other options. After beginning this internship it's become clear to me that I can no longer think that way. In the future, I know I'll be doing something related to art, because to me, if art is what you live to create, then it's impossible to escape it. However, I don't know where I'm going to end up and that's okay, as long as I'm enjoying the ride. If I were in another place, I may be more motivated to do things because I no longer find things in this area interesting, but I suspect it would not be much different.
So you started out interested in the type of photography work that your mentor is doing, and now you don't think that is the path for you? What has changed you mind?
DeleteI didn't mean I no longer find photography interesting; I meant Arlington in general. Just to clarify.
DeletePhotography sounds so fun! And the idea of capturing a moment in time, preserving it and making that moment accessible to everyone is such a romantic notion. I can see why your mentor must get so much satisfaction from his job. I think part of that satisfaction might also come from partaking in and experiencing the moments he photos.
DeleteMy mentor Kim Durand is the coordinator for the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families. On a day to day basis, Kim oversees everything related to the work of the Partnership. She organizes certain events for the different programs that are part of the Partnership, attends all the meetings for these programs to make sure they are on track with their goals and generally keeps the office running smoothly. She has discussed her job with me a lot, and although she doesn't like sitting in an office all day doiong paperwork and things of that nature, she is passionate about the work of the Partnership and what they stand for, so she is pretty satisified with her job. She seems to enjoy the company of all the people in the office as well. She is definitely a people-person. I think I have the same feelings as Kim about working in an office so much. I think the work of the Partnership is great, but it is not exactly in my field of interest, and I am definitely looking for a career which doesn't involve so much staring at data on a computer screen for hours on end. I hope to be able to work with such friendly and encouraging people in the future, though.
ReplyDeleteDo you like the aspect of working with children or are you looking more towards working with adults?
DeleteThe full name of the Partnership is a little misleading because they actually do not work with children at all. There goal is to improve the lives of Arlington teens. I really love children, but I don't know if I would go into a profession where that was my main task. I'm not sure I have the energy for that :)
DeleteMy internship is at Carlin Springs Elementary School and I work with one main teacher and one teacher's assistant. In the beginning of the day, I work with the main teacher to finish up last minute planning and go over what we have all prepared for the summer school day. In the beginning of the class, I pass out starting materials as well as take attendance and record the information by hand and enter it into the computer system. During class, I help prepare/distribute/make materials for students, keep both teachers lessons running efficiently, and help students with any questions or problems. Nearing the end of the day, I help distribute any materials that need to be given to students to take home and guide students to their respective after school program, extended day program, or bus. After the school day is over, I plan with the teachers I am working with for the next days' lessons, help tidy up the classroom and organize students' materials.
ReplyDeleteThe day to day tasks I see the main teacher I am working with is organizing and shuffling around numerous materials for students and decorating the classroom to not just beautify it but also to help students learn from the materials being put up. I see the main teacher trying to help all three grade levels of student individually, carefully paying attention to what each students strengths and weaknesses are and helping them improve their weaker suits in school. I am happy to know that the main teacher I am working with loves what she does. She has been teaching for many years and during planning, she loves to talk about how students are improving and what to work on for them next as if she was teaching each child individually. I believe that the satisfaction from this occupation comes from both the job and a person's outlook on life. If you like to help people enrich their knowledge, teaching is a great way to do achieve this. Depending on a person's outlook on life, I personally believe that helping anyone learn new things and fully understanding it to the fullest extent is very satisfying and enjoyable.
I believe that this may be something that I could picture myself doing in the future. Though as a child I have imagined and imitated being a teacher with my brother and sister, I never thought that it would ever be an occupation I would choose, even though I am still undecided in a way. I am not sure if my answer would be the same in a different area because I have had such great opportunities to learn from and work with different teachers in the Arlington County Public School System and I don't know much about other school systems in the nation.
So how is the planning process? And how long does it typically take? I worked in an elementary school last year and found that the day-to-day activities were largely similar.
DeleteIt sounds like there are many stages in planning and organizing for lessons and activities. What types of lessons do you prepare? Since its summer school are there specific lessons that are required to be taught to students?
DeleteThe planning process takes about 1 to 2 hours. It usually consists of preparing and making materials at first. We try to think of a certain topic to focus on for the day. On the board, we try to plan out a schedule to help stay on track. After gathering materials, we make all of the copies and discuss which parts we should emphasize and how to help the students understand.
DeleteSome lessons I have helped plan include their 1 week long unit on money, place values, and percents. Specific lessons that are required include simple counting, place values, geometric shapes and solids, numerous concepts based on arithmetics, and a science lesson dealing with pillbugs.
DeleteSo far I've mostly been working with my mentor Katie. Her title is Assistant Pastry Chef. I also sometimes work with the other Pastry Chefs, Head Chef Fernando and Assistant Chef Mike. My mentor Katie mostly focuses on decorating the various cakes and cookies, though I'm going to help her make French pastries this week. From what I've seen everyone really enjoys their job. Occasionally there is a bit of tension when people disagree on some cooking matter, like how much chocolate should be in the chocolate butter cream frosting. Overall though the chefs mostly make fun of each other and work well with each other. I think part of what makes the job go so smoothly is that there is lots of space in the kitchen and all the ingredients are kept organized.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that I can see myself as a chef when I'm older. I have really enjoyed this experience so far and I really love working with food. At the same time though I think I would want a career with more of a challenge. Perhaps I will be able to envision myself as a chef after performing more complex tasks in the bakery.
Yeah cooking and baking are fun, but like you I don't think I would enjoy them as a career. They would be good to pursue as a hobby though.
DeleteIt's good that you are able to recognize why this particular career does not suit you. I think you're one step closer to discovering your dream job!
DeleteI've been working as part of a computer programming project at the NOVA Alexandria campus. I work with two co-workers/mentors who are the developers for the project, David Reich and Pull Gulley. I'm going to talk about both of them for this post, because they both have the same job and get similar amounts of satisfaction from it. David and Paul are both rising 12th graders, and for them this job is a paid internship. Although it is just a summer job, it has all the qualities of a professional programming project. For the most part, their day is spent sitting at a computer planning and writing code. From what I've gathered, they both enjoy it largely for the intrinsic satisfaction that comes from solving problems through programming.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe this is something I could see myself doing, although it wouldn't quite be my dream job. Programming can be fun and interesting, and very satisfying when you successfully complete something, but otherwise it doesn't really appeal to me. We work in a room with about four or five other people working on programming for a class. It isn't a bad environment, but it isn't very interesting either. Overall, I don't think I would enjoy programming as a full time career, but I could see myself doing a short summer job like this if one was available.
I could definitely see how programming could feel repetitive over time unless you really enjoy doing it. It's good that you're getting a better idea of which careers appeal to you and which ones don't.
DeleteTo me, programming also seems like it would be satisfying once it was completed, yet rather tedious. What do you find most interesting about programming?
DeleteDo you find programming to be mentally stimulating? It would definately be very tedious, but is there at least a challenge to it?
DeleteMy main mentor is Stephan Smith, who is Deputy Vice President for Engineering. I actually have not done a lot of observing because everyone in the office is pretty independant. Everyone pretty much works by themselves, and everyone seems to be extremly focused on what they are doing. Nonetheless, everyone is very social, good natured, and are helpful when they can be. As far as I can tell, Mr. Smith is the link to the outside world, assuring people that the Engineering Department is making sure things run smoothly. Most of the department spends their time at Dulles, (including Mr. Smith), because most of the work is there. Personally, I have not seen any of this work, except a meeting I attended on the preperations for Dulles Day. The only other time I left the office was a brief tour of a renovated hangar at Reagan with the manager of the planning department, William Lebegern. Most of my time has been spent on a paper they want me to write on the new runway safety measures. Even though I haven't had much direct hands-on experience during this internship, I can understand this office. Whenever someone sees a job to do, they concentrate all their attention on it, and involve other members of the office when they need help. I think the main reasons I haven't had much hands-on experience are transportation difficulties, clearance issues, and the only task I can operate in with reasonable independance is research.
ReplyDeleteI can see myself at this job, because I am an independant person, and like a little room when I am doing my work. The research I am doing is very interesting, and help me better understand the functions of runways, and the difficulties of making them safer. This knowledge may help me as I try to get deeper into engineering. From what I've overheard, this is an interesting job when you get to work hands-on.
I have worked closely with Erik Oberg, who is a Natural Resource Management Specialist with the NPS. He works mostly as a biologist in the lab they have, but he has taken over for somebody currently on vacation so he splits his time in the lab and in his office taking calls for his coworker or getting started on his assignments. I got to shadow Erik on a site visit he had to do for him, which was a new experience and really showed me how a construction site works, as well as the ins-and-outs of getting and maintaining a permit. I think Erik gets most of his satisfaction from helping those around him, and as a ranger, the idea that he is preserving the world around him for future generations, which I can definitely see as being fulfilling. He has been a ranger for a long time in parks on both coasts, so the work appeals to him. I could see myself doing this as a temporary job, as there are younger people doing similar work and getting paid. I think the advantages of being in this field is that it really opens up your opportunities, as it can move you all around the country and show you fields of work you didn't know existed, and these aspects are key things for me in any career I am planning on pursuing.
ReplyDeleteFrom what you say and especially from what I saw of him at our "field trip," Erik seems like a great and motivational mentor. Plus he was proud of you for your discovery, showing that he really cares about anyone he develops a relationship with.
DeleteThe person that I am writing about is Robert Winters. He is the director of purchasing for the hotel that I work at. The reason that I am writing about him is that his job is generally one of those jobs that people don't think about when they think of a hotel, even though his job is very important for the hotel. Robert handles purchasing for the hotel. While that sounds like a desk job, I see him moving boxes throughout the day. That is another thing that I like about Robert's job. His day consists of sitting in front of a computer and doing manual labor.
ReplyDeleteWhen I see Robert throughout the day he seems to be happy. I think that this is due to his outlook on life and his co-workers. He is extroverted and enjoys joking around with the other imployees at the hotel.
Although I don't see myself pursuing a job similar to Robert's I find his job interessting since it is all about the behing the scenes logistics of running a hotel.
I agree, as jobs like the one Robert has, are often overlooked. Though you do not see yourself as a director of purchasing, is there another hotel-related job that you are interested in?
DeleteI'm sure it's a great learning experience, as well as interesting, to see all of the behind the scenes work. I think every company or system has such jobs and it's good to acknowledge and appreciate them.
DeleteAt my internship in the Public Relations office for Arlington county schools, I've worked on a number of projects and talked very closely with my mentor and others in the office. The person I'm choosing to write about is Gladis Bourdouane, the Public Information Specialist. She's in charge of making education in Arlington accessible to all families, as well as getting information out about community events.
ReplyDeleteShe stands out to me because half or more of her work day includes talking on the phone to families or being in meetings with parents to try to calm their fears about their children's school and assure them that their kids are getting the best education possible as well as answer any questions they have with informed, well spoken responces. I've worked with several different people while here, but I have had the most interest in her job. She speaks of how much she enjoys helping people and how she likes the immediate contact that she has with people all over Arlington through her job. Her co-workers are very laid back and caring of one another, which I think adds to her overwhelmingly positive outlook on her job. I admire her positive demeanor, even if dealing with over controlling parents and find her overall work ethic very admirable.
I could definitely see myself doing this in the future, as it has such a rewarding component to it.
That's so great that you are able to work with people who truly find joy in their jobs. I'm sure that her positive outlook helps make your job more enjoyable and you're really fortunate to be able to work with her in one of your first jobs.
DeleteI'm sure that a positive demeanor helps a ton when dealing with concerned parents. What an interesting proffession to observe though!
DeleteMy mentor is Jeremy Koller. He shoots and edits videos for AETV along with Rebecca's mentor Darrell Johnson, and another man named John. While they all shoot and edit, each has a different specialty. Jeremy specializes in music, Darrell specializes in creating graphics, and John specializes in writing scripts. Together they make a pretty good team. Jeremy seems very happy with his job. He seems to genuinly enjoy what he is working on and is always enthusiastic when Rebecca and I have a question. Rebecca and I have recently started a new project, and we have been working a little bit more with Darrell. He also seems to enjoy what he is doing although it doesn't show it as much. Jeremy has a more bouncy personality while Darrell is more reserved. However, both of their satisfaction seems intrinsic to the job itself. Neither have expressed dissatisfaction or a desire to work elseware. I can definately imagine myself working for AETV. It is not something that I see myself doing for the rest of my life, but I definately enjoy that atmosphere and the work. The exciting thing is that I may get the opportunity to work for them in the near future. They constantely hire students during the school year and summer. In fact many PRIME interns return from college in the summer and work for them. Rebecca and I have been very fortunate in that our internship provides us with the tools to learn about and become competant in our feild of interest and that gives us connections to a place that will always welcome us back.
ReplyDeleteMy mentor at the NRC, Dr. Xing, is the Sr. Human Performance Engineer. She is the team leader of about 7 people working on a project called IDHEAS, and so her main responsibilities are managing her worker's tasks and facilitating teamwork among them. Her time is occupied going to meetings, reviewing people's work, and planning progress on the project. She also does a lot of work herself.
ReplyDeleteOverall she seems to be content doing her job. She seems to enjoy the challenges of the field, but is sometimes annoyed by some of her coworkers.
I don't think her job is for me. Leading a team is hard to do; especially when all of the people on it are very very smart. When you have so many brilliant people having to work on one thing, often some of them get their own ideas instead of complying to their leader's standards. This means you have to have good mediating skills to do what Dr. Xing does-- and you also have to be forceful at times. However, her project is very interesting and I think working in her field would be interesting.
I don't think location has much to do with this profession.
It's interesting that you don't see yourself doing her job, does it turn you off from your internship or change your views on what profession you originally had in mind? However there are certainly plenty of other professions in that field so you wouldn't have to take a completely different route.
DeleteI like the concept you brought up about smart people having to do what somebody else wants. This seems like it should be a very important skill to have, yet some of the smartest people even have problems with this. Is there ever any sort of disciplinary actions?
DeleteI am writing about my mentor and CPRO's executive director, Takis Karantonis. As executive director, he makes the organization's major decisions, as well as plans out its future. He also visits local businesses to assess their conditions, checks up on CPRO's interns and employees, arranges appointments, enlightens those who come to ask him for advice, and helps plan out local events (At least that is what I’ve observed). In addition, he has helped me on my survey.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I’ve observed, Mr. Karantonis enjoys his work. He is very focused on the tasks he is performing, and not once have I heard him complain about them. I think that he enjoys his job for a mix of the reasons stated above. He is friendly towards his coworkers, and also possesses great knowledge about urban planning, which he uses to help others. Like most things, I’d assume that his outlook on life plays a role in determining how satisfied he is with his job (a pessimist will likely focus on bad things, an optimist on good things).
Though I may pursue a career in urban planning, I’m not sure that I would want to be an executive director. Rather, I’d prefer to specialize in performing certain tasks, as opposed to making major decisions for an organization. However, I could easily change my opinion once I start working at an organization. After knowing the organization well enough, I’d be more confident to make bigger decisions. The location of my job (since my internship is in urban planning) would influence my knowledge of the area, but probably not my decision.
If you were to pursue such a career, you would probably start lower down anyway so you would have a chance to perform smaller tasks and become comfortable with the field. The longer you stayed with it, you would probably climb the ladder and be prepared to make larger decisions for the organization. I think you should ask Mr. Karantonis how he started at the organization and figure out what steps he took to get where he is!
DeleteIn my office I work with lots of people who have to make big decisions as well. I understand how intimidating those decisions can be, especially because making the wrong decision has great consequences. I do agree with you in that, should you pursue a career in urban planning, you would have enough knowledge to confidently make big decisions.
DeleteI work closely with a man named Anand, who is officially titled a Medical Assistant. He is in charge of scheduling appointments and dealing with finances, along with helping the doctor with medical tasks when needed. I know he gets frustrated with his job often and he doesn't necessarily enjoy it, but he always comments on how he tries to keep a good outlook on life so he makes the best of it and stays happy and polite no matter what. I think he hopes to have a higher job later in life so he doesn't remain in the same position. I can't imagine myself having his job for my whole life because he is always being told what to do, and is in charge of small, tedious tasks rather than real work that interests him.
ReplyDeleteOh I see, I do the same thing at my job! They let me scheduele patients in the office, and I also fax papers and check patients in! I don't see myself doing this either, but I do appreciate the amount of responsibility they're giving me! After all, a doctor has no patients without the people working the front desk.
DeleteMy mentor, Hilary Colton is an Animal Keeper in the bird house at the National Zoo. Her daily tasks begin with a morning meeting with all bird house staff, then once the food arrives from the commissary the different diets are divided among the various keepers. Then the food is delivered to the animals and their exhibits are cleaned. After Hilary does demonstrations with the the toucans and some behavior training with other birds. After lunch she works on preparing and designing new exhibits for future birds. By the end of the day PM food is given to the animals and the working areas are cleaned for the next day. At the end of a long and hard days work Hilary and other staff maintain a positive attitude, they thank others for all their hard work. Overall it is clear that this job is satisfying it is much more hands-on and does not require hours of paperwork and sitting in front of a computer. The work environment is very laid back, coworkers get along well, everyone always talks and laughs during our break and lunch hour. In the future I can definitely see myself having a career in an animal related field. Before the internship I didn't think that a zoo environment was the right place for me, but after meeting so many different people I realized that this is exactly the type of work community I am looking for in the future. I don't think location is a key factor as long as the work community is supportive, positive and enthusiastic.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! You have all done an excellent job of identifying the salient points of your target worker's job requirements and/or skill set. In addition, most of you were quite insightful about reasons for job satisfaction (of lack thereof), and most of you could apply that insight to yourselves. Early comments had some good back and forth conversation going, too.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't commented on someone else's post or checked back to see if your post has a question that needs to be answered, please do so.
One of the psychiatrist, Dr. Nematzedeh, spends most of her day talking with patients, at least that's what I thought before I spent a day watching what she does day to day bases. She has a couple of patients pure day, ranging from adolescence to veterans in the war. In between her patients, she spends a great deal of time looking through their charts and connecting with their co workers. I was very impressed on how close all these psychiatrists are with each other. But once their patient shows up, they get down to business and only focus on them. This gave me a great chance to explore a day to day life of a psychiatrist.
ReplyDeleteOh that's really neat, so do you see yourself becoming a psychiatrist? Do they let you sit in the sessions with patients? If so, that's neat! The psychiatrists are close to each other, but do you think they actually enjoy their job?
DeleteAt my internship, the name of my mentor is Dr. Curry and, as his name suggests, he is a medical doctor. As I watch him day to day I see that his work is not too hectic, however he still is able to be enticed in his work. He is satisfied with his job and has an intrinsic motivation for it! I see him take care of patients, prescribing medication, and making personal phone calls to his patients. As I have said, he is a wise man and is really enjoying his job, this career perfectly fits him. I get to do a lot of the things that a doctor gets to do at my internship, and I have realized that I can really see myself doing this!
ReplyDeleteYou're very lucky to have such a devoted and involved mentor to guide you. He seems to be the kind of person who inspires people to follow their dreams and be their best.
DeleteThere's only one adult who is in the office when I am, so it wasn't hard to choose an adult to study. He's my mentor, Patrick Moran, Jim's Moran son, and my boss. It's difficult to have any sort of assessment of his level of happiness and what he does there because I never see him when he works. He's in a room out of view. But I can get an idea of the few times I've stepped into his office. I usually see him looking at a calendar and making phone calls; a lot of time those phone calls are thanking people for their help or support. Other times, I see him when he drops me off at a farmer's market and sets up. I'd say that he generally is happy with his life, since he's always smiling and seeming to have a great time, but he's fresh out of college and I think he only views this job as temporary.
ReplyDeleteI've found out that I don't really like the whole campaigning aspect of politics, though I do still love the policy aspect. I guess that makes it a whole lot harder in finding a career in that area.
Maybe you can do what your boss is doing- start off doing something behind the scenes and then move on to a different position? It's great that you got to do an internship in your area of interest.
DeleteMy mentor, Chris Nelson, is an IT Tech at Reagan National Airport. At the airport, we have a ticket system where a user who has a problem submits a ticket detailing the problem. As an IT Tech, it is Chris's job to go out to the user and fix the issue. Through personal conversations, it is very obvious that Chris does not like this job. He says that what he is doing is not so bad, but the people he works with and the drama that goes on just makes it crappy.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I do not want to be an IT Tech, it just isn't really my interest. And with the experience here, while good, shows that being an IT Tech is not well respected.
Its unfortunate that this profession is not very respected. How long do most people really hold this job or have interest in keeping with it. How long has your mentor been an IT tech?
DeleteOne of the most impressive employees at the General District Court, to me, is a Court Clerk by the name of Sandi. She goes into Civil court and updates case files as the Judge gives his ruling on them. She also does a lot of filing work, as all employees of the Court seem to. The most interesting thing about her, pertaining to work, is the fact that she has been working at the Court for almost thirty years. She seems to love her job and the people she works with. Sandi is always friendly and helpful and genuinely enjoys her work. When seeing her interact with the other people in the Courthouse, I get the impression that she is a very important and dear person to the entire building. At the same time, she can be a bit of a bad influence. She's jokingly encouraged me to skip college and just work at the court like her, and with the happy life she seems to lead, I'd honestly consider it. I mean, if she can be so happy and content with a life as a Clerk, why couldn't I?
ReplyDeleteWhen school gets really stressful I always joke about not going to college and finding work instead. Because Sandi enjoys her job so much, this option just became a little more tempting!
DeleteI work in the office of construction and design for Arlington Public schools under several amazing and caring people. I have spent most of my time with Amy Jones, who works under John Chadwick, the director of construction and design. On a day to day basis, Amy does a lot of clerical work. She runs invoices through the out-of-date system and insures that all the change orders and billing are approved and filed away. Her job may not be as glamorous as John's and the jobs of other workers in the office who go on site and obviously hold a lot of power, but Amy's job is very important; and she feels as such. Without Amy navigating filing cabinets, exel sheets, and mountains of papers, the whole system would collapse. In a way, Amy is the support beams of the entire system. This sense of importance wipes away any dread of having a desk job with, again, mountains of paperwork. Amy loves the people she works with. The office is fairly small on its own, but the community feel to it makes it seem even smaller. Amy knows everyone, likes most everyone, and loves her job partly because she loves her coworkers. Amy is a happy woman who never fails to appreciate what she has. Though it has been fun, challenging, and interesting, I cannot see myself doing this for a living. In fact, as much as I really have enjoyed myself at the office, I have discovered that construction and design is not the field I would enjoy going into. A kind staff and a lovely office may make the job a little better, for me personally, I don't think I'd enjoy it as much as Amy does. But hey, we're all different and we should all have a job that we enjoy!
ReplyDeleteAh, yes . . a job we enjoy. I hope you all have come to realize how important that is -- You'll get up and go to work at least 12,000 mornings in your lifetime! -- and that it's not necessarily associated with income or prestige. Maybe PRIME has started to narrow down that association for you.
ReplyDeleteOver my first two weeks at INOVA Alexandria Hospital, I had a chance to tour all the major departments of the hospital and carry out my duties as a volunteer. My mentor, Christina Spencer, is the volunteer manager at the hospital and she works with me daily to ensure my internship is going well. As the volunteer manager at the hospital, it is Ms. Spencer’s job to look at volunteer applications, interview prospective volunteers, and lead the orientations for new volunteers. Along with all this, she runs the Volunteer Office (in which our services are accessible to anyone in the hospital) by directing us where to go and what to do. She has a friendly, lively personality that makes everyone feel part of the team, which shows me that she derives a high level of satisfaction from her job. This satisfaction might be intrinsic to the job itself, but I know it must have at least a little to do with the great atmosphere in the office and around the hospital. Although she seems to love her job, it doesn’t surprise me that I can’t see myself in her position because I don’t really enjoy sitting in an office for hours on end no matter the location.
ReplyDeleteI am working with Erik Oberg who is the Natural Resource Management Specialist with the National Park Service for the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Because his boss is out of town he has been filling in for some of his bosses duties. Such as checking on permits held by construction companies and work that is being done on park land. His main job is to work with the biological side of the park overseeing water quality, insect surveys, and invasive plant treatment. Though he spends time in his office he also spends a lot of time in the field dealing with invasive plants. He seems to receive a lot of satisfaction in his job. He always seems up beat and happy when he comes into work and keeps a positive demeanor while he is working.
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