Journal Entry #1
Reflect on your process so far in preparing for the WLE by addressing the following prompts in a 2 page reflection:
What has been difficult? What has surprised you? What have you learned?
What are you exctied for? What are you most uncertain of right now?
What advice would you give to the 11th grade students next year?
What do you still need to do get ready for your shadow day on January 31st?
9 comments:
1.The most difficult thing about the Willie so far was finding a company that would suit our interests/needs, like an intern, fit our constraints AND provide a mentor. That was a factor I worried about throughout the search process. I was really hoping for at least half of the companies to contact me back (or simply responding) but only the ones (three) on the CAT list did. I was kind of sad but what surprised me was the ones on the list weren’t that bad. Even thought they were supposed to be last resort, I tried to contact them immediately. The Gap, Personiva, and My Family Coalition internships were the ones I was interested in. Two companies e-mailed me back and I thought I was set but Regina, suddenly, tells me that she had a friend who worked in the interior design field so I become interested in that. I was a little nervous about it at first because Copper was also interested but in the end, I got the internship and that was pretty surprising. I learned a lot of work-finding skills. My cover letter and resume had to look and sound good. I had to be polite and professional over the phone and e-mail. I think these are skills that I would’ve had to learn these skills myself once I began looking for a job and I’m glad I started early. I also learned that you have to know your interest or you wouldn’t get anywhere. If I didn’t know I liked art, I wouldn’t know where to begin to search for my workplace.
2.I’m excited for the rest of my internship experience because I had a good time on my first day. Right when I began, I learned basic skills on caring for shops and customer service. I learned to use the credit card machine, jot down sales, and create product displays. I’m uncertain of the final project we have to produce. I’m trying to keep that in mind but I still have no idea on what to create. I hope that through time and more understanding of the company, I can create a good final project.
3.Advice I would give to the 11th graders next year:
• Have enough persistence. If you really want to work somewhere, show them you are interested.
• Try as many companies as possible, even ones you THINK you don’t want to work in.
• When you really can’t find a workplace, don’t forget about people you already know. Find all the connections you can get.
4. I’ve already begun my work.
1. Preparing for the WLE was difficult because it's not easy to find something you're interested in as well as it the requirements needed. I was interested in graphic designing, but it was really hard for me to find places that were close to where I live and most internships weren't available on Wednesdays and either they were profit ones or required full-time. It took me weeks of researching and even after that I still couldn't get more than the three places I found the first week of my research. My first choice was at a place I was somewhat familiar with, a preschool, even though I wasn't seriously interested in working with preschool children, but I thought it could be good to experience something I've never really done before or something I'm not exactly really good at. So from there I began to e-mail and visit places. I e-mailed all three places I found. It took one of them 4 days to reply back, and the other a week. I got a reply back from my first choice, the preschool, a week before the 31st. I had to call the preschool and luckily I didn't have to interview for it. I decided to just go with that because the other two places still haven't contacted me back. After all the work of preparing for the interviews, phone calls, and writing the resume, I realized how little I used any of the practice I did. But of course it's good to be prepared. That was what surprised me the most. Another thing that was unexpected was when I got my first e-mail reply back from the other two places because I didn't think they would bother to read my e-mail and even reply back with more questions and thoughts. I learned a lot from this process and mostly what I learned was how to get an internship. It may sound very general, but there's really too many parts to it that I don't know where to start. I learned how to pick from all the sources I see from google searches, I learned how to get information from friends and families about places I can intern at. I learned how to write a resume, prepare for interviews, and also how to prepare for phone calls. And finally I learned that I shouldn't hve any doubts before it is clear that there is no hope.
2. I am excited right now for next Wednesday, the 31st, when I'll be shadowing at the preschool. I am excited to meet and work with preschool children and learn about their lives and their interests and talents. I'm extremely excited for the next few months because of the internships. I don't think I've ever been so excited about working. The only thing I'm uncertain of right now is how many hours I will be working every Wednesday. I'm not sure what exactly I'll be doing there, and therefore I'm excited to find out about it all on the 31st.
3. For the 11th graders next year, you must get to WORK! Don't EVER procrastinate because you will regret doing so. I was honestly procrastinating during the second and third week because I kind of gave up, but that was a big mistake. If I hadn't done that I might have found much more places to intern at right now. I think the teachers are right about having more places than just one or two that you know you'll get, because what if something comes up? You guys might be thinking about doing what your friends are gonna do, but that's an extremely small chance because you cannot work in the same position as another student in the same agency. It's better to look for a place different from the place your friends are looking at. It should be your priority to find as many internships as you can (even if it's not of your interests) and then afterwards you can choose from the ones you found for the ones you are interested in because that way you have more options and you won't feel limited.
4. To get ready for my shadow day on the 31st, I still need to find out how to get to the preschool by muni and where the exact location is because I don't remember its address. I also need to get well soon, because I'm sick and I don't think it's good to be sick when you're working with small children who have very weak immune systems. It's now already past the 31st now so I am already beginning to work.
-Sheryl Soo
I loved the idea of this Workplace Learning Experience project from the beginning and I still think it’s a great idea. However I have become somewhat frustrated. I don’t know if I have an internship, and as time passes by I feel lazier and lazier. It seems everybody else have gotten their internships, they all seem great.
I began researching for places to intern and I found great stuff; The Giant Killer Robots, Fluffy Little Clouds, The ATTIK, and places like the Warner Bros. But no, they all denied me access to their fine sources of animation and special effects knowledge. They said that they didn’t ‘do’ internships anymore. I was disappointed. As of right now, I do have at least one WLE on its way. I am probably going to an interview on Wednesday with Personiva, where as I’m still in the process of finding out if the SF Film Festival would be interested in having me.
My dream WLE placement would have been with the Orphanage. They came to CAT on a Monday and made a presentation of the Special Effects Career world and what they do/have done. I was amazed and ecstatic throughout the presentation. So I called them in Advisory that same day, but the response was that they didn’t have the time. Had I failed at telling them it was a part-time internship, and that it would only be on Wednesdays? Though, a nice lady told me to call back in a month or two. I will do so, and if I can work with them I will do so on my own time (that is if I have an intern by then). I would be extremely excited if I got it.
If I were to give any advice to the next generation of 11th graders to do this WLE project, I would tell them to get on it as fast as possible. Not that I didn’t get on it as soon as we got the assignment, but it’s a vigorous world out there and the sooner you get in contact with them the better. I thought it would be easy to land an internship, an internship that would have me cheering Wednesday to come. I would like to put it out there that your ‘dreams’ can be shot down awfully fast. For instance, I called the Giant Killer Robots after having viewed their website and read up on their company, I was especially keen on the part that implied that internships were possible. “Hi, my name is Fia, I am a junior at City Arts & Tech and I emailed you about a possible part-time internship…” The male voice in my hand told me there were no internships and that they don’t do that anymore. That surprised me, especially his tone of voice, it was intimidating. All I was left to say was “Oh, are you sure?” Then we hung up… Be ready with a list of other cool companies, and be prepared to use the whole list.
The most difficult thing was finding my WLE and going there and realizing that I didn't really like it very much.I learned that its very good to go and shadow things like after an interview because if i wouldn't have shdowed and I would have just gone over there on my first day I would have been pretty UPSET!Im not really excited for my WLE but I look forward to getting excited about whats going on in my WLE.
Some advice would be is try and get something you reeally want to do when your hunting for your WLE or else you will end up with a crappy WLE and hate what your doing. Kind of like me.
1.The difficult thing aboutlooking for a job to intern at for what interests me the most and make mem want to learn.What surprised me was that it takes a lot of time and patience to wait for people to contact back and see if you got a job or at least a phone call back saying they want a "interview" or "sorry, bla blah blah" BUT THEN AGAIN I was surprised that the schools that I called didn't call back until a week later and got a phone call asking if I can start the upcoming week, and it made me feel accomplished but sort of mad because I was not able to shadow the place I was going to work at.
2.I was TOTALLY excited because I wanna feel how is it to work but then I feel sort of scared because
never worked before to be honest and I'm looking forward to learning in my internship and enjoying it every weds.
3.What I have to say to the 11th graders next year is to buckle down, be focus when intership comes, and get serious when this time comes because it's a big opportunity to experience if you haven't worked before.
1. Today was easy, my mentor could only take me for 3 hours so i got home at 12. We did not really have anything planned for today so I just did some sample logos for their company because i am going to make them fliers, business cards, and a logo, i would upload samples but blogger doesn't do ftp for non-administrators and i do not have a server.
2. I want to learn about electrical engineering, and i will have acccess to all of the tools of the trade so i can do some of my own cool stuff with some real tools for once.
3. Make sure you get to sleep in! try to get an internship where you can start at 9! just kidding, make sure you have a flexible schedule.
4. well, to have a shadow day on january 31st i would ned a time machine and I want to be doing some real work that day, not just computer work.
1. So far the most difficult thing for me has been tring to stay at the site without having to leave for CAT because of some mis-communication. What has surprised me so far is that it's a little harder than expected but not to the point of being mind-numbing. As of to me learning anything, the bus lines are way more reliable than the street cars. I have yet to be taught anything meaningfull yet. Get back to me in three weeks. My answer might differ.
2. I am excited that I am being given so much responsibility on a project that I have never been a lead on. I'm heading the video year book for the 8th grade that I'm working with. I am most uncertain about the way my leadership skills will help me. Or how much help the technology given to me will help.
3. I would give the advice of doing a lot of research very early. If you want to get into a place you want, make sure you do many things early and prepare for a lot of traversing the bay area. As well as hard work.
4. I still need to get my papers and mind together. As well as a knowledge of who I'll be working with and for. And I'll need to find out what I'll be needing along with me. Besides my mind.
The most difficult aspect of the WLE so far has been getting hold of my prospected interns. I've only had two that I've really been excited about, and it's been pretty hard to get in contact with them, Night Shade Books especially. Manic D wanted me to send in all my information, and from what it seemed, it would take them a long time to get back to me on it. What's kind of surprised me the most is how professional some of these places expect us to be; granted, it's our first "real" job for the most of us, but I never would have thought that some of these businesses would take high schoolers so seriously. Who knows.
I'm really excited about working for Night Shade, if I can. I'm familiar with a lot of their books and authors, and it would be really cool to be behind the scenes on some of their projects. That would, quite honestly, be a dream-come-true.
Some advice I'd give to 11th grade students next year: jump the gun. Get on it. Seriously. It doesn't happen so quickly, trying to get an intern. You have to really keep up on it, otherwise you'll be on the border of an anxiety attack when it comes to crunch time.
The only thing I really need to do to get ready for my WLE is keep in contact with some of the interns I have in mind. It's been hard to get a hold of them, so I really have to keep trying, otherwise I might end up intern-less.
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