Intern to Employee

Interning has its perks. You get great experience and if you mess up well you're an intern- no harm done.

But now the time has come where you will actually be a paid employee. If you mess up there will be consequences. The tasks will be harder the responsibilities will be larger. So, although I have not yet evolved into the "employee" status, my time is soon and I have a few words of wisdom for myself and others out there like me.


Take it seriously- this is your job! Even if you don't particularly like it, someone is still paying for you to come in and actually do something.


Don't be afraid to go above and beyond- Although your job description says one thing that doesn't mean you can take the extra step and making your ideas about something known. From what I have learned, the people who get promoted are the ones who are doing more.


Act like you should be there- Coming right out of college and thrown into the work force can be kind of intimidating. So have confidence and know that although you might not have 10 years at the company under your belt like some of your peers, you just finished 16 straight years of brainwaves constantly moving, constantly thinking. Use what you know!

Interning 101: linking to my other blog

Same blog site from Swook.it that I helped out but I think this post is really relevant so enjoy!

http://swook.it/blog/2011/04/interning-101/

Interning 101:

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Kelley.McDonough

Being an intern has a bad rep, no let me rephrase that, a very bad rep. An intern is commonly referenced as a slave. According to most people, an intern acts as a person at the “bottom of the food chain” and a person who is basically there to get coffee and make copies.

This is why most college kids are dreading getting an internship. I mean seriously, who wants to do “bitch work” for hours upon hours?

But the thing that I am here to tell you… and read very carefully… INTERNSHIPS CAN ACTUALLY BE REWARDING EXPERIENCES. However, it’s all up to you to make it a rewarding experience. For starters, when looking for an internship avoid applying to positions that use words like “assist in” or “data cleansing.” This translates to filing and e-mail clean up. Instead, look for key verbs such as “coordinate” and “responsible for.” This translates to working on projects that you are in charge of.

You must remember that the main reason for this internship is to gain experience. Having said that, you must make sure that you are actually performing tasks that you can later use on your resume and in job interviews. Which brings me to my second piece of advice, if you find yourself in an internship where you feel you are not doing anything valuable then say something. Speak with your supervisor and ask him or her for more responsibilities. Ask to sit in on some of their conference calls or meetings… BE PROACTIVE.

Just remember, an internship is not just about what you can do for a company but also what a company can do for you.

Great ways to stay in shape: linking to my other blog

Helping some people out at Swook.it by creating a few blog posts for them. Just wanted to share this one with everyone...

http://swook.it/blog/2011/04/suns-out-guns-out/

Sun’s Out Guns Out

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Kelley.McDonough

Warm weather is finally here, ladies and gentlemen. Sadly, you will not be able to get away with hiding your post holiday body under layers of sweaters and coats. Your belly rolls and thunder thighs will now be exposed to the world… or will they?

Don’t let yourself be the fatty that everyone feels bad for, GET UP, GO OUT, AND GET IN SHAPE!

“But wahh, I hate the gym”, you’re all probably saying. Yeah, yeah, we all know GOING TO THE GYM SUCKS. Personally, I despise the gym. Right now, I can probably think of at least 5 awful things I’d rather do than go to the gym… 1.Do homework 2.Eat a bug 3.Clean my room 4. Listen to my mom yell at me for not cleaning my room 5.Get a root canal… So, you see my point? I’m right there with you- I hate the gym too.

However, I do not let my hatred of going to the gym prevent me from staying in shape. Do I just suck it up, force myself to go to the gym, put my headphones in, and pretend I’m somewhere else? Hell no, I am not that motivated. Instead, I think of other fun ways to get a good workout. Yes, people you did read that right- I used fun and workout in the same sentence. I do a lot of activities that keep me in shape and that I actually enjoy. And because I’m a nice person I will share my wisdom with you…

Here’s 5 great ways to stay in shape WITHOUT going to the gym…

1. Go for a bike ride:

The majority of towns have a bike path, and if they don’t a neighboring town does. For all you QU students, Hamden has one so no excuse there. Biking is pretty effortless but it still gives you a great work out. Also, bike paths are surprisingly entertaining. You get to enjoy the beautiful scenery and foliage, laugh at the fat guy who keeps falling on his rollerblades, and be amused at the cute kid who just took his training wheels off. Before you know it, you just rode 7 miles and burned 500 calories. And if you don’t have a bike or don’t know how to ride one (that’s sad by the way, if you’re over the age of 10 and still can’t ride a bike) then pick up a cheap pair or roller blades or put on your running sneakers and get out there. The entertainment is still the same and you’ll still be getting a workout.

2. Play a sport

If you’re unable to be on an organized sports team in college, don’t worry your sports days are not over. Join an intramural team or just play pick up games with your friends. Quinnipiac University offers over 20 intramural sports and it’s really easy to sign up. Check it out. If you’re not interested in that then get a basketball and go on one of the 7 million outside courts your school probably has. If your lucky enough and your school has a beach volleyball court, like Quinnipiac, then get a volleyball, gather your friends and go play in the sand. Playing a sports game is obviously a lot of fun and also gets you in really good shape. If you’re a girl and you’re thinking “I am so un-athletic, I wouldn’t be caught dead holding a basketball or volleyball in public,” then keep it old school- buy a jumprope or dig in your garage for your old “skip-it” and play with that.

3. Go Hiking

If you live in the Northeast then there should be an abundance of mountains that you can climb. Most even have trails laid out for you. Hiking is a great way to burn those calories while you enjoy nature.  And once you get to the top of the mountain, you get to enjoy an amazing view.

4. Walk your dog

I know this one seems stupid but it really is  great way for you to get out, get up, and get moving. Your dog has to go to the bathroom anyway, so why not give your parents a break and offer to take your dog out? You can even run a little with him- dogs are full of energy so I’m sure they wouldn’t mind running with you. Don’t have a dog? Ask your grandma, your friend, or even your neighbor if you can walk their dog. Believe me, I’m sure they will be jumping up for joy if you volunteer to take their dog out for them.

5. Go swimming

Swimming works pretty much every muscle in your body (just look at Michael Phelps if you don’t believe me) and its actually a lot of fun.Remember the days of playing “Shark”, “Categories”, and “TV Initials” with your brothers and sisters? You’d literally be in your pool for hours, dried up like a prune, until your mom called you in for dinner. Our metabolisms weren’t the only things keeping us skinny when we were younger- our insane energies and constant game playing helped maintain those size 12 inch waists. So get back to the basics; call up your friends and invite them to come over for a good old game of chicken fighting. I mean, why not?

Social Media: Why and how?

I'm sure you're all getting sick of hearing this because its just a way we check out who got fat in college or who broke up with who but social media is a ridiculously powerful tool. I mean lets take a look at Rebecca Black for instance. Do you seriously think that girl would ever be famous if it weren't for her non-intended hilarious video going viral? Absolutely not.

As a powerful as a tool as it is, because of the way we (we=college students) use it, we really don't fully grasp the way it can grow a business or even an idea.

Through my Twitter efforts I met a social media expert named Keith Keller and he shared this radio blog with me. I suggest you check it out... http://www.blogtalkradio.com/careercommunique/2010/10/25/5-simple-steps-to-crack-the-code-of-social-media-w

And here's another...

I had to write a blog last semester and I completely did the assignment wrong so I got a zero. So, I don't want this fabulous blog to go to waste so enjoy...

http://kmcdonoughprethics.blogspot.com/2010/09/finally-someones-practicing-ethics-in.html

Going back to the archives...

Often times in life when I am in a situation where I have nothing to talk about with a person, so to try and kill the awkwardness I go back into my story telling archives and tell a little anecdote that used to be a hit back in the day.

So, right now that is what I am going to do with my blog. I don't have much to say so here's an old blog that I really enjoyed....

http://kmcdonoughprethics.blogspot.com/2010/09/since-when-should-we-promote-role-model.html

Pick only two: Social life, Academics, Sleep

All college students know its almost physically impossible... actually scratch that it is physically impossible to be able to have a social life, excel in the classroom, and get the right amount of hours of sleep your body needs to function. 

You need to delete one from your life in order to actually accomplish the others. Of course, you could try to do all 3 but you would never complete them all to the fullest.

As a college senior I have accepted this. So, I have picked social life and academics. Occasionally I would try and mix it up and trade sleep with social life or academics but overall sleep is the least important.

My schedule is pretty demanding. I play a D1 sport, I'm taking 5 courses, and I have an internship which requires 120 hours for the semester. So this semester my sleep and my social life have taken a brutal beating.

And I'm not happy about it.

Survey

Again, I would like to link to one of my previous blog posts because I do think surveys are important in pretty much every field of public relations.

My boss needed help really understanding her clients. Why or why not would they hire an event planner. How much are they willing to pay? Where do they go to find an event planner?

Um. Hello? You can find out these answers soooo easily- create a survey!

I think when I told her that she kind of panicked.. a survey? But that is so expensive- mailing out hundreds of surveys just to get one back?

Although mailing out surveys has some pros to it creating an online survey is a cheap and effective way to get all your answers. surveymonkey.com allows you to customize a survey up to 10 questions, absolutely free. And the best part is they lay out all the results instantaneously. I think my boss ended up getting over 100 replies.

Check out my previous blogs on surveying... can ethics be surveyed? 

Linking blogs: why not?

I started my first blog last semester, and because of it I got comfortable with the overall awkwardness of  blogging. So, although it doesn't have to do with interning I would like to share my previous blogs so you can see how it all got started.

Check out this blog post from last semester....

Experimental Research and Ethics:

http://kmcdonoughprethics.blogspot.com/2010/11/experimental-research-and-ethics.html

Pitching something to the media that well isn't really all that interesting...

My boss has just moved her business down the street. She has decided to have a re- grand-opening party and wants some media attention.

She has gotten exposure for her first grand opening and nothing has changed in the business except the location... and even that hasn't dramatically changed seeing that it is just down the street.

This situation seems to happen a lot in the PR world: creating media attention where it is not sought out.

So what do we do? We have to make it newsworthy... spin it in a way to the media that if they don't cover it- they're missing out big time. What are they interested in? Why would they find it worth their while to come to the event and/or cover the story?

For my situation, I had to really think about what a journalist would find interesting... A grand re-opening of a small business? Hm. probably not. A small business still prospering in this horrible economy? Hm. probably.

Obviously talk about the move and how it is in a much more prime location but I am really going to stress the fact that although the economy is terrible, this event planning business is still going strong.

And that my friends is something to talk about.