Summer PRIME Reflections

    Please respond to this question when you have wrapped up your internship: For the past four weeks, you have been deeply involved in the work world.  You have been immersed in a corporate culture, shadowed professionals, chatted with co-workers, and tried out many new "hats."  What did it all mean? In the proverbial "25 words of less" (okay maybe 50 words), distill the essence of your internship experience.  What meant the most to you?  Maybe your mentor made a comment that really resonated. Perhaps it was something you observed in a co-worker that provided a "eureka moment."  A task that seemed mundane when assigned may have proved to be profound in a way you never expected. Whatever it is, tell us what you will take away from PRIME 2022.

  Spend a few minutes reflecting on what you saw and heard at Mary Mount University yesterday.  Did anything surprise you?  What was most interesting?

  To respond to this week's post, pay conscious attention to the corporate culture at your internship site for a day or two.  Corporate culture refers to the "personality" of a workplace.  It defines "how things get done around here."  The culture of an organization guides the way employees think, act, and feel at work. A good fit between an employee and the culture almost guarantees success and happiness and, one could argue, may make the difference between a   job   and a   career. Please read the short article "Six Components of a Great Corporate Culture at  https://hbr.org/2013/05/six-components-of-culture .   The author argues that a good corporate culture is vital to the success of any company and lists the six things he thinks are most important to building that culture. Throughout the article he offers links to articles that expand and support his ideas.  He and other authors I've read maintain that understanding an organization'...

  Take a few moments to think about yesterday's field trip to Qualcomm.  Then answer this question in a few words. What one thing did you do or learn was most interesting or the most fun?

  Respond to this post after you have spent at least one full week at your internship.  If you like, start your comment 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?  In your last paragraph, consider briefly whether this job is something you could ...

  Take a moment today to reflect on yesterday's field trip to Esri.  Then write a few sentences about something that surprised you and/or something you might like to try yourself (story map, anyone?).

By now, you have spent your first full day(s) at your internships, and you should be getting to know the "lay of the land."  Comment on this post no later than July 9.  Write a short summary of your first impressions of your internship.  React to the work environment, your mentor, you co-workers, the tasks assigned to you so far and any plans you and your mentor have made for the rest of your time together.  Discuss ways in which the internship has - and has not - met your expectations. How do you think this will change in the weeks ahead?   Don't forget to come back and read your fellow interns' comments throughout the coming week and react to at least two of them.  Keep your comments positive and supportive.  (Problems and concerns should be discussed with me by phone, text, or email.)  Be sure to check back later to answer questions others may have left for you.   Summer PRIME Reflections  is an interactive forum.