Scarcity

Hi folks!

I know, I've been scarce. I haven't had a whole lot of anything to say lately. Well, actually, that's a lie. I've had plenty to say, but haven't had time to say it. Juggling a job, an internship, a full course-load, my personal life, and my health is tricky. Sometimes you have to prioritize, and Cheap Pizza has not been at the top of the list lately.

HOWEVER, that does not mean the internship world has been barren or empty. No, no, no. I'm shaking things up as best I can.

For starters, I was invited to be a guest on a podcast. That's a big deal, I squealed in excitement when I found out. As far as I know, it can be found here, although I might be lying...I really should find out for sure. Also, while we're recording on February 23rd, I'm not even sure when it's going public. I should look into that, as well. Anyways, apparently I'm going on to talk about the industry from a student's perspective.

I've also been going through binge-emailing sprees lately. The only way to get those internships/jobs/experiences is by pursuing them, and often the first step to it is contact. I just sent emails to six marketing/communications firms in the area. I know I probably won't get any hit backs, but you never know until you try.

Anyways, that's what's going on in the career-development world here. I'm trying desperately to survive the last few weeks of this term without losing my mind; I have two tests on Friday, three final projects due in two weeks, and a proposal for an independent study grant to work on. Things are HECTIC, but that's the life of a college student. (It's also a bit more hectic because we are on a tri-mester system, instead of semesters.)

Priorities. Figure them out. They can make the difference between wasting your time on a pet-project blog, and being the go-getter that will someday rock the career world.

I don't even know if this made sense or not. I'm going to go read about agricultural communications in digital media! Bye!

Bite the Bullet

No internship is created equal. No learning experience, no job, no endeavor will ever bring the same amount of satisfaction or education.

There's no such thing as a perfect internship, but there definitely are experiences that may be "less-perfect" than others.

My "at home" job, the one I'm so in love with...well, it's one of the closer-to-perfect ones. I love the work I do, and I'm trusted enough to be given hefty tasks without overt baby-sitting. Other experiences, though, have not been so good.

I've held down jobs where menial tasks involved hand-holding and babysitting. I could have shown my worth a million times over, but the title "intern" or "student worker" automatically dictated a need for constant supervision. Micromanaging is not the way, people!

However, as the intern, as the "lesser experienced" student of the world, it's your job to shut up and learn. Sure, there are instances where enough is enough. Of course there are times when the practices are so incredibly wrong that you have every right to complain or report. The plain and simple fact is, though, that a lot of the time, interns and student workers are brought on to do the work that "real" employees don't have time for.

Let's face it, not every position we get is about our learning experience. Many times, it'll be about the company or organization's productivity. Cheap labor can get things done.

So, hang in there. I was once told that "Today's interns are tomorrow's CEO's." If that's true, then aren't those awful experiences worth it? I think I can handle some micromanaging and coffee-fetching if it means I'll be the one running the company someday.

Bite the bullet, swallow a bit of ego, and step into your future. Sometimes, the worst jobs bring the best opportunities.

The Healthy Intern

I didn't go to class, or work, today. Why? Because I woke up feeling like death. Couching, hacking, sneezing...not to mention, chills, fever, etc.

When you're in this stage of your life, it's easy to get sick. Stress and close proximity to others make the spread of illness easier. Cold and flu season is generally one on-going epidemic for most college campuses. I seem to have fallen victim!

Well, there are some tricks to getting yourself up and running again in a pinch. Even though I missed classes today, I still have an obligation this evening that I CANNOT miss. So, I turned to some oldies-but-goodies as far as flu/cold remedies:

1. Soup. Soups are soothing on the throat, but can also contain protein and antioxidants that your body needs to stay strong. Chicken soup is a favorite stand-by, but just about any broth-type soup will do. The broth also helps to clear the throat some. Avoid cream-based soups, though, as these can make coughing worse (in my experience.)
2. Fruit Juice. Generally orange or grapefruit juice is the best, although cranberry can be useful too. Don't chug this stuff, though; you only need to drink enough to get about 100% of your daily Vitamin C intake. One 12 oz. bottle of Tropicana oranga-strawberry-banana juice has 120%. It's not hard to get your daily value of C. However, don't try to overdose yourself on Vitamin C in hopes of flushing the sickness; taking too much of it can actually inhibit your body's ability to absorb it.
3. Vicks Vapor Rub. This stuff works miracles. A few dabs under the nose help fight congestion within minutes! Overnight, putting it on the throat, chest, and under the nose can help guarantee a slightly less...gross...coughy...icky...wake-up the next day. Also, if you need some heavy-hitting help, you can use a bit of a steam treatment with this stuff. Put a dollop of the Vapor Rub into steaming-hot water (in a bowl). Hold your face over the bowl, and put a towel over your head. This creates a sort of home-made steam chamber. You breathe in the steam, and with the mentholated Vapor Rub added, it's a great way to minimize head and chest congestion.
4. Sleep. College kids and busy interns tend to go between extremes in the amount they get. Either they get way too much, or not enough. Well, when you're sick, there's no such thing as too much sleep. I had three naps today, punctuated by eating, drinking orange juice, and talking on the phone with my ma about a financial aid error.
5. If problems persist...see a doctor. Most colleges have clinics where there are nurses/doctors on staff for students. If that's not an option, check out walk-in clinics in your area. Here. we have the Central DuPage Hospital's "Convenient Care" Clinics. They're fabulous. They have a full testing facility right there. They can even do x-rays. They helped me kick walking pneumonia last term.

This time of your life is stressful and busy. This time of year is swamped with bugs and viruses and flus and colds and a wide variety of other microbic culprits. Those two facts together means you're at risk. Stay health, keep on top of your sleep, and good luck!

Keeping a Positive Perspective

To put it simply, I'm hanging on for dear life. Even after trimming down to one campus job, I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. That's alright, though; I feel productive. In fact, despite a lot of turbulence in my personal life, I feel more on top of my career now than I ever have.

Now more than ever, I know the value of counting blessings.

I've been incredibly lucky as far as my early career goes. I've had an incredibly successful internship which is now a seasonal job; I'm in the midst of my second internship, which seems to be going well thus far. For a sophomore in college, that's pretty great.

Sometimes, when things get too busy or two hectic or just too hard, looking on the bright side is the only real option to keep you moving. So, when you get to that place where you think that there's never enough time, enough patience, enough energy, or enough talent, take a breath.

Think of what's going RIGHT.

Chances are, if you're busy, it means someone thinks you're worthwhile enough to demand your time.

If you're stretched out, it's because you're reliable enough to be valuable to more than one person or organization.

It can be hard. It can be VERY hard. However, it's part of this crazy stage of life, this transitionary period where you're learning how to grow from student to professional, from teenager to adult.

Hang in there. Look on the bright side. Don't give up. And don't be ashamed to feel a little fear.