Know When to Say "No."

I'm a proactive person. I love doing things. I love having things to do. Dormancy is enjoyable on occasion. I can be just as lazy as the next person when the mood strikes me. However, I have a tendency to take opportunities and run with them.

I'm told it's an asset. However, it's gotten me in trouble a few times.

Interns of the enthusiastic sort will often face this problem. You're feeling invincible (or you feel like you need to catch up) and something comes along that seems like a good idea. It's something to sharpen your game, or put you ahead of the rest. It's a great chance.

It's a chance that only a fool would pass up. Right?

You take on the responsibility. You may thrive on the thrill of being over-stressed for a short period. Sleep deprivation may turn into an Energizer-Bunny-like state of slap-happiness. But once that wears off, all you can think of is that fact that you are so overrun, exhausted, and overwhelmed.

Who wouldn't be stressed?

I've put myself in that situation way too many times. I'm a glutton for punishment, in that way. I thrive on occupation, but can't always say "no" to the chances that come by. I'm opportunistic to the point of fault.

I've spent the last few months of my life doing some serious personal re-organizing. Priorities, necessities, goals, motives...I've been processing all of these things. And, currently, my biggest obstacle is my random spurts of self-doubt. My second-largest issue is my inability to pass on things.

Learn your limits. Know how much you can handle. Now is the time to learn that, and to push the limit. Never, ever overstep too far, though. It could end up hurting things in the long run. Take care of yourself first and foremost, and as you do that, things should continue to fall into place.

Be Bright-Sided

For an English class, we had to read the book "Bight-Sided" by Barbara Ehrenreich. It was the author's bold analysis of why America's "look-on-the-bright-side" culture is harmful. I'll agree, it can be incredibly frustrating to be pressured to be cheerful when you're frazzled and tired and just plain-out stressed. Sometimes it's okay to just feel angry or frustrated or disappointed. Life is tough, especially during such a transitionary time as college.

Well, keep your chin up. There's a silver lining to extra cloud, as they say.

I had a great discussion with someone last night. This guy has enough stuff to do with his time, let alone have a deep conversation with an uncertain college kid. He's got a family, a new baby on the way, a successful career. Despite all that, he still had time to tell me to slow down, breathe, and enjoy now. Now is an important time, after all. It kind of brought to mind a great saying I heard in a wonderful movie.

“The past is history, tomorrow’s a mystery, today is a gift … that’s why it’s called the present.” - Shifu, Kung Fu Panda

Yes, little animated red pandas can be excellent sources of inspirational quotes.

So, what does all this mean to me, as a college student and growing professional?

It means I need to accept the past, and stop stressing about the future. Always looking back or ahead ruins your ability to appreciate what's here now. Anxiety over long-finished experiences and what's to come hurts your chances of seeing the bright side of what right in front of you.

I'm young, and I like to think I have some degree of talent. I'm outgoing, I'm motivated. I'm in a wonderful relationship, I have plenty of friends and a wonderful family. I have plenty going against me, but right now, I have a lot right in front of me to explore and enjoy. And, despite the stress, the pressure, it's an honor and a privilege to be doing as well as I am.

Based on my post yesterday, it's fairly obvious that there was some inner-turmoil going on. How I look publicly still matters, but worrying about who I'll be in ten years doesn't help me become who I want to be now.

So, that's my bright-sided view for right now. It's up to you to apply your own bright side.

What is "Identity?"

Maybe it's because I work in marketing. Perhaps it's because I have a distant-but-growing obsession with branding. I can't say for certain, but I'm quickly becoming tangled in this task of creating an identity. Who do I want to be? Or, more specifically, what do I want others to see? This is a valuable thing to consider in your career. At this stage in life, it's terrifying to sit and think, "Who am I? What makes Kelly Rivard?"

I'm finding that this is a careful combination of "being yourself" and adaptation. I'm definitely not saying you should run out and create some alter-ego. You shouldn't, by any means, lie about your history or credentials. These should be givens. You never want your identity to be a lie. You need to be who you say you are, whether it's on a resume, or an online account. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Google Buzz, and various other networking sites can be valuable tools for establishing your professional identity, but they can also be deal-breakers.

This is hard subject for me. My professional interests are pulling me in two very, very different directions. At age 19, I'm contemplating the possibilities of what I'll be doing for the rest of my life.

I know, I'm young. I know my goals can change and that my career could take my places I'd never imagine. But what I do now could influence my opportunities later. If I grab internships in public relations, will it be too late to go to e-commerce later? These questions are common.

For now, I'm going with the flow. Opportunities are finding their way to me. The proactive things I did early on have brought some amazing chances to my doorstep now. I can at least rest assured that I was wise in getting on-the-job experience young.

Going with the flow doesn't make it any less terrifying. I'm shocked at how often I get complimented on how motivated I am, how focused and career-ready I am. I always look at the person talking to me with surprise and confusion. I'm driven, yes. Motivated, yes. But I'm not ready. I'm nowhere near ready. I'm uncertain.

I don't even know who I'm going to be in the work world yet. I may not for a long time. But it's safe to say that I'll cherish the relative safety of college until I have to face the "real" world.

Be a Sponge

You're a young professional. You want to become a BETTER young professional. You want to build a strong resume' and you want to be honest about it. How do you do this?

You become a sponge. A human sponge. A human sponge designed to soak up the knowledge, wisdom, and experience of those around you. The best way to learn is on the job, and usually this is done through others.

For example, I've (accidentally) surrounded myself with people who are gifted at the productive use of social media. Many of these folks are the figureheads of the agriculture-social media movement. Some of them are marketers and advertisers who are knee-deep in the communications world every day of their lives. Regardless of how or why I've connected with them, they've all had things to teach me.

Some have shown me what not to do. More often than not, however, they're role models. They're good examples of how to do things right. They, collectively, are the most valuable tool in the Snap-On box of your early career.

Treat every experience as a learning experience. Whether it's through a screw-up that leaves you a little humiliated, or a success that boosts your ego, they're all valuable. Every moment can teach you something, and every co-worker is a possible mentor.

With that in mind, I'm heading off to do some research. Some folks on Twitter coughed up some rough info on something of interest. I'm going to soak up what I can! Good luck, fellow sponges!

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!