I deleted my previous post on the blog.
I was asked to write something about common mistakes that interns make that lead to negative references. I couldn't find a fun or interesting way to write about it, so I wrote it as if I was writing to the worst intern someone could ever have. It wasn't based on anyone real. I turned my "id" loose, exaggerated and tried to have some fun with it.
But clearly, a good number of people didn't get the joke. I think most of the people who disliked the post thought that it was about a real person (it wasn't). One nice man called me a "moron" on a professional listserve. Another said he wouldn't be writing any more checks to my company.
Point taken. So, to satisfy the critics, here is the less imaginative version.
- Don't spend a lot of time on Facebook or texting your friends.
- Don't wait for work to be brought to you. Find work.
- Seek out ways to make an impact. Show initiative.
- Make people's work lives easier because you were there.
- Be careful to not let negative personal behavior come into the workplace.
- Don't let your sexual life or your partying come to the attention of your boss or coworkers.
- Stay focused and productive to the final moments of your internship.
- Dress nicely.
There. Nice, unoffensive, and no one calling me a moron.
To anyone offended by my previous post, my apologies.
This blog is a place for some free flow of ideas. My ideas. I don't write this on behalf of any organization, my company, or anyone else affiliated with me. I'm not writing it for student affairs professionals... I'm writing it for students who crave an honest perspective on the issues that affect them and their organizations the most.
Frequently, I don't agree with my Thursday posting by Saturday. Those of us who think of ourselves as writers have a basic need to put the thought down – good, bad and nutty – in a censorship free place. This blog is my place for that.
If I occasionally get people thinking and talking, then all the better.
I'm headed out for a much needed vacation. The blog will resume in a couple of weeks. For those who enjoy it, thanks for visiting.
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