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Internship Assignment

Name of company: Cedarville University Career Services

Supervisor: Laura Lintz
Supervisor email: ljlintz@cedarville.edu
Dates of internship: 1/6/15 4/24/15
Total hours worked: 300

Goals set

At the beginning of the semester, Laura Lintz and I sat down together and brainstormed
projects I could complete during my internship. We came up with more than I was able to
accomplish given the time that I had, and I hope to continue meeting these goals as I
continue working at Career Services.

Edit resumes students submit to Jobs4Jackets

Meet with students for a peer review of their resume
Develop a presentation teaching the basics of Microsoft Word
Develop a presentation teaching the basics of Adobe InDesign
Develop a resume-reviewer resource book
Update the graduate school information on Cedarvilles website

Goals accomplished

Jobs4Jackets resumes. I and two of my coworkers championed the resume reviews

throughout the semester. We kept up with the steady influx of resumes on the Jobs4Jackets
website and provided feedback to students promptly. My responsibilities included editing
each resume for style, technical errors, content, and overall effectiveness. I provided feedback
both through email and the track changes feature on Microsoft Word. When a student resume
met all office requirements, I approved it on Jobs4Jackets.
Peer reviews. Students regularly scheduled appointments to meet with a trained peer
reviewer to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their resume. During these meetings, I
tactfully communicated what the student needed to change on their resume, and I
encouraged them about the strong points of the resume. I met with between 2 and 15
students every week during my work hours.
Microsoft Word presentation. This is the project that stretched me outside of my comfort zone
the most. I developed and presented the content on my own, taking the principles from my
TPC classes and implementing them into the process. I first researched the key skills people
in the corporate world need to know about Microsoft Word. Then I pinpointed the skills most
individuals struggle with. I developed documentation using InDesign that outlined how to

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perform basic yet little-known tasks in Microsoft Word that would make work in the office
easier and more efficient for individuals. I formatted this documentation into a handout. Next,
I scripted a presentation that focused on making the audience participate. When I presented
the information, they applied the skills I taught to real-world documents.
InDesign presentation. This was one of the goals set that I did not have time to complete. The
goal was for it to mimic the Microsoft Word presentation. My supervisors decided it would be
a good idea to postpone the presentation until next year since many students have other
priorities on their minds near the end of the semester.
Resume Reviewer resource book. The Resume Reviewers in our office take the time to sit
down with students and help them develop content and formatting for their resumes. One
idea that I presented to my authorities was to create a booklet of excellent resume examples
that the Resume Reviewers could show the students they were working with. I searched
Career Services resume database and collected excellent resume examples. I then emailed
the students who created them and asked for their permission to use them as well as a
success story concerning their resume. Many students replied with their permission and a
story. This project is still in progress as I am compiling, organizing, and editing the
information.
Graduate school website information. The information about graduate school on Cedarvilles
website is inadequate; it does not meet the students needs or provide an authoritative
overview of the graduate school application process. My goal was to update this information
and develop Cedarville-sounding content instead of simply directing students to other
sources. This is also a work in progress. I have researched about and written much of the
content, but my supervisor still needs to review most of it before we implement it.

Other Accomplishments

Spring Career Fair. This was the biggest event Career Services hosted all year. I helped
organize and run the event both during and behind the scenes. For part of the career fair day,
I was responsible for running the office and answering student and employer questions. For
the rest of the day, I helped register students at the site of the career fair and then helped
facilitate and run the after-party. To advertise the Spring Career Fair, my office manager and I
painted the rock via my suggestion.
Contributing to meetings. Several times during the semester, the whole Career Services
office met to brainstorm new ideas and discuss current projects. I frequently contributed to
the brainstorming process and we implemented several of my ideas, including painting the
rock for the Spring Career Fair, and a request for specialized training for certain resume types.

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Problems encountered

Lack of unity. This was a problem that began at the beginning of the year that has
progressively gotten better as time has gone on. At the beginning of the year, we had new
team members who did not know each other very well. During the Fall semester, we had one
student worker who made an effort to plan team events. However, she graduated in
December of last year. This Spring semester, I and my office manager made it a priority to
plan team outings, informal and formal. This has made the culture in the office enjoyable, fun,
and welcoming. This initiative was difficult at first to take, but well worth it in the end.
Difficult coworker. One particular coworker presented a difficult dilemma. She has only
worked for Career Services this semester and does not know the office culture like some of
the longer-working students. Her personality is not the problem, it is more that she makes
mistakes when reviewing resumes and consistently checks her personal social media, email,
and phone when she is supposed to be working. As a fellow coworker, I do not have the
authority to tell her what to do and what not to do. However, I have discussed some of my
concerns with my office manager, who expressed the same dissatisfaction. I have dealt with
some specific instances where I feel my stepping in would not be offensive or out of line. I
have done this by attempting to explain certain processes, asking pointed questions about
her work, and directing her to certain tasks I know she can succeed at. This coworker is not
working for Career Services next year, and my office manager has told me she is not planning
to confront this coworker at this point in time.

Benefits

Promoted to Student Supervisor. Several weeks ago, I had a semester performance review.
The review was mostly positive and ended with my supervisor and office manager asking if I
would consider acting as the Student Supervisor for the next school year. This opportunity for
more responsibility was very appealing to me and I accepted their offer.
Improved presentation and communication skills. Throughout my internship, I was able to
work on my presentation and communication skills. I am constantly thinking of new ways to
present information about resumes to students during our peer review meetings. I have
grown extremely comfortable talking on the phone to complete strangers and actually enjoy
it. Contrast this to my freshman year working in Career Services where I was petrified to
answer the phone for fear I would not be able to answer the callers questions.
Better understanding of office culture. Ive realized that the office culture is often what you
make it. Each person brings a unique flare to the office. We are all different individuals united
because we have a common job. I have recognized the importance of initiating friendships
inside and outside of work. Planning events, dinners, and hang-out times has contributed to
how much I enjoy working at Career Services.

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New ideas and a fresh perspective. I believe that Career Services has benefited from my
internship in several ways. I was able to dedicate a substantial amount of hours per week to
them, I became very familiar with how the office works. This contributed to the decision to
make me Student Supervisor next year. My bosses feel very comfortable leaving me in charge
and often ask me to take on more responsibilities. At this point, I am the go-to person for
many tasks that need to be done.

Looking back

If I could start the internship over again, I would do several things differently:
Set weekly meetings with my supervisor. These meetings did not happen on a regular basis
until half-way through the semester. This was the result of poor communication on my part
and my supervisors unpredictable schedule.
Worked on one project at a time. At the beginning of the semester, I was excited about all the
projects I was responsible for. Instead of focusing on one at a time, I was distracted by the
sheer amount of them. I would pick at one for a while, turn to another one, start a different
one, and soon my shift was over. It took a few weeks to get into a good rhythm. I realized that
I needed to focus on one project for a substantial amount of time before switching to another
if I was to be productive.

Perceptions of the profession

Overall, my internship went well. The experience benefitted and encouraged me in so many
ways. I loved the technical writing related work that I did. I was excited to go into the office
most days. I felt validated and honored when my supervisor and office manager offered me
the position of Student Supervisor next year. It confirmed to me that I am succeeding in the
workplace environment and accomplishing beneficial tasks.
My perceptions of the profession has changed some throughout my internship. I was able to
see practical examples of the principles I have learned in the TPC program fleshed out in the
real world. I have also noticed that these principles do not just apply to technical writing. For
example, I applied many user-focused principles to my Microsoft Word presentation. I made a
huge effort to focus on the user and their needs while developing my content, something I
would not have done as well had I not learned about it first in my classes.

Assessment of the TPC program

The TPC program at Cedarville University prepared me well for this internship. Because I have
worked in Career Services since before I was a TPC major, I was able to witness how my
courses changed the way I accomplished tasks in my job:

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Computer programs. I was able to use InDesign comfortably this semester for several
projects. Beforehand, I would look at the interface, overwhelmed. If I clicked something, it was
with much trepidation as I believed I would irreparably mess something up. I was also
confident enough in my understanding of user interfaces to create the Microsoft Word
presentation.
Emotional intelligence. Corporate Culture helped me realize how important getting along
and developing friendships with my coworkers was. It gave me the vocabulary and
foundation I needed to initiate company unity.
Editing and design skills. I have always had a good eye for errors in design, wording, and
punctuation. However, classes like Technical Editing and Documentation Design gave me the
proof I needed to confidently make decisions. No longer are people listening to me talk, they
are listening to the rules of grammar, style, etc. I can easily explain different design principles
to students and point out why their current design is ineffective.

Emotional intelligence

I work with students with varying levels of emotional intelligence (EQ). Some students that I
meet with for resume reviews are personable, talkative, and responsive. Others hardly open
their mouths and do not understand what I am trying to explain. Naturally, I am more
comfortable around the outgoing, easy-to-talk-to person. However, I have had to develop
ways to explain information to students who do not get it the first time through. It has
helped me develop patience and hone my creative skills as I seek to meet people on their
level.
One particular situation that stands out in my mind happened on CU Friday. A mother of a
prospective student came in to our office, and she was very upset. The people in Admissions
did not make a big deal of her sons acceptance of Cedarville, she said. She was almost in
tears because the Admissions workers did not do the clapping routine they had promised
earlier in the day. Although my coworkers and I were in shock that such a silly thing could
upset someone that much, we graciously sympathized with her and tried to soothe her
frustrations. She left still unhappy but validated in her feelings at least. This was an
opportunity for the Career Services workers to maintain their professional demeanors and
practice good EQ while navigating a very silly (in our minds) issue.

Integration in the workplace

Career Services is blessed to have very Christ-centered people working there. My boss, Jeff
Reep, begins meetings in prayer and takes a great deal of concern in his employees lives. No
one specific instance stands out in my mind, mainly because my faith has just been a part of
me as I work. It flows naturally into many conversations I have with my bosses, office manager,
and other coworkers. The Christ-centered nature of the office has always been stressed, and it
is something I wholeheartedly promote and seek to maintain.