Category Archives: Em

Life in the Petri Dish

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Working.

Studying.

Those two things can feel so disparate sometimes. “The Academy” and everything beyond it can feel totally beyond reach from within the Scripps bubble. I had a kind of rough time freshman year finding my place at Scripps. Transferring from small-town breadbasket to (sort of) big-city liberal arts was not easy for me at first. I don’t think I realized how disoriented I felt (feel, sometimes) at Scripps until I came back here and found myself feeling more comfortable and grounded.

So whenever it would re-occur to me that I had to write an essay linking my on-the-ground, Midwestern, political experience with my radical, liberal arts, legal studies education so that I could get Scripps credit for my internship, I would freak out enough to push the whole thought from my mind for awhile.

And three months later, here I am, still struggling to find words to help me make the mental journey from here to my classes that start in two weeks.

I wish I could say that connecting my education to my summer job is easy. It isn’t. You may feel like you’re living your education when you’re pushing through a heavy round of midterms, but you’re not. You’re not actually living your education until you have to walk it and talk it in a room full of people who aren’t your professors or classmates.

You’re not actually living your education until a person’s path crosses yours one time, and one time only, and in the ten minutes you share together, the only thing you can tell them is that the law doesn’t require Veterans Affairs to provide them with health care benefits they know they earned during their service.

It’s hard to connect what I’ve learned at school to what I’m doing at work not because my education isn’t relevant or because my home state is some utopia far removed from the stuff I’ve learned in my classes. I think it’s hard because when you’re examining something “in theory” and from a distance–and this goes for any subject, I think, not just the humanities–you get a bird’s-eye view of a problem. But when you’re out in the world, you’re not granted that perspective. It’s easy to examine bacteria in a petri dish when you’re looking through the microscope. It’s totally different when you’re living and working in the petri dish and are trying to make acquaintances with the other bacteria. Looking at a problem in a controlled environment is so much different than looking a person in the eye. And I struggle to incorporate the complexities of my education into the unique situations I encounter every day.

But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. When I was first starting my tutoring job on campus, the hardest part was knowing the right questions to ask and the most helpful (and realistic) advice to give. After probably a year of tutoring, I realized that my response to each situation came from the same mold but carefully tailored to each new person and her essay. I’ve had to do the same thing as I learned to collaborate with the staff at the Scripps newspaper. I’ve had to do the same thing as I learned to take disgruntled constituents’ phone calls this summer.

So I guess what I’m saying is that it takes more time and more careful thinking to incorporate your education into your every day life than most people (including me) ever realize. It requires experimenting, adjusting, and continued learning. If there’s anything I’ve learned in my legal studies classes, it’s that the law is heavy and onerous and at the mercy of the whims and shortcomings of everyone who touches it. That much I can say without a doubt has been true. But I’ve struggled with knowing what to do with this information.

This is probably why my career prospects are all over the place. You don’t really get a ton of guidance in this area in the classroom, but that’s because it’s unique to each person, and it’s something you just have to learn as you move about in the world after college. That’s really, really daunting. A career in sheep herding is sounding pretty great right now.

“Come in,” she said, “I’ll give you shelter from the storm.”
(photo credit: MissMPhotography)

I always struggle with coming up with an ending for things that I write, probably because the way I write and think always produces more questions than answers. I always feel like I need to impart some important piece of wisdom to tie it all together (thanks, 8th grade English), but rarely do I have that kind of clarity. I told a good friend who reads this blog that I sometimes feel like I should have a huge banner above each of my posts that says “DISCLAIMER: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.”

Full disclosure: I’m lost inside and outside of the petri dish.

This summer has been such an experience. I’ve learned a lot about politics and what (good) legislators actually do, certainly, but I’ve also learned a lot about myself and what I expect from myself going forward. This summer has reinforced one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned at Scripps: it’s okay to not know what I don’t know. I hate to leave you with that, but this work in progress has a lot more learning to do.

Thanks so much for putting up with my ramblings all summer. Take care, and good luck!

All the best,
Em

How to Spoil Your Intern

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I am a very lucky intern.

So lucky, in fact, that I almost feel bad writing this post–I think we’ve all heard of the Internship Coordinator from the Black Lagoon, and unpaid (or grossly underpaid) internships are becoming more and more of a controversy. So writing a post about how spoiled I am seems a little silly, especially since it’s most likely job-seekers who are reading this blog, rather than employers.

But then it occurred to me that those of us who are scrounging for internships now will eventually get to a point where we’re going to have entry-level or interns under our supervision. So if nothing else, maybe these lessons will stick with those of us who have been there. Maybe this will help us to not be the future Internship Coordinators from the Black Lagoon.

“Who can tell me what ‘leverage’ means?”

The most important thing, I think, is to make sure your intern is a necessary part of the team. I’ve said before, I’ve never felt like the smallest or least important voice in the office (even if I am the littlest fish in the pond). My coworkers are sure to include me whenever they can–my manager in particular will stay back at the office so I can go on outreach or to events with the group. My manager has also been careful to ask me what my interests are so that she can include me on projects that are related to my goals. Even if I’m only doing a small part of the project–research, drafting a letter, whatever–I’m still learning more about the process and the topic itself than I would have had I not been involved.

But then there are the little things my coworkers do for me. They make sure I don’t pay for anything. Obviously I pay for my lunch every day and my gas to and from the office, but if we go out for food or drinks as an office or have to travel to an event, they refuse to let me pay for myself and will let me take my car only if it’s by far the most convenient option. When I persisted once about buying my own lunch when we took a coworker out for her birthday, the office director said that when he started his first job with an elected official, his boss’s policy was that interns didn’t pay, and he’s made sure that’s how it’s been in every office he’s been in. This seems a little much, and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to include it in this post, but considering they don’t pay much for the 40 hours a week that I work, this is a really kind gesture.

There are so many more things that my coworkers do for everyone in the office, not just me, that make this such a great place to work. One woman brings fresh roses from her garden for our desks. Everyone brings treats: we’ve had doughnuts, treats made from fresh rhubarb, and ice cream. We celebrate birthdays and holidays–we even had a retirement party for a man from a different office one time.

I’m so spoiled, I won’t even get out of bed for anything less than fresh rhubarb bars. (Click the picture for a recipe! But only if you can say ‘rhubarb bars’ five times fast!)

Do you have any dream-team internship stories? Or horror stories? If the office environment is terrible but the experience might be good, is a job worth it?

Figuring It Out. Maybe.

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Sometimes there’s nothing scarier than infinite possibilities. But it’s also terrifying to make decisions that could limit your options down the road. So as I consider how I want to proceed with my post-graduation job search, I’m terrified of limiting myself to certain areas and industries, but I also can’t just magically produce a million resumes and drop them on the desk of every potential employer in the country.

DISTRESS

I’ve come up with some parameters for my search that won’t necessarily make me feel like I’m eliminating too many good options, but I am still sort of freaking out about eventually having to choose something. Or, you know, not getting any jobs at all. But we’re going to pretend that won’t happen and that something will work out, ok? Ok.

In terms of industries, I’m considering trying to get into the judicial system, either as a clerk in a law office (preferably a government office, but I’m not going to rule out other options); a caseworker in an immigration office, child services office, etc. (whatever I can secure without a Master’s or targeted degree); or a career planning/job services office (that one’s a little random, but it’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot). I’d like to try and do something that will compel me to use my language skills, and it’d be awesome to be in a place where I can attend language classes for cheap (at a local college, for example).

I’m really scattered when it comes to locations. It’d be so great to be near my family and back in my home state. But it’d also be fun to experience a new city–I love Minneapolis/St. Paul and Chicago so much, and Madison, Wisconsin, is a close third. I have good friends in all of those cities, and it’d be great to be close to that network of people I’m close with. I also just found out that my best friend will be moving to Portland after she graduates. I’ve never been to Portland, so moving there without even visiting freaks me out, but my friend and I were basically inseparable during high school, so having her nearby after four years apart would be amazing. It’d also be awesome to follow my sister wherever she decides to go to college in the fall of 2015, but she’s also looking all over the country, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to predict her plans in time to secure a job nearby. My sister and I are super close, and it’d be great to keep each other company as we adjust to post-high school and post-college life.

And then there’s the part of me that just wants to pack up and move to Morocco or New Zealand or something and figure it out.

To Whom It May Concern: I have none of the qualifications required for sheep herding. Please hire me anyway. Love, Em.

And then there’s feasibility of working somewhere. The economy and job market here at home are much better than other places in the country (and in Morocco, for that matter…no clue about New Zealand). But there are more immigration jobs in, say, Minneapolis than there are in a little town somewhere. Then there are things like the cost of living, the availability of public transportation, the safety of the city…all of which will have to be weighed against the money I could make at a job.

This is majorly tricky stuff. But as I start my job search, writing down my priorities and needs has at least given me a framework within which to operate. And as much as I hate having too many possibilities and tough decisions like these, it’s nice to know that no matter what I choose, there will be things I love about wherever I end up.

And, of course, that I can always change my mind.

Event Planning for New Kids

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Remember my notebook/journal from a few posts back? I was flipping through it this week trying to come up with a blog idea, and I realized I have a lot of notes on event planning. Three of the four full-time staff have been working in government for decades. They have also helped officials get elected–from local representatives to state secretary positions to U.S. representatives to Congress. I have very, very little event planning experience, so I feel like a new world is opened up to me every event-planning meeting we have. And of course I take notes.

So here’s my newbie advice for good event-planning, straight from my notebook!

For any event.
1. Sign-in sheets, sign-in sheets, sign-in sheets. I cannot stress the importance of sign-in sheets enough. They give you a concrete record of who was there plus basic information so that you can get in touch with them again. We ask for name, organization, address, phone number, and email. Besides sending follow-up thank you notes to everyone who attended, we keep the lists so that we can send out invitations for future events and relevant information. These are seriously so important.

2. If there’s going to be free time, take advantage of it. Even though we’re there as a group, we try to split ourselves up during free time at events (e.g. lunch or a coffee break) so that we can talk to more people. If someone is sitting alone, join them. Try to talk to constituents and local leaders as much as you can. Take the free time to get to know locals who are invested in the topics of the day, rather than the higher-up officials whose interests are already better protected.

3. Make sure someone is taking careful notes and transcribing the event. At the event our office put on earlier this summer, we had a camera rolling the entire time, someone taking general notes on what happened, and someone going around and taking down the names of every person in the crowd who made a comment (since they were already on our sign-in sheets it was pretty easy to match the person to the contact info). After the event, the other interns and I watched segments of the film and took careful notes on everything that was said, and highlighted consistencies across everyone’s comments. Having a recording will also help compensate for human error in note taking and make sure nothing gets missed.

For panel/town hall-type events, where you have officials at the front speaking and answering questions from the crowd:
1. Don’t put too many people up there. It may be tempting to get as many bodies on the stage as possible, but it’s unlikely that the crowd is going to remember all their names (and people might not be able to read their name placards), so keep the number as small as possible.

2. Defer to the locals. Even when you have very high-profile officials up there, make sure that local officials and constituents in the crowd get to make their voices heard. Town Hall-type panel events happen so that officials can hear what’s troubling people straight from their own mouths. Make sure the event is set up so that people can actually say what’s on their minds.

3. Make promises you can keep. If you can’t answer a question, tell the asker that you will get back to them within a reasonable amount of time. Give a number. “I don’t know the answer to that right now/I don’t have a solution for that issue right now/I don’t have resources with me today, but I/a staffer/a colleague in the crowd will take down your information and be sure to get that to you within two weeks/30 days/90 days/etc.” This will keep people from getting frustrated when you don’t know, and it will reassure them that you’re not trying to blow them off when you can’t answer a question.

Attitude is important.

For events planned by another group:
1. Troubleshoot. If another group is putting on an event in which you play an important role at the event itself, plan ahead in case something goes wrong. Besides helping the event run smoothly, this will help prevent you from looking bad or losing out because someone else messed up. We had a meeting this week about an upcoming event at which my boss is a speaker and a panelist, and most of what we did was plan to fill any gaps the planners might miss. We’re likely going to bring our own name placards in case they forget, and one of my coworkers mentioned that we might want to be ready to make coffee for people if they don’t have any there (I don’t know if it’s like this everywhere, but at least where I am, people drink coffee constantly).

If you don't do it like this you're doing it wrong. If you use creamer you're also doing it wrong.

If you don’t do it like this you’re doing it wrong. If you use creamer you’re also doing it wrong.

We’re also bringing our own sign-in sheets in case they don’t have any. If they bring their own, one of my coworkers is charged with watching those sheets like a hawk to make sure we get copies before the end of the event. Did I mention sign-in sheets are important?

2. Get there early and stay late. The event coming up starts at 11. We’re going to have someone from our office there from 8 a.m. till the very end when almost everyone has left. They want to be there early and late to get a feel for the players in the room so that we can better understand the implicit implications of what goes on during the day, and so that my boss can be present at important conversations even when she’s not there or is up on stage. Being there early can also help with troubleshooting problems and give you time to address the problems you identify.

Putting on (and attending!) events is hard work, but, as with anything, going in with a plan makes everything a lot easier. Got any advice for me, seasoned event planners? I’d love to hear from you!

When Things Get Slow

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Lately, things have been a little slow in the office. It’s summertime, so folks are either at the fair, at the lake, or in the fields.  While my coworkers definitely have a steady stream of work coming in, sometimes work slows down for the intern. It only takes so much time to transfer the calls that come to the main line, enter the mail when it comes between noon and one, monitor my email, and answer the door. Now that I’ve gotten into a groove with my work and things have started coming in intermittently, it’s easy for me to run out of things to do. And while my manager is great about giving me casework to do, sometimes you find yourself waiting for responses from all of the agencies or constituents you’re working with, and there’s nothing you can do to move forward.

At first, running out of things to do really freaked me out. I felt like I was going to get in trouble for sitting idle, but really I just hadn’t been given enough tasks to fill the day. It takes time for employers to assign tasks to interns, and, at least in my job, assigning work to the intern can sometimes make their jobs take more time. So I’ve gotten good at filling the days so that they don’t feel like they’re dragging on for forever. The tips and tricks I’ve learned for keeping busy on the slow days are also good ways to break up the day if your work feels really tedious or monotonous. As always, here are some things to think about and try if you ever find yourself stuck!

1. Offer to do someone else’s busywork. When I get low on things to do, I pop by each of my coworkers’ offices and see what’s stacking up. I’ve had coworkers ask me to enter their business card contacts into Outlook, file documents hanging out on their desk, print letters and stuff envelopes for them, and other tasks that are obviously important but not necessarily a top priority. They acknowledge that it’s not super exciting, but they still really appreciate it. If you help them out with stuff they wish they had time to do, people will likely pay you back twofold.

2. Let your supervisor know that you’re low on work. I’ve gotten tactful at asking my manager for more to do–at first I felt really bad bugging her, but I’ve found that giving people warning helps ease those worries. Keeping a list of what you need to do can help predict when your work will come to a standstill. When you get towards the end of the list, poke your head in your manager’s office or shoot her an email letting her know. My favorite message is: “I’m getting towards the end of my to-do list, so if there’s anything you need, feel free to send it my way.” This way, they won’t have to scramble to find work to give you, and you’re less likely to have to wait for them to find something for you.

3. Internet! (Productively). Because my coworkers do outreach (and some of them also work for my lawmaker’s campaign on the side), they’re responsible for knowing what’s going on around the state and attending events with or on behalf of my boss. We also keep an eye out for awards people have gotten or other exciting things like that (we had a lady in town who turned 103 last month) and send out letters congratulating them. So browsing the websites of local newspapers or–I’m serious–Facebook can actually be a good use of time. Reaching out to contacts way out wherever to see what’s been going on can also be helpful. If your office isn’t doing outreach, figure out what news (or even gossip, *wink wink*) is relevent and useful in your industry, and start poking around. You’ll learn a lot, and you may be able to contribute something really useful. Also try stalking the websites of other important people or companies in your industry–in my case, I look at people who are campaigning for political seats in my area, for example, and at people or organizations my coworkers are visiting soon for outreach. This helps you keep up with what’s going on out in the world from your desk chair.

Click for source

That Allie Brosh–always full of wisdom.

4. TV! (Also productively). If watching the news (CNN, CSPAN, BBC, PBS, local news, The Weather Channnel…) is relevant to your organization’s or office’s work (e.g. if the Supreme Court is handing down an important decision, or what Congress is up to can affect what’s going on where you are), tune in and keep an ear trained towards the TV. If you don’t have a TV nearby, check out Twitter–if you have to, make a “business” Twitter that’s just for news outlets so that your very important work doesn’t get interrupted by Kimye. Unless keeping track of Kimye is part of your work (I spy you, Pitzer alum with a job at MTV!). In which case, carry on.

5. Change the scene. If I can, I grab something I can do not on the computer–reading the newspaper, marking up a draft (again), or sorting what I should file and what I can shred–and take over the countertop near my desk. Standing up and moving somewhere else gets my blood moving and helps me not feel all sluggish from sitting in the same place in the same position all day. If standing for a while isn’t your thing, moving somewhere else (in my office, I could take over the table we use to greet people, or even turn around and use the back part of my desk) can be just as good–it gets your eyes, ears, and hands away from your computer screen for a little bit and gives your mind different work to do for a few minutes. Even just getting up to go to the break room for a quick snack (I am a regular patron of the little bowl of chocolates in the back) will help keep things from getting really monotonous.

6. Take a late lunch. Don’t ask me why this helps, but it does! If your lunch time is flexible, try taking your lunch more than halfway through your day. Since I get to work at 8 and leave at 5, I normally find myself taking lunch at 11 or 12. But if I take lunch at 1, that means I get back between 1:30 and 2, so I have less time left between lunch and close. Since afternoons are the time when the day seems to go by so. slowly., I find it helps to cut the afternoon time shorter by making my morning longer. I know it sounds goofy, but bring a snack to tide you over till a little later in the day, and you’ll see what I mean.

7. Check your email and update your to-do list. Realizing you missed an email asking you to do something because you were poking around the website of the local telephone cooperative isn’t fun. It’s easy to zone out when things get slow, so be sure to keep your email open and updated. Adding every little thing to your to-do list can also help keep you focused and make it easier to get back to the work assigned to you as the slow period passes.

As I was writing this, I kept wondering whether this problem is unique to me–do you get slow days, or are you always swamped? Do you have tips for dealing with either of those situations–what do you do when you’re slow or swamped?