This will take some effort. I have been struggling with what to tell them to aid them during their time here. Some of this stems from recently reading Derek Sivers message to incoming students. Similar things have appeared elsewhere. It pains me that these things were never sent my way.
Until now. Here is my message to the interns.
1) Be narcissistic. We should talk about ourselves for a little bit. What do you like doing? What drew you to this field? What opportunities have you had? What did you like about them? What sucked? Yes, this is planning. Yes, we are whittling this down to a SWOT analysis. Suck it up. We are getting to something.
Are you simply meat? Are you simply going to be used as cheap labor? I don't think so. Stop thinking like a good little minion, and think as someone who is going to be going out into the worst job market in history burdened with tens of thousands of dollars in debt and competing against the perpetually unretired who have fifty years of experience. Let's figure out your strengths and weaknesses, then get working on them.
2) Let's set some goals for the time here. Again, this is about YOU, the paid intern looking at your selves and what you will be getting out of the position. This is about you preparing yourself for the next step in your career. Here is a theory. Here is another theory. If you don't like them, find another one.
But, again, I don't want to see any goals on here that involve "getting ten pages written." No. Make it about YOU. Start with one simple one, like, "Send follow up emails to ten new contacts." It is about doing one thing, which is meeting people. You then have to build on that thing by learning enough about the person to not simply be a poseur. Then you have to act on both parts by sending a followup email. The second one should be "Submit for a conference session."
3) Reporting. This is going to come in two parts: You will have weekly meetings with me first thing on Monday morning. 9am, no excuses. We will be going over a journal. That is the second part. Keep it short, with the list of things you did each day, filled out that day. This is going to be your running evidence of achieving things. It is also training you to cover your ass. If you did it, decided it, or dumped it off to someone else, it will appear in the journal.
4) No crap. If I see you gaming or goofing on Facebook, I'm going to embarrass you. Get your shit done. Get extra shit done for yourself. Get out of here. If you need more to do in order to fill the contingent eight hours you're required to be here, let me know. I have a list.
Now, I have not asked permission to do this, either yours or the supervisors. But I have been here long enough to know that this place eats your soul. It takes away the desire to be planners. I owe my chosen career a productive new generation of planners who are happy to be doing good work.
And I will be doing this with you. Anything I hold you to, I expect to be held to as well.
Until now. Here is my message to the interns.
1) Be narcissistic. We should talk about ourselves for a little bit. What do you like doing? What drew you to this field? What opportunities have you had? What did you like about them? What sucked? Yes, this is planning. Yes, we are whittling this down to a SWOT analysis. Suck it up. We are getting to something.
Are you simply meat? Are you simply going to be used as cheap labor? I don't think so. Stop thinking like a good little minion, and think as someone who is going to be going out into the worst job market in history burdened with tens of thousands of dollars in debt and competing against the perpetually unretired who have fifty years of experience. Let's figure out your strengths and weaknesses, then get working on them.
2) Let's set some goals for the time here. Again, this is about YOU, the paid intern looking at your selves and what you will be getting out of the position. This is about you preparing yourself for the next step in your career. Here is a theory. Here is another theory. If you don't like them, find another one.
But, again, I don't want to see any goals on here that involve "getting ten pages written." No. Make it about YOU. Start with one simple one, like, "Send follow up emails to ten new contacts." It is about doing one thing, which is meeting people. You then have to build on that thing by learning enough about the person to not simply be a poseur. Then you have to act on both parts by sending a followup email. The second one should be "Submit for a conference session."
3) Reporting. This is going to come in two parts: You will have weekly meetings with me first thing on Monday morning. 9am, no excuses. We will be going over a journal. That is the second part. Keep it short, with the list of things you did each day, filled out that day. This is going to be your running evidence of achieving things. It is also training you to cover your ass. If you did it, decided it, or dumped it off to someone else, it will appear in the journal.
4) No crap. If I see you gaming or goofing on Facebook, I'm going to embarrass you. Get your shit done. Get extra shit done for yourself. Get out of here. If you need more to do in order to fill the contingent eight hours you're required to be here, let me know. I have a list.
Now, I have not asked permission to do this, either yours or the supervisors. But I have been here long enough to know that this place eats your soul. It takes away the desire to be planners. I owe my chosen career a productive new generation of planners who are happy to be doing good work.
And I will be doing this with you. Anything I hold you to, I expect to be held to as well.
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