STEPPING ON NEW GROUND

I think the first skill I will display is the art of small talk. I’m sure the new people I’m working with will want to get a sense of what type of co-worker I am. I am not the best at carrying conversation, so I will be attempting to ask questions. One question I have on my mind is, how exactly will I be learning my new skills during internship? Will it be by their own employees or will they send me to a training course? I hope to work in an office environment that is quiet unless I am involved in any group work. I also hope to work with a manager that has gone through similar obstacles as I have or a manager that is humble but direct. The skill I want to develop is that way I communicate. I want to be able to really break down things, especially to a customer. When I speak I want to sound like a universal language. On the more technical side I want to gain a lot more experience troubleshooting computers. I am really hoping to get a mentor in that. An anxiety I have about my internship is that there will not be as much need for an IT as other companies or that the training I have gained in Year Up isn’t as needed. The way that I plan to stand out is by proving that this is my passion and I will learn quickly, also I will not be ashamed to take on any task that is asked of me. After Internship is over I plan to get a good reference, at least, and apply for other companies. If that doesn’t seem to work for the moment then I will attempt to go back to school to sharpen my skills further in computer technology.

IT'S ABOUT THAT TIME

The winter vacation is finally over and now it's time to return to the scheduled life. I predict my brain will react slowly this whole upcoming week, so I hope the instructors will understand.

I'm thankful for this week off because I honestly haven't gotten a vacation in a while. I had the chance to relax and be as lazy as I wanted to be, at the same time I completed homework here and there. I'm excited to revisit school and get closer to rebuilding a computer desktop. Hopefully, everyone will return with the same energy or more.

2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! The world made it through another year. Is the myth about the world ending true? I don't know. All I'm looking forward to is another positive year toward my better future. My new years resolution is to get a good paying job. I hope everyone enjoyed their vacation off and got to spend time with their loved ones.

WHO LET THE PITS OUT?

It has been a few weeks since I took my pit bull Ahkela to the park. So, I ended up going to McLaren Park with a couple of my friends. It was funny to realize what a diverse group we were, three male men, two chihuahuas, and two pit bulls. Ahkela would bully the chihuahuas and the older pit bull would bully my dog. Once the older pit put mine in its place, she would continue to bully the chihuahuas all for herself. I thought it was entertaining to watch how dogs try to be the most dominant out of the pack. Overall, the mission of traveling through the park was to tire out our energetic companions. The mission was completed.

INTERNSHIP READINESS

Someone who is internship ready shows up on time unless there is an emergency. When you show up be open and ready to learn new things. Internship ready means you are aware of your surroundings and also yourself. Be prepared to make mistakes, but the important thing is how you take the feedback and the steps to fix it. It’s also important to stand out with your ideas and contributions in a group setting to show your enthusiasm for the work you’re producing.

During Module 3, I intend to demonstrate internship readiness by having no absences or being tardy. I’ll do my best not to second guess myself before I raise my hand to speak or while I’m raising my hand in class. I wish to contribute more during Friday feedback and volunteer more for public speaking activities.

To project internship readiness I’m going to change my routine and increase my energy. In the morning, I will set my alarm clock 20 minutes before I normally wake up to avoid getting a late start for work. This will also leave me more time to eat breakfast, which should increase my energy that I need for the day.

BAD JOB, GOOD JOB, IT'S ALL WORK.

The first time I put on a McDonald’s uniform I knew I was going to hate working for the company. Maybe it was because I knew the neighborhood it was in made me feel real uncomfortable. 16^th and Mission at the time was known for their gangs, drug dealers, and drug addicts. Knowing that I was surrounded by that type of environment, I guessed I would have to deal with them as the constituency. I was a Cashier Clerk so any problem would reach me first. This McDonald’s was full of drama when it came to the customers and the employees. The customers always had a complaint in an attempt to get free food or money back for food they have already eaten. The employees were always irritated because they felt they weren’t being treated fairly by our insensitive manager. I hated it so much because I was a sophomore in high school and this responsibility was taking up my whole weekend. It was mandatory though, for my parents weren’t trying to pay my way anymore. Five dollars a day wasn’t cutting it for me anyway. Although, you could say I gained valuable experience from all the negative things I saw and came across. I learned how to be unbelievably patient, deliver adequate customer service, and keep busy at all times.

Before I worked at McDonald’s I was part of a non-profit organization that tutored students who spoke English as a second language. It was a temporary job, but I enjoyed it. Since I’m a Spanish speaker I worked with Latin Americans who were new to the United Stated and were looking for new opportunities. I was amazed to find out some of these teenagers my age were starting a new life all on their own. They had crazy, personal stories that they shared with me and made me appreciate my own life more. Through these students I learned about different cultural backgrounds and different slang that is used in particular parts of Latin America. Surprisingly, I noticed the students learning from me too. There was definitely some progress in their understanding of English from the first day I met them through the first month of tutoring. It was a rewarding experience because I was connecting with them and they were learning with my help. Tutoring helped me to appreciate the people I work with, be on time, and be organized.

RIVERA'S TIME IS OUR TIME

Diego Rivera's Frozen Assets painting reminds of the phrase "the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor". For me, the top section showing the skyscrapers, represented a land of opportunity where supposedly anyone can make something out of nothing. The middle section with the guard watching over the sleeping people gave me a sense of overpowering control. The guard is acting as the government making sure the people who struggle are kept comfortable enough so they won't have the desire to climb the social ladder. The bottom section emulates the same government protecting the rich by securing their position on the social ladder through banks which protect their money. Even though the painting refers to the Great Depression during the 1930’s, I think it still applies in 2011. This Rivera painting relates to events currently running around the world, for example the Occupy Movement. Even though our time isn’t in as bad of shape like the 1930’s, there is still social inequality occurring. Do not forget the Oscar Grant case in which his murderer, a police department official, only got a maximum of three years and was out in one and a half, after shooting and killing a handcuffed, defenseless, urban male. Michael Vick, an NFL football player, got the same sentence for dog fighting. If that isn’t recognized as social inequality then I don’t know what is. These kind of situations take place right in our face but are inevitable because a position of power and money control all.