Last Friday, I had the opportunity to speak in-person with my mentor, Mr. Smith, for the second time. While I had kept in touch with him over the summer, I hadn't met with him since the beginning of May, and I was nervous to do so again. Before going to speak with Mr. Smith, I listened to a podcast called "First Impressions." This provided me with helpful hints about preparing myself for the working world. The majority of this podcast was a review for me, explaining how to maintain eye-contact, and how dressing a certain way has an effect on those who meet you for the first time. However, I wasn't aware of it being considered polite to ask someone's name if you happen to forget it. I've always found it daunting to ask someone what their name is if they've already told me. Knowing that I wouldn't be seen as rude or self-centered for not remembering someone's name lifted a weight off of my shoulders. As someone who struggles with remembering people's names, that tip was definitely a good thing for me! I also received a handout with tips on how to get to know my mentor. I used this, along with a packet of interview tips I got from a TAG-ed conference I attended in February, to prepare myself for the meeting. Having an outline of questions to expect (and ask) really helped me "rehearse" what needed to be said during our meeting. While conversations are rarely two dimensional, having a basic idea of what should be said is helpful for me to strengthen my interview skills. Taking part in a mentorship specifically designed for my career interest will prove beneficial for my overall success in the future. Not only will I gain insight into the world of engineering, I also have the opportunity to speak with several environmental engineering firms throughout Metro Atlanta. Meeting the people behind the firms gives me connections early on in life that may result in job opportunities in the future. On top of making connections with companies, I will have several hands-on experiences in different aspects of environmental engineering. Mr. Smith brought up several different activities that I will take part in as well. We have plans to visit local recycling centers, take samples of the water supplies to test, and checking out several eco-friendly projects involving waste management. In order to truly get the most out of these experiences, I plan on making sure that I stay up to date with the calendar of events. Managing my own time is crucial to my success, and juggling both online and in-school classes, as well as an internship and several extracurricular activities has the potential to make things difficult. But, as long as I focus on setting aside enough time for the rest of my activities, I can easily have more than enough time to get the full experience of having a mentorship. Our meeting ran smoothly. We discussed work ethic, dress code, and flexibility. I was given a list of contacts to speak with in regards to visiting their work sites, and we began the process of putting together a schedule for the upcoming months. It's easy to tell that I'm excited to begin a mentorship through the county's recycling and waste department. I am thrilled to have such an opportunity come my way, and cannot wait to begin work.
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April 2018
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