Growing Leaders Blog 8/31 Assignment

           After reading Growing Leaders, which can be found at http://growingleaders.com/, by Tim Elmore, I was amazed by the sudden realization of how serious and profound an internship or mentorship can truly be. In the blog, the writer explains that a friend of his had had an unfortunate and disappointing experience with his interns. The summer interns were 6 college students, and some of them were preparing to graduate and enter the workforce. The students represented millions of college students that would soon graduate. However, from his experience with these interns, the internee knew that the adults in their lives had not prepared them. The writer wants the reader to understand that an internship is truly just a prolonged, 12-week interview. Each and every day at an internship should be seen as an opportunity to watch and learn and work. The writer listed off the most sought out qualities in an intern, and they included: teach ability, initiative, responsibility, and energy.

            As for my interview, I viewed this blog as an eye-opener and a reminder for my standards and actions. In general, I will try to act as mature and serious as possible. I want to be a mentee that is easily taught, and I want to be viewed as an asset to the company. I want to be energetic and responsible at work. I want to have a successful year with my mentor, and in order to positively ensure that this will happen, I will always greet my mentor with a respectful saying, followed by their name, and a firm, professional handshake. Every day, I can set up a serious and enthusiastic tone with that. Afterwards, I will also ask what must be done for the day, and if there isn’t a specific task, I will help in any way possible. This step will demonstrate and prove my initiative. Lastly, I will ask to make sure that all tasks and jobs have been finished before I leave every day, and I will leave with a firm handshake and a salutation with their name.