Getting your foot in the door

Hello. Things are going good over here,. It’s a Monday so its time to start up my week. I did enjoy relaxing this weekend. While driving I saw an amazing BMW for sale and I thought to myself, “Oh I wish I could have that.” I was kind of excited when I thought of the fact that when I graduate, I will eventually be able to get it, God willing. I know that with an education and a good job come many advantages including nice cars. Sometimes my mind can be limitless with my dreams and desires.

Lately at work I have been increasing my knowledge of State Government. Last week I volunteered at the Indiana Black Expo and it sure was fun. I helped with resume creation; developing a resume for attendees of the Indiana Employment Fair. Wow was I surprised. Some individuals had not finished high school, didn’t know how to make a resume, or even have a work history. On the other side, some people had bachelor's and master's degrees or had extensive work histories. I was in awe that I, a young, minority male, had the opportunity to advise and help so many people. I never realized people I went to high school with or old men looking for help would come to me. That weekend I volunteered again this time to work our booth at the Expo. I represented the State, telling people about potential employment for qualified candidates. I even had one person come to me who acted like they knew me. It was actually a female who worked with me a few days earlier on her resume. That was pretty cool.

Last week we were also finishing up our AA and EEO reporting division, part of our larger project. We have just about finished that division learning about FAQ’s, challenges, and benefits. Oh, I almost forgot. My intern partner who just graduated was offered a job to be a benefits specialist. It was really cool because she works really hard and deserves it. She accepted it and starts mid August. I bring this up because I want you to know the value of getting your foot in the door by internships, such as mine. It can put you head and shoulders above the competition from outside an organization. I know it isn’t your priority to have a job right now but it soon will be. Make sure to get an internship at least by your junior year to establish good networks, especially in this tough economy. Even if they don’t inevitably offer you the job, it can give you a great reference, all the while being paid for it. Now she can get that BMW, lol. Peace out!