This internship has not affected my career path too much. I still do not know what I want to do for a major and a career. I want to explore more in software engineering and computer programming. Watching my mentor, I realized I want to have my own business. I don't want to have to work for someone else, but I would rather make the decisions and be the leader in the company. I hope to continue working here during the summer and gain more experience. That way I can implement all the information I learned into the clients' websites. The environment is one of the best parts of this internship. It is pretty relaxed, and all the other workers are very inviting. It has made the experience better and helped me realize that I want to work in an environment like this. Here, people are helping each other instead of competing for a higher position which is really nice. I am not sure what I want to do for my next internship in senior year. I might try a different internship just to expand my thinking and explore a different field or company. The internship has not changed my plans for college. I am still going to apply to the same schools as I was before this internship. It has kept me on the same path as I am now.
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Part 1) Photo Essay Part 2). My Internship Project My internship project was doing SEO, specifically the research side of it. I didn't create a product, because I was gathering information instead of building something. I learned a lot in my project, but that isn't something I can show here. The steps I took to complete my project was a lot of reading. I read a lot of articles that my mentor gave me about SEO and different types of it, like SEO audits. I also used tools, such as SEMrush, to look at competitors' sites and analyze how they were ranking higher and how we could use it for our sites. I took notes on everything I read, then used those notes to compile a list of the best keywords to use on the websites. My project was important because I learned how to do SEO for any field. I specialized in physical therapy so I know what keywords and other information are best specifically for this field. Since I am working here during the summer, I will take all these skills and information and implement it on the websites then. I did all the hard part now, so I can use that in the future. I hope to do more of the software engineering part, by coding the information I have been researching into the websites. How did you measure the success of the work you did while you were an intern? What did you learn from this?
I measured the success of the work I did by how helpful it was to the company and how it benefitted the clients. One task I was working on consisted of improving social media pages for all the clients and then contacting them afterward to let them know what I had done and why I did it. I actually earned the golden plunger, an award passed around the office for being the most helpful, by helping a client with their Facebook. The client wasn't the easiest to work with and hadn't been in the best mood, but after I helped with their Facebook, that changed. They called back to say how thankful they were that I did that for them, which earned me the plunger. How was your work significant or meaningful to the world beyond school and your specific internship site? The work I am doing in internship is very meaningful because it is actually helping people in the outside world. Since our clients are mainly physical therapy practices, they have customers who have a need. I am helping those people find relief from their pain through SEO. I am also equipping physical therapy practices to better reach people with pain. Those people may not go out of their way to find a physical therapy practice, so we need to outreach to them, so the practices can help them. It is cool that the work I am doing is actually helping people in other parts of the world. What new appreciations did you develop while working as an intern? Why? A new appreciation I developed during internship is the short hours we have at school. During internship, I work 9-5 every day. The only break I take is a 30 minute lunch break. The days get very long and tedious since I am working so many hours straight. Once I get home I am really tired from working all day, and I am drained. It has made me realize how nice the hours we have at school are. We get 5 minute breaks every hour, plus a 40 minute lunch break as well. The total hours in a day at school is also less than we have at internship. School feels a lot more relaxing compared to working in the real world. What qualities or characteristics did you see in the people around you that you want to develop in yourself? Why? A quality that I saw in the people around me is hard work. As I said before, the hours were very long for me and it was difficult to sit in an office for that many hours and just work. My coworkers do it everyday, though, and without a second thought. They are constantly working hard for the company even if they are sick or not feeling good. I want to have the same level of determination in the work that I do because it definitely stands out. If I work that hard, people will definitely notice the quality of work that I am producing which will help me later on in life. Seeing the dedication they bring every day is definitely inspiring. The growth wall showing how the company has progressed over the years. Earned the office golden plunger for making a customer happy updating their social media content. A tool I have been using in SEO to research the most relevant keywords for clients' websites. Notes from various articles I have been reading about on how to properly do SEO. The dashboard my mentor created for office use including: keeping track of clients, communicating with them, and ensuring their content is updated.
In my internship, I have used a lot of self advocacy. My mentor is pretty hands off, since he has a lot of work to deal with. He typically assigns me something to do, then I work on it alone. He is always there to support me, but I just need to go to him with any questions I have. I am also expected to go to him when I finish my task to receive new work, so I have to advocate for myself frequently. They always encourage asking questions when I am unsure of something to make sure I am doing it right. I have been following all the tips of being a good intern. I am constantly busy with work, whether it is on my project, or a side task they have given to me to work on. There are some times in between tasks where I do not have a specific project to work on, so I go to my supervisor for work to make myself busy. Whenever John calls me into his office to learn something, I am always ready with my notebook. I take notes of what he is saying so I can remember what he said. Usually, he only says things once so my notes are invaluable in reminding myself of what needs to be done. Since I started working at my internship early, I got to know my coworkers well. I knew all their names, and they knew mine, well before I started internship. It was helpful because I could make a good impression and they would all know me by the time internship started. I didn't feel nervous going into internship because I knew what to expect, who I was working with, and a slim idea of what I would be working on. My coworkers are really nice and friendly, and a good part of the experience. I show up to internship early everyday. Even though we don't start working until 9, I get there 10-15 minutes early and start working. It makes a good impression with everyone at the office, that I am punctual and respectful of peoples' time. I always dress more professionally than I need to to make a good impression. The office is extremely relaxed, as the employees usually wear leggings or jeans and a t-shirt every day. I usually wear a collar, so I am dressed a little more professional than other people. I am not being paid like most people, so I need to dress more professional than everyone else. I feel like I will stand out as an intern and people will remember me in the company.
For my internship project I will be working on SEO or Search Engine Optimization of websites. SEO is improving the ranking of websites on Google or other search engines. People almost never go to the second page of a Google search, so to get more website traffic, you have to move their website higher on the search list. I have been researching competitors' websites to find out what keywords and other factors they use on their sites. I will take that information and use it on our clients' websites to improve their ranking on Google. I made a spreadsheet comparing different websites and all the pages they have to look for the keywords used by each site. If they have different results, I will be able to see what is missing from each site. I need to be adept with spreadsheets and know how to use all the functions in them. I have some experience using them, but it is pretty basic, so I am learning as I go. I am going to need support from my mentor, but he wants me to ask questions if I am unsure of something, so I feel comfortable asking him for help with anything. He is showing me how to do all this, so he is always there to support me if I have any questions about the task I am working on.
I have been driving every day to and from my internship. It is nice because I have the freedom to go places afterward if I wanted to, but I don't like driving in traffic. It is such a waste of time because there are so many other things you could be doing, but you have to focus on driving. All you do is sit in the car watching the cars in front of you move. A typical workday consists of me getting to work, going to my office, and getting busy. I fill out the time sheet and automatically start my task for the day. I usually sit there working all day until lunch, when I take a 30 minute break, then go right back to work. I continue working until 5 at my desk, at that time I can leave for the day and I head home. There are a lot of skills I've learned at school that I implement in my internship. I communicate with other people, both coworkers and clients. I have to know how to send professional emails and behave professionally in the workplace. I also have used my knowledge of proper grammar to ensure my emails are written correctly. The most interesting thing that has happened so far is we ordered pizza today. The pizza came and the E-Rehab Boys split the cost. It was a pretty good pizza, if I do say so myself. I have learned that the organization, E-Rehab, prioritizes the clients above everything else. Their main mission is to provide services and products for the clients, so whatever they need, E-Rehab provides. They help the client in many different aspects of their business. One new skill I am developing is how to use spreadsheets. I have not had to use them that much at High Tech, but I am getting to know them more in my job. My task was to create a spreadsheet comparing two different websites, and see how they attract more clients. I am doing SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and analyzing these two websites to see how they perform.
I really enjoyed my first day at internship. I received my assignment for the project I will be working on, and I am looking forward to it! One thing that struck me the most from my internship is the relaxed feel at my site. Everyone is really nice, and they don't get upset with much. They are flexible with my schedule as well. It is a great environment, as people are not really stressed, while still understanding the expectations on them. What strikes me about my colleagues is how collaborative and kind they are. They are always willing to help me if I am unsure of how to do something. All I have to do is ask someone, and they will point me in the right direction. What strikes me most about the job I am doing is how repetitive it is. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but I have to do a lot of the same thing. If I enjoy doing it, it is no big deal. If I do not enjoy it, it can get boring and tedious pretty fast. But I do become very good at the task I am working on. I am excited about the opportunity to get real-world experience in a field I am curious about. I will be working on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) which will help me get an idea of what to expect if I go into that career. I am worried about messing up on my task. I know I have more responsibility now than I did in school, so if I do something wrong, I will be hurting someone's livelihood. I know I will be able to handle this because there are a lot of people there to support me, and make sure everything goes smoothly. I am ready for whatever task I receive next.
Pre-Career Day Predictions
I think a typical work day will be sitting at a desk doing work at a computer all day. I may get up every once in a while, but for the most part just stay at my desk. A lot of their work requires either building websites or communicating with clients, both of which require a computer. I think the business is pretty relaxed with their work policies. If I am a little late, I don't think they will mind, but if I am drastically late, they will mind. If I am consistently late too, I believe they will get upset. If I am absent, they will probably just want to know why. This internship is my responsibility and I have to respect that and the people I am working with. Career Day Reflection The dress code is very relaxed, people wear anything from jeans and a t shirt to sweats and a hoodie. I think it is because they are only interacting with each other, so there is no real need to dress formally. If they were interacting with clients face-to-face, it would be a different story. They would probably be dressing a lot more professional. I thoroughly enjoyed my career day. It definitely gave me an idea of what to expect from my internship during the month that I am there. I think the professional world will be tedious, hard work with added responsibility. Some days may be fun, but for the most part it will be difficult. It is just part of what happens when you grow up, there is less time to have fun, and you have more responsibilities that may not be the most enjoyable. Whether it is fun or extremely boring, I know this will be a beneficial experience for my future. School Applications One of the skills I have learned in Humanities is writing and grammar. So far, I have communicated with a lot of clients, which requires understanding how to write properly. If I have improper grammar or mistakes, it will reflect poorly on the company, and they may lose a client as a result of it. It is crucial that I have a strong foundation in writing, so I can effectively communicate my message with other people. |