Since this is my last post. I would like to make it fun and offer some advice derived from my personal experiences. The following is just my opinion and you are free to take it or leave it.
1) Find and establish friendships with some of your classmates. I'm thankful I did as these friends have become a great source of support.
2) Take time to talk to your professors. Get to know them and let them get know you. When it comes time for a job or school reference you'll be glad you spent the time building those relationships.
3) Register for as many intensive classes as you can. They are compact but you get the class done in two weekends. If you have a family like I do its totally worth it because its one less evening you have to spend away from them for the course of 16 weeks.
4) Attend as many conferences as you can. Take advantage of the student rates and the funding opportunities. Best of all, travel to other places where you get a glimpse into the professional world and/or other universities.
5) Network, network, network. Start building your network. I can't say enough about this. Talk to your classmates, professors, university staff, etc. You never know when you'll need to call on them or they'll call on you.
6) Have Monday night dinner with your school friends after class. You would be amazed what a little food, some beverages, and good company will do to alleviate your stress levels brought on by school work.
7) Host study parties at your house where you provide brainpower (i.e. snacks) and your guest provide the answers. LOL! It's much nicer when you can brainstorm with others about what you are learning and how to organize it into a paper/project/study guide for test, etc.
8) Apply for internships, fellowships, scholarships, awards, etc. Don't hold back! If there is something you see that you find interesting take the time to fill out the application and submit. The worst they can say is no. Make sure you reach out to others for assistance with the application process. There are many professors, students, and staff that are more than willing to help. Their feedback could make all the difference.
9) Join professional and student organizations. This is part of building your network and its a great resume builder. They provide support and help you decide if that's the field you would like to pursue.
10) Most importantly, make the most out of your education. Push yourself to learn everything you can. Challenge yourself even if it means going out of your comfort zone. You'll be amazed with the results.
Good Luck!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Grad Student with Kids
I am living proof that you can go back to school with a family. It's not easy by any means but it can be done. I have three beautiful children ages 10, 3, and 2. Yes, my last two are 16 months apart and they are a handful. But, my oldest has been wonderful as she willingly helps me with her baby sister and brother.
The question always asked is "how do you do it?" I always laughingly respond "I haven't slept since I started school!"
The truth is my children are my motivation. They make me want to be a better person all the time. That includes improving myself and my life so that I can be the best mother to them. Most importantly, I want them to know that their world is their oyster. That they can have dreams and make them come true through hard work, effort, and discipline. All you have to do is make that goal, say it out loud, and then commit to make it a reality.
The sacrifice, the struggle it was all worth it. And, my children and I will be better off!
The question always asked is "how do you do it?" I always laughingly respond "I haven't slept since I started school!"
The truth is my children are my motivation. They make me want to be a better person all the time. That includes improving myself and my life so that I can be the best mother to them. Most importantly, I want them to know that their world is their oyster. That they can have dreams and make them come true through hard work, effort, and discipline. All you have to do is make that goal, say it out loud, and then commit to make it a reality.
The sacrifice, the struggle it was all worth it. And, my children and I will be better off!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
City of Phoenix Management Intern Interview
One day, I opened my email and found a notice from the City of Phoenix. It read, "congratulations, you've been selected to interview". I couldn't believe my eyes. I had made it to the interview process. First thing I did was call the people who helped me with my cover letter and resume. Then, I made plans to revisit with three of the previous management interns for advice. I wanted to give a 100% to this interview so that I would have the best chance of being offered the position.
The interview process would be conducted over 2 days. The first day would be an all-day event where we got to meet various directors, the City Manager, the assistant City Manager, some Deputy City Managers; tour of the Phoenix Civic Plaza; a writing exercise; a reception; and a dinner. The second day would include a 20 minute interview with a panel of five.
I had my work cut out for me. One of my mentors gave me information on what to expect and do on the first day. The other shared information on how to prepare for the interview. The third, gave me pointers on the exercise. I was even coached on my appearance and how I dressed. I prepared for every aspect and every detail of this process. It was exhausting but in the end it paid off because I will begin as a City of Phoenix Management Intern on June 29, 2009.
The interview process would be conducted over 2 days. The first day would be an all-day event where we got to meet various directors, the City Manager, the assistant City Manager, some Deputy City Managers; tour of the Phoenix Civic Plaza; a writing exercise; a reception; and a dinner. The second day would include a 20 minute interview with a panel of five.
I had my work cut out for me. One of my mentors gave me information on what to expect and do on the first day. The other shared information on how to prepare for the interview. The third, gave me pointers on the exercise. I was even coached on my appearance and how I dressed. I prepared for every aspect and every detail of this process. It was exhausting but in the end it paid off because I will begin as a City of Phoenix Management Intern on June 29, 2009.
City of Phoenix Management Intern Application
During my Christmas break, I decided to visit my cousin who lives in Texas. I packed up my kids and we drove 16 hours straight. During that time, I decided I would apply for the City of Phoenix Management Internship. I had 2 weeks to get this done. In the day time, I played with my children and at night I sat at the kitchen table drafting my response to the questions on the application. I had to write on paper because the week before my laptop broke. The questions were so simple but it was so hard for me to answer because I had to pick just the right things to say.
The application consisted of a cover letter and a resume. You had 4 questions that needed to be addressed in your cover letter. You were limited to 4 pages and you could distribute the use of these pages as you wished. I used 2 pages for my cover letter and 2 for my resume. I put my first draft together and sent it off to some of my co-workers for editing. New Year's passed and I did not hear back from one single person. I started to panic. Then, the holiday passed and everyone went back to work and I got my feedback. I had 4 people edit my responses and my resume. It took at least 5 drafts before I felt comfortable with my cover letter and resume. Needless to say, I submitted my application on the last day at the last hour and prayed that it was received on the other end.
The Storage Room
Right before Christmas, my supervisor gave me the task of cleaning out our storage room so that I can covert it into a library. Jokingly, I thought to myself "am I being punished?" However, I knew that this was part of the deal of being an intern. Sometimes, you're going to get glamorous high-profile projects and sometimes you're going to get not-so glamorous high-profile projects. Whatever the case may be, I approach each project big or small with the expectation of learning something.
In this case, I learned that nobody had cleaned out the storage since 2003. There was so much paperwork that needed to be purged that I spent most of my time shredding. The good thing about this was that I had previously worked on the record retention schedule for the City Clerk's office so I knew what I could and couldn't get rid of.
After a week, you could walk into the room and not hurt yourself.
Finally, it came time to set up our library. I submitted a request to have our Facilities staff construct dividers for our shelves so that they could be used as bookshelves without having to purchase the actual thing. As I organize the information, I am learning about our wells, water quality reports, operating and maintenance manuals, consultant designs, booster stations, Water Reclamation Plant expansion, just to name a few. It has also given me a chance to work with the Water Planning Coordinator, Water Quality Specialist, and Capital Improvement Plan Manager as they provide incite on what we should keep and where it should go for more efficient use of the material.
No matter how tedious this task has been, I'll know that it will be utilized frequently by the department.
In this case, I learned that nobody had cleaned out the storage since 2003. There was so much paperwork that needed to be purged that I spent most of my time shredding. The good thing about this was that I had previously worked on the record retention schedule for the City Clerk's office so I knew what I could and couldn't get rid of.
After a week, you could walk into the room and not hurt yourself.
Finally, it came time to set up our library. I submitted a request to have our Facilities staff construct dividers for our shelves so that they could be used as bookshelves without having to purchase the actual thing. As I organize the information, I am learning about our wells, water quality reports, operating and maintenance manuals, consultant designs, booster stations, Water Reclamation Plant expansion, just to name a few. It has also given me a chance to work with the Water Planning Coordinator, Water Quality Specialist, and Capital Improvement Plan Manager as they provide incite on what we should keep and where it should go for more efficient use of the material.
No matter how tedious this task has been, I'll know that it will be utilized frequently by the department.
Water Resources Planning Movie
Every month our department has a meeting that includes all of our staff. It takes place around lunch time so we can eat together and hang out. At these meetings, a division or staff member is chosen to provide a presentation on their functions. I volunteered to help the Water Resources Planning division with their upcoming presentation.
We thought about having a game that would allow interaction with the audience. It was suggested that we play "Scene It". This is a game that shows pieces of movie clips and you have to guess the title and/or actor. We thought we'd take video of each function within this division and show 1 minute clips to our audience and have them guess what they were doing.
We took video of our Water Conservation Specialist, our Water Quality Specialist, our Wetland's folks, our Water Planning Coordinator, and our Water Planning Manager. We got such great footage that we decided to skip the game and turn it into a movie.
I had heard that one of our Planners in Development Services had created a movie for their department. So, I thought I'd ask him if he was interested in helping put ours together. He agreed and we created a pretty entertaining but educational movie.
My goal was to set the bar high for the next month. Ever since our movie, every presenter after us has not disappointed our efforts.
We thought about having a game that would allow interaction with the audience. It was suggested that we play "Scene It". This is a game that shows pieces of movie clips and you have to guess the title and/or actor. We thought we'd take video of each function within this division and show 1 minute clips to our audience and have them guess what they were doing.
We took video of our Water Conservation Specialist, our Water Quality Specialist, our Wetland's folks, our Water Planning Coordinator, and our Water Planning Manager. We got such great footage that we decided to skip the game and turn it into a movie.
I had heard that one of our Planners in Development Services had created a movie for their department. So, I thought I'd ask him if he was interested in helping put ours together. He agreed and we created a pretty entertaining but educational movie.
My goal was to set the bar high for the next month. Ever since our movie, every presenter after us has not disappointed our efforts.
Expedited Conversion of Meters
In order to defray operational cost for the department, the director proposed that we expedite the conversion to radio read meters within the next 18 months versus the next 5 years. My job was to assemble the research for the cost and savings of this conversion. It took about 4 weeks to retrieve exact numbers from the supervisors budget and finance.
In the end, we figured that the department could save over $300,000 in personnel and operating cost. With the assistance of my assistant director, we put together a proposal that was presented to the City Manager. I was included in this meeting and very excited to share my information. I couldn't believe that my work was helping the City Manager's Office make a decision.
And then, I felt awful when I realized that the numbers calculated would result in the justification for laying off 4 workers the following week. I know that it was the right thing to do for the department and the city but it didn't make me feel any better. You could say that this was my hardest experience within my internship. However, it let me see the other side of being a City Manager. Its not always going to be easy and in difficult times you have to be able to make and carry out those tough decisions.
Definitely, a learning experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life!
In the end, we figured that the department could save over $300,000 in personnel and operating cost. With the assistance of my assistant director, we put together a proposal that was presented to the City Manager. I was included in this meeting and very excited to share my information. I couldn't believe that my work was helping the City Manager's Office make a decision.
And then, I felt awful when I realized that the numbers calculated would result in the justification for laying off 4 workers the following week. I know that it was the right thing to do for the department and the city but it didn't make me feel any better. You could say that this was my hardest experience within my internship. However, it let me see the other side of being a City Manager. Its not always going to be easy and in difficult times you have to be able to make and carry out those tough decisions.
Definitely, a learning experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life!
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