Growing Leaders

1.  A summary of the article

           In this article, Tim Elmore writes about how interns are misunderstanding their purpose and expectations they are being held to during and after their internship. Elmore says that "the adults in [the student/intern's] lives have failed to prepare them for [the real] world". He goes on to explain the true expectations and qualities of what an internship really is... "a 12 week interview" and a "simulation of the job you'll have one day". He ends with his idea of the values an intern or worker should posses to be desired by future employers: teachability, initiative, responsibility, energy, giftedness, work ethic, and passion.

You can find the original article on this blog by Tim Elmore: http://growingleaders.com/blog/

2.  How do you imagine this applying to you and your mentorship? What are some concrete things you can do to make sure you are making a good impression during your year-long interview?

          I know that the idea discussed in this article will come into play at some point in my mentorship. That is why I am venturing into the professional working world so early; I get more chances to explore. I believe that I possess the qualities stated above, and if I do not, that is why I am mentoring, to learn. I learn best when I am given goals just beyond my current abilities, because it helps my talents grow and tests my dedication to my choices. In my current mentorship, I will make sure to not only do what my mentor tells me, but to try to surpass expectations. A good thought to have in mind is that if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten. If you are not doing something correctly (like if your mentor asks you to do something), and you do not fix it, you will not go to the bigger and better places that you want to go.

3.  Discuss, again for your readers, what you found most relevant to you regarding this article.

           In this article I found the beginning part, where the unprepared interns fail on the job, the most relevant to my life. This is not what I think of myself, but it is something I see all too much in today's working society. People with college degrees but lack experience and true knowledge of their profession. Degrees and titles mean nothing if you can't to the job right. As a driving force to motivate me to succeed, I remind myself to always strive to be better than what is expected of me (with respect to boundaries), and to not be someone that someone regrets knowing.