Review of Our Intern So Far
by S. Pound, Editor
Dear Mr. Pound,
Thank you for your participation in Cascia
Hall's Career Exploration Program and for providing our students
with the opportunity to learn about your profession. Each year,
I am impressed with the time and effort the business community voluntarily
puts into assuring our students a worthwhile experience.
We try to improve the program continuously and look
to those who have worked with our students for suggestions. Would
you please help us by completing and returning the enclosed form
which will be used to evaluate the student's performance as well
as our program? Your comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely, Ashley Dugan
Career Coordinator
Name of Student: Jared Gilbert
Please answer each question with a brief comment:
Was Jared punctual and present each day during
the hours agreed?
I don't think the word "punctual" applies in our intern's
case. The word "eager" does come to mind, though. Jared arrives
each morning about an hour or so before our office opened just to
"make sure calls were fielded." Although our agreement specified
that he only needs to complete four hours per day, we find Jared's
willingness more than compensatory. Each day he prepares and brings
lunches for the entire Me Head staff (usually ham sandwiches-don't
tell him our poetry editor is a vegetarian or he'll be crushed),
and routinely visits our desks asking for work. He edits articles,
scans images, writes silly things that we end up throwing away,
and he also vacuums. Every afternoon, around four. In fact, Jared
is such a diligent vacuumer that we awarded him his own office key
so that he can vacuum after hours instead of in the middle of our
deadlines.
Does Jared work well with others?
The only person Jared hasn't befriended is our writer-at-large,
Marc Arboreal, who by nature is a tad temepestuous. One time Marc
got so wound up over Jared's edit that he gave poor Jared an Indian
burn he'll never forget. It was an important lesson we've all had
to learn: don't edit Marc Arboreal, ever. Don't worry, though, things
are patched up an Jared's sling is scheduled to come off any day
now.
Was Jared able to communicate effectively orally
and/or writing?
Jared's oral and written skills are fine, but we're
amazed by his talent for communicating anally. We all know the rectum
to be a fairly versatile body part, but we had no idea it could
be used for reciting Shakespeare and whistling old Elton John tunes.
Did Jared show initiative?
I wish that Jared has only shown us his initiative.
As it turns out, Jared shares virtually every aspect of his life
with us. At 10:15 every morning, he asks us to gather around for
a little "Show and Tell," a presentation of items he brings from
his house: photo albums, a coin collection, elementary school yearbooks,
his mother's toiletries, the family chore list. Me Headers now know
more about Jared than they do about their own siblings.
Was Jared's appearance appropriate?
I did notice that Jared tended to wear a lot of shades
of blue (i.e. skyblue sweatshirt and indigo jeans), which is a very
mid-90's look-not what I was expecting from a prep school type.
I recommended he try out some grays and earthtones to complement
his coloring, but my tips never quite soaked in.
Please comment on the Career Exploration Program.
Last century, we witnessed reformations like the
Social Security Plan, Civil Rights initiatives, and syndicated television.
The Career Exploration Program may not carry the same impact, but
it is certainly the most memorable program I have run across in
the last few weeks.
Of what benefit was it to you?
Is this is a joke? How could I not benefit! I no longer
get eyestrain, my metabolism is back on track, and my existential
angst has been relegated to infrequent episodes of melancholy (usually
after watching Friends reruns). I want to know who I can thank,
and don't tell me the Catholic church.
Your suggestion for improving the program.
I think this question is best fielded by Glen Bosley
of Global Solutions:
If people are important to your program, you should
be using incentives. You need people to be successful; you need
them in your personal life and you need them in the academic world,
too. To succeed in business, you need the support of your community,
your boss, your shareholders, your employees, your dealers, your
distributors and your strategic partners. If you don't have their
support and cooperation you are fighting a losing battle. However,
every competitor and many other businesses need the same people
that you do.The fight for their loyalty and the support from them
has been heating up and coming from every direction over the past
few years.
Whether your biggest challenge is to maintain or increase
market share, reduce employee turnover, attract and recruit great
students, increase your profitability, improve student and/or customer
loyalty or improve productivity, a well-designed, well-managed incentive
program will help. Although, incentives rewards and premiums can
perform any number of functions, it is extremely important that
you first determine what you want the rewards to do. What is it
that you are trying to accomplish and who are you trying to target?
Ashley, I hope that this evaluation has been helpful
to you.
All Kind Things,
Syg Pound
Editor, Me Head
