bbb: boss was a bit o' beyotch ...

... it's nothing personal.

what does/should an intern do when the boss will not snap out of whatever crappy mood s/he is in? i dunno.

yeah ... i had a bit of a slammed and sh**** day. the result - not so great to be around.

i agreed to have my pic taken. todd took this pic. i've never seen him laugh so much, so hard and so loudly. if todd had photoshop, i'm sure he'd put little horns on my head.

i promised ama & todd i'd refrain from spinning my head 360 degrees. now let me have my moment.

btw, it's nothing personal.

SL Tip #5: on grammar & style

Say "irregardless" if you want Todd to cut you.

- Silver Lining

[disclaimer: there will be grammar/style items on my blog. i'm not posting to make a grade.]

make our day! say "i feel nauseous," and i can ensure that you will successfully unleash Todd's schadenfreude!!!

strunk & white, words you thought you knew ..., and the like ... we swim in these references. (also check this out.) we totally emphasize the importance of communications. when it comes to the spoken or written word (e.g., phone calls, eMails, memo reports, technical writing, presentations, cover letters, etc.), grammar & style are important ... always.

oh yeah ... vocabulary also is important.

intern gets milk (and "takes" splenda)

i am reminded by a previous intern that we have asked for interns to "get stuff" - so from SL's comment to my post on intern gets coffee:

well yeah -- and milk too -- cause the stuff in the fridge expired two weeks ago -- oh wait, make that a month and two weeks ago. oh -- and splenda!

on the milk expiration - it's true ... sad but true. on the splenda - they give that stuff away for free at coffee shops, don't they?

four + one: one more trait

just to add to the four traits, a fifth trait would be:

• authenticity
  

o.k., 'nuff said for now.

East Coast Input #2: Four Traits

the first east coast input was an intern test. today's input is the wisdom + wit offering to R|Intern ...

• honesty
• equity
• accountability
• enthusiasm

these are four traits he believes are good core values to possess and demonstrate. thought i'd pass along.

SL Tip #4: presentations

PRESENTATIONS:

have a beginning and an ending; make sure there’s pay-off

- Silver Lining

amabelle gave her midterm presentation about a week & a half ago. (awesome!) she'll also have a final presentation - power point presentation format.

it's all just like telling a story ... beginning - ending - and the stuff in between ... and just remember, when drafting a presentation ...

The first draft of anything is shit.

- Ernest Hemingway

intern gets coffee

there is always a first! ... i admit it ... if anyone asks, we are part of "corporate america" who would have to answer,

yes, we (o.k., "i") asked amabelle, the intern, to get coffee.

but a few notables ... we gave her money (so it's not like she paid for the coffee), she got one for herself (so we shared, so to speak), and she was happy to do so (at least i believe that is a smile).

R|Intern: self-evaluation (midterm)

Amabelle survived her midterm self-evaluation, while "doing lunch" at Gordon Biersch in Mission Valley.

She did well ... quite well! (everyone congratulate amabelle!)

WHAT IS THIS SELF-EVAL? ... The self-evaluation (or self-eval) is part of the internship.

We provide a list of several attributes - qualitative, quantitative, and personality/ human relations. For the midterm self-eval, an intern has an option to eliminate any of the attributes. For the final eval, an intern does the self-eval and then is evaluated formerly evaluated on all attributes by todd and me. (click on the image to see an overview of the evaluation process and the attributes)

As mentioned in the syllabus-lite, during the 1st week, the intern selects the attributes (from our list) for the self-eval. Because this selection happens concurrently with the development of goals & objectives, we encourage the intern to keep the attributes in mind while doing tasks/activities related to the goals & objectives.

GREAT EXPERIENCE! ... Let me tell ya --- it's a great learning experience for everyone involved. And quite often, it's a great opportunity (for everyone involved) to continue moving forward in the internship . It is a worthwhile investment in professional (and personal) development.

SL Tip #3: love abbreviations

EVERYTHING HAS AN ABBREVIATION:
learn it, know it, love it.

- Silver Lining

abbreviations & acronyms galore ... we do environmental and energy consulting. EVERYTHING as an abbreviation. and if it doesn't, we'll figure out a way to come up with a clever acronym.

ask SL ... she knows real/actual acronyms & abbreviations, such as BACT, LNG, CPUC, NOx, etc. - all sorts of alphabet soup things!

if we didn't use acronyms & abbreviations, i swear our reports (and other written material) would have probably 10-15% more pages!

and then of course ... there is tl;dr.
(maybe that's why abbreviations are good?)

SL Tip #2: on proj mgt book

Try to read the Project Management book sooner rather than later;
it will take longer than 50 minutes.

- Silver Lining

the book says it's a 50-min. commitment. this is suppose to mean 50 minutes on EARTH ... it's not. it's probably more like jupiter (or is it the other direction, and it's like mercury?) anyway, as noted on the internship syllabus-lite, you will get a workbook on project management. SL's tip is good. keep it in mind.

SL Tip #1: on the socratic approach

My tip? Just answer the question. (I mean that in a good way!!)

- SL (aka Silver Lining)

SL's tip is a good one for our socratic approach for our interns. it's really that simple. remember, we can't read minds.

R|Intern: (pt. 1) Interested in internship? - recap

JUST A RECAP ... of information we already have provided on this blog regarding our internship opportunity -

• Qualifications - list of 9 items and some context regarding the quals
• Our approach - we use a Socratic approach
• You get to choose 2 of 4 areas of responsibility to develop through your internship

  project management
  project execution
  business operations
  business development/marketing

• Syllabus - we have a general framework for the internship
• Midterm presentation - you will have to present at the 3 or 4 week mark
• Pre-blog post - i have blog that spurred this R|Intern blog; a little more informal discussion about the internship (e.g., boot camp, dress code, 4 + 1 simple rules, beanie inventory)

o.k. - there will be more info in upcoming posts regarding our internship. meanwhile - enjoy!

R|Intern: Area of Responsibility #4

The following describes 1 of the 4 areas of responsibilityin our internship program. An intern is required to choose 2 of the 4 areas for his/her experience and to support our business effort.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING ... Because we are an entrepreneurial venture, experience will be gained in direct support of efforts to increase our revenue stream through continued work with existing clients and acquisition of new clients. Intern may be involved in networking opportunities, assistance in preparation of presentation material, web site content development, other collateral material development, web research and compilation of prospective target market sector information and target market clients, research and summary memos of prospect opportunities, and tracking of business development and marketing efforts.

(see previous posts on other areas)

R|Intern: (pt. 1) Ama's midterm presentation

HERE'S AMABELLE PRESENTING ... this past wednesday (02/08)

recall ... the presentation guidelines

here's the audience (andy came late, had conference call; made him camera man; he missed good presentation)

feedback time ... content, style, technical elements

lunch afterwards at teriyaki cowboy (forgot camera)

more later in "pt. 2" - turns out, i gotta work, y'know...

R|Intern: Area of Responsibility #3

The following describes 1 of the 4 areas of responsibilityin our internship program. An intern is required to choose 2 of the 4 areas for his/her experience and to support our business effort.

BUSINESS OPERATIONS ... Because we are an entrepreneurial venture, experience will be gained in various activities core to the operations of the consulting practice. This includes exposure to and support of (as directed) invoicing/billing practices, client and subcontractor management, recordkeeping efforts for accounting and tax documentation, assistance in bookkeeping, and general office administration.

(see previous post on other areas)

Networking: Jesse and Connectors

(yes! i know it's yet
another pic of dessert ...

and dessert ...
but that's not the point
of this post. honestly.)

Kept up with R|Intern comments on networking? ... If so, you've seen Jesse's name mentioned - Jesse Ante, specifically. He knows everyone ... or is it the other way around?

Being a connector ... If you are familiar with Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point, I view Jesse as a "connector" (... as I have also been similarly described). Call such person a networker, social butterfly (tho' I think that being a social butterfly is NOT necessarily a prerequisite for being a networker), connector, agent, etc..., there are people who are ... well ... people like Jesse. And that's good!

I'll later post more on networking because Jengyee and Amabelle had some interesting comments. (And maybe there will be more comments from others!)

Until then, check out an article (from M. Gladwell) that ran in the New Yorker (Jan 1999). Back in '99, a friend (Sheila) forwarded to me the article and wrote a note that simply said ... "Hey Lois! What's up? Your friend & Hugs, - Lois!"

R|Intern: Area of Responsibility #2

The following describes 1 of the 4 areas of responsibilityin our internship program. An intern is required to choose 2 of the 4 areas for his/her experience and to support our business effort.

PROJECT EXECUTION ... Experience will be gained in the conduct of project efforts currently contracted to us. Projects that the Intern may be involved include power generation siting activities, regulatory interpretation support, compliance management support, research/data compilation, and technical editor support. Intern will have the opportunity to learn basic air quality and environmental regulatory and compliance topics.

(also see previous post: project management)

dress code in office?

NOT SO MUCH. As mentioned in a blog entry about our office setting, we don't have a traditional dress code:

We do not require traditional business attire, unless we have field visits, client meetings, or the like. In fact, flip-flops, man clogs, T-shirts with smart-ass designs, Velma shoes, shorts, and baseball caps for bad hair days are definitely acceptable.

What are "man clogs"? THESE are "man clogs" ...

Oh! and this is the man that goes with the man clogs!

(He is also the reason that we allow flip-flops, T-shirts with smart-ass designs, and baseball caps for good and bad hair days. We'll spare you pics of T-shirt examples ... tho' some are quite hilarious!)

We are casual and flexible, and we just expect a sense of professionalism (uh ... and good hygiene).

R|Intern: Area of Responsibility #1

The following describes 1 of the 4 areas of responsibilityin our internship program. An intern is required to choose 2 of the 4 areas for his/her experience and to support our business effort.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT ... We maintain multiple project efforts. Experience will be gained in select basic elements of project management - scope objective development, task identification, schedule development, team and client interaction, project team coordination, and project activity maintenance. Intern will be responsible for at least one project to manage, with the guidance and support of our project team members. Opportunities will be available to serve as task manager for select projects, as available.

(also see project execution)

R|Intern: 2006 Qualifications

Interested in an internship with us? Below are 9 qualifications we list in our position description.

1. Highly effective communication skills – written, verbal. Negotiation skills a plus. Up to two writing samples should be submitted for review.
2. High level of self-motivation and enthusiasm; demonstrated organization skills; capable of prioritizing; particular about attention to details.
3. Comfortable being involved in a range of activities including “deadline-driven” tasks, thorough document review and comprehension, changing priorities, and open communications.
4. Access to computer with internet access for the conduct of work outside of office setting.
5. Currently pursuing (or recently completed) a degree in engineering, science, environmental, business or related field of interest.
6. Experience working with the public or project teams, or both.
7. Computer skills – PC or Mac environment using MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
8. MS Access a plus.
9. Comfortable with general engineering calculations and review of technical information.

Just ask ... Still interested and only fulfill some but not all of the qualifications? Well, one thing to keep in mind - it's still o.k. to inquire about a position.

We are flexible ... Here's the deal - we are flexible, AND it turns out, other businesses also may be flexible when they have their list of qualifications. Granted, some businesses do have their lists of "non-starters", but you'll never know unless you ask. Right?

"Must haves" then the rest are up for grabs ... For us, at a VERY MINIMUM, #4 and #7 are "must haves" - you should have access to a computer aside from our guest laptop, a.k.a. "the paper weight", and you must have some level of proficiency with the listed software programs, especially Word.

After fulfilling #4 & #7, who we select depends on our current level of project activities, an applicant's background (resume & interview), and other intern candidates' capabilities (aka the competition). Uh ... I suppose we could incorporate a personality test, y'think?

Educational background - mix-n-match ... We have had interns who have been in (or graduated with) one the following majors: geology, environmental engineering, geography, electrical engineering, industrial engineering/operations research, mass communications, political science, chemical engineering, biology/genetic sciences, and environmental science.

Next several posts ... I'll list the 4 areas of responsibility - you'd have to choose 2 of the 4 areas for your internship.

R|Intern: end of wk 3 - networking at Tommy's

Amabelle is still with us. Her probation period ends in week 4 (next week). Her midterm presentation is on Wednesday the 8th. She came in an extra day (Friday) of this past week. (Awesome!) And based on eMails I have received from her, she also is working extra hours, by choice, outside of being in the office.

One of her projects for remainder of internship ... Friday was a good day. She prepared a meeting agenda, and she led the 45-minute meeting that we had to discuss her role and responsibilities. We talked about one of the projects she has - with the objective to learn project management concepts and skills. Without going into details, she'll be wearing two hats - project manager-lite & air quality permit application preparer.

Networking is part of the internship ... Networking is actually one of the goals that Ama has as part of her internship. (Keep in mind, she chooses her goals/objectives, and we agree to support her on at least three goals/objectives. See syllabus.) For lunch, we went to Tommy's - YES! They (Tommy's from L.A.) have opened one up on Clairemont Mesa Blvd - a strategic location, y'think!? She met Andy (engineer who recently left corporate America to start his own corporate America so he can consult to corporate America) and Ralph (who works in corporate America).

So the questions for this week --- Will there EVER be a Tommy's in the BA? Will it travel beyond the SoCal region? (Answer: not likely.) And more importantly, why did Amabelle order the tamale at this burger joint?

don't clean-up my home office

We are proud to say ... most of our Interns DO NOT make coffee for us! (If they have, it's because they have offered to do so.) And we DO NOT ask Interns to clean-up after us. (This pic of my desk should be convincing enough, eh?)

Check out this ad for an internship position (or if you prefer - make sure to copy/paste the whole link below without the line break):

http://www.gawker.com/news/columbia-journalism-school/
but-do-columbia-jschoolers-do-windows-151609.php

The deal is ... some business owners look at an intern as "free labor" of sorts. We truly view the intern and the experience as an investment - an investiment in my time and the intern's time. It's an opportunity to share objectives - an Intern's building of a resume and a Business Owner's building of a business.

In upcoming posts, I'll continue to post a bit more about our internship program. Maybe you'll see something you like if you are a prospective intern (for us or another business), or if you are a business owner contemplating taking on an intern, hopefully some of what we have in our internship program will serve as food for thought.

R|Intern: book (HRW!) for job searchers

Hello Real World! is a great book that will be available this month (February 2006). Jengyee, a former mentee and now friend of mine, is the author. In Cal's College of Engineering newsletter "Engineering News", there is a nice article on her and her book. Please check out the links to learn more!

In a post titled Cal Bear Buddy Brings Book to Bear, I included a copy of the foreword that I offered to write. (After the foreword-writing experience, I now make a point to read them. I was flattered that Jengyee even took me up on the offer.)

NEWSLETTER from HRW! ... I am quite excited for Jengyee. While she was writing her book, one of our interns [MONIKER: Silver Lining, or SL] had a chance to give some feedback. How cool was that!? I'll have to make sure SL gets on that HRW! newsletter list.

LOOK FOR JENGYEE'S COMMENTS on this blog... here and there - for various R|Intern's posts.

Future Intern!? What the cool kids ...

"What the cool kids are wearing ... "
Baby Al has the right attitude, sporting one of our beanies and looking very handsome!

(Thanks to Deb, a buddy since high school and the very proud Mom of Baby Al, for sending this pic over.)

East Coast input: Intern Test

I received the following eMail from a colleague back on the East Coast (who occasionally imparts wisdom + wit). I'll pass along to past, present and future interns ...

TRY THIS NOW! This is so funny that it will boggle your mind. And you will keep trying it at least 50 more times to see if you can out smart your foot. But you can't!!!

1. While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles with it.
2. 2. Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction!!!
   

I told you so... And there is nothing you can do about it. Make sure you pass this on to your friends... They won't be able to believe it either!!!

Maybe we will add this to our syllabus for week 6.

R|Intern: 2006 Syllabus

SYLLABUS-LITE - a l'il bit o' structure ... As part of the application process, a prospective intern is given this memo (click on the image), which somewhat serves as a syllabus - well ... maybe "syllabus-lite".

The point is, there is a framework. I decided to present the internship opportunity in a format that is a little familiar for college students. There are other companion documents that are also given to the intern applicant; I'll add those in the coming days.

Two things we incorporate in our internship - (1) the concept of project management, and (2) productive business communications.

blurb on - getting most out of interns

Just searching through Inc.com and found this Sept 2004 Inc.com article Getting the Most out of Interns.

Below are some items (in no special order) that rang true for us. Excerpts from the article are in italics; my quick "blurb" on the statement is capitalized.

• COMMITMENT - Finding, training, and managing an intern who will help your business grow takes time and effort.
• GOAL-ORIENTED - Obviously, you want a go-getter who is determined to make the most of his or her time at your company.
• ATTRIBUTES - How to separate the driven and talented from the lazy and deluded?
• COMPETITION - Often, interns are attracted to large companies because that name is the one that will go on their resumes.
• COMMITMENT - Small firms must take extra time to craft an internship experience that will truly benefit the student's career.
• TRAINING - Once you've hired an intern, don't scrimp on training.
• STRUCTURE - Define their role -- including how they can represent themselves regarding your company.
• INVESTMENT - Training an intern does not have to be a chore. In fact, it can be a great way to develop management skills -- for you or for your employees.

Colleauges - it can be worth it! Interns - Go get them internships!

Next Wk: Ama's midterm presentation

NEXT WEDNESDAY ... is Amabelle's midterm presentation. We forwarded to her the memo you see in the image to the right. (Click on the image to see the details.)

Amabelle will have up to 20-minutes to present her accomplishments to date. Afterwards, there is a 40-minute Q&A and feedback period. Then - LUNCH!

Much success to Amabelle!

Amabelle's other office view

For the curious, this is Amabelle's other view (the non-window & non-deskmate) from her R|Intern desk.

That's me & that's my office.

And here is the up close & personal.

It's an "open door" policy, simply because I don't have a door. I am not sure about the whole "feng shui" of the office; maybe something I can check on later.