work is work
When I interned at Mid-City CAN I had recently graduated from high school and I didn’t know very much. I don’t know very much now but back then I really didn’t know a thing. I was the policy intern because my boss was the policy specialist. Looking back I’m not too sure what I actually did. I guess I did some research and little assignments and I did some writing. I had to learn how to speak in a professional environment. I made a lot of mistakes. I didn’t communicate well with my boss. I think there was a period of time where my boss thought I was coming in late all the time but in actuality I was arriving at the correct time. I think she thought I was supposed to come in earlier or something. At one point I think she might have brought up my tardiness and inability to communicate with her supervisor. Actually she definitely did because her supervisor brought it up at one point while talking to me. It was embarrassing but I learned from it. I asked a lot of irrelevant questions. Whenever I didn’t know how to do my assignments it would take me days to ask for help because I thought it would be better to struggle in silence. After a period of time I got better at communicating and the work I turned in improved. It was a bit of a struggle, but I think going through that for the most part helped me mature.
In “Learning to Serve: The Language and Literacy of Food Service Work,” Tony Mirabelli argues, “literacy is a range of practices specific to groups and individuals of different cultures, races, classes, and genders.” Mirabelli also argues that certain information is learned by doing. Not everything can be taught in a classroom. Henry had to learn it was possible to provide that mother with only carrots. He had to read the menu and memorize information but he also had to understand other rules that aren't taught. In K-12 teachers and parents encourage us to continue studying and to strive for a higher education. My mother always encouraged my siblings and me to get a degree. A higher education is supposed to help you make more money. Its the key to not being as poor as your parents but is this actually true? Perhaps not. I have three more college semesters and I’m not really qualified for any job. I just took more classes. I took more classes. It’s easy to lose a little bit of respect for people when they tell me they aren’t going to school. I have to remind myself that I really have no right to judge. A college degree doesn’t make you smarter or better. Maybe you know a little more about a certain subject but there are a lot of idiots out there. It’s important to keep in mind that with any job there will be a period of time in which you learn the basics. I think this idea of getting a degree has always taught me to look down on service work but after reading the assigned readings I’ve come to realize that I shouldn't be so quick to judge.
Hello Alessandra,
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to what yo are saying in your blog post. I also have always had trouble asking for help with assignments. I think that it is great the you have had this experience, so that you are able to figure out where your strengths and weaknesses may lay, and you can then adjust them from that. And, it seems like you have done that. Also what you are saying in the second paragraph of your blog post is relatable to me as well. My grandma would always tell me, "school is number one" meaning that school is that most important thins (second to family). This idea closed me off to the idea that one could learn a lot from work experience, and the the idea that those with out school can be just as smart, if not smarter, than those who have a degree. This become more clear after reading Mirabelli's text.
Thank you for sharing
Phillip Tarantino
Hello Alessandra,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I like how you mentioned you don't feel like you are qualified for jobs. I agree that getting a degree is important but I've seen a lot of my older friends struggle finding jobs in their majors. I would ask myself why is that, and I came to realize that you need experience at least one year worth of experience. It's very hard getting a job with no experience. I would recommend finding an internship because internships put you in the real world and allow you to network and meet people, people who can potentially help land a job that you really want. "It's not what you know, its who you know", ever heard that before? I think that's true because at my current job the company hosts networking events where any employee can come, have some food and drinks and simply meet new people. My manager always forces me to go because she tells me that if I want to move up it's good know people in the higher positions.
-Emilio Caraveo