Which skill(s) on the survey are you using so far or where are you more confident already? Give examples of how you're using the skill or how you know you're growing.
Communication
I use my communication skills during our weekly meetings with the team and in emails to my supervisors. I also must communicate with potential research participants in order to complete eligibility screenings and consent forms.
Independence
A lot of my internship is based on independence. Because our research is on hold, I will often be shadowed over zoom once and then expected to complete the task again on my own. This has caused me to become more confident in my own skills through independence.
Problem-Solving and Perseverance
When creating a database using SPSS, there is a lot of trial and error. One simple typo could mess up all of your stats and not give accurate results. While figuring this out, I have been challenging myself to persevere through my failures and only ask for help when I am completely lost.
Which skill(s) from the survey would you like to continue to work on? What will you do to grow the skill(s)?
Teamwork
As of right now, it is extremely hard to develop of teamwork skills. A lot of the work that I have been given has been independent due to our research being on pause. Once we are back in person, I would love to build on this skill by being sure to participate in weekly team meetings and effectively communicating with my team. By communicating with any and all team members, this will further develop my teamwork skills and develop a very transferable skill for any profession.
Confronts Challenges and Failures
A lot of the time I get extremely discouraged when I fail at completing a task. I would love to change that mindset as the internship progresses. I want to go out of my way to seek out challenges that I very well might fail in order to learn from my mistakes. To build on this in the future, I plan on asking for feedback on any tasks and being sure to apply it. This will not only improve this skill, but also show my dedication to my internship to my team.
Constructive Criticism and Feedback
I would like to respond better to feedback rather than taking it personal. I would like to start actively seeking out feedback from my supervisors and peers as the internship progresses. Like stated above, I plan on continuing to ask for feedback on all tasks I am completing. Instead of giving up, like I would have in the past, I plan on challenging myself to see the positive in the feedback. Without this feedback, I would never improve.
How are you using and/or building on your existing strengths or experiences so far as an intern?
I find myself using a lot of my existing communication skills with my team. A recent challenge we have been facing is that our research has been put on pause to be credentialed. This means that we have not been meeting as frequently and we have not met in person in weeks. I have been constantly reaching out and checking in on my work and asking for more work if necessary. Although the research credentialing has been a challenge, it has helped me further develop my communication skills and help form stronger relationships with my team members.
How has the internship helped you gain a deeper understanding of your coursework or major?
I am currently in a stats course and I run a lot of similar stats on our data collected within the internship. I am also learning how to create databases and enter data on SPSS, which is a common program used in statistics. When entering in data, I find myself using a lot of what I have been learning in my stats class to get accurate data.
March Update
Which skill(s) on the survey are you using or where are you more confident since fall? Give examples of how you're using the skill or how you know you're growing.
I feel that I am a lot more confident in confronting challenges and failures in my internship setting. In October, I was still getting used to some of the internship protocol and I found myself struggling to work independently without anxiety. Now that I have been working independently in this role for a while, I feel comfortable with every aspect of the internship and I am confident in my ability to problem solve independently. I know I'm growing because when things are inputted incorrectly in the spreadsheet, I am able to correct them without reaching out for help. I am also proficient in keeping tabs on multiple participants at a time and remembering to send out reminders to each of them, which was a challenge I faced in the past.
Which skill(s) from the survey would you like to continue to work on? What will you do to grow the skill(s) this semester or after LHSI?
I would love to keep working on receiving constructive feedback. I feel at this point I receive the feedback a lot better than I did, but I should reflect on the feedback more to ensure I am applying it. To grow on this skill, I will make sure to fully reflect on why I am receiving the feedback and retrace my steps to understand what I could've done differently to receive the optimal result. This skill is extremely important in every aspect of my life and I will definitely need to take constructive criticism in every future job opportunity I possess.
How have you used or built on your previous strengths or experiences this year?
My internship was put on pause for most of the first semester due to research credentialing. This made a lot of growth hard to see in the first semester ad the work I was completing was dismal and repetitive. Moving into the spring semester, I had a lot more responsibility at my internship site which caused me to hold more pride within the work I was completing. I have built a lot more confidence in my work, problem-solving skills, and communication skills with my internship team. I can't wait to continue to develop these skills through the end of the semester.