A Letter to Myself

Dear Lauren,

This is the first job that you’ve had that will employ some of the skills that you’ve learned in college; and this implies the high expectations that you have for this job. Really, what is set in place for you to do is to test your professionalism skills, gain knowledge from this working experience, and gage if the direction that you are moving in, as far as what education and profession you will choose, is the right direction for you.

The first expectation is to leave a lasting mark with the organization that you will be working with, and gain a lasting connection to it as well. The second expectation is to learn skills from this experience, and the third is to put to practice the things that you’ve learn. Lastly, the fourth expectation is to build contacts or relationships with individuals engaged in your community so that you can continuously be involved with communities in your hometown.

Lauren you are particularly looking to gain a more formal and professional working experience. You are looking to gain knowledge of nuances in the professional working place and basics skills that play a large role in making office work more efficient. Additionally, you are trying to learn how to be a knowledge worker: how to manage your time and work independently, how to plan you work independently. Most importantly you are learning how to apply your higher education to your professional work.

But this experience is both of gain and contribution, and what you plan to contribute is a method by which this organization can reach its larger vision, or at least a finding that informs the organization of the next steps to take to reach that vision. Your contributions should be of minute and of large detail, from daily, tedious office work to a grand research project that affects all aspects of the organization. Just remember to prioritize.

Finally, what is your perception of the community that you’ll be involved in Lauren?

I think you should see it as your home because if you don’t connect with the people and the landscape, if you don’t familiarize yourself with the community and become a part of it, you can’t contribute as a coherent force.

Best,

Lauren