https://growingleaders.com/blog/first-soft-skill-develop-students/#sthash.IfoZ1Z4e.dpbs
Younger people in the workplace have common stereotypes and challenges surrounding them such as coming off as too loud, too forward, self-absorbed, and unaware of their self-awareness. Many higher level professionals find themselves seeing younger people as inexperienced and irresponsible when fulfilling their duties. However building a social intelligence can help build upon first impression skills, which is perhaps the most important skill to develop when applying for a job position. Social intelligence is the ability to understand the environment around you and navigate throughout challenging social situations. One aspect of the article that I found personal was the idea that complex socialization has become harder to navigate because of the use of technology. I think we find ourselves communicating and utilizing technology very frequently through our daily lives that is has become quite stressful to talk face to face. In other words, it is easier to talk to someone through a familiar screen rather than talking in person. For that reason, I agree with the idea that those that can communicate by doing both equally well will come off as more marketable and approachable.
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My Essential Question:
Do environmental conditions effect the normal functioning of extracellular matrix tissue and if so what material prevents this effect? Why did I select this question to explore? Extracellular matrix tissue has become a widely used material in the medical field because of its ability to interact with human skin stem cells. I think it's important to understand the different properties this material holds in order to prevent any further damage to the patient. In addition, it is interesting to dissect the material and its packaging in terms of tensile strength and its correlation with function. What excites you most about finding the answer to this essential question? The most exciting aspect of finding the answer to this question is going through the experiment and documenting/analyzing my findings to benefit the company where I intern. Being able to research this topic on my own is exciting because it allows me to own my findings and it gives me a sense of independence and an in-depth knowledge of a topic that maybe helpful in my future experiments. I believe it's one thing to research a topic assigned to you from school and another thing to research a topic that you are genuinely interested in. I'm excited to find the answer because the question is personally interesting to me. Do you feel that this question accurately reflects a desire/need that you have to find out more about this topic? I believe this questions is both abstract and concrete enough to allow me to explore the topic in depth. In other words, I feel this questions has given me ample room to explore numerous aspects of the ECM material and thus reflects my desire to find out more about its use and functioning. This internship experience has help me develop both my academic knowledge and leadership qualities. The project that I am working on requires me to do some independent research on certain materials and machinery such as extracellular matrix tissue and tensile strength machines and although this doesn't directly impact my regular classwork, it has helped me understand certain aspects of biology and anatomy more clearly. In addition, I have grown to understand more about professional work life and what "standout" qualities companies are looking for, such as initiative and communication skills. I've learned how to effectively work independently and with others and how to enjoy doing both. Overall, this internship has become a "partner in my education" both academically and characteristically by allowing me to develop lifelong professional skills.
On my first week interning at Aziyo, my mentor suggested that I meet with other people in the office. I was surprised at how many additional jobs are underneath the umbrella of biomedical engineering. For example, I met with a one person department called Regulatory which is basically in charge of proofreading protocols and reports and acting as the "office diplomat", meaning she meets with people from corporate and pitches new ideas for certification. In addition, I also meet with the sales department which keeps track of all the monetary expenses and ensures that the company maintains a profit. After meeting with all the departments I realized I should keep an open mind about other careers because every job at the company is equally important. If the company lost a department, then the whole company would topple: essentially the maintenance of the company runs on a cycle. When my mentor became a little more comfortable with me, I realized it was difficult and time consuming for him to describe in detail all about the ECM material and the packaging Tyveck material, so I began to do some independent research and watch videos on how to work with the Instron tensile strength machine. Additionally, I make sure I stick to my task and follow protocol! My Profile: Hi! My name is Divya and I am currently a senior at South Forsyth High School! When I'm not participating in after school activities such as Future Business Leaders of America and Jr. Civitan, I enjoy spending my free time drawing and running. I also enjoy volunteering at the Humane Society and participating in Meals by Grace. Furthermore, I have always been passionate about science and I have competed in the science fair and became an active member of science national honors society. I believe it was this passion that influenced my decision to explore the engineering pathway. In addition, throughout my high school years I have completed the computer programming career pathway and enjoyed working with the computer science aspect of many career fields.
My Mentorship: This year I am interning at a biomedical engineering company called Aziyo/Cormatrix. One of there most popular products is the CanGaroo pouch which is made out of extracellular matrix tissue and is used for pacemakers. My mentor, Mr. Vo, decided to give me a project to investigate if environmental conditions can effect the ECM material and how important the packaging material in terms of the preservation of the tissue. At the beginning of my internship, I was given examples of different protocol reports to examined the layout and research general information regarding the importance of the tissue. After learning about the material, I was tasked with understanding the machinery and reading the data charts. For the past couple of weeks, I have been working with an Instron tensile strength machine and practicing with Tyvek packaging material. Soon I will be able to test the ECM material and other animal tissues and write my own protocol report on my findings! My Future: Next year, I plan to continue pursuing the science field. As of now, I hope to major in Biomedical Engineering and minor in Computer Science and this internship experience has effectively prepared me for what's to come. By participating in this program, I have been able to gain real life experience in the engineering field. I also have a better understanding of what is expected of me in the career field and the work life; for example, I have learned the importance of intrapersonal skills and built my leadership skills. I believe this mentorship is great in terms of working with others and learning communication skills as well. When I began my internship, I thought I would be doing simple mindless work everyday because of the fact that I would be working at an engineering company where most tasks require previous knowledge. I was surprised that "mindless work" was definitely the opposite of what I would be doing! In fact on the second day of interning there, my mentor gave me an investigation that addresses the effects of environment conditions on extracellular matrix tissue. As you can probably guess, I have been doing a lot of reading on the function of the ECM material and its purpose in the human body. Overall, I've found that this internship opportunity might get increasing difficult, but it's certainly not an experience to overlook.
Last week my mentor introduced me to the Instron tensile strength machine that's used to measure the force it takes for the ECM material to break both vertically and horizontally. One surprising aspect of working at a biomedical engineering company is the many careful documentations that come along with every test and research project. When I was working with the Instron machine, my mentor taught me how to document my data properly and learn how to operate the machinery by myself. Perhaps I can improve my performance at work by exploring the functions of the machinery at home, so that when I'm working I can have a better understanding of what's going on. I believe that if I do some independent study on the topic, I can be better equipped to work the machinery and therefore get more accurate data for my investigation. Link to 1st Annotated Bibliography Article: http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=0dc374bb-1268-4804-9e6a-b7dac4ba75bf%40sessionmgr103 Reflection:
This is a graphic organizer of a journal consisting of papers discussing the latest advancement in the Biomedical Engineering field.
Tim Elmore in his blog, http://growingleaders.com/, explains the employers' view regarding a bad experience with their interns. This blog was quite interesting because rather then writing about the perfect intern, he highlights the negative personal aspects that create for a negative internship. The blogger's friend invited a few college students to intern for him at his company, only to realize they lack certain qualities that will make the internship experience enjoyable, specifically, Teachability, Initiative, Responsibility, and Energy. The author suggests to explain the internship as a 12-week long interview, so that they will take the experience seriously and actually learn something. This idea seems to be the most relevant to me personally, the idea that employers look for attitude more so than aptitude. It's important to have a good attitude above anything else because then it amplifies the experience and you'll learn more from it.
After taking the OWEI test last week, I realized that I lacked initiative skills, so it's important that I step out of my comfort zone and ask my mentor if I could participate in different aspects. I could ask by saying, "Would it be okay with you if I participated in...". In addition, I believe I can improve my "teachability" skills by asking more questions on things I don't understand. To take it a step further, I could take my internship home by researching independently so that I am more knowledgeable about what is happening daily. If I take these further steps, then I believe I can be a successful intern in my 12-week long interview. Work Ethic is a broad term encompassing interpersonal skills, initiative, and dependability. It is being accountable for the work that you complete and believing that it serves an important function for the company as a whole.
Being able to work with others and communicating effectively is demonstrating interpersonal skills. Employers are looking for individuals who can be comfortable working independently and with others. They also look for how you show proper communication skills. Being able to make informed decisions without having to be told is demonstrating initiative. These days, having direct supervision is uncommon so it's important that you can make decisions yourself. Finally, being able to complete your duties and maintain your responsibilities demonstrates dependability. If you do not arrive on time and lack off your job responsibilities, you waste the company's money and you are likely to be fired. After using the Occupational Work Ethic Inventory, I found that I am above average to other working people. I scored a 6.44 out of 7 in interpersonal skills, a 6.19 of 7 in initiative, and a 6.43 out of 7 in dependability. While I ranked high in interpersonal skills, I found that my initiative was lower. By understanding my scores, I have learned that I have to work on making informed decisions by myself. This will help me make the most out of my internship and demonstrate professionalism. It's important to be aware of the situation you are placed in and what type of people are surrounding you because there are many different ways one has to communicate appropriately. For example, when I am communicating with my friends or other peers, I am rather informal and casual; however if I am in a workplace surrounded by adults and professionals, I take a serious tone and I make sure I regard them as "Mr. or Mrs./Ms." In addition, it is equally as important to pay attention to nonverbal communication, such as, body language and eye contact. When I am communicating with professionals at the company, I will make sure I stand up straight and maintain eye contact. A straight posture with your hands by your side, shows that you are engaged in conversation and willing to offer insight. Finally, communication via email or phone call should also be appropriate. With friends, phone calls can be less serious, but with adults it's important to maintain the same level of seriousness and formality as you would in person. In emails, you should always say "Thank You" and your name at the end.
Expectations also vary between friends and coworkers/mentors. While both expect your respect and courtesy, your coworkers expect your enthusiasm and academic insight as well. Employers go off first impression, simply because they don't know you well enough, so that's why it's important to show that you're serious about the opportunity. They expect that you can effectively communicate when you have questions or concerns. As far as communicating with my mentor, I will make sure I reply in a timely manner whenever I get an email or phone call. I will also make sure I have good body language and eye contact so that I can show my confidence and enthusiasm. Lastly, I will effectively listen to my mentor and ask appropriate questions. |
Divya B.High School Intern at a biomedical engineering company called Aziyo Biologics Archives
May 2018
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