"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
- John F. Kennedy
 | Hello world! If you are new, welcome to the Luminstruct blog! My name is Mark and I am currently working on a "365-Word Project" by posting reflections on various words every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Today's word is "Ask". |
I have had a good variety of different students work for me over the past five years, all of them have had a different style of learning and all of them excelled in different aspects of the job. One of the main trends, however, which set certain workers apart from their counterparts were the ones who asked questions and asked for more.
It may seem simple, but the students who are destined for greatness are always asking for clarification and are always asking for more. There are a lot of opportunities in this world, but most of them don't magically just land in our lap. We must work for them in order to make them happen.
Back when I was an RA, I was in need of a summer job. I was a good event programmer, but did not have the slightest idea what I could do with this skill-set. I decided to talk with one of my employers and see if they had any ideas of potential work I could do over the summer. Their response changed my life.
I was given an internship where I designed and implemented a weekly alcohol-alternative program series every Thursday night call "Happenin' on Thursdays". This internship provided me with a $55,000 budget and unlimited resources to create programs and events for our student body. In many ways this internship has set me apart from many of my peers (even today) and although it happened six years ago, I still include it in my resume.
Now I am not saying that every person has a secret internship just waiting for you to ask for it, but there is no way of knowing if there is or isn't if you don't ask. We miss 100% of our baskets when we don't shoot the ball at the hoop, how is this different?
The students who finish a job swiftly and effectively and then return to me, asking for more, those are the students who will always be attractive candidates for new jobs. Self-motivation is a rarity in some cases, so why not set yourself apart from others? Reach for your potential. Don't miss your shot!
Question time: What opportunity has presented itself to you recently which unfolded from a simple question?
It may seem simple, but the students who are destined for greatness are always asking for clarification and are always asking for more. There are a lot of opportunities in this world, but most of them don't magically just land in our lap. We must work for them in order to make them happen.
Back when I was an RA, I was in need of a summer job. I was a good event programmer, but did not have the slightest idea what I could do with this skill-set. I decided to talk with one of my employers and see if they had any ideas of potential work I could do over the summer. Their response changed my life.
I was given an internship where I designed and implemented a weekly alcohol-alternative program series every Thursday night call "Happenin' on Thursdays". This internship provided me with a $55,000 budget and unlimited resources to create programs and events for our student body. In many ways this internship has set me apart from many of my peers (even today) and although it happened six years ago, I still include it in my resume.
Now I am not saying that every person has a secret internship just waiting for you to ask for it, but there is no way of knowing if there is or isn't if you don't ask. We miss 100% of our baskets when we don't shoot the ball at the hoop, how is this different?
The students who finish a job swiftly and effectively and then return to me, asking for more, those are the students who will always be attractive candidates for new jobs. Self-motivation is a rarity in some cases, so why not set yourself apart from others? Reach for your potential. Don't miss your shot!
Question time: What opportunity has presented itself to you recently which unfolded from a simple question?
