In the average American life it is always striving to work in order to live happily or at least comfortably. The purpose of working in my opinion should be to do jobs that is interesting to for me to do and that I can excel in that certain skill. Being amble to constantly grow and learn new things is what I think working should be. However, reality is working in order to survive in this economy, if I don’t have a job then I will live in struggle. Never being able to afford the basics which is why most people work, being able to afford the life that I have imagined for myself is why I would work at a job that I may not enjoy. The reality of the purpose of working is earning enough money to buy the basic necessities to survive. Also, to stay busy it is something to do throughout the day, without working it would get boring to stay home all day. Lastly, it’s also a place to make connections and socialize with people that are not in my inner circle like family.

Motivation is important to have especially when it come to working or going to school. Some of the things that keep me motivated it my family, they are the reason I am able to get higher education. I also keep in mind that I will not be able to reach my goals if I don’t put effort and keep putting in the work. Most importantly, The people around me who support me keep me motivated. Without my friends pushing me to continue on the days I lack motivation, I would stay in a slump for longer.

I previously worked at a daycare and when I first started I was nervous to be in charge of children. However, as I furthered into the job I was enjoying it and learned a lot about children and how they learn. It was a good experience since I learned how to adapt to different personalities of children. I knew that there were some children that had a harder time in learning the basics and how to behave. When I worked there I paid to them because I empathized with them, it was fulfilling to be able to help them and make them believe that they can truly do it any task. It was also nice to see their reactions when they saw that they were capable to do the task. Knowing that I made a small impact on someone’s life in a small way, sometimes you need other people to show you that anything is possible if another approach is taken.

Reflection on My Work and Volunteering Experiences

Through my experiences I enjoyed the skills that I acquired because I will be able to apply them to future jobs or other opportunities. The connections made during these experiences have been helpful to have when doing these jobs. Meeting new people and getting to know them has made all my experiences better. Volunteering also makes a positive impact on whichever organization or event that I do, which is gratifying to see.

Although the experiences where gratifying there were times where it was not as enjoyable. For example, dealing with certain people who do not want to put forth the same amount of effort that I would. They would either not do the task well or not help at all. Most of my experiences haven’t been terrible, which it is important to try new experiences because you never know what you can learn. When volunteering in areas that are in need, it is difficult to see people are struggling. However, it has taught me to be compassionate and understanding of peoples’ situations.

My Skills

Some of my skills would be that I am able to have good communication with anyone that I may come across someone I work with. I can work well with others if need be, and analyze any issues that come by and try to address it. I am able to speak proficiently in two languages which helps me to adapt to different types of people. I can also take initiative when necessary, to complete a job that has been given to me.

If I were to ask someone to describe what I am good at, I think they would say that I am someone who they can depend on. I am determined in anything that I am involved in. For example, for my organization that I am apart of in college, I make sure that anything the club does is done efficiently and well. Lastly, that I am a very positive person, I can help bring up the mood when everyone else is down.

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Competencies

Communication is something that I try to do often especially when it comes to working with other people. In the clubs that I am in, effective communication has helped alleviate problems before the issue gets worse. In jobs that I have done, I have kept constant communications with coworkers or supervisors. It is important to do so, because it assumption can harm the work place or team. Communication is also a way for to get everyone’s ideas out and make everyone feel heard.

Critical thinking is thinking about logically and assessing a situation before making judgement or a decision. I believe that I do this on a day to day basis, for example, when someone would come to me about an issue it’s important to not assume or make a haste judgment. In a professional aspect it is important to be ready to handle any situations that comes my way. If someone has an issue with me or a problem from when doing a task, it must be handled with good reasoning. Not only with problems but with any opportunity that will be brought to my attention. For example, a club that I am a part of had a deal offered to us and me with my executive team had to make the best decision for the club. While we did not complete shut down their offer we gave them an alternative that would better benefit both clubs.

Professionalism is making sure that respect, responsibilities, and reliability is shown. I think that I have built good boundaries when it involves personal and professional relationships and responsibilities. I have times where I have to work with friends in professional settings and I have to make sure that staying professional is key to getting effective work done. If I were to spend the whole time having fun and not getting the work done, then I would be a terrible person to work with. Setting clear boundaries helps with having a professional setting and getting work done.

Teamwork is the ability to work with different types of people in order to get a task done. When I get paired up with people for a group assignment, at times it can be difficult but I do try make sure everyone can work together. I also try to make sure every voice is heard because combining thoughts and ideas make for a better outcome. Teamwork allows for diverse ideas to flow and create an outcome that would not be possible without every single person. Creativity increases when different minds come together to work on something.

Resume and Cover Letter

Target Resume and Cover Letter

I think my resume and cover letter do reflect who I am. In all of my roles that I am apart of, it demonstrates that I take a lot of care to them. In most of my roles I have to demonstrate good communication, which has allowed to me to have team work. Wanting to work in healthcare has shaped me do well in empathizing and connecting with people through communication. In my research experiences and leadership roles in clubs has emphasized my ability to work in a group. I must also maintain professionalism since I do work with a lot of friends, and professionalism maintains respect between people. There is some true division between my true self and my self in a work place. For instance professionalism is only shown in the work setting. The others like communicating, determination, and critical thinking can work in both work and non-work settings.

Stress in the Workplace

In the workplace stress is bound to come up, whether it be due to being overwhelmed by the work, people that are in the environment, or other external factors. Some factors might be financial issues, whether or not you will be able to make the next rent payment. Family issues, it could be a recent death in the family or bad relationships between a relative. Mental health is a common underlying factor that people deal with and could cause them stress. Another could be not getting along with your coworkers which makes the workplace unenjoyable. Stressed can be caused by anything that makes you feel out of control or overwhelmed.

When I deal with stress I try to spend time with my family or friends, get out of the environment that is causing me stress for at least 30 minutes. This helps me cope with the stress that I have in the moment. The differential vulnerability model is finding coping resources to handle the stress. By understanding why certain people might be more stressed than others is the differential exposure model. An example would be financial issues or health issues. Knowing how to deal with stress is crucial in the professional self.