Post 9: Description of Workplace

My workplace is fairly small. My mentor is the establisher of her own business, so its only her and I working there at the moment. Three other people come in sometimes to help her out when she is working on a major project, but other than that its just me helping her out. My mentor works from her own home (this is temporary, only until she rents a suitable studio to promote her business) and we use her kitchen and office to work in and create things. Her office is used for all of our sewing and beading projects, and we use the kitchen to dye feathers, straw, horsehair, and a ton of other objects so she can use them in her projects and also sell them online to other designers. 

My mentor has a big college education and has studied culinary arts, nursing, and modern art and design. She has been in college for a while and just started online college classes again in late January. She wants to get a Master's degree in nursing from what I know. 

Post 2: I didn't go to my WLE...

Today I did not attend my WLE because my mentor had called me the day before and told me that she had gotten extremely sick with a really bad fever and other infections, so if I went I would have been bored with nothing to do and probably would have gotten really sick because whatever she had was contagious. To make up for not going, I plan to go this friday to make up all the hours I had missed. Since I didn't go to my WLE, I ended up staying home all day and helped my mom clean the entire house. It was pretty boring. but it kept me busy at least.

Post 1: First Day of WLE

My first day at my WLE internship at C.A.D.'s Closet went very well. It was fun and informative, and her and I got along together very well. When I first arrived at her place of business, she showed me around her sewing studio and told me where everything was and explained what most of the stuff in there was used for in general. We then went to the fabric store and I chose out a yard of blue cloth fabric that she will be helping me make my first project out of, just a simple cooking apron. After that we got coffee and ate, then went back to her business so we could start on creating the apron. She showed me methods of sewing and using a sewing machine, and also other things like types of hats and the proper way to add things to the clothes you create. After reviewing those terms with me, we then got started on making my apron. We didn't get to finish, but thats okay because it usually takes 2.5 hours to complete in total, plus if you wanted to add anything extra to the finished product it will take longer.
I think I impressed my mentor with the respect I showed to her and her place of business by the way I handled her products and tools, the way I spoke, and the way I dressed. She was also impressed with my prior work and internship experience. I will need help with getting to know my way around the business enviornment and remembering all of the information that my mentor was trying to explain to me, but I know I'll eventually get the hang of everything. We were busy the entire time, because when her and I were not working on the apron project, I was listening to her explain things to me about sewing and fashion and show me around her studio. I can'y really thing of any current questions for my mentor, except if she could help me design and make my prom dress! And no, I do not have any questions for Ms. B....sorry! 

Intro Post: How I got my WLE: Oct. 26th

The way I got my internship is when I found out about my uncle's girlfriend's business when I received an invitation to one of her fashion shows. I went and watched it, and I loved the style and brands of clothing she used in her show, as well as the makeup and jewelry the models wore. It was very fun and interesting to watch, and she coordinated the entire show on her own which really impressed me. When I started searching for an internship, I thought of her place or business immediately because I am very interested in clothing, makeup, and fashion design in general. I contacted her and she told me that she needed somewhat of an assistant (more of an apprentice) to help her with everything involving her business, which is a lot. 
My mentor is Cori Diaz. She is the establisher and owner of C.A.D.'s Closet, a clothing design business and fashion retailer. It is located in Millepedes. While interning there, I am going to be very busy but having a good time and learning a lot of interesting things. Cori will be teaching me how to sew and create pieces of clothing (anywhere from hats, jackets, belts, aprons, jeans, dresses, skirts, etc.,) she will be teaching me the basics of photography, taking me to different craft stores for supplies, maybe the mall and fashion shows for inspiration and product ideas, she will be teaching me makeup and clothing tips,  and she will be teaching me how to sell items over the counter and over the internet (like putting products on her website and e-bay.) Its going to be amazingly fun and I'm definitely going to enjoy and benefit from it. 

Post 14: Almost Done

Since there is only one week left of WLE, I will thank my mentor by buying them a card or present, something like that....honestly, thats all I can really think of, besides me sincerely thanking them...The food I'm going to bring to the Mentor Appreciation potluck dinner on exhibition night is probably cupcakes because I love them. While I was at my internship today, I was taking pictures of the shop and the guys that work there to post on the business's website. I also cleaned up a bit, and did work on the computer with the office manager. I worked on my WLE project with my mentor so that she could help me out with the hardest parts of it and show me how to make it look really professional. For my WLE project, my mentor and I thought it would be a good idea if I made a mini set of "books" to show what I have learned from having this internship, since there isn't much I can do that will benifit the business for the actual project. Instead, we wanted to show what I have actually learned from this WLE internship while working on the business's sales and other stuff. By mini set of books, I mean like a fake set showing accounts payable and receivable for a business, sales, returns, checks made and received, balancing bank statements, ect. I will work on this at home, as well as with my mentor as much as possible. To get 100 hours by next Wednesday, I plan to come in extra days and stay longer, as well as work on what I can at home.

Post 12: How My WLE Project Is Going

I am not yet sure about what my WLE project is going to be. I am planning on having a meeting with Joel and Ms. B in order to figure out what I will be doing. My mentor and I have come up with some ideas for the project, which I will sharing with Joel and seeing which one sounds the best to do. I am still a few hours behind in my WLE, so in order to get all of my hours in by May 5th I have been coming to work earlier than usual and staying much later.

Post 11: Mentor Interveiw

Today I took the time to interveiw my mentor. Her name is Vickie Fay and she works at Bo's Imports, which is located on 28184 Industrial Blvd. in Hayward. She is the bookeeper here and has many jobs and duties. She takes care of garage liability (insurance on the shop, cars, tools, furniture, ect.) and workers comp. (insurance to back up the shop and the mechanics in case they get hurt on the job). She also keeps a good eye on the business's income and manages and takes care of the business's paperwork including sales, purchases, accounts payable, accounts receivable, bank statements, sales tax, payroll, fileing, etcetera.She says her typical work day is very, very busy and she works between 30 to 40 hours a week. She became interested in this feild because when she was 19, she was given a job by a kind old lady who taught her the basics of bookeeping and managing a job site. When she met her husband who was getting ready to open up a business of his own in 1987, she decided to work part-time for him as well as a full-time job of her own. Some advice she would give to someone who is considering this type of job is to take schooling and a business course on it. She was never able to, and she went on to describe herself as being "self-made." She wishes that she could have taken courses herself because then she could have been able to answer her own questions instead of asking a CPA for help.
They questions I asked my mentor were;
1. N: Do you like your job? V: Yes I do.
2. N: What makes your job enjoyable? V: I am happy being my husband's bookeeper and being part of the family business.
3. N: Is your job difficult? V: Not most of the time. The hardest part is working around me and my family's personal scedules.
4. N: Do you plan on getting another job anytime in the future? V: No, not as long as this business stays alive.
5. N: Am I a good worker? V: Yes, you are a very good worker. 
6. N: Why am I a good worker? V: You are diligent and precise when doing your work, and you greatly care about the outcome of your job.

Post 10: Daily Assault

I am not totally on track with my WLE hours, I am only a few hours behind though. I have about 56 hours. I plan to get caught up by trying to work every day during spring break for the entire day. It'll be difficult, but I know I'll be able to do it. Today a man came in to measure the ugly, discusting old blinds that are dangling in all the windows in each room so that we could pick and choose some new ones. My mentor ended up letting me choose them. I also did part returns again, ordered parts, signed for incoming packages, payed bills, signed checks, vacuumed, inputted data on new cars, answered phones, and cleaned up the place a bit. My mentor helped me out with the taking care of the bills and checks, because I was severly confused about how to pay them at first, but now I'm a pro. A project that I am thinking about doing for the WLE exhibition and also to benifit my montor's business is build a website or design a new business sign for my mentor to put up outside of the business, but we'll see...I'm still not quite sure about it. And by the way, I named my blog Daily Assault because every time I come in to work each week, the other office employee always smacks me with stuff and throws things at me. I hate him sometimes.

Post 9: "Nosed" In.

Today I ordered parts, returned parts, organized parts and put them on the racks and shelves, went outside and collected information on the new cars (stuff like the license plate, color, make, model, mileage, VIN number, ect), collected payments from the customers, answered phones (they were ringing off the hook all day), inputted data into the computer, and worked on ordering new blinds for the main office because the ones that are in here now are like a hundred years old. My mentor went to a dentist appointment so he was out alot, so my other mentor was throwing all these jobs at me left and right. I have absolutly no idea what my WLE project is going to be. Hopefully its going to be something interesting and not 'lame' with a capital L. I have not yet spoken to my advisor and mentor about the project, so I'll just get back to you on that subject later. And just so you know how I got my title, the tow truck guy walked in and said, "Hey, I'm nosed in." So I just put it as my title.

Post 8: Analyzing My Workplace

I work at a very small business, and that is good for me because since there are very few employees, there are always tons of jobs for me to do. If I worked at a larger business, there might not be as many things for me to do because there would be so many people working on different jobs. Everyone is important here at my internship. There are no people that are, as some would say, "at the bottom" of the business because everyone here is helpful and has a huge role in keeping the business running. There are the two mechanics, the bookkeeper, the secretary/ mechanic, and the boss who is head in command, but he is also the main mechanic. Everyone here likes the owner, he is kind to them and pays them very well and includes benefits, and the customers like him and all of them usually befriend him. The secretary is cool with the customers and is my friend, but he is extremely annoying all the time to me and the mechanics. I don't talk to the bookkeeper much, but she is either really grouchy certain days or really nice on others. Everyone likes her though and respects her. The mechanics speak spanish so I don't talk to them much, but they like and respect the boss, bookkeeper, secretary, and me too. I would say that this business is working class, but everyone here is very intelligent either way and admirable for the hard work they do. They know many things that you couldn't learn in college, and plus I don't believe for one second that you have to go to college in order to become successful or be intelligent. I think anyone can be those things without setting one foot into college. I like interning here, its preparing me for a lot of stuff that I'm going to have to face and go through later in life. And college degree is cool and shows that you have done a lot of hard work in order to get it if you have one, but I don't think your a sure fire winner/genious/fancy-pants if you have one.

POST 7: I Hate It When The Phone Rings.

The blogs that I have read are Reanna, Elizabeth, Denzel, Mario, and Lauren's blog. Reanna is writing a very good blog so far because she evaluates about everything that she has done throughout that day, and she is descriptive in her writing. To make my blog more effective, I can continue doing them more regularly and finding more experiences to talk about. It seems as though many people are not keeping up with their blogs and those who are, are not being very descriptive in their writing. I will help Steven Stephens out with his blog because he has not been completing his blogs, so I will help him because he is my friend. I think that I am learning either about the same or a little more than most people with internships, because while I am here every week, I learn how to do about five new things every time, whether it be about finances or money, the cars and automobiles, communicating with the customers, inputting data and other computer related stuff, ect. I don't get bored at my WLE because there is always something for me to do. It keeps me busy, and I like hanging out with the other employees that work there. If I ever need something else to do, they give me whatever job any of them can find. Ms. B came in today to talk to me and my mentor. It was okay, even though I was acting grouchy. I want my mentor to allow me to order new blinds for his business, because the ones he has hanging in the waiting room are old and gross!

POST 6: Grading Myself For WLE

 I have had many experiences while working at my internship. I have learned how to file, answer phones, speak to customers, input data into the computer data bases and files, order parts, correctly communicate properly and professionally with customers, file tons and tons of paperwork, clean up the place (which I try to do every other week because it gets so very, very dirty), get along with the other employees, and I have learned how to keep constantly busy and to work very hard. I know I have not been turning in all of my blogs, and that I am sure to change.

1. Mastery of Knowledge: 4
2. Application of Knowledge: 4
3. Metacognition: 4
4. Leadership Skills: 2.5
5. College Work Habits: 3

I believe that I deserve an overall grade of 3.5 for my WLE job performance, and my mentors agree with this as well, although I'm not sure if my grade goes down for not having every blog turned in.

Post 5: I learned how to not be a chicken

There are so many things that I do at my WLE that I could not learn in an Impact Academy classroom. One thing I did today was learn what to say when I answer the shop phone and speak to the person on the other line. I also learned how to speak to customers who came in, which many turned out to be creepy looking dudes. I have a really hard time talking to people that I do not know or feel uncomfortable around, so It was a challenge for me to even open my mouth when they asked questions, but when i spoke I think most of them thought I was a weirdo because I kept on stuttering and mixing up my words like a dummy. My fellow office mate (who happens to have a regular job here and actually gets paid) helped me out throughout the day with the tasks at hand. By the end of the day, I had spoken to many customers and I feel more comfortable and confident when I have to talk to them now. The skills that I have learned at Impact that I can think of that I am using here are solving problems resourcefully, being repectful to the people around me, and being diligent in my work. When I work as an intern, I feel more grown up and I feel like I have bigger expectations to meet and I have to be more serious and mature.

POST 1: An intro to my WLE: January 6th

I did not go to Job Shadow Day because I did not have an internship for sure yet.  I finally got one at the end of the day. My Mentor is my father, Bo Fay. I am working at his Auto Mechanic shop called Bo's Imports, located on Industrial Blvd in Hayward, near the new Costco. While I have my internship there, I will be answering phones, cleaning, filing paperwork, inputting information into the shop's data base, and doing simple jobs on cars. I asked my dad if I could work there and he told me I could, so thats how I got my internship.