I was just asked to take notes on the White House press briefing and told to send them out to the top two people. Who knew that all the note-taking I’ve done during the last four hours would finally pay off! I took notes during the press briefing, immediately re-wrote everything in a comprehensive paragraph format, and then forwarded it via e-mail. Dare I say that it was my mini-moment of glory? That said, swine flu is something that should be taken very serious and I am not aiming to make light of the current situation
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
During the last week I have been shadowing several screening managers at the airport.
Hector: screening manager (my old sm)
Frank: screening manager (my current sm)
Bill: TSM-I (my old sm) He essentially oversees other screening managers.
Screening managers oversee checkpoints for one shift, ranging from one checkpoint up to four occasionally. Hector explained to me that the job itself is not particularly difficult; when things are running smoothly there is little for him to do but when bumps occur then he is expected to take care of the issue. It seems like a simple concept, but this honestly had not occurred to me before. I suppose my theory was, the higher up you are the more work you have. Instead, Hector and even Bill emphasized that, while they do not have more work per se, they do have more responsibilities. [“If something goes wrong, we’ll be held accountable for it”]
On the days that I shadowed a screening manager we started with a daily meeting that all screening managers attend. Apparently a meeting is held for each shift, so a total of three per day. After the meeting we visited each of our assigned checkpoints. The meeting and checkpoint visits lasted for approximately three hours. Afterwards we would adjourn in one of several offices and start reviewing paperwork.
I realize this is an incredibly broad overview of what I did, but it really is difficult to explain to an outsider.
Hector: screening manager (my old sm)
Frank: screening manager (my current sm)
Bill: TSM-I (my old sm) He essentially oversees other screening managers.
Screening managers oversee checkpoints for one shift, ranging from one checkpoint up to four occasionally. Hector explained to me that the job itself is not particularly difficult; when things are running smoothly there is little for him to do but when bumps occur then he is expected to take care of the issue. It seems like a simple concept, but this honestly had not occurred to me before. I suppose my theory was, the higher up you are the more work you have. Instead, Hector and even Bill emphasized that, while they do not have more work per se, they do have more responsibilities. [“If something goes wrong, we’ll be held accountable for it”]
On the days that I shadowed a screening manager we started with a daily meeting that all screening managers attend. Apparently a meeting is held for each shift, so a total of three per day. After the meeting we visited each of our assigned checkpoints. The meeting and checkpoint visits lasted for approximately three hours. Afterwards we would adjourn in one of several offices and start reviewing paperwork.
I realize this is an incredibly broad overview of what I did, but it really is difficult to explain to an outsider.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
My internship currently goes until April 25th, meaning I have exactly two weeks remaining.
How you will continue to network in your field:
As far as making connections go, I will still work with two separate departments while also interning in the SOCC for several days. I think networking will be a little bit easier for me because I will not really be leaving my internship-site once I have completed my 14 weeks.
How you intend on continuing to apply for positions to increase the chance of getting hired:
I already applied for one position and a similar one just opened up again and I may apply for that one as well. (both are in the SOCC) I am currently on a waiting list to go full-time with TSA. In the meantime I think I will continue to apply for various positions at the main office.
If I apply for any additional positions I will use the same resume and essay question answers. I believe that the elimination process occurs at the interview stage, not during the application process. Perhaps I will make changes to my application process once I have received some feedback from current applications.
What you will accomplish before the end of your internship:
Next week I will shadow a screening manager at his checkpoint. During the last week I may shadow someone in the Regulatory Department. Each of the people I am going to shadow apparently already have a project lined up for me. For me, this seems like a really nice way to cap off this internship.
The screening manager will actually have me working with files that I had to put together during my first several weeks interning at the Airport.
Strengths:
A strength in regard to the workplace is that I have gotten to see behind-the-scenes in almost all of the departments within TSA. I think this makes working anywhere else in the airport easier because I know how things are handled.
Weaknesses:
The fact that I am still thoroughly fazed by people’s titles may be a weakness. Spending time in the SOCC, or even just being in the main office, I have realized that most of upper management is quite approachable. It may take a while for me to get used to addressing some people by their first names.
How you will continue to network in your field:
As far as making connections go, I will still work with two separate departments while also interning in the SOCC for several days. I think networking will be a little bit easier for me because I will not really be leaving my internship-site once I have completed my 14 weeks.
How you intend on continuing to apply for positions to increase the chance of getting hired:
I already applied for one position and a similar one just opened up again and I may apply for that one as well. (both are in the SOCC) I am currently on a waiting list to go full-time with TSA. In the meantime I think I will continue to apply for various positions at the main office.
If I apply for any additional positions I will use the same resume and essay question answers. I believe that the elimination process occurs at the interview stage, not during the application process. Perhaps I will make changes to my application process once I have received some feedback from current applications.
What you will accomplish before the end of your internship:
Next week I will shadow a screening manager at his checkpoint. During the last week I may shadow someone in the Regulatory Department. Each of the people I am going to shadow apparently already have a project lined up for me. For me, this seems like a really nice way to cap off this internship.
The screening manager will actually have me working with files that I had to put together during my first several weeks interning at the Airport.
Strengths:
A strength in regard to the workplace is that I have gotten to see behind-the-scenes in almost all of the departments within TSA. I think this makes working anywhere else in the airport easier because I know how things are handled.
Weaknesses:
The fact that I am still thoroughly fazed by people’s titles may be a weakness. Spending time in the SOCC, or even just being in the main office, I have realized that most of upper management is quite approachable. It may take a while for me to get used to addressing some people by their first names.
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