They say that confidence is key. That if you project confidence and act like you know what you’re doing, then no one will question you. So that’s what I do. In fact, I’m pretty sure that that’s the only reason I was able to get through my first job interview.
When someone asks me what my plans are for the future, I, confidently, tell them I want to edit books, and help publish them. I tell them how I’m building my basis for that goal by working for a degree rooted in writing and business administration, and how I plan to do a masters in business to make my foundation more solid. This combination also works for me because I love the creative process, but I also like logic and facts.
But sometimes I’m not 100% sure about what I’m doing. Sometimes, the inevitable doubting comes to surface. Am I going about this the right way? Are you sure you know what you’re doing? What if I’m not ready?
That’s why I’m very grateful for my internship. I’ve picked up little bits of business knowledge here and there from hanging around my family’s company. However, I wasn’t satisfied with my accumulated knowledge base. In fact, I wasn’t even sure what I needed from an internship. I just wanted to work with words and see how far the use of English could take me. Thankfully, Gigi was very accommodating in working with my vagueness and placed me at the Champlain College Academic Center in Montreal.
Doing my internship there isn’t glamorous, but I get to see into so much of the process of running an institution that it’s pretty fascinating to me. I love how I can apply some basics I’ve learned in school and working for my family to my internship. I like being inside the business and having the responsibilities of working with the budget and putting together reports and projects. Because sometimes I feel like I don’t know enough, so picking up little nuggets of info is gratifying. Being able to live in such a beautiful city doesn’t hurt either! The best part is getting to work closely with the staff of the Montreal campus, because while they’re pretty accommodating with working with me, they aren’t shy about putting forth challenges, pointing out errors, and showing me how to fix them.
Right now, I’m working on a project that incorporates my writer with my thinker. My project is to interview as many of the hardworking faculty of the Montreal campus as possible, and create a profile for them. I just finished my first interview today, and I’m anticipating really diving into this project.
There’s still so much for me to learn and do, but I’m definitely making progress. Maybe one day, soon, the confidence you see from me will be stronger and more authentic.
– Michelle Nguyen, Professional Writing Major, Spring 2015