Reflections of Experiential Learning
As I
sit and write this final project, I reflect on the opportunities and the
problems that I have encountered within the internship as well as within
myself. Before participating in the internship, I did not have any idea that
the internship existed. I was not someone that checked her emails every day,
and truthfully, I did not check them weekly. It would take me months to check
my emails or they were checked on an as needed basis. The internship was the
beginning of a new habit for me.
Being a
part of this internship has helped me to discover the business person that I
need to be. I still have a lot of things to learn and I am sure that I will get
that along the way. Teamwork, and communication were among the basics for the
internship, and I learned that as well. The internship is a very good idea for
those that have been in school for some time, and have been writing paper after
paper about the theory of their coursework, but the internship helps to put
that theory into practice. This allows for students to gain great experience to
take with them after graduation, out into the business world.
Kaplan’s
internship program consists of many different departments such as, Kaplan
Radio, KapTech, KapCon, which is known as, Kaplan Consulting, Health and
Wellness, and many more departments. The internship was designed to give
students real world business experiences that can make them more prepared once
they enter into the business world, after graduation. To assist with the
learning experience the internship requires that students keep a weekly journal
of the experiences that were learned during the week, which replaces discussion
boards. Depending on what company that you do your internship with it can be
either paid or unpaid. The good thing is that students are able to do their
internship program for both associates and bachelor’s degree.
There are many reasons why a student should consider an
internship. Things such as experiencing what the field you are going to work in
will be like, you gain hands on experience, and there are networking and
mentoring opportunities. Students are also able to work on various tasks and
projects, all while gaining professional development opportunities. The
internship is excellent for preparing students for professionalism, after
graduation.
An internship helps to give a student an idea of what to
look for when they get out into the business world. It also shows a student how
to act when dealing with coworkers and managers. The internship experience
makes the transition into the business world less scary than if a student had
not took the internship. Great experiences come from being a part of an internship,
as it teaches independence.
Another great thing about being a part of an internship
is that one gets a chance to network. Networking allows a person to build a
relationship with acquaintances and associates through regular communication
for mutual benefits. If someone is an introvert, basically meaning, a person
who is energized by being alone, and whose energy is drained by being around
other people (About Parenting, 2015), networking will be pretty difficult for
them. Being an introvert does not necessarily mean that one does not have
social skills but it will take them more time than an extrovert to gain
networking partners.
Effective networking is done by both parties, the
networker and the networked. First of all both parties need to engage in the
conversation of exchanging information. Then, evaluating your contacts, meaning
that everyone that you network with is not worth establishing a relationship
with. For this reason it is important to ask questions about their position,
and what the company is about and how they stack up against the competition
(Forbes, 2014).
The course along with the internship were both very
separate but similar. The course was where we wrote about our experiences
within the internship, and the internship was the actual leg work. Although the
assignments within the course were very repetitive, they were good reflection
pieces toward the internship. Keeping in mind to connect theories and concepts
with practical experiences was a great way to navigate through the course as
well as the internship.
Understanding
information management, planning, and control are important key factors in a
business environment. Information is used to set tactics and accomplish
business objectives. According to an
article by, Blue Avenue associates, “A good management information system will only reap the benefits if the
companies gain insight to better align strategies”. In order for a business to
work, it has to have a plan that makes sense for the company to move forward. Business
planning requires a few things like, handling resources as well as the
businesses priorities, in an organized way. Lastly, Business dictionary defines
management control as achieving defined goals within an established timetable.
Ethics,
whether in business or in one’s personal life, serves to keep one honest. Maintaining
ethics within a business setting is lucrative, and keeps the company’s name in
good standing. The decision to behave ethically is said to be a moral one; this
may involve rejecting the route that would lead to the biggest short-term
profit. Displaying ethical behavior can bring momentous benefits to a business.
Corporate social responsibility is also very important in an organization as it
too can bring significant benefits to a business.
An organization runs smoothly when everyone
within the company knows their positons. Within an organization individuals are
assigned titles for many purposes, to understand what their jobs consist of and
also to know on what level they fall into on the organizational chart. The
levels in business hierarchy consist of top level management, which are people
like the CEOs, Managing directors, General Managers, Presidents, and Vice
Presidents, whom are considered the planners. The second level is middle level
management, these are assistant managers, managers, and senior managers. These
are the people that make sure to manage the plans that top level has set forth.
Lastly, the operation level employees are the frontline employees. These are
the people that execute the plans that were delegated to them from the middle
level managers.
Expanding a company into
the global economy can be costly and risky. There are many things that come
along with doing such a thing. A business owner must spend lots of money on
research and development to research the information needed to open a business
in another country. One has to know the demographics in which they want to
build in. One also has to know the necessity of the product or service needed
by the people. There has to also be knowledge of income.
Understanding the way a
country is run will help a business owner to make sound decisions for their
company. Smart business owners know that there are a few things to consider
before opening a business in another country. First, research business
practices consists of reviewing taxes, business laws and practices, and
banking, which may vary from country to country. Studying the laws of another
country before venturing out will help to know if it will be a good business
investment.
Second, a business owner
must study cultural differences. The necessity for a product or service might benefit
people of the United States, this may not be the case for the people of a
foreign country. In many countries there is not a need for cars, yet in still,
many people cannot afford them. There would be no need for BMW or Benz to open
up a car dealership. Many countries are not poor but the majority of the
country is not wealthy either.
Third, the country’s political climate requires understanding a country’s
political and economic system. It is important to understand what the potential
country’s political views are, and where they stand on taxes. Having a good
idea of what the potential country’s taxation laws are will help to not have
any unexpected surprises when their economy is going through a change. Doing
research beforehand will eliminate any doubts or surprises.
The fourth and most important tip is to seek legal advice. Speaking with a
legal professional can help to make sure that you are making a good investment.
This will also help to insure that you are not getting into a bad economic
situation. The best thing to do is to find a local lawyer that lives and works
within that country. This specialist will have the knowledge to understand what
the best advice would be to give the business owner.
The fifth tip is to seek local guidance to understand more about the
businesses that are already there. A good idea is to make friends or become
acquaintances with other business owners before the big venture. Seeking local
guidance is best because that way a business owner can get an idea of the
necessity of the product or service. Local information will give an idea of
people’s income and if they will be able to afford the product or service.
The sixth and last tip is to
give yourself time. Before jumping into something too fast give yourself time
to think if the product or service is necessary in that country. Also, give
yourself time to see if going global is something that you are ready to get
into. Going global will involve lots of travel until the business gets on its
feet. Managers will have to be trained and hired to run the many departments of
the company.
The government also has a word in how a
business operates. Whether big or small the government has a hand in how the
business is regulated. It is said that although the government regulates both,
they are really on the side of larger companies. The larger companies bring in
more revenue than a smaller business, and have more affiliation with politics
and other big officials than a smaller company. The laws for a global company
are differe4nt than those in the United States.
The laws for a global company comes from
within the country that one is looking to build in. There may be laws that say
once a foreign company opens up a business in a country, that the business has
to give a portion of its proceeds to their government, or back to the
community. There are also laws which prohibits bribery of foreign government officials
and officials of public international organizations. Finally, the government
has laws that regulate the imports and exports of technology and products to
and from the United States, respectively.
Developing
career skills come from learning what is taught by an instructor in school and
then practicing those skills when you get into the business world. Career
skills are what helps to land an individual the job position that they want. As
an employee you learn many skills such as communication skills, teamwork,
technology skills, and professionalism as an overall. These skills, when
practiced, can help us get into a management position.
Having career skills will help to boost someone into a higher position.
When one develops career skills and use them appropriately, this does not go
unnoticed. Manager’s notice when a worker does their job, and they also notice
when a person goes above and beyond. Going above and beyond is what get
employees a promotion or rewards. It is always a privilege to be able to do an
effective job and get noticed for it.
Teamwork is learned at an
early age, but as a child it is called, playing nicely. As one transitions into
adulthood, teamwork is necessary in order to get things done. In personal relationships,
and in work relationships there are levels of teamwork involved. With teamwork
comes respect, and respect is needed in order to work with someone and get a
job done. In a business setting employees are encouraged to contribute to team
goals and objectives through active participation and collaboration.
Being a team player has
its benefits. Teamwork improves morale, by allowing employees to gain authority
and ownership over projects. Being a part of a team also gives a person a sense
of belonging. Also, being a part of a team allows for greater flexibility for
the company. The company is able to collaborate a team of people from different
parts of the company in order to complete a project, saving time and money.
Also, the collaboration of
a team fosters increased innovation. When a group of people get together ideas
start to flow. With the mention of one word a team can come up with the best
plan in order to complete a project. Many companies are said to be based on
teamwork, as this helps the employees to be very creative. Friendships are
oftentimes manifested from a group project.
In addition to teamwork,
leadership requires working with a team and modeling leadership skills by
developing trusting relationships, respect, conflict resolution skills, and
civic-mindedness. Often time’s people that are in leadership positions abuse
their authority but there is a great need for leaders to demonstrate integrity,
and social responsibility within their professions. A leader’s position is
similar to that of a manager but the two have very different meanings. A leader
is one that has people that follow them and managers have people that work for
them. Leaders develop inspirational visions and missions, while managers
operate under the vision or mission of a company.
Of course, it is true that personal
presentation are among many of the factors that make an individual a
professional. Professional presentation consist of conducting one’s self to
reflect professional characteristics, while interacting with others in a
professional manner. Professional presentation also consist of the attire of an
individual. The way one dresses is important in a business setting, and speaks
volumes about a professional. Professional image is projected by the way one is
dressed, giving one confidence and a positive attitude.
The way a business person dresses is very
important. Before a business person speaks their attire speaks for them.
Although a business person may be very good at what they do, people always
judge from the first impression, which is the way people dress. Also, dressing
appropriately for the job puts the business person in the mind frame of the
business at hand.
Diversity in a business environment is very
important. Diversity within a company helps all employees to have an open mind
and to consider different perspectives on things. Personally, demonstrating an understanding of
multiculturalism and diversity helps a company grow its cultural value.
Understanding that everyone is not the same and has different viewpoints on
certain issues helps to make for a productive business organization.
Diversity in the workplace is very important
for employees to keep an open mind. Diversity in the workplace allows the
employees to gain mutual respect for their coworkers. Diversity also helps in
conflict resolution, aides in building a business’s reputation, can help an
employee with multiple language skills to gain promotions, and can provide
increased exposure. Diversity adds many benefits to a company as well as to an
employee.
Open mindedness is a key factor to
understanding diversity. Employees gain mutual respect from their peers that
are of a different culture. Once an understanding is established between the
diverse cultures, respect for ideas, thoughts and concepts follow.
Understanding diversity leads to a positive work environment for all that are
involved.
Conflict resolution is tackled better with
the understanding of diversity. When a person is aware of someone else’s
culture they are more understanding that the person handle situation’s
differently and they also think differently. One culture could handle a
situation by talking it out and another could handle their situation by not
addressing it all together. Many people do not like conflict, therefore,
understanding another’s culture is beneficial to resolve problems.
A business can get a good reputation from
treating its employee’s right. When a business has a diversity department
dedicated to the different groups within the company, those groups feel like
they matter. Companies like Wells Fargo Bank has a diversity team with a
representative for each different group of ethnicities. They have things and
events dedicated to every group that go one each month to make the groups feel
like their opinions count in the workplace.
An employee that knows more than one language
is able to get promotions or get the job of their dreams. Being multilingual is
really good for a company because instead of hiring two people to fill two
different positions, they are able to hire one person to fill both positions.
Although a multilingual person is hired to do a two person job they may not get
the pay of a two person position. The benefits would be great for this person
and will allow for the employee to find work in other countries.
Lastly, diversity within a company allows the
business to gain exposure. Positive exposure is what a company wants. A company
does not want to be labeled as not being accommodating to its employees,
especially if the employee is of a different culture. In order for a company to
understand how a certain culture works it has to research the cultures beliefs,
religions, clothing preferences, etc.
Communication is the overall most important
factor within a business environment. Communication helps employees to understand
the perspective of those that are different from them. Communication opens up
many avenues to employees so that teamwork and collaboration is successful.
Great communication uses language that is clear, and organized and it uses the
language that is appropriate for a targeted audience. Good communication makes
for good teamwork, and teamwork makes for a successful organization.
So far, in my paper, I have discussed many
important factors that will make for a successful organization. Factors such as
teamwork, leadership, personal presentation, multiculturalism and diversity,
communication are critical in maintaining and growing an effective business
environment. Lastly, a successful business requires the utilization of problem
solving and critical thinking across all departments. Critical thinking allows
one to think outside of the box.
As the internship has provided me with much
of the previously mentioned skills, there were many valuable experiences learned.
The two most valuable experiences that I got from the internship was to always
check my emails and to communicate with my team in order to get my assignments
done. Before getting into the internship, I was really bad at checking my
email, now I check them almost daily. The second most valuable experience that
I learned was to always communicate with my team. Whenever I ran into a problem
with an assignment I was skeptical about bothering my internship managers. They
were really nice about helping me when I needed it. These experiences would
fall under the course outcome of assessing the roles that structure,
management, and leadership play in organizational performance.
Based
on the Skills Assessment that I have completed, I would consider my most
significant strengths to be active listening, and critical thinking. Active
listening allows for a person to be able to hear key words in a conversation
and breakdown that information to use as needed. Secondly, when you are an active
listener this allows a person to think critically. This experiential learning
is helping me to grow into a critical thinking, team working professional.
I am very pleased to say that, I am happy
that I was chosen to join the internship. I have opted for my next term to do
the internship in place of my Capstone. The internship is going to further give
me knowledge of how an organization works, as far as collaborating with
coworkers and staying in touch with managers, on a much needed basis. As well
as giving me more great experiences, the skills learned from the internship
will be able to go on my resume to show a potential employer.
As I am aware of what the internship is
about, my experiences should be even more fulfilling. I am grateful that
someone came up with the idea to do an internship in place of the Capstone
because the internship is much more needed. Entering into the internship is
going to give me more confidence, as I transition into the business field. I
will have the confidence to communicate effectively with coworkers of diverse
cultures, and intimidating managers. I will go into a team project with
self-assurance, knowing that I am well prepared to offer any ideas that I
have.
Although I am using what I am learning from
the internship, there are still challenges that I face. As time goes on, I am
still learning what kind of professional that I will grow into. I still have a
few issues like, checking my email daily, and I still have issues with
communicating effectively with managers and coworkers. These are easy to fix
issues, but they could also be a hindrance, if I continue to go on this way.
Therefore, to eliminate these challenges I am going to make sure that I
practice checking my emails every day, throughout the day, if possible and also
I will have to just think of communicating with managers as a way that is going
to help build the company, and not to think of it as a personal thing.
Sometimes managers can be intimidating, but
be that as it may, they are humans and are not God. Everyone in a work
environment deserves the same level of respect. No one should get treated
better than the next person. People should get recognized for their abilities,
skills, and hard work. Although, managers, however, have their favorites and it
is not a secret in most businesses. Because one cannot prove that there is
obvious favoritism, people have to deal with it, and just do their jobs.
Personally, as long as I am not getting picked on by a manger, I am good. If I
am allowed to do my work, without being wrongfully ridiculed, it is a pleasant
environment for me.
Long after I am done with this program, I
will still remember what I have been taught throughout. I have learned valuable
things within the program as well as in the internship. I have learned the
meaning of professionalism, what a professional should look like and how a
professional should act. My journey does not end here, as I will continue to
learn and practice professionalism every day.
In conclusion, the internship has taught me a
lot about becoming a professional. I realize that teamwork, leadership,
personal presentation, multiculturalism and diversity, communication, and
lastly, problem solving and critical thinking are the pillars of working within
a successful environment. An internship can teach students very important, and
valuable experiences that can be used in the business world. Strengths and
opportunities can be reinforced by continuing to hone in on them and weakness
and threats can be strengthened by much practice.
References
Berry, T. (2011, April 4). How
Business Planning Leads to Better Management. Retrieved from
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219424
Magloff, L. (2015). What Are the
Benefits of Teamwork in Business? Retrieved from
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-teamwork-business-3250.html
Sauser, L. (2014, June 4). 6 Tips to
for Starting a Business in another Country. Retrieved from
http://blog.up.co/2014/06/04/6-tips-starting-business-another-country/
