My Internship Experience at United Way

When I started the post-graduate public relations program at Niagara College, I already knew which direction I wanted to take once I finished. An advantage of returning to school at age 40 - I have more life experience compared to younger students and know what my strengths and weaknesses are and what I'm passionate about.

Last fall, my fellow classmates and I had to apply for our internships. Since I have an intense desire to help and empower others, I was thrilled to learn there was a charity close to home willing to take in a student. With the program coordinator's support and encouragement, I sent in a resume to United Way South Niagara (UWSN). I had an interview with them in January, which subsequently led to my placement there this past April.

Putting my skills to use in the not-for-profit arena was very appealing. The idea I could make a positive difference in my community and help provide comfort to those suffering mentally, emotionally, physically or financially spurred me on when the going got tough. Believe me, as a single mom with three children, it was far from easy. Although, knowing my kids look to me as a role model (whether they'd admit to it or not) was another huge motivational factor. I wasn't just in it for myself.

The arrangement was a win-win for both the organization and me. They gained a motivated and eager employee for a month and I had the chance to test out my newly acquired public relations skills by completing a variety of projects for them. I prepared editorial and social media calendars and created content for social media platforms, wrote website content, assisted in event planning, analyzed reports and performed administrative duties. It felt good to work for an organization with values that align with my own.

United Way has three primary areas of concentration:
1. All That Kids & Families Can Be

2. Healthy People, Strong Communities

3. From Poverty to Possibility

Built on the belief that more could be accomplished to advance the common good by banding together, UWSN is a unique charity in that it doesn't raise money for its own direct cause.  They help create a healthier, stronger community by engaging people and mobilizing collective action. #WeArePossibility

With an annual campaign that runs from September to April, UWSN appeals to the community for donations and support. UWSN then gives back to the community by funding not-for-profit agencies that provide essential programs and services. With UWSN's assistance, the affiliated not-for-profit agencies don't have to spend their own time and money fundraising and can remain focused on their respective missions.

It was a pleasure to work with the executive director, campaign associate and book keeper. They are a small but amazing crew that, along with many volunteers, keeps UWSN ticking.

What can you do?
Give. Volunteer. Act.

Stephanie

P.S. Stay up to date with UWSN by joining them on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. 

Are You Paralyzed by Fear?

Hopes and dreams abound in the minds of many people. Unfortunately, without courage to act on them, that’s where they often stay. Fear is a powerful emotion with the potential to keep you from reaching yours. Self-doubt perpetuates self-doubt.

Last February, I was invited to apply for a company that provides writing services. Honoured to be considered and excited at the prospect, I quickly prepared and submitted my resume. I presented as a confident and eager candidate and had a successful interview resulting in a job offer.

Although I had studied journalism in college, frequently received compliments on my writing and was my friends’ go-to person for all things writing-related, I immediately began to doubt my ability.

Feedback improved with each completed project, yet I remained cautiously optimistic:

I obsessed over every detail of every project.

I read every email a hundred times before hitting send.

I didn’t want to look incompetent, so I was reluctant to ask for clarity.

I took corrections to my work and constructive criticism hard and attacked myself for being stupid.

The flow of work was steady and I was happy to accept as many projects as I could. In one case, I accepted the work without reviewing my new client's file first. When I opened it, my heart froze and my stomach dropped. There was five times as much material to go through than what I had seen so far. Panic ensued.

My internal dialogue was not pretty: What had I been thinking? I knew it was too good to be true. I can’t do this job. I’m in way over my head. I’m going to get fired and I just got hired. I’m a failure. 

I experienced heart palpitations, as I paced the floor and bit my nails. Walking from one room to another, it seemed as though I was looking for something. A life raft perhaps. Something to keep me from drowning in my own self-pity. I grabbed my phone instead.

Using facetime, I called my boyfriend. He was sympathetic and listened to me rant. He remained calm, cool and collected. His demeanor was somewhat contagious and I listened as he helped me to challenge my distorted thinking. He suggested I start with what I knew and take care of the easy things first. With his help, I was able to regain my composure and complete the project on deadline.

After discussing this episode with my therapist, she shared a technique that helped me to put risk and reward in perspective and minimize my fear of failure. She simply pointed out the worst case scenario in this situation, which would be getting fired, and asked how that would affect me six months from now? I told her I would recover and find another job.

As Franklin D. Roosevelt said in his inaugural address, "The only thing we have to fear is... fear itself."

In order to overcome my fear, I had to face it head on. I learned I couldn’t allow fear to keep me from trying, or I would fail by default. As it turns out, I’ll be celebrating my first work anniversary in a few days.

Cheers,

Stephanie