The Creative Activity and Fitness Center - Essay Example

My Internship Reflections I had a very fruitful internship at the Creative Edge Activity Center I have learned so much about working in a companylike that, but more than that, I learned much about myself and how to deal with different people. My internship made me aware of my strengths and weaknesses and taught me to be reflective even before I actually embark on my true career. The tasks I was given were mostly clerical, office work. This constrained me to my desk in the first few days of my internship. However, as I became adept at the work, I was given more opportunities to explore the center to see other areas where I can be productive. I was blessed with good people to work with who supported me throughout my internship. Company Profile The Creative Activity & Fitness Center was established in 1990 initially as a play group for very young children. As the children grew up, more and more classes were offered to develop their creative skills such as workshops in Art, Music, Dance, etc. Parents were delighted to have a place to bring their children where they learn skills and enjoy at the same time. Over the years, the population of enrolees grew and more workshops were offered, that there was a need to expand the business. Enrolment to the center was like membership where parents renew their children’s membership in order to avail of the services and use the facilities. The owners bought the huge land beside it and built a larger dance studio, a swimming pool, a theatre for recitals and performances, a large playground and more rooms for the varied workshops offered. Because of the new facilities, the center has gained a great reputation and attracted more members since it now accepted teenagers and even adults. There are also workshops for adults such as Sculpting, Painting and Photography as well as some dance classes. The center is busiest in the afternoons after school when the children come for their workshops and tutorial sessions and during summer when all the workshops are fully-booked. Currently, there are some playgroups and preschool classes offered in the mornings and day care service the whole day, with some night shifts for children whose parents work at night. Weekends are particularly heavy, as multiple workshops are ongoing for all age brackets as well as the use of the facilities is maximized. Analysis of Company The population of the members is comprised of various nationalities and ages. The center is staffed by about 50 people occupying positions in administration, teaching, public relations, program management, maintenance and security, kitchen staff, etc. It is an inclusive environment which embraces people of all races, ability levels, religions, sexual orientations, family backgrounds, etc. Workers are treated well in this organization, and most of the people are kind and respectful. When people step inside the gates of the center, they can already feel the happy ambience, high quality standards and the anticipation that they will have a great time here not only with the fabulous facilities but also the interesting people who frequent this place. I learned that the center has very strict guidelines in hiring their personnel. They put more value on the applicant’s personality, communication and interpersonal skills. Special training and college degrees were required for some of the professional positions like those for the teachers. I felt honoured to be accepted even just as an intern. Once I was accustomed to the environment and the people, I already wanted to work there after I finish my schooling. The center charged fairly reasonably for its services considering the high end facilities and workshops it offered. The teachers in the preschool are highly skilled and so are the instructors for the various workshops. Most of them are graduates from the university nearest the center. Some come from the same school I go to. They all know how to handle their courses well, and keep their students motivated. Thrice a year, the center holds a Creativity festival that highlights the works of the students. Here, there are art exhibits, dance recitals, stage plays, concerts, and even cook-offs. The program management team prepares for each event months ahead, and they come up with the most splendid ideas. It also serves as a marketing strategy as they open the festival to the public so people get to see what the center offers. For years now, they have attracted a good number of enrolees from the festivals alone, so the great expense and effort exerted to prepare it are all worth the trouble. Members are free to invite guests to the center provided they pay a certain fee per person. Outsiders may also rent some of the facilities for their own events. These serve as additional income for the center. In the previous years, there have been birthday parties held by the poolside, seminars held in the function rooms, a grand village ball held in the main lounge area and a graduation held at the theatre. A part of the project management team is currently planning to do events management as an additional service offered to members. Internship Experience My tasks were mostly clerical in the Public Relations department. I was trained by a very accommodating lady named Mrs. Cohen who was patient enough to guide me in the proper way to file documents, talk to inquirers and members on the phone and in person, transact payments and do the paperwork. Initially, it was overwhelming for me to learn the tasks and do them well. I kept on making mistakes, but I quickly learned to do it the right way. It took time for me to build up my confidence. When I felt I was capable enough, I proudly reported to my trainer the tasks I have accomplished, and she expressed to me her satisfaction in my work. Little by little, I was given more responsibilities. As I gained more skills and became more competent in menial tasks, I felt ready for more challenge. Mrs. Cohen handed me a large volume of files of their clients which I was supposed to organize and file so I will have an easier time finding details about them when I need to communicate with them about certain matters. After a few more weeks, I had the opportunity to handle talking to a customer while the main receptionist stepped out on an errand. I recognized his name from the files I’ve been organizing and as able to answer some of his questions regarding his account. He paid his dues and since I was not yet trained to accept payments, I had to call Mrs. Cohen to receive it. When the customer left, she taught me how to transact payments in both cash and credit. Looking back on that day, I felt proud of myself for handling my first customer encounter with confidence even if I was not ready for it. When the opportunity presented itself, I readily took it and managed my nervousness well. Not all days were as proud as that one, though. I had committed several mistakes that remembering them make me so ashamed of myself. Some mistakes are outright foolish, such as accidentally pulling the plug when I thought the computer will hang causing much inconvenience to others who were hooked up to the same system. I was also exposed to other work areas. I sat in one of the preschool classes for 3 days when the teacher aide was sick and they could not find a replacement. I helped Teacher Rachel, a pretty lady in her thirties who was had a melodious voice and an affectionate bearing that attracted the children to her. She taught me to prepare some teaching materials like making cut-outs and preparing some supplies to be used the following day. At first, I thought it was such an easy job being a Teacher Aide, until I helped her out in the classroom. I do not know if the children regularly behaved as restlessly as they did, or only when I was with them, because they were not used to me, a stranger, being with them. I found myself running after some children, bringing them back to their seats, distributing school supplies, making some children stop crying, wiping tables, and many more! It was so exhausting! I was amazed at how Teacher Rachel kept her cool. She was always smiling and used her pleasant voice to make the children follow her. She also allowed them to make their own choices in the activities, and with her management, I saw that the children were happy and organized. Although I had so much fun in those three days, and loved being with the children, I found the job very physically and emotionally demanding. I got to talk to Teacher Rachel and another teacher in day care, Teacher Robin one day to ask what they did. I was not aware that apart from planning and preparing for their classes, they also planned activities to include all the children in the center, conference with parents, write reports, and attend classes at the university to further hone their teaching skills. It was tiring just listening to them! I do not know if I have the patience to do what they do, although I find it very interesting to be in that line of profession. Children really fascinate me. Back in the office, I did more clerical work and phone calls. There are some callers who can really test my patience. Some find it difficult to understand very simple, logical things, and others were just plain rude. I had to learn to hold my tongue or storm out with anger. Once, there was this old lady who called me an “imbecile” on the phone just because I delayed in looking for her last payment date. I felt the urge to say something nasty and slam the phone down, but Mrs. Cohen was beside me, looking at me sympathetically and guiding me on what to say. The following day, this old lady sent me a box of cookies to express her apology for her rudeness. She explained in the note that she was just under a lot of stress, and remarked how patient I was with her even if she was being unreasonable. I immediately called her to thank her for the cookies and to say that all was well between us. I sat down in one of the meetings of the Project Management team who were scheduling the workshops for the summer. I learned that there were some new courses offered for adults. One was a dance class called Zumba, another was on Digital Photography and still another was Language learning courses, one of which was an English- as-a-Second Language module. I also learned that the fitness classes for children were being improved. The center offers Swimming for babies and toddlers as well as the regular swimming modules; Kids’ Aerobics, and a music program for children called Kindermusic. The team was also considering hiring a new Karate instructor for the summer since the junior martial arts enrolees were growing in number. It was exciting hearing about these things, but I kept myself attentive to the meeting. Ms. Tomlin, the Dance arts coordinator raised that the ballet instructor wanted to hold its end-of-summer dance recital earlier than the scheduled Creativity Festival because the ballet teacher was leaving for Switzerland on the first day of the festival. Before the meeting ended, I was called into the office by Mrs. Cohen to ask about some documents that I filed. Stepping into the office made me feel as if I was stepping into another world. The center seems to be a whole world within its own premises because a lot of action goes on simultaneously. I knew I will never get bored working here. Internship Personal Perspective In the short period that I spent for this internship, I feel that I have learned so much in terms of experience. Although I could refer to some theories learned from my classes, nothing beats first-hand experience because I had the opportunity to make decisions and act on them on the spot. Apart from gaining skills from the tasks assigned to me, I simultaneously gained interpersonal skills and even adjusted to various personalities and cultures. Working with people with a wide variety of backgrounds benefitted me because the exposure to these people enriched my knowledge, understanding and patience. While most of the people I worked with during the internship were pleasant, there were also some exceptions. One was this girl whom I never seen smile and was very quiet. I learned she was Polish-American. There was a time when she re-filed the documents I did without telling me. The following day while I was searching for a document that Mrs. Cohen asked for, I spent so much time looking for it and she did not even say anything until another colleague, Sam, took pity on me and asked her to help me find it because he saw her organizing the files the day before. That was the only time she stood up from her chair to help me and she found it in an instant. When I asked her why she touched the files I organized, she simply shrugged her shoulders and said, “I know I could do better… see?” It took all my strength to stop myself from hitting her because I really felt insulted to my stomach. All this time, my immediate superior, Mrs. Cohen expressed her admiration for my clerical skills and here comes this girl who thinks otherwise! Sam was likewise shocked at what she said and he uttered, “Wow! That’s really something!”, in a sarcastic tone. I think she did not get it. I simply looked at Sam and he gave me an understanding wink. I know there is also something to learn from the negative interactions I had during my internship. I knew I had to restrain my own reactions and remain professional. Keeping an open and understanding mind in considering that each person has a different background from my own helps me manage my own subjective reactions. I trained myself to focus on the work at hand and do not let my personal feelings get in the way of delivering quality work. Although I am proud of my small achievements in my internship, I think what endears me to Mrs. Cohen and the other people around me there is my humility and openness to criticism. Initially, I would feel hurt every time someone pointed out a mistake or flaw in what I do. My internship requires them to consistently give me feedback. However, over time, I turned the negative criticisms into lessons that I took seriously. One criticism was my time management skills. I turned in some of my work a little late and with that, a host of excuses. When I realized that I was always looking for an excuse to save me from a reprimand from Mrs. Cohen, I began looking for reasons to hand in my work earlier. I believe finding motivation to have more time to myself if I submit my work early and end my tasks before the scheduled time worked to my favour. After I decided to be punctual in handing in my work, I have had more time to wander around the center to observe other areas of work. I also got to talk to more people about what they do. Learning from my on-the-job training extends to my readings. When I get home, I find myself browsing the internet and reading up on various things that may be related to my internship. I read about customer service, public relations, and even about some possible workshops that the center might be interested in offering. Since the people at the center are always seeking new ideas, I felt they would appreciate my initiative in helping them find some to consider. The strengths that I believe I have that this internship has made me aware of are organizational skills, good interpersonal skills, and problem-solving skills. In some meetings that I was able to sit in and asked of my own opinions, some people were intrigued by my ideas. They called it “creative” and “insightful”. This happened when we were brainstorming for the next Creativity Festival. I suggested that a pamphlet of the artworks of the children be distributed with pictures of the art, some background about how it was made and a profile of the artist. The same may go for the dance, concert and play and everything compiled in one programme book to sell at the reception area. They were so impressed and said they will consider my idea. I was very flattered. I believe I have more bright and creative ideas that I can come up with. On the other hand, my negative traits include impatience, gullibility, and sometimes, tactlessness. I need to keep being aware of these tendencies and keep them in check so that I avoid being offensive to others or be hurt myself for easily trusting and believing in some people who may not deserve my trust. Also, since communication skills would be necessary in my future career, whatever that is, I need to be careful with the use of my words. Over-all, I can say that my internship has been truly rewarding for me. It has been a privilege for me to have been placed in such an organization as the Creative Edge Activity Center. Its conducive learning environment and numerous opportunities to gain various skills and meet interesting people are all priceless features of the placement. I do hope they absorb me as an employee in this company when I finish my schooling. Read More