To anyone younger than me, please realize I know that this not only makes me seem 500 years old, it also makes me feel 500 years old too.
Follow Meagan and Amanda
I inserted myself into the curriculum thanks to Meagan Marion. And I'm glad I did. Meagan is a networking ninja. She initially reminded me of myself back in the day. But, as she shared her insights with the class, I realized she leaves the former me behind in the dust.
I inserted myself into the curriculum thanks to Meagan Marion. And I'm glad I did. Meagan is a networking ninja. She initially reminded me of myself back in the day. But, as she shared her insights with the class, I realized she leaves the former me behind in the dust.
As part of Meagan setting up the presentation, I forced her to present with me. This is an idea I got after doing a similar presentation with my current intern, Amanda Duncan, at Northern Kentucky University. Amanda is also a ninja. And she became my intern, indirectly, after I spoke to her class.
Both Meagan and Amanda have, at times, seemed surprised by my level of interaction and collaboration with them. What they, and most students, don't realize is that professionals get as much from this as the students do. If I feel 500 years old, what better way to make sure I'm not thinking similarly? Working with students -- people who don't know about the client baggage or the office politics -- can impact your thinking.**
But, more importantly, I'm able to do this today because when I was a student professionals at the American Red Cross and the City of Dayton marketing department did the same thing. I would not be where I am today without my internships.
So today is international Pay it Forward Friday. If you're already part of groups like HAPPO, you can probably check this off your to do list. If you're not a member of HAPPO, check it out. It's a tip of an iceberg of organizations like PRSSA designed to make it easy for professionals to help out others (be it their first job, a new career or their academic career).
Pay it forward -- online, offline, on campus and at work. If you do blogs like this one will be rendered irrelevant. Richard and I are cool with that.
Linkage:
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Don't Forget to Lead
Two great takeaways here:
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Escape Ossification
Love it.
Great presentation yesterday Kevin. Glad I got to crash the party and be a part of it. Always fun to hang out at UD. Even better when it involves learning from you - as I always do.
ReplyDeleteA great reminder! As a fellow 500 year old, I've taken lately to "paying it backward", taking the time to find and thank my former mentors and role models who provided such important career guidance. Their words continue to resonate as I strive to pass along their wisdom and find opportunities to continue their work.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the #HAPPO shout out-- any chance you and/or Richard will be able to join us for the Thursday NYC anniversary event? Would love to finally meet in person!
Best,
Valerie
Thanks for sharing Kevin. I think many professionals out there overlook the importance of helping out and mentoring those who will soon be entering the workforce. Hopefully your post will remind everyone.
ReplyDeleteI have read this blog for the past year or so and wasn't aware of your UD connection. I'm a fellow alum and just on the outside of that 500 year old generation.
Wouldn't it be great if "Pay it Forward Friday" actually happened everyday - if it was the norm rather than the exception to the rule? Checking our ego at the door, sharing the credit, and giving encouragement to a novice are not just kind things to do. They're also good business.
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