Week three saw the real start of my internship. Dr. Farless, me, and the other intern finally met over zoom last Tuesday to discuss our internship goals and expectations.
First, we went over the already sent-over essays from last week via Microsoft Teams. From this, I learned the valuable reason we chose teams for communication rather than canvas or outlook: we use Microsoft teams because it is more accurate for the proper business world. This was something I had not known previously, and it motivates me further to understand this program now that I know how vital it will be in my future career.
When examining the papers she sent over, I was able to ask some questions I had when reading them on my own. For example, how do we comment on the style of a piece? When writing and editing it is important to help a writer improve their essay, but it is also our job as editors to also help them hone their personal voice and style. However, sometimes writers can lose their point in an attempt to have a particularly intelligent or unique sound. Telling a student with tact and goodwill how to improve their writing is a skill I will have to develop as time goes on this semester.
We also were taught how to edit via comments and tracking using Microsoft Office Word. While I was used to seeing this function on my own essays, it was interesting to see how it was actually utilized by editors. I think this will be a skill I pick up quickly because of my previous familiarity with the program.
Beyond editing remotely using the tracking system on Word, I was also informed that I will be helping students via personal zoom calls. This is both exciting and terrifying to me. I know that communication will be more effective and miscommunication will be avoided with verbal meetings. However, I am also worried about speaking to someone (possibly older than me or with more experience) about the quality of their essay. This, of course, is a classic case of imposter syndrome. I will need to remind myself that I got this job for a reason so that I will not let this negatively impact my work.
I will also be asked to help pick articles for the published journal. While our input will not be the most vital, it is still exciting to know that my opinion on the articles may affect the final product. Speaking of the final product, I was also excited to learn that my name will be on the published journal!
Overall, this had been a very insightful and exciting week. I already feel I have improved (if only slightly) on my procrastination skills. Furthermore, I feel I have grown when it comes to understanding the Microsoft team's software. I can not for our meeting next Tuesday when my comments on the essay will be reviewed and I receive my next week of assignments
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