#sycep

The first three professional development series have been great help in terms of preparing me for college and job searches. In the first professional development, people had many questions relating to work answered. In the second professional development, we did the strengths test to see what strengths we had and how everyone’s strengths differed. In the third professional development, we were taught how to write resumes and cover letters in terms of what words to use and how we can make it stand out from the rest. These three PDs connected because it was a “look” into the real world; the way we are suppose to act, how we are suppose to work with others, and what we can expect past high school.

When I first had my interview with SYCEP, I was very nervous. I did not know what to say or do but I wanted to well because I wanted the job. When I walked in, I met Jonathan and it was very intimidating because Kenneth told me he asked weird questions so I did not know what to expect. The interview was terrible because I did not have any confidence and was very soft spoken, however, the PDs helped me become more confident in speaking. Whenever we broke into our small groups, Jessica A would tell us to speak louder and replied to our statements with questions to elaborate more in detail which is very helpful because it keeps the conversation going as well as informs us to not answer with short responses. This would help me in college interviews because I would know that in order for the admissions team to select me, I need speak with confidence and make sure that my answers are in detail. Also, I can now brag about my strengths because we took the strengthsquest.

The recent PD was also very helpful because I learned how to write a cover letter (I was taught how to write resumes before) and that my private accounts on social media are not really private. It was interesting to know that the cover letter could either make it or break it for my application to a college or job so I now know that I need to perfect it in order to make me stand out. Also, when I found out that my keystrokes, comments, pictures, posts, and everything that I do online are easily accessible to colleges and companies, it made me more cautious as to what I do on the internet because I do not want my social media to be the reason why I did not get the acceptance letter for a college and job. Even if I deleted something, they can still look it up so there is no point for me to do so. I became a bit paranoid when I sign onto my laptop because I now know that there are people watching my every move.

Personality tests excite me. That sounds weird… but the tests actually do give me a sense of enjoyment. It’s an eye opener for me - a chance for me to know more about me. When we were given the code for the StrengthsQuest at the end of PD #1, I was surprised that it was a paid test because I would never pay for a personality test.

During my break at work, I signed onto StrengthsQuest to see what it will say about me. When I was taking the test, the questions were vague and some of them I was not really sure about, many of choices were neutral. Also, there was a twenty-second limit to each question so I felt a bit nervous because I wanted to be completely honest and make sure that I click on the button that best represents who I was; it was then after the question that I realize that I should have chose another button. From that point on, I had it set in my mind that the results were going to be inaccurate and that it was a waste of money, however when the results came back, it was actually very accurate.

My five signature themes are deliberative, analytical, relator, focus, and restorative. The two that best fit are deliberative and analytical.

Deliberative means that I am careful, vigilant, and private - I am not someone who lives in the moment but rather a serious person who sees life full of risks and that I “walk with care”. This described me perfectly; I am not the biggest risk taker which can be negative because I miss out on good opportunities but because of past experiences (with friends, family, and school), I overanalyze everything to make sure that I will not get hurt or feel regret in the process.

Analytical means that I “peel” every layer of a subject to its core to see its “true” meaning as well as challenge others to do the same and prove to me that their thinking is not flawed. I expected this answer. I am a quiet person with many thoughts, its the rare occurrences that when I am with my friends and cousins that I tend to act loud. Most of my time is spent laying flat on my bed, listening to some k-pop, and analyzing every little thing - from an object to college. Hours would pass by and the night is gone (that’s why my dark circles are so bad ><).

The theme that did not really fit me was restorative. It means that I like solving problems and it energizes me. This only fits me when I am at school. If there is any trouble, I fix it right away because education is important and I need to grasp as much information as I can but when it comes to personal problems, I tend to shy away from it thinking that time will “heal” everything and if I lose someone, it’s no big deal.

Focus was one of the themes that was jotted down by many. People came up to me and put down focus as the theme that they didn’t have which surprised me because I never gave much thought to it. The activity reminded me that everyone has different personalities and strengths and that made them unique. This thought can make the worksite (or work in general) exciting in the sense that there will be a tight bond between the employees because everyone will have a different approach to solving a problem and coming up with new ideas. There will be communication (which is very important). 

Hello :-)

I am currently working at Martin Chan Accounting firm. Before this internship, my mom would nag me about majoring in accounting so I can get paid big bucks; my response was always “no” because the stereotype of accountants is that they sit at their desk all day punching in numbers and that wasn’t the life I wanted. My dream is to make an impact on the world, specifically for the Asian/Asian-American community, and explore the world -- I can’t do that if I was an accountant. So when I was going to work on the first day, I did not have high expectations but I went in with a positive mindset that I would experience the office life.

Challenges

1. Enjoyment. I am always sitting at the computer and it hurts my eyes. I wish I could do something more active and engaging; the worksite is very quiet except for the times when the workers have to answer calls or a customer comes in. Even when it is lunch time, I sit in front of my computer and eat quietly. Also, I finish the work early and because I have to wait until my supervisor is free, I sit at the desk for a couple of hours.

2. Interaction. I wish I could talk to the other workers and build connections because it will make work more interesting however, they are always busy working so there are not a lot of chances to speak with them. Plus they speak Cantonese and I would be able to practice my broken Chinese skills ><.

3. Supervisor. I feel like my supervisor thinks I am annoying and dislikes me… it’s hard to get close to him and make conversation. He’s very busy and on the first day, I kept interrupting him asking him about the project so I felt that he disliked me after that.

Despite these challenges, one reward is that I received is experience. I know now that this job is not right for me and I would not have to go into college thinking I should major in this. It’s better than working at a restaurant and getting paid $2/hour.

PD#1

During the first PD, I learned several things from learning how to deal with sexual harassment/harassment at work to body language. The one thing that stuck to me was that there were one answer to several different questions and that was to focus on your work and make a good impression. Despite all the other challenges people might face during work (ex.- not contributing as much), it’s to focus on the work given and make sure that my efforts and hard work is shown in it. This was very useful because at work; I feel that my supervisor does not like me so to get on his good side, I should present him all the work I had done and make sure that it's the best of my abilities.

This skill can be applied everywhere, even in school. In school, there were times when I was unable to answer questions asked by my teacher because all the other students were called on (also, I sat in a spot where the teacher couldn’t see me unless she turned her head). I wanted to make a good impression because my teacher was the “queen” of our school, so if I were to impress the queen, I had to stand out. This was done in my work. For homework, we usually had to do notes (which were suppose to be very detailed and explained thoroughly -- it usually took an hour or longer for me to finish) so I spent my nights finishing the notes and making sure that I put all my effort in it so when my teacher reads it, she would be impressed. And she was. :-) My teacher gave our work back and she said to the class that she understands the notes are very time consuming and it showed that people didn’t put any effort in it -- they only did it because it was homework. However, she stated that there were some exceptions and she wrote a “good job” for those who showed effort and explained everything as well as putting a lot of detail. I was one of them! 

Mini introduction;

Hello, nice to meet you all! :-) I am Winnie Chan, a member of the 275th (wootwoot) graduating class of Central High School. I was born in Manhattan, New York and moved to Philadelphia when I was just two years old. I can walk for hours but struggle running for five minutes (exercise isn't my expertise) and Korean food/desserts are my guilty pleasure. I'm not a huge movie person but I'm a huge fan of Pixar movies, specifically Inside Out and Monsters Inc. I wish I was a dancer because they are able to express emotion using their bodies and seeing them look so beautiful makes me think “ohmygod, please teach me.”

Question; 

As a rising senior and adult, one thought that always occupies my mind is "what do I do with my life" meaning how do I know the choices I make are the right choices. Whenever I tell people that I want to major in psychology and focus on societal matters, I receive two responses --  you'll end up on the streets begging for money or if that makes you happy, do it. On one hand, I understand that I might end up on the streets because most of the high-paying jobs for a psychologist requires a Ph.D but then on the other hand, I don't want to end up working a job that I will hate. Money plays a huge role for me because in the future, I want to be financially stable so I can support myself as well as my parents; choosing a field outside of math and science is a big decision. I'm not sure what to do so the question that I wish to be answered is: should I choose the path that will create many struggles (in terms of money and employment) or be logical/reasonable and choose a "normal" (ex.-nurse, accountant) job?

Interview; 

Both my parents were immigrants from Hong Kong and Taiwan and they came to the states knowing hardly any English. My mom worked in a Chinese factory sewing clothes where pay was fifteen-twenty cents per stack so her salary wasn't consistent; she would work from 8AM-8PM only to receive a couple of dollars. Also, if the factory didn't have any business, she wouldn't get paid. I remember when my mom stayed home for a couple of months due to the lack of work. I asked her what gave her the strength to keep going to work everyday when work was so miserable and she said that she had to provide for me and my brother; she wanted us to be fed well and be like the other kids with nice clothes and shoes. She also mentioned that working wasn't too bad because she built a strong bond with her co-workers and they became her closest friends. Even after switching jobs she was able to keep the friendships she made at her previous workplace so her friends, my brother, and I were her driving force. My dad, on the other hand, is a chef and worked at Sang Kee Peking Duck Restaurant. He stayed there for a couple of years until he decided he wanted to retire. This was a huge setback for us because this meant we had to live off the tiny salary my mom made. This caused several disputes as well as fights within the household and just recently, my dad decided to work again. When I asked him why he was working again, he said he needed money and he was bored at home so that was his driving force to keep working.

   In my future academics, I am positive to take between medical/business/sociology courses, because these subject interests me the most. One skill I learn from interning at Optimal Physical Therapy is to some degree of kinesiology knowledge. One of the biggest job of being an aid is to show patients how to the exercises correctly and each exercise that a patient do have a purpose. For example the "DKLC" exercise is to strengthen the muscles on the hip and back. I can apply this skill to my medical courses to know how the body work and react to excises. This skill can help me in my classes.

       In the working world, I am anticipating to either work in a forensic science, sociology, or in international business field. Although these three subject at very different. I can apply my customer service skill that I have furthered develop from Optimal Physical Therapy. As an aid, I am consistently helping patients, taking to patients, and working with patients. My customer service skill have advanced to a point where I could easily have a light conversation with patients about there daughter/son, work, and etc. This skill can help me in my future profession by enabling me to work with people in my future profession.

When I was four, I wanted to be in the entertainment industry. By the time I was ten, I wanted to be a dancer. Thirteen and I persisted on wanting to become an astronaut. Catching on to a pattern here? Although I wanted to pursue so much my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents only saw one type of “dream job” for me: Doctor. Honestly, the idea of being tied down to one specific career for the rest of your life always scared me. What if 20 or 30 years down the line you don’t have the same passionate drive for that career as you use to and well… come bored?

As I thought about writing to an organization for my “dream job” in my cover letter, there was reoccurring thought. “What if that job position was for the Peace Corps or American Corps?”  The pay would be enough, you would get to meet new people constantly, travel to various parts of the world, and also get hands-on learning experiences –hypothetically speaking-. In the end, for my dream job I want it to be a career where I’m constantly learning something while hands-on work where I am working with people who need assistance. Although the pay might be as much as I hope for it to be, I hope that would it be enough to have a stable lifestyle.

By the time I was researching for college, again I was not sure of what I wanted to do. I didn’t want to be stuck with a useless degree that won’t get me a job. Then again, I don’t want to be studying something I despise just because it a practical degree that would make me money. So I looked into what I was good at and what I enjoyed doing; that resulted my interest in research. Every lab project that I had in high school was the most fun experience ever (especially because it was a learning experience of its own).

Becoming a forensic scientist is on my dream job list because it involves science and helping people through tools and science. It also allows me to explore the usage of nanotechnology and chemicals which I can use to discover new things. This job also invests in me not only in science but also with communications. I am able to communicate with people ranging from professionals to everyday people. I want to become a forensic scientist because the job is like a puzzle where you are going to solve the puzzle with other professionals to help you and when the team completes the puzzle it provides a nice feeling that the team have finish the puzzle and helped someone, 

Although I believe I am not really a business person. Going abroad and learning a new language interest me. This specific type of business invests in me to a new culture and allow me to explore a new experience.  Learning an extra language always come in handy and meeting new people and becoming friends with them is an incredible experience. Not only, helping out people overboard by creating a business makes a heart warming feeling because the business is helping out those who live in a different place.