Week one: Getting to know your mentor

After reading about getting to know my mentor and listening to the podcast about first impressions, I learned a lot about how important it is to make a powerful first impression. As both documents mentioned, there are four "P's" that are essential to make a good impression: being POSITIVE, dressing PROFESSIONALLY, being PUNCTUAL, and to come PREPARED. The first ten seconds you have with your mentor will establish what they think of you. If you show up and don't have a smile on your face, you're slouching, and not eager to talk to them, they will automatically assume that you don't want to be there. That's why it is so important to show you have a positive attitude by showing superior body language, to greet them warmly with a firm handshake while looking them in the eye, and to have good conversation starters in mind. Eye contact, your posture, and your attitude are some of the main keys to a good impression. The second way to make an exceptional impression is to dress professionally. Make sure that you speak louder than your accessories and that your outfit and hair present you in a way that will make you look qualified for the internship. If you wear too much make up or jewelry, your mentor will be focusing on your outfit rather than your personality. Another way to look polished when meeting your mentor is to be punctual. If you show up ten minutes late, or even a minute late, they will probably assume that you don't care. It will come off that you are more worried about yourself than the internship, which is not a good way to start off. Make sure to get there on time, or even ten minutes early to show that you are excited and ready to start. The final tip is to come prepared. Before meeting your mentor, make sure to research the career you will be working with. Come up with conversation starters to have with your mentor, as well as answers to questions they may have for you. One of the worst things you could do is show up somewhere without having any prior knowledge about it. Before you leave your house, make sure you have everything you need to prevent having to get something or to even borrow something from the mentor. Other things mentioned in the documents that I thought were important was to "talk 20%, listen 80%". You will be going to your internship to learn and follow in your mentors footsteps. If you are the one talking and interrupting, you will not be learning very much. Make sure that you do take initiative and start conversations with your mentor, but to control it and listen when you need to. One more thing that I believed was crucial to making a good impression is to attach yourself to the right people. If you are hanging around the people at the job that gossip and start problems, you will come across as immature and irresponsible. If some type of drama were to arise after you were associating yourself with those kinds of people, you may be "guilty by association" and people may assume you started the problems. That's why it's best to connect with people who will represent your maturity and who you are. Your first impression will determine what your mentor will think of you, which is why it is so important to make the best impression you can.