ACLC Internship: Journal Entries and Closing Report
I visited Central Garden and Pets Walnut Creek facility. It's a lot more computer and office equipment, than an actual factory. I met some of their employees like Derek who works as a customer assistant, basically he is just tech support. I got the basic rundown of my responsibilities, I just fill in information in an online spreadsheet. I have to take over 2400 employees information and fill in their reports online. It probably takes a minute for each employee, so this is going to take a while.
Week One:
After starting my work, I've realized that I took on more than I can chew. I finished around five hours of work, and have barely broken through the first layer of employees. My wifi has been extra slow lately, so that's great. I don't really know what else to write about since I've only just begun.
Week Two:
I’ve gotten like eleven hours of work done so far. Since I can work at home I don't have to travel to work it is great. In all honesty this is some of the most repetitive work I have ever done, I don’t know how people do this. I have worked in multiple restaurants washing dishes, but this is honestly worse. I appreciate the opportunity, and can really respect the grind of working, so do what you got to do.
Week Three:
Almost done with the minimum twenty hours, although I think I’ll be working more than that since I’m barely over halfway done with the work. I was told it is not necessary for me to complete the entire sheet, seeing as it would take me a month alone, but I’d feel bad if I didn’t. I really have nothing else to say other than this work is super simple yet repetitive, which sucks. I wish they gave me some other work to do. I probably would have been more engaged.
Week Four:
Okay so I finished the minimum twenty hours, I did a little extra just to finish strong. I don’t think I’m going to complete the entire sheet, I have college apps to deal with. I think my performance review will actually be good, I knew I messed up on some employees who have apostrophes in their last names, because the outlook.com spreadsheet wouldn’t work well with it so I had to email my supervisors assistant. I felt bad having to ask because I have too much pride, but it worked out in the end.
Closing Report:
Honestly, going into this I was a little nervous. I’ve never worked at an actual company that isn’t a restaurant or chain, so it was a little intimidating at first. When I first visited the office building I was expecting like a factory, but it was mostly just computer and communications based. I was introduced to important people, and told what my responsibilities were. After finding out that I had to enter over two thousand four hundred employees yearly reviews into a spreadsheet. I got started almost immediately. I probably got through two hundred on the first day until I gave up. I almost instantly regretted accepting this, but I made a promise to my father so, oh well. I had to create and outlook.com email to access the spreadsheet. Basically over the next month I just took people's information, and entered it into a sheet which they could all access. I actually had an employee ask me why his review was entered in so late. I found it hilarious and terrifying at the same time.
If I learned anything, it is that staying at a job is more difficult than you think. I’ve worked at two different restaurants previously in my life, and I thought they were repetitive. But this is a new level. If I was actually getting paid for this I might have had more motivation. There is nothing that I respect more than someone grinding for a better life. If you have to work a job that you completely hate, but know you have a goal in mind for a better life, and that job is a step to it, than go for it, work to your heart's desire.
One of the largest obstacles I dealt with had to be the apostrophes in employees names. Outlook.com’s program does not allow foreign characters in a spreadsheet, so I had to contact my supervisors assistant, and ask how to fix it. I didn’t get a response back until a few days after my email was sent. Turns out they just take the apostrophe out of employees names. I probably should have known that. If I had, I could have gotten more work done. It basically set me back a day. The main issue was not only apostrophes, but I entered employees information into the spreadsheet randomly. The sheet was alphabetical, but the information and reviews given to me were in a random order, so finding someone's specific name was a hassle, having to scroll up and down a list of two thousand four hundred people constantly.
My main expectation of this internship was that it would be simple; which it was in most ways. While I thought it would be simple, I didn't think it would be so repetitive, but that is life. It got to the point where I felt like a stamp, that was being constantly recycled. With that said, I appreciate the opportunity massively. I gained knowledge and experience through this internship, and I thought it was a great idea. Every senior in highschool should be required to go through an internship process in my opinion.
I visited Central Garden and Pets Walnut Creek facility. It's a lot more computer and office equipment, than an actual factory. I met some of their employees like Derek who works as a customer assistant, basically he is just tech support. I got the basic rundown of my responsibilities, I just fill in information in an online spreadsheet. I have to take over 2400 employees information and fill in their reports online. It probably takes a minute for each employee, so this is going to take a while.
Week One:
After starting my work, I've realized that I took on more than I can chew. I finished around five hours of work, and have barely broken through the first layer of employees. My wifi has been extra slow lately, so that's great. I don't really know what else to write about since I've only just begun.
Week Two:
I’ve gotten like eleven hours of work done so far. Since I can work at home I don't have to travel to work it is great. In all honesty this is some of the most repetitive work I have ever done, I don’t know how people do this. I have worked in multiple restaurants washing dishes, but this is honestly worse. I appreciate the opportunity, and can really respect the grind of working, so do what you got to do.
Week Three:
Almost done with the minimum twenty hours, although I think I’ll be working more than that since I’m barely over halfway done with the work. I was told it is not necessary for me to complete the entire sheet, seeing as it would take me a month alone, but I’d feel bad if I didn’t. I really have nothing else to say other than this work is super simple yet repetitive, which sucks. I wish they gave me some other work to do. I probably would have been more engaged.
Week Four:
Okay so I finished the minimum twenty hours, I did a little extra just to finish strong. I don’t think I’m going to complete the entire sheet, I have college apps to deal with. I think my performance review will actually be good, I knew I messed up on some employees who have apostrophes in their last names, because the outlook.com spreadsheet wouldn’t work well with it so I had to email my supervisors assistant. I felt bad having to ask because I have too much pride, but it worked out in the end.
Closing Report:
Honestly, going into this I was a little nervous. I’ve never worked at an actual company that isn’t a restaurant or chain, so it was a little intimidating at first. When I first visited the office building I was expecting like a factory, but it was mostly just computer and communications based. I was introduced to important people, and told what my responsibilities were. After finding out that I had to enter over two thousand four hundred employees yearly reviews into a spreadsheet. I got started almost immediately. I probably got through two hundred on the first day until I gave up. I almost instantly regretted accepting this, but I made a promise to my father so, oh well. I had to create and outlook.com email to access the spreadsheet. Basically over the next month I just took people's information, and entered it into a sheet which they could all access. I actually had an employee ask me why his review was entered in so late. I found it hilarious and terrifying at the same time.
If I learned anything, it is that staying at a job is more difficult than you think. I’ve worked at two different restaurants previously in my life, and I thought they were repetitive. But this is a new level. If I was actually getting paid for this I might have had more motivation. There is nothing that I respect more than someone grinding for a better life. If you have to work a job that you completely hate, but know you have a goal in mind for a better life, and that job is a step to it, than go for it, work to your heart's desire.
One of the largest obstacles I dealt with had to be the apostrophes in employees names. Outlook.com’s program does not allow foreign characters in a spreadsheet, so I had to contact my supervisors assistant, and ask how to fix it. I didn’t get a response back until a few days after my email was sent. Turns out they just take the apostrophe out of employees names. I probably should have known that. If I had, I could have gotten more work done. It basically set me back a day. The main issue was not only apostrophes, but I entered employees information into the spreadsheet randomly. The sheet was alphabetical, but the information and reviews given to me were in a random order, so finding someone's specific name was a hassle, having to scroll up and down a list of two thousand four hundred people constantly.
My main expectation of this internship was that it would be simple; which it was in most ways. While I thought it would be simple, I didn't think it would be so repetitive, but that is life. It got to the point where I felt like a stamp, that was being constantly recycled. With that said, I appreciate the opportunity massively. I gained knowledge and experience through this internship, and I thought it was a great idea. Every senior in highschool should be required to go through an internship process in my opinion.