Final Portfolio, Summer 2017

Christopher Chardon

PRE-INTERNSHIP INTERVIEW GUIDE

Christopher Chardon

Professor Mullen

June 7, 2017

1. Describe your internship. Type of organization, tasks and responsibilities during the

internship.

My internship is with my town’s summer recreation program. It’s a small program in a

small town. I would say it is almost like a non-profit program. We do fundraise and take

donations, because this is part of how the summer program pays for things like the buses to our

Friday field trips and other activities. The goal of this program is not to make a profit, it is to

raise money to be able to do certain activities. What sets this summer program apart from so

many others, is the fact that our main focus is the campers. Making sure they have a unique, fun,

activity based, safe summer is what is most important to our program’s board, our town and our

staff. In this position I have many responsibilities, and some that even carry on outside of my

working hours with the kids. Living in the community means that eyes are constantly on the staff

that these parents are trusting to watch their kids. Yes I am there during the day to be a role

model, a staff member, a friend, a lifeguard, a safety net and a huge encourager to the campers

when things are going right! But after work it still continues. I live in such a small town and eyes

from parents and even the campers are always around. Being a role model just during camp

hours isn’t enough. A great example would be the fact that I participate in a summer league

soccer team. The home games are right in town at the soccer field that the elementary school,

high school, and Rec program use, so the games do draw a crowd. Showing not only my soccer

skills, but sportsmanship is important, not in only being the best I can be as a person and athlete,

but as a summer recreation staff member and as a person in my small community. Having been a

part of this community and program for a huge part of my life meant I had to adjust to constantly

being under watch and judged from a young age, especially since being involved in varsity

sports. It’s been a good thing for me in my jobs, and in my life. It allows me to keep a cool and

level head, and show my true potential in a sport and as a person when I constantly am being

judged by parents. Being watched in every part of my life in my town has lead this “role model,

sportsmanship, respectfulness” attitude to being a part of who I am and how I live my everyday

life.

2. How old are you?

I am twenty years old

3. What relevant work/volunteer experience do you have?

I have worked with this summer program for a number of years. Being a three sport

athlete from kindergarten until senior year of high school, meant I had almost no time for a job

during the school year. This summer camp counselor position was great because it was just

during the summer, and allowed me to have some spending money of my own, and eventually

gas money once I got my license. Having this job, and having grown up as a camper through this

program has given me great insight to what I want out of life, what really brings me happiness,

and how to go about any task I face. A great aspect of working for this program is the other

exposure it’s given me. In our contract it was stated that we made ourselves available for one

weekend day during October for a little kids soccer tournament that my town hosts every year.

Soccer being a big passion of mine made it as this didn’t seem like an obligation, but a chance to

get exposure in reffing a sport that I love. Having the opportunity to do volunteer work like that

made it so throughout the fall soccer season in high school I would regularly volunteer to ref

little kids soccer games after my varsity practices ended. That eventually lead to other

elementary schools and even some middle schools contacting me to ref their games.

4. What are your expectations for this internship?

My expectations are for me to be the best I can be. Having been with this program for a

few years now, doesn’t give me an excuse to be relaxed and put half effort into things. The

opportunity to take the whole kindergarten and first grade group and develop a summer program

tailored to what they like, want and need at that age is something that will be huge for me. Being

very interested in the Peace Corps, this program is very similar to that of what I want to do in the

Peace Corps. Be learning, creating, changing and developing this program through the summer I

will learn what works and what doesn’t, what children really need/want in a summer program

and what is appropriate and what isn’t when trying to adjust the regular everyday program that so

many repeating campers are used to. With the guidance of my boss and family friend, Kris

Kappler, I will be able to see the behind the scenes of what it takes to get a program like this

running so smoothly, and if it really is even as smooth as it appears to be. Kris will be a huge

factor in my expectations for this internship. Although she is a family friend, we have established

that being an employee of her program comes first. But as far as a learning experience, it is nice

to have someone I am familiar and comfortable with teaching me, and guiding me into making

the right choices for the program that she is handing over to me. Her extensive knowledge of

working with kids and how to run a summer program is something I can only absorb as each day

goes on. Learning from her will be a great advantage to me executing this internship correctly, as

well as preparing me for a the summer, the future, and figuring out a career in the Peace Corps.

Images

5. How do you define career success? (value)

I don’t define career success of what others think of what I am doing, or how much

money I’m making, or if I am in a CEO position or not. My life, and career happiness will come

from me being happy in the things I am doing. A quote that I live by and answers how I feel

about career success is one by Heath Ledger that says, “If you make decisions based upon

people’s reactions and judgments, then you make really boring choices.”

6. What do you seek to gain through your career on a personal level? (value)

Making the world and the lives of those who struggle every second of every day, better.

7. What are your long-term career goals? (trajectory)

Happiness. If I am happy with the things I am doing in my job, then I will know I have

hit my career and life goal.

8. How committed are you to these goals? (trajectory)

Anyone can say how committed they are and that they will put 101% into their goals, but

the truth is we never really know until we face our goals face to face. I can tell you know I am

100% committed to my goals, but when it comes time to hit my goals face to face, I might find

out that I am now only 50% committed. It changes all the time, and we will never really know

until the time is in front of us. My plan is to apply to the Peace Corps with the last 4 months of

senior year at Nichols, in hopes to find out by graduation if I’ve been accepted or not. So for

right now that’s all I can do is wait until my time stands in front of me and tells me it’s time to

start reaching for those goals. By living my life as every new day comes, I think I am on the right

path to my career goals because happiness comes from everyday, comes from the unexpected, it

comes from living life.

9. How do you intend to achieve these career goals? (strategic)

By making choices when I seem fit, and choices that will make me happy. It is my career

and my choices, why should I let someone’s happiness or judgement of me lie on choices that

involve me and my plans? If someone is hung up on the choices I am making, then they aren’t

living their lives. The only way I can achieve these goals is by making them my goals. No

attachment to others or their choices. It has to be me, my thoughts, actions and choices. If those

are the only ingredients I choose to put toward my career goals, I will get there.

10. What role will the internship play in helping you achieve your career goals?

(strategic)

Working with kids is something I am passionate about. Having been in a community that

is more fortunate than most, and having kids that are way more fortunate than those in countries

helped by the Peace Corps, I have also developed a sense of what kids I want to work with and

help. The less fortunate, or those who have been given less opportunities are the type of people I

want to work with. But getting the chance to have another summer working with kids, and being

able to completely develop a program myself this time is something that will be beneficial in

giving me more experience and exposure with kids, as well as getting experience in creating new

ideas and programs just like I would if I were in the Peace Corps. This summer internship will

give me another level of experience and exposure with children, which will heighten my insight

to kids in general, as well as giving me more of a chance to find a balance between friend, role

model, and camp counselor.

11. Do you have a job lined up for after the internship? Will you attend graduate school?

(strategic/script)

Currently I do not have anything lined up after this internship. I will be continuing on to

junior year at Nichols after this summer, and have plans for summer 2018 and finding another

internship that will hopefully be related to the Peace Corps or Peace Corps-like work. The

planning for that starts now and it’s up to me to find the chances that will be the next level and

give me even more and new exposure to that type of work. But after this summer internship, it’s

back to another school year of learning and figuring out what I want to do for classes, for next

summer, and for the future.

12. Tell me about your job search criteria. (strategic/script)

When searching for a job, ideally I’d like for it to be abroad. My love for travel and

languages is something I exercise as regularly as I can, by teaching myself new languages,

keeping up with ones I already know, and traveling around the world and adding to my “17

countries visited” talley. Another criteria would be being involved with kids and sports together.

That’s why the Peace Corps has a huge draw for me, the blend of sports and learning is

something I want to be involved with in my career.

13. How committed are you to working in this vocation(sport management)? (commitment)

I am almost completely done with the major and the requirements. If I wasn’t committed

to sport management you would have hoped I would’ve changed my major by now right?

Although I can admit I have found something else I am interested in and have picked up a minor

in English and was hoping to turn it into a double degree, but with the plan to study abroad in the

fall of 2018, picking up a second major with just two years left wasn’t really feasible. But if you

look at what I have done and completed in classes and what classes I’ve taken so far for the sport

management major, I think it is obvious that I am committed to sport management.

14. If you do not receive any job offers matching these criteria immediately after

graduating what will you do? (strategic/script)

Obviously just applying to jobs with my ideal criteria isn’t realistic or smart. There will

be jobs that I will apply for that will be considered “settling” as far as what I listed here for my

job criteria. So with applying to dream-like jobs, and jobs that I’m making some criteria

sacrifices for, hopefully I will have opportunities outside of my dream job. I’ve also thought

about graduate school to get a masters in education. Keeping all my doors open through these

next two years at Nichols will allow me to open more, or close doors as I go along and develop

more into what I want and if my mind changes on certain things. The only way I will know

what’s right is when both internships are completed and I am able to reflect and see what it is

that I really want in my life, in the future and in a job.

15. Do you have any ‘backup’ plans for your career? (strategic)

Having ample connections in the professional sports world is something I am grateful and

blessed to have. This sounds strange to most as a backup plan, but it isn’t ideally what I want

right now, or right after college. These connections would be ones I would reach out to and

exercise while applying to other jobs, or my “dream jobs” as we referred to them earlier. Using

my extensive connections in the professional sports world will come when the job search and

applying happens and hopefully if one opportunity doesn’t open up for me, that another one will.

Above and Beyond

Making sure that I really put in all my efforts to this internship, sometimes

means continuing my duties off the clock of the typical Monday-Friday 7:30-3:30.

Following this introduction I have some screenshots of messages between myself

and a parent of a child who was giving us issues during our swim lessons, and

refusing the instructor as well as myself and coworkers. These messages were

times when I felt I needed to step up to make a difference in our swim lessons, not

only for the child, but for the group as a whole. As well as, making sure the child

and parents were getting the most out of the summer like we initially promised in

our program schedule. Although it was easier to contact these parents because of

me previously being both their kids’ counselor before and babysitting them as well,

I still think the communication between child and myself, child and parents, and

parents and myself is important. And as seen in the messages, we came to the

conclusion of having a wetsuit for the child to help with the issue of being too cold.