Dustin Kidd

Internship Skills: Technical Skills for the Modern Workplace In this post, I use a series of videos to step students through the basic technical skills they need for the average workplace. The most important set of skills a modern worker needs are all related to the Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook. For each of these, there are also non-Office alternatives that are worth considering, but everyone needs to know how to operate successfully in the Office Suite first and foremost. The Microsoft Suite is available online as a software download and it is even available by subscription, which means you would always have access to the most updated version. Word Word is, of course, a text editing program. The best alternatives to consider are Google Documents (in Google Drive) and Apple Pages.A full course of Word training is available here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzj7TwUeMQ3jkkDD_N-nRHQTp9oX7Smam . Excel Excel is a sp...

Internship Skills: Difficult Scenarios and Difficult People For this exercise, we will take a look at difficult situations that can arise at work. --> Learning Objectives 1.      Pinpointing Your Triggers 2.      Recognize How Culture and Personality Influence Your Reactions 3.      Implement Healthy Conflict Resolution Strategies 4.      De-escalate Volatile Situations Pinpoint Your Triggers Discussion: What do you think your personal triggers are? What kinds of interactions have pushed your buttons in the past? Culture     Discussion: Where have you encountered cultural differences and conflicts in the past? What did you learn from them? Gender   Discussion: Where have you confronted gender differences in the past? How have you confronted them? Personality Discussion: Which personality type/s a...

Feel overwhelmed by your inbox? Below, I share three levels of email organization, thanks to a few experts I found on YouTube. Choose the level that works best for your personality. Level 1: Just archive it! Leave action items in your inbox. Move all other emails into your archive. Your archive is searchable, so you'll be able to find it later as long as you search for the right terms. If Mridu Parikh's style works for you, check out http://lifeisorganized.com/ . Level 2: The Five Step System 1. Don't check your email, process your email. 2. Have set times to process your email. 3. Ask yourself three key questions about each email. Is this actionable? Do I need to file this for future reference? Can I delete this? 4. Create folders for the emails you want to keep. 5. Get your inbox to zero daily.  If Bernadette Doyle's advice works right for you, visit her online at http://bernadettedoyle.com/blog/ . Level 3: Folders, labels, and more! Th...

  Mock Interviews Use these interview questions with a friend or classmate to prepare for an interview. The goal is not to memorize answers but to practice thinking on your feet, communicating effectively, and responding naturally. 1. Tell me about yourself. 2. What interests you about this internship? 3. What do you know about the company so far? 4. Why did you leave your last job? (Or why are you thinking about leaving your current job?) 5. Tell me about your experience at your last job. 6. What experience do you have managing various responsibilities? 7. Tell me about your strengths. 8. Tell me about a time when you faced a difficult situation and how you overcame it. 9. What salary range are you looking for? 10. What questions do you have for me [your interviewer/potential new employer]? Be sure to look for additional resources online. Here's an example: http://www.jobinterviewquestions.org/interview-gui...

Effective Email Communication Effective use of email in a professional environment can be very different from everyday and informal use of email communications. The following tips should help you avoid major pitfalls in the professional setting. Choose the recipients carefully A message directed at one person should only go to that person. In some business settings, copying an executive’s assistant is appropriate, but this should be clearly indicated before you do it. If you are copying a message to someone who is not the primary recipient, use the cc: (carbon copy) option, rather than the to: option. If you are writing to a large group of people, consider using the bcc: (blind carbon copy) option. In this case, you would place your own email address in the to: box. Finally, make sure you send the email from an appropriate and professional account. Use the subject line efficiently Always state the subject and be as clear as possible. Indicate exactly what you are...