Today I spent my time differently compared to the previous days. I got up and walked over to the Field Museum and the Chicago Aquarium. The aquarium was fascinating and I saw a lot of cool things. However, Field Museum was the more memorable experience.
Right when you walk in you see the most complete skeleton in history. The ancient dinosaur (Sue) is the most complete skeletal figure of a t-rex in the world with an astounding 90% completion. I learned all about the history of this national treasure and proceeded to check out some of the other exhibits.
The most exciting area that I saw after the dinosaur was the fantastic wildlife section. This section of the museum contains hundreds of stuffed animals. I stood next to an Alaskan Brown Bear that was almost 4 times my height standing up! it was incredible. The museum itself contains over 2.4 million artifacts, just to give an idea of how big this place is.
Another rather interesting section of the museum was the extremely well preserved Egyptian area. In the front there is an actual pyramid that you can walk through and see some of the artwork and culture. I was amazed by the size of some of the tombs, they were surprisingly small and it was interesting to read about their culture.
The last section that really stood out to me was the Native American and dinosaur exhibits which had more great artifacts and some truly great skeletal structures. If you are into history the Field Museum in Chicago is a must visit.
As for the rest of my stay, tonight I'm heading to a nice steakhouse and tomorrow is still up in the air. I leave for Washington, DC on Wednesday early in the morning. I'm definitely going to miss Chicago! This has been an unforgettable experience.
9/30/2013
9/29/2013
Free Write 4 - Chicago!
I arrived in Chicago yesterday afternoon, and have loved every minute of it. This city, is fantastic and every bit as beautiful as I've heard. It is also the largest city I have ever visited by far. The past 24 hours have been filled with site seeing, city walking, and great restaurants that live up to their reputation.
The hotel I'm staying at is conveniently located on Michigan Ave and is in great proximity to anywhere you wish to go. A block south was the infamous Buddy Guy's blues club, which was a ton of fun. The club also had fantastic food and drinks, I encourage anyone who is visiting Chicago to check it out!
After that I wandered even more, finding a few Irish pubs with friendly locals. The name of the first place I found was Kasey's, and the burgers were incredible. After a long night of socializing and absorbing the Chicago night life, I was ready to crash.
Today I spent pretty much the whole day in an infamous Chicago sports bar called Timothy O'Toole's. if you're a sports fan, then there is no better place to catch a game than O'Toole's. I got a first hand dose of some true Bear fans, and they are every bit as passionate and dedicated as people say. Also, Timothy O'Toole's had some of the best chicken wings I've ever had! The atmosphere, coupled with the food and the Seahawks winning made this a truly memorable experience.
In a little while I'll be going out (again) to dinner and tomorrow will be filled with museums and history, so I'll certainly do another free write to talk more about my days in Chicago.
I begin my internship one week from tomorrow.
The hotel I'm staying at is conveniently located on Michigan Ave and is in great proximity to anywhere you wish to go. A block south was the infamous Buddy Guy's blues club, which was a ton of fun. The club also had fantastic food and drinks, I encourage anyone who is visiting Chicago to check it out!
After that I wandered even more, finding a few Irish pubs with friendly locals. The name of the first place I found was Kasey's, and the burgers were incredible. After a long night of socializing and absorbing the Chicago night life, I was ready to crash.
Today I spent pretty much the whole day in an infamous Chicago sports bar called Timothy O'Toole's. if you're a sports fan, then there is no better place to catch a game than O'Toole's. I got a first hand dose of some true Bear fans, and they are every bit as passionate and dedicated as people say. Also, Timothy O'Toole's had some of the best chicken wings I've ever had! The atmosphere, coupled with the food and the Seahawks winning made this a truly memorable experience.
In a little while I'll be going out (again) to dinner and tomorrow will be filled with museums and history, so I'll certainly do another free write to talk more about my days in Chicago.
I begin my internship one week from tomorrow.
9/24/2013
Free Write 3 - Prepping to leave!
This Saturday morning, the 28th I will officially be leaving Arizona and beginning my journey to Washington, DC. However, I won't be flying directly to DC. Instead I will be spending 5 days in Chicago. I'm so excited to visit Chicago for the first time. Everything I've heard about the city has been great.
Despite my excitement to start my experience I'm at the unfortunate time where I have to do all of my last minute preparations. Anyone who has traveled before knows how this goes. I'm dealing with everything from packing, running errands, and cleaning, all in the course of about 4 days. I'll be gone for almost 3 months so naturally I am going to be completely overloaded on stuff. Just last night I started to arrange things in my suitcases and I'm still thinking I need more room. I don't even have a ton of clothes!
Traveling will also be crazy, my flight is at 6AM in the morning on Saturday. Once I've finished packing and everything and I'm finally on the plane I think it's gonna kick in that I'm officially on my way to start my internship. I can't wait! I'll definitely post more regarding my travel experiences and my trip to Chicago before I arrive in DC.
Despite my excitement to start my experience I'm at the unfortunate time where I have to do all of my last minute preparations. Anyone who has traveled before knows how this goes. I'm dealing with everything from packing, running errands, and cleaning, all in the course of about 4 days. I'll be gone for almost 3 months so naturally I am going to be completely overloaded on stuff. Just last night I started to arrange things in my suitcases and I'm still thinking I need more room. I don't even have a ton of clothes!
Traveling will also be crazy, my flight is at 6AM in the morning on Saturday. Once I've finished packing and everything and I'm finally on the plane I think it's gonna kick in that I'm officially on my way to start my internship. I can't wait! I'll definitely post more regarding my travel experiences and my trip to Chicago before I arrive in DC.
9/17/2013
A Typical Day (kind of)
I would love to write about my experience thus far with the State Department, however I haven't actually started yet. I won't be officially be starting until October 7th and will work for 10 consecutive weeks from that point.
Since I haven't officially started and therefore don't have any real experiences to talk about, I figure I'll discuss what the application, interview, and background check processes were like. After all, I have been dealing with rigorous pre-orientation details for pretty much all summer. Federal Government is very meticulous. Actually, Meticulous would be putting it lightly.
This isn't a bad thing by any means, it's actually a great thing that helps keep balance. When I first applied for the State Department Internship the actual application was extremely long. I must have spent upwards of two weeks completing it. When it comes to Federal jobs you want to answer everything to the best of your ability. I also had to go through a specific government job website called USA jobs, I'm sure many of you have heard of this site. After I completed that part of the application, I had to do almost an entirely new one on the State Department's official website, so in a way I filled out two lengthy applications with an intense statement of interest to accompany them. Speaking of which, it is crucial to write your statement of interest to the best of your ability. This is what employers such as the State Department view the most when reviewing applications.
After I had submitted everything it didn't take long to hear back, about 4 weeks to be exact. I went through two different interviews with two different departments, both within the Bureau of Public Affairs. Although it was nerve racking, the people I dealt with (one of whom will be my supervisor) were very friendly and relatable. Sometimes big government gets a reputation of being stiff and serious constantly, so it was nice to see that individuals seemed approachable and friendly. That was a huge relief.
Perhaps the most intense aspect of my hiring process was the comprehensive background check I had to go through. Some have probably heard of the thorough security checks potential Federal Government employees have to go through. This is no exaggeration, my background check packet took me literally 12 straight hours to fill out and that was just because I wanted to get it over with. I had to list all of my previous residences, close friends growing up, just about all my previous supervisors with specific contact information, and I had to physically send multiple documents for review. There was so much more, but let me assure you it IS time consuming. Despite the time to fill it out, I heard back fairly quickly and all that was left was to decide when I would actually start my internship and what I would be doing. This went on for a little while, and I am finally ready to begin. I'll be flying out to DC in only 11 days! I can't wait.
Since I haven't officially started and therefore don't have any real experiences to talk about, I figure I'll discuss what the application, interview, and background check processes were like. After all, I have been dealing with rigorous pre-orientation details for pretty much all summer. Federal Government is very meticulous. Actually, Meticulous would be putting it lightly.
This isn't a bad thing by any means, it's actually a great thing that helps keep balance. When I first applied for the State Department Internship the actual application was extremely long. I must have spent upwards of two weeks completing it. When it comes to Federal jobs you want to answer everything to the best of your ability. I also had to go through a specific government job website called USA jobs, I'm sure many of you have heard of this site. After I completed that part of the application, I had to do almost an entirely new one on the State Department's official website, so in a way I filled out two lengthy applications with an intense statement of interest to accompany them. Speaking of which, it is crucial to write your statement of interest to the best of your ability. This is what employers such as the State Department view the most when reviewing applications.
After I had submitted everything it didn't take long to hear back, about 4 weeks to be exact. I went through two different interviews with two different departments, both within the Bureau of Public Affairs. Although it was nerve racking, the people I dealt with (one of whom will be my supervisor) were very friendly and relatable. Sometimes big government gets a reputation of being stiff and serious constantly, so it was nice to see that individuals seemed approachable and friendly. That was a huge relief.
Perhaps the most intense aspect of my hiring process was the comprehensive background check I had to go through. Some have probably heard of the thorough security checks potential Federal Government employees have to go through. This is no exaggeration, my background check packet took me literally 12 straight hours to fill out and that was just because I wanted to get it over with. I had to list all of my previous residences, close friends growing up, just about all my previous supervisors with specific contact information, and I had to physically send multiple documents for review. There was so much more, but let me assure you it IS time consuming. Despite the time to fill it out, I heard back fairly quickly and all that was left was to decide when I would actually start my internship and what I would be doing. This went on for a little while, and I am finally ready to begin. I'll be flying out to DC in only 11 days! I can't wait.
9/16/2013
Career Service Event: Successful Interviewing
For my first career service event, I attended a seminar on how to successfully interview. Early on the seminar seemed like a re-run of information I've been taught for my entire life. Little things, such as dress code, attitude, and preparation were discussed.
At first it was a bit underwhelming, but as I pressed on Damian (the host) brought up some really good points that I wouldn't traditionally think about while interviewing. One of the interesting things was to Google yourself before you interview. It is known that employers may check your social media to see what you're like, but social media is only a small part of the internet. When you Google yourself you are seeing everything else that may be out there about you, which could be very positive but also very negative.
An obvious interview trait you should possess is confidence and doing your research. You should go into the interview with a pretty great idea of what the company you're applying for does. This will help in may aspects, especially in you're ability to answer questions intelligently.
Mock interviews are an important and useful tool in preparing for an interview as well. I had no idea that ASU offers mock interviews on campus, I think that's great. Mock interviews of any kind can help prepare you to answer open ended questions. In my experience, employers rarely ask yes or no questions, instead they focus on specifics. Tell me why you're qualified, what are you're best qualities, tell us a story... etc. When you go into an interview prepared to answer these questions it will go much smoother. This was something that Damian pointed out during the seminar that really hit home for me.
Another aspect that was interesting was the importance of a strong first impression. It's obvious that you should dress nice and wear clothes that fit, but equally as important is the way you present yourself when you first meet a potential employer. Smiling, showing good posture, and confidence are crucial.
The last, and potentially most important part of this seminar was the ending when Damian stressed how important asking your interviewers questions are. I always knew this was important, however I usually asked the same kinds of questions. Damian provided some great examples that will come in handy during the future such as, what's it like to work here on a typical day? and what has your experience been like since you've been here? Moving forward I will definitely keep what I learned here in mind for future interviews.
If you need to get a hold of Damian for any questions, feel free to email him and ask. He would be glad to help
dgudino1@asu.edu
At first it was a bit underwhelming, but as I pressed on Damian (the host) brought up some really good points that I wouldn't traditionally think about while interviewing. One of the interesting things was to Google yourself before you interview. It is known that employers may check your social media to see what you're like, but social media is only a small part of the internet. When you Google yourself you are seeing everything else that may be out there about you, which could be very positive but also very negative.
An obvious interview trait you should possess is confidence and doing your research. You should go into the interview with a pretty great idea of what the company you're applying for does. This will help in may aspects, especially in you're ability to answer questions intelligently.
Mock interviews are an important and useful tool in preparing for an interview as well. I had no idea that ASU offers mock interviews on campus, I think that's great. Mock interviews of any kind can help prepare you to answer open ended questions. In my experience, employers rarely ask yes or no questions, instead they focus on specifics. Tell me why you're qualified, what are you're best qualities, tell us a story... etc. When you go into an interview prepared to answer these questions it will go much smoother. This was something that Damian pointed out during the seminar that really hit home for me.
Another aspect that was interesting was the importance of a strong first impression. It's obvious that you should dress nice and wear clothes that fit, but equally as important is the way you present yourself when you first meet a potential employer. Smiling, showing good posture, and confidence are crucial.
The last, and potentially most important part of this seminar was the ending when Damian stressed how important asking your interviewers questions are. I always knew this was important, however I usually asked the same kinds of questions. Damian provided some great examples that will come in handy during the future such as, what's it like to work here on a typical day? and what has your experience been like since you've been here? Moving forward I will definitely keep what I learned here in mind for future interviews.
If you need to get a hold of Damian for any questions, feel free to email him and ask. He would be glad to help
dgudino1@asu.edu
9/11/2013
Free Write 2 - A Little About Me
In this week's free write, I figured I would write about myself a bit. I was born and raised in Olympia, Washington. For those who don't know, Olympia is about 45 minutes to an hour outside of Seattle. I'll always have pride for my home state and where I grew up but by the time I was 18, the rain and generally miserable Western Washington weather got to me.
After a trip to Washington, DC I made a decision that a degree in public policy was a great fit for my personality! I made the move to Arizona State University for the awesome city life and constant sunshine and I haven't looked back since. I must say, it's great here. People are friendly and it's great to be around fellow students and like-minded people at similar points in their lives. Growing up I didn't have much of that, especially after high school.
I take a strong interest in politics and public administration, but my more "recreational" hobbies include sports, movies, and traveling. I am, and always will be, a die hard Seattle Seahawks fan! I can't tell you how happy I am that football season is back in full swing. Sundays have true meaning again. On a similar note, GO SUN DEVILS!
Along with sports, I'm probably one of the biggest movie nerds you will meet (no exaggeration). I love all kinds of movies in every genre, assuming they are good and worth watching. Some of my all time favorites include The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Nolan's Batman Trilogy, The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, No Country for Old Men, The Big Lebowski, Schindler's List, and of course The Bourne Movies (The Matt Damon ones). Of course there are so many more films I love and I'm always on the lookout for the next big thing. Over the last few years I've really gotten into independent films as well.
Game of Thrones is also incredible. I am fully aware this is not a movie, but that does not change the fact that it's fantastic and if you're not watching it you are genuinely missing out.
Moving on.
I would say that my biggest ambition is to travel and see new places and to try new things. I've always enjoyed having new experiences even if it's something as simple as trying a new dinner spot during happy hour. On a more grand level, traveling to different places nationally and internationally is something I really like doing. After I return from Washington, DC I plan on scrounging enough cash together to take a short vacation in Dublin, Ireland. Maybe next summer perhaps?
While I'm on the travel note, I can't wait to finally head to DC and start my experience! Many of my future free writes will involve discussing some of my favorite DC experiences. I'm certain I will have a ton of stories to tell.
After a trip to Washington, DC I made a decision that a degree in public policy was a great fit for my personality! I made the move to Arizona State University for the awesome city life and constant sunshine and I haven't looked back since. I must say, it's great here. People are friendly and it's great to be around fellow students and like-minded people at similar points in their lives. Growing up I didn't have much of that, especially after high school.
I take a strong interest in politics and public administration, but my more "recreational" hobbies include sports, movies, and traveling. I am, and always will be, a die hard Seattle Seahawks fan! I can't tell you how happy I am that football season is back in full swing. Sundays have true meaning again. On a similar note, GO SUN DEVILS!
Along with sports, I'm probably one of the biggest movie nerds you will meet (no exaggeration). I love all kinds of movies in every genre, assuming they are good and worth watching. Some of my all time favorites include The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Nolan's Batman Trilogy, The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, No Country for Old Men, The Big Lebowski, Schindler's List, and of course The Bourne Movies (The Matt Damon ones). Of course there are so many more films I love and I'm always on the lookout for the next big thing. Over the last few years I've really gotten into independent films as well.
Game of Thrones is also incredible. I am fully aware this is not a movie, but that does not change the fact that it's fantastic and if you're not watching it you are genuinely missing out.
Moving on.
I would say that my biggest ambition is to travel and see new places and to try new things. I've always enjoyed having new experiences even if it's something as simple as trying a new dinner spot during happy hour. On a more grand level, traveling to different places nationally and internationally is something I really like doing. After I return from Washington, DC I plan on scrounging enough cash together to take a short vacation in Dublin, Ireland. Maybe next summer perhaps?
While I'm on the travel note, I can't wait to finally head to DC and start my experience! Many of my future free writes will involve discussing some of my favorite DC experiences. I'm certain I will have a ton of stories to tell.
9/04/2013
Brief State Department Overview
Before I begin my internship in October it's probably a good idea to describe what specifically the State Department does.
The U.S. Department of State or the State Department as it's also known, is a large Federal Agency responsible for dealing with American Foreign Policy and International Relations. A great deal of Diplomacy is handled through the State Department who's chief executive officer is the Secretary of State. Currently that person is John Kerry.
Although the State Department's mission of sustaining peaceful international relations while enhancing U.S. interest is a collective, department wide mission, there are various departments and offices that handle different aspects such as international security, diplomacy, and intelligence. Since the comprehensive list is extensive I won't list every individual department, but the bureau I will be working with is the Bureau of Public Affairs. Specifically, I will be interning in the Office of Public Liaison.
One of the State Department's primary missions is to relay news and updates to the public, and the Bureau of Public Affairs deals with keeping domestic and international audiences informed through various forms of media. The Office of Public Liaison's specific mission is to engage domestic audiences in order to help enhance the department's work at home and abroad.
Of course, my summary is only a brief overview of what the State Department does. If you want more info, definitely check out the official Department of State website.
http://www.state.gov/
If you're really interested in getting involved be sure to follow the State Department on Twitter, @StateDept
Through twitter you can get all sorts of international news and updates.
The U.S. Department of State or the State Department as it's also known, is a large Federal Agency responsible for dealing with American Foreign Policy and International Relations. A great deal of Diplomacy is handled through the State Department who's chief executive officer is the Secretary of State. Currently that person is John Kerry.
Although the State Department's mission of sustaining peaceful international relations while enhancing U.S. interest is a collective, department wide mission, there are various departments and offices that handle different aspects such as international security, diplomacy, and intelligence. Since the comprehensive list is extensive I won't list every individual department, but the bureau I will be working with is the Bureau of Public Affairs. Specifically, I will be interning in the Office of Public Liaison.
One of the State Department's primary missions is to relay news and updates to the public, and the Bureau of Public Affairs deals with keeping domestic and international audiences informed through various forms of media. The Office of Public Liaison's specific mission is to engage domestic audiences in order to help enhance the department's work at home and abroad.
Of course, my summary is only a brief overview of what the State Department does. If you want more info, definitely check out the official Department of State website.
http://www.state.gov/
If you're really interested in getting involved be sure to follow the State Department on Twitter, @StateDept
Through twitter you can get all sorts of international news and updates.
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