On the evening of the 18th, I was rushing from the SFO airport to make the dinner and lecture. I made it just in time to mingle with many former fellows and other public service staff of the Haas Public Service Center. That evening, I stayed at my brother’s apartment in San Jose.
On the 19th, I woke up bright and early to take Caltrain back to Stanford for a full day of Q&A and listening to both the experiences of the former fellows, and to the rules regarding logistics of the fellowship. While there were many lessons and short stories the former fellows gave us, I will include only the main tips and notes I took away from this session:
In your 1st month:
- Be Proactive
- Establish yourself as a "fellow," not intern (you can correct people by saying something like, "As a fellow, my goal is to," etc.)
- Go to happy hours and other such networking events
- Manage your workload
- Don't talk to coworkers about anything that causes "drama" or involves "gossip-like" activities. Keep whatever special privileges you have to yourself.
- PROVE YOURSELF IN OTHER PEOPLE'S TERMS FIRST!
- Cater to their expectations
- When you have down-time, peruse through the server, read online articles about your agency/org, etc.
- BE DELIBERATE BUT HUMBLE, FLEXIBLE BUT ASSERTIVE, and modesty goes a long way...
- Don't discount your ideas, but don't speak in the first meeting as if you know everything about the content you are working on.
- Be observant, read between the lines, read personalities, evaluate the environment, and see where you fit into the culture.
- Show your willingness to receive feedback (do not make excuses)
- Pick your battles.
- Be extra careful about your work (even emails!) because they are judging your work ethic straight from the start.
Mentor Relationships
- Look at everyone as your mentor, and learn from everyone
- Try to schedule a meeting of some sort within the first two weeks
- Emphasize that you are a quick learner and take feedback well
- Be open-minded
- Email before your first day to tell them how excited you are and that you are happy to be working there
- One month into your fellowship, create a learning plan with your mentor- try to look at what is reasonable, create expectations, and a timeline to stick by your goals.
- Do not underestimate other mentors.
- Take advantage of even "car/elevator" time to tell them how your are doing or hear what advice they have on any particular issue (always have a topic ready in your head or a question that can break the ice)
Networking
- If you have downtime, look at it as a time to network- introduce yourself to people, look up people in your office and reach out to them.
- Join the happy hour scene
- Create a list of names and people you want to know.
- Stay in contact with the people you were most fascinated with.
Office Politics
- Take good "read-outs" or notes during meetings and offer them in a types version to your mentors/fellow staff after the meeting. (Four main points, then details)
- Volunteer for meetings
- Be transparent about your projects (be professional, take personalities out of the picture, "pause before sending" in an email)
- If someone tries to take to you about gossip, just respond with "I don't know anything about that" and start a different conversation topic.
Worklife
- Try to keep your work at work and your life at home. Combining the two can cause some drama, unless you stick to these rules.
- Write/create a journal (hence, this blog)
- Follow HR policies when it comes to time off/sick days, etc.
What I wish I would have known (from 2009-2010 Gardners)
- Wear sandels/tennis shoes to work, heels are a pain
- Use the fellowship as an excuse to ask permission to attend relevant conferences in your area.
All very awesome advice, and notes I will revisit as I begin my fellowship.
We then had lunch and asked our last questions. For me, I was sad not to have known these fellows for a longer period of time, but hopeful that they put everything out there for us to be ready for our fellowship. It is also exciting to think that in one year, we will be sitting in their exact same shoes, giving more tips, and feeling more confident about where we will move forward in our careers and lives. After one last group picture, it was time for logistics and a movie of John Gardner’s life. Logistics included how we would be paid, ways to find housing, brief notes over taxes, healthcare, etc. It was great to know that all of our travel (flights, etc.) associated with the fellowship would be paid for.
2009-2011 Gardner Fellows
2009-2011 Gardner Fellows with UCB and Stanford Gardner Administrators
Lastly, we watched a documentary of John Gardner’s life and took away with us a book that will guide me for the next ten months.
John Gardner. Wow.
When I applied for this fellowship, it was not the top post-undergraduate experience on my list. I took the time to look up this “John Gardner” guy, but I didn’t really read into his life and what he did for others. If I had, I think it most definitely would have been at the top of my list. This man has thousands of life-changing quotes, many books surrounding leadership and service, and just a good heart. While I may not have met him, I have seen through others who have, through his works, and through documentaries that he is exactly the type of public servant I aspire to be: always learning, always humble, always creating community solutions, and always giving others the time of day.
Let’s hope I have it in me to be as amazing as he was.
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