P is for Presentation; Sharing what you know

Today was a big day for me as an intern! I was able to give a presentation to anyone in IES that was interested in learning more about Microsoft Publisher.  While the program is incredibly easy to me, it was great to put on my "teacher" hat and to help others to learn something that I find fun and efficient.  Working on this presentation throughout my time here, I was able to express the information in a way that was easy for others to understand, while helping the office to find ways to maximize efficiency.

It was really nice to be taken seriously, which, for many people is the main reason for presenting yourself in a positive manner in the workplace.  As an intern, it can be even more important to present yourself in the right ways in order to both make a good impression and to make the most of your experience.  Presentation goes both ways; you can present informative material and you can present yourself to others.

Nailed it! 

Part of presenting yourself well, is professionalism (another "P" word, I know).  Professionalism, a fairly positive word, can also be extremely challenging whenever frustrations arise.  Believe it or not, not every "professional" acts professionally all of the time.  It can be easy to forget about personal presentation, especially when you get bored with your work, or upset with the conditions of your job.  What is important to remember is how your personal presentation effects not only your own job, but the company you work for, people around you, etc.  Professionalism is a team effort, and each member is held responsible for presenting themselves in the right ways on a daily basis, even interns.

While giving my presentation, I realized why the saying exists, "there's no such thing as a stupid question."  Some of the things people asked were very simple to explain, and confusing simply because they weren't familiar with Publisher.  Other questions threw me off a little bit, and I even ended up learning something myself! This just goes to show that something you might think is a "stupid question," might end up teaching the teacher a thing or two!

My favorite part of today was being able to share something I knew how to do with those who didn't.  Working at the Department of Education, I've realized how much of this actually goes on on a daily basis.  At some companies, it would be easy to imagine that workers go to work, do their job, and go home.  But my experience here has truly exposed me to a type of workplace that allows everyone to be both educators and learners every day.

Maybe I'll end up being a teacher after all - or maybe I'll just find new and innovative ways to "present" myself to those around me.  That's kind of like teaching, right?