Week 5: Impressions

This week was the start of a new session of Blueprint, which was the program that I helped with during the last two weeks. This is a second session and will consist of new students. I learned the flow and adjusted to what the program was going to be like in the first session, so I was able to do the same thing, but improve what I have been doing so far and spend time to network with the staff and the guests that I help with.

I have been working with many faculty members as I was in charge of opening zoom rooms and help with technical difficulties. I am given my schedule to open rooms the day before, so I know what time to be on and open the room at least 5-10 mins before class starts. I let the faculty or guest member in, welcome them in and introduce myself, then invite the students in. I help them get settled, guide them with what they want to do during the class and stay on standby just in case there are any difficulties in the room.

By being the host and representing the Performing Arts Project as an organization, I have to make myself presentable and learn to exhibit the same type of energy that they want to give off. Sometimes, I would be opening up rooms for college representatives who are asked to introduce their musical theatre program. They would either be directors or managers of these programs and were asked to use their free time and volunteer to present their university. I learned what it was like to be the host and to be representing something that was not myself and this comes with more burden but also a sense of responsibility. I wanted to exhibit the friendly and respectable manner that the staff had shown me, and I learned to cultivate that networking skill every time I opened a zoom room.

First impressions are important because it is what remains in people’s memory the most. Throughout my internship, helping with these programs, and meeting a lot of new people for the first time, I learned how to make a good impression of myself and how to approach and greet people as a host representing something that is not just myself but something bigger.