Simple Advice For A Young Professional

1) Be Sincere. This is probably the most important thing out of anything I could say. In any customer service industry, if you have the sincerity of truly caring about the customers needs and wants, everything else over time will take care of itself. It's as simple as that.


2) Smile. Something so simple as a smile can help create positive thinking for both the person smiling and who they're smiling at. It automatically creates a rapport and gets things off on the right foot. If you don't have any direct contact with the customers, smiling in the office creates a pleasant atmosphere and may help boost productivity.


3) Balance. Be a hard worker, but take a break once in a while. Let your mind catch up, release a little stress. When there's a lot of stress and the pressure is on, just that little bit of stress release can make all the difference. Working hard will also give a satisfaction of accomplishment and bettering yourself.


4) Be Humble. You're hard work will get noticed by the people with who it matters . Boasting about your accomplishments always seems to have a negative effect in the long run, whether it's professional, psychological, or social. If you do have to make people notice, show them what you can do, don't say it.


5) Treat Everyone The Same. No matter who they are, what position, how much they make, their experience, whatever. Being treated the same builds a great work environment, builds unity, boosts morale, and just feels good.


There's nothing groundbreaking here, and I think Dwellworks does all these things. I think if you take these values wherever you'd go, it'll help you not only be a better employee, but ultimately have a better life.


-Frank Hudson

MAGIC Food Pyramid

MAGIC seems to enjoy using a wide array of food comparisons; the layers of an onion for escalations, a donut to signify controllable aspects of life, and a burger for how to deliver news. Why not take it a step further, I'm going to create a MAGIC food pyramid that will make all your wildest dreams come true. Well, not really, but it should help improve customer service and make it easier to communicate with anyone.


MAGIC steps essentially go through the process of communication, M in the beginning, C at the end. The pyramid I'm suggesting  takes into account the fundamentals of what every MAGIC conversation should have. As the pyramid gets higher and higher, each area builds in importance with the last, with the top being able to create the ultimate experience. However, without the areas in between, the pyramid will break down, increasing the possibility of a tragic experience. So for instance, if someone has a strong knowledge base (meat and dairy), but doesn't have the simple foundations (pasta and cereal) the conversation won't be as magical.


The bottom portion, normally known as the portion for bread, rice, pasta, etc., is the foundation of the pyramid, the basic foods where we get our energy from. In this case, will also be the foundation of our pyramid. The key points in this section are sincerity, empathy, listening, and personable. This is the basic substance of any MAGIC conversation. Even if you mess up every other aspect, if you show you truly do care and tried to help them, they will respond in a positive or less negative matter.


The two middle portions are the fruits and vegetables section. These are important to maintain health, and in this case will maintain a healthy conversation. The key points here are things like formalities, remembering a persons name, to be sorry and apologetic, and to say 'please' and 'thank you'. These things will maintain a healthy conversation, and along with the bottom section in the pyramid, will help create a MAGIC experience.


The upper two portions consistent of meat and dairy items.  These foods are usually associated with muscle and bone health, to be strong if you will. In this case, these two areas will help build us strong communication with the customer, and help them in whatever it is they may need. The key points in this phrase include being able to problem solve, give accurate answers, and educate the customer.  If you don't have the answer, send them over to someone that does. Ask good questions, and be engaged. This is the heart of what everyone wants, if you can do this along with the other sections, you will have a good MAGIC experience.


The final portion, the top, is where the sweets and oils are. Good in moderation, but bad if you have too much, this is the most tricky section, but also the one that can be the most rewarding. The key points in this phrase include to be able to build a rapport with the customer beyond conventional means. Match their tone, if they're serious give them what they want in a very professional matter. If they're a little more loose and maybe initiate some laughter, joke around with them for a minute. Build common ground, maybe talk about the weather outside, a sports team, or if they mention something that you're familiar with, talk about that.  Finally, share their frustration. Tell about a problem you had that was similar, or share their frustration and turn it into something that you could laugh at. NOT EVERY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CAN BE LIKE THIS, HOWEVER.  Do not talk negatively about a specific person or company. Do not get too much off topic. Just as with real sweets and oils, too much of it, or using it at the wrong time, can damage or completely ruin a MAGIC experience. You can have a good experience just by sticking to the other sections of the pyramid.  However, if you can identify with accuracy when to use these techniques, you can create a relationship that truly, truly is MAGIC.


-Frank Hudson

Recommended?

When I started my search for an internship for the summer, the most important requirement for me was that the programme would be based on a real structure and allow me to take on a specific role within a company. All too often in the UK, you hear the horror stories of large companies who take on and exploit the skills of multiple unpaid interns. Indeed, many companies seem to view internships solely as a means of accessing the cheap labour of job-hungry students. As a result of this, businesses will often fail to provide intern-programmes that deliver the knowledge or skills needed for a young person to progress in their future career endeavours.

These kinds of internships are a real problem in the UK, and particularly so amongst arts and humanities students trying to break into the professional industries. Whilst no one wants to work for free, the financial implications of un-paid work are much less concerning than what this indicates about the extent to which a company values its employees. What does an un-paid internship say about how much-or how little- a company appreciates your time?  What does it tell you about their willingness to invest in your growth as an employee? Not an awful lot.

I think that the most important thing to realize when applying for an internship is that good companies will always see their programme as an opportunity to develop the skills of the next generation of staff, and not just as a way to get the filing done. This means that they will have taken the time to construct a role that specifically allows you to experience what lies at the heart of their business. This should include more than just making cups of tea.

So, in answer to the big question; would I recommend the Dwellworks Internship? Yes, absolutely. What I enjoy most about working at Dwellworks is that, not only do I have a tangible role as a file- coordinator in my office, but I also get to participate in lots of additional projects that will help to broaden my professional ability. I'm constantly learning and improving and everyday I see myself growing as an employee. I love the fact that I'm constantly doing something and enjoy the communication aspect of what I get to do on a day-to-day basis. Coming from a tiny island, working on our international project has been a really fun way to get to know some cool facts about other cultures (like the fact that Canada has milk...in bags?!).

Everyday when I head into work, I know that I am going to be appreciated for the things that I do and this makes me strive to work even harder. Overall, I couldn't recommend this internship highly enough!

Sophie Moore
Destination Services Intern
Truro, Cornwall
Dwellworks, UK

Madridismo and Ginga Brasileira

Warning for everyone except Sophie: I use the word "football" instead of "soccer" in this article (oh no!).

These are the only things that distinguish my desk from anyone else’s; my name, a Real Madrid badge and a badge of the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (Brazilian Football Confederation). 

After one of my favorite players signed with Real Madrid in 2010, I began supporting them.  This then turned into a passion after taking a mission trip to El Salvador (yes, the Central American country that is more than 5,000 miles away from Spain) where everyone is crazy for either Real Madrid CF or FC Barcelona.  Now, Real Madrid represents a way of life for me.  The club represents the very essence of hard work, dedication, excellence and perseverance.   From 2010-2013 (4 seasons), they lost in the semi-finals of the Champions League (the most prestigious club tournament in Europe) each season.  This year, they finally reached the final, scored a game-tying goal in the final seconds of the game and went on to win in extra time (it was the most dramatic couple hours of my life, even more so than watching Titanic for the first time).  I use the heart-breaking moments I've experienced supporting Real Madrid to push me to work harder and I use the glorious moments to remind me that through hard work and perseverance, I will reach whatever goal it is that I have, despite setbacks/disappointments.       

The Brazil badge is a constant reminder of my ultimate goal which is to be able to call Brazil my home.  When I was younger, I loved the Brazilian national team but as I got older I realized that Brazil is actually a country and not just a football team (who knew?!).  The national team defines the Brazilian people though.  To say that Brazilians love futebol would be a massive understatement.  The very spirit of the game lives in Brazil.  Each Brazilian is born with ginga in their veins.  Ginga is hard to describe but if you watch Brazil play you will know it when you see it.  Ginga is the way Brazilians use their natural rhythm and creativity to deceive defenders.  It’s deep connection with the game and a love for the ball.  It is a perfect mix between being fluid and being coordinated.  It is the combination of dance and football; the end result being the Brazilian soul displayed on the field.

I went off track a little bit here regarding the actual topic of the blog (what my desk looks like) but these two badges are the only reminders and motivation I need each day.  I know that combining the unique features of the Madridista and Brasileiro ways of life in any aspect of life (including this internship) will make life much more enjoyable and fulfilling. 

Alex Norton

Global Supply Chain

Cleveland             

A Step Ahead

An internship is designed to help college students gain professional experience while also positively contributing to the company’s wellbeing.  I believe the intern program at Dwellworks encompasses the previous statement and exceeds many boundaries set by other internships.

Obtaining an internship while actively pursing a college degree allows interns to set themselves apart from their peers. The development and professional training I have experienced at Dwellworks will allow me to hit the ground running after graduation. Many companies hire interns during the summer months to conduct basic clerical work and preform busy tasks; this is not the case at 1317 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout my past six weeks at Dwellworks, I have never had a dull moment at my desk, from helping develop the new field agent walk through app to processing new authorizations and inspections. I feel that I have positively contributed to the wellbeing of Dwellworks through the work I have conducted.

Steve Freiberg

Work Life vs Uni Life.

 Instead of looking at the differences between Work Life and Uni Life I'm going to take a look at some similarities between Dwellworks life and University life!

Working at Dwellworks is an amazing experience, up until my time with Dwellworks, I thought I would be doomed to be a student for the rest of my life. I thought i would be a student forever because it's something i love, and after my past work experiences I never thought there would be anything else that I would actually enjoy doing. Dwellworks has opened my eyes to the fact that not every business is a job, some businesses are actually fun and interesting and are something that people could enjoy day in and day out.

• Welcoming, Comfortable, Friendly
  -This is an aspect of Dwellworks life. Everyday walking into the workplace you are greeted and appreciated for what you bring to the team. Everyday is fun and interesting.
  -Uni life is the same! when you get onto campus, there's the comfortable and homey feeling! Everyday is fun and interesting.
  
• Learning, Growing, Bettering
  -this is an aspect of Dwellworks life because each day is a learning experience. I'm constantly getting better at the jobs I do, and while doing them, i'm learning new ways to present myself and am always bettering myself to do a better job in the future.
  -This aspect of University is evident every class! Each class I am overwhelmed with information and mind-bending thoughts that allow me to learn new things, grow and flourish as a person, and better myself so that I can do great things in the future.
  
• Diversity
  -Within the job that I do here at Dwellworks, being an Intern and being part of the DS team, each day I get to experience diversity. Meeting and interacting with people from all around the world and all different aspects while learn about the various cultures around the world! Dwellworks is providing me with all these experiences I can't wait to utilize when I travel the world.
  -Being in a Philosophy and Religion program while minoring in Psychology, each day I get to experience diversity. All throughout Campus I'm constantly interacting with people from different Continents, religions and completely different up-bringing than myself. These amazing people I meet and interact with everyday are showing me all the diversity this magnificent world has to offer and because of this University is helping me gain these experiences that I can't wait to utilize when I travel the world.
  
• Fun.
  -one of the core aspects of Dwellworks is Fun. Dwellworks is certainly the most fun place to be employed that I've ever been a part of! Having Fun as a core aspect to the company really leads to the overall successes of the company. Happy employees have 85% better work output and product!
  -What's more fun than being in a place where everyone has the same goals, where there's so much diversity and where everyone is happy to get to know everyone else!? University for me is not only a fantastic place to learn, but it's also where I socialize and have fun with friends and make so many new acquaintances every day!

Work Life at Dwellworks, although different in some ways, still has all the great things people love about University. This is why Dwellworks has helped me realize that maybe I wont be a student for the rest of my life because there are employment opportunities, such as this one, that are a blast to have!

Shane Mitchell
Destination Services Intern
Ottawa, Canada
Dwellworks

Why I Would Recommend Dwellwork's Internship Program

I would recommend this internship to other classmates of mine due Dwellwork’s great culture and the valuable career building experiences you are guaranteed to have. Dwellworks places sincere value on their interns, and your personal success, future and present, means as much to Dwellworks as your ability to help the business succeed. I know not many internships offer the interns the opportunity to meet the CEO and CFO of the company on the first day, and the smaller business environment offers interns a great opportunity to expand their professional network and possibly help them land a job after graduation.

The people at Dwellworks help me to feel as if I am not an intern, but a full time employee. I am given projects and opportunities to be a critical problem solver to not only help the company, but my own professional growth. In my intern project, I have the opportunity to work with other interns to solve a problem that Dwellworks currently faces to enhance how their services are provided. Through this project I have learned how to work on group projects in the business world which is different than the academic world. Having this new perspective will help me in my continuing studies and my career. The Dwellworks internship, regardless of which department you find yourself in, is a great way for anyone to launch their professional career. 

-Kevin Mullinger

College-life to Work-life

Let’s just say that I have had to make a MAJOR adjustment going from classes and studying at UD to working 8:30am-5:30pm for 5 days straight for the Dwellworks internship. Basically, it is a different world that I have gradually adjusted to in the past 5 weeks.

I am a night owl at school. I, for some odd reason, cannot go to bed before 2am during the week, and then I catch up on my sleep on the weekends. Funny enough, I can get through a day of classes with 4-5 hours of sleep and sometimes not even a cup of coffee. The first couple weeks at Dwellworks, I was not sleeping as well as I should have. Getting up at 6:30am everyday and having an 8 hour day ahead of me was a tough change in my life. I have now been going to bed before 10pm-11pm every night so that I can get at least 6 hours of sleep and survive the day. Coffee is my savior. I probably have about 2-3 cups a day to give me that extra boost of energy.

At school, I am constantly walking around campus, either going to class, walking around the student neighborhood, or getting food. At work, I am sitting at my cubicle for about 6-7 hours a day emailing and calling appraisers, while working on other task as well. I enjoy being independent, working on my tasks that I do on the daily. Being downtown at work is exciting because I love walking around and trying out the different food places that are here as well.

This adjustment was a bit difficult, but I do think I have grown more in this internship from getting a feel of how the real world works and having a full-time job.

-Cat St. John

What Does Your Desk Look Like: Chaos with Headphones

My desk is located closer to the front of the building on the second floor near the accounting department.

1.  To start I have my company name tag saying I am in the finance department, even though I do not work with them at all. From what I understand, which very well could be wrong, I am part of Shared Services, more specifically Project Management. Whichever department I am actually a part of, I like it because I get to work with multiple departments and see a lot of people. Of course, I cannot forget my creatively crafted name tag from MAGIC training.
2. My desk is constantly full of reports and project updates that I have made over the course of my internship in order to make sure I do not miss any changes that need to be made for the next time I present my project.
3.  I bring my computer to work every day. Since I have to make reports and updates all the time, I just prefer to use Microsoft Office 2013 because I think it is easier to work with and makes my reports look better. Plus I can listen to music directly from my computer instead of fussing with an iPod or phone.
4.  Most recently my lifesavers are my Beats headphones. As much as I enjoy more people moving up to the second floor, the noise does make it difficult to concentrate sometimes. My headphones are noise canceling so all I hear is what I want to hear and can concentrate on my project. The downside is that people will be standing behind me for minutes and I will not even know they are there, and if anyone wants my attention they usually end up having to startle me. Still worth it.
5.  A Juji’s take out menu in the drawer is a must because I LOVE ordering food from them ahead of time and just taking a five minute walk to pick it up. Plus it is a good price, I highly recommend the grilled chicken caesar salad.

Nick Ferrara

Market Research Intern

Intern Project

Going into the 6^th week here, we are well along into our intern project. We have come a long way since the first meeting we’re starting to put everything together and I think we have accomplished a lot.

It is kind of difficult having to be on a conference call and not have everyone in the room at once. I have never done a project that way. At school everyone can normally meet up at some point face to face to discuss the project. It makes it hard to communicate our points or show our ideas when some of the people don’t have a visual. I can only imagine how hard it is for Shane and Sophie to be in a room by themselves trying to understand everything we are saying. The other day when Shane and Sophie couldn’t make the call, we all met in a different conference room and put our presentation on the screen and edited it all together we got a lot done, but not everyone was included.

This project has taught me a lot about communication and working internationally. I’m excited to see how the final presentation turns out.

 Valarie Reinig

Human Resources

Lunch Outside

Lunch is a great part of the day. It can be a time to relax and interact with your fellow colleagues. It is a time to get your mind off of work and a nice break in the day.


 

            My favorite place to eat lunch is outside in the square. On the days when Cleveland does not graciously drown us in rain, I love to go outside to eat. Not being from Cleveland and only being downtown once before it was completely new to me, eating outside in the middle of the square with tons of restaurants around the area. When I first interviewed I remember I looked out the window and thought it looked very similar to Times Square. It was like as if Dwellworks had their own Times Square. This is my favorite place to eat because it provides a new environment every time we eat out there. It is always a different group of people. Sometimes it is a large group, other times it is really small. It is great place to get some fresh air and enjoy the company of others.

Colton Ebersole
Destination Services Intern