Post-Interview Reflection

So I had my mock interview on September 9th.  I was one of the last people to go that day.  My interview was with Allied Health Services with Ms. Elaine Robinson.  Overall, I felt the interview went really well!!  I was definitely nervous going into the interview, because I was not sure what to expect, or even really how to prepare for it.  I had some ideas as to what I was going to be asked, but I can say that Ms. Elaine threw me through a loop with some of the them!  What I was not expecting during the interview, was how well I was able to convey what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it.  I would like to think I impressed Ms. Elaine, however that could just be me inflating myself.  If there was something I could have done differently was not say the word "um" as much.  I struggle with saying that work too often, as I used to say the word "like" all the time.  I think if I work on just allowing a pause when I'm talking, I'll find myself not saying "um" as much.  What I learned from this mock interview was that I definitely have more confidence that I initially realized.  I don't think I will ever feel fully prepared for an interview, but I think as long as I go in with confidence and answer each question to the best of my abilities, I think I can be successful in them.

A Glyph on Leadership

Comparing my new glyph to my old one, the only things that have changed are the fact that I now feel like I have not had as much leadership experience that I would like to have had at this point in my life.  Also, I deemed self-awareness as not a priority for an effective leader in my original drawing, but made sure to include that in my most recent glyph.  I have really enjoyed doing this exercise again, because it does show that I have grown in some areas, but also I have held steadfast in other areas regarding leadership.

Instructions for Glyph Drawing:

Face Shape: If you believe that leadership is an inborn trait, draw a triangle-shaped head.  If you think that leadership stems from nurture over nature, draw a square-shaped head.

Eyes: If you think the vast majority of OTs are leaders, make big circles for the eyes.  If you think there is a fairly equal mixture of leaders and non-leaders in the field of OT, draw small circles for the eyes.  Fill in the pupils.  Add glasses if you feel that you have had more experience in leadership roles than most other people your age at this point in life.

Eyelashes: Draw one eyelash on each of the eyes for each of the five themes you can name based on your personal Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment from earlier in the curriculum.

Eyebrows: If you like to take the role of the leader in an out-in-front way, make curved eyebrows.  If your leadership style is more behind the scenes, make pointy eyebrows.

Nose: Draw a triangle nose if you think that seeing yourself as a leader is necessary to being a leader.  Draw a rounded nose if you believe that a person can be a leader without seeing himself or herself as a leader.

Skin:  Add a freckle anywhere on the skin of the face if you believe that self-awareness is vital to effective leadership.  Leave the skin clear if you don’t think it’s an essential trait.

Mouth: Draw a smiling mouth if you can think of at least one leader who has had a positive impact on you.  Draw a frown if you can’t think of a good example of a leader.

Ears: Draw round ears if you think technology is an important part of effective leadership in many situations. Draw pointy ears if don’t think so.

Hair: Draw the hair based on a continuum, based on your personal viewpoint in two areas:

What’s more important in leadership:             Curly hair  <------------------------->  Straight hair 

          creativity or organization?                   Creativity  <-------------------------->  Organization

                        AND

Can an introvert be an effective leader?         Short hair <-------------------------> Long hair

                                                                           No way  <------ I’m unsure -----> Definitely yes

Accessories: Add at least one accessory (example: a piece of jewelry) if you see yourself as a leader.  Add a hat if the way you think about or approach leadership has changed as a result of what you have learned since beginning in OT school.

Finishing Touch: Label your paper with your name, writing in cursive if you have a written plan or goal about to serving in leadership roles in the future; write in print if you do not yet have a written plan.

Internal Locus of Control

Reading the statements and figuring out what my LoC was, I found out that I do have more of an internal LoC, however, I also firmly believe that there are some things that are out of my immediate control, and we often have to let fate take the reins for a while.  For the longest time, I used to hate that.  I could not stand not having control over things, not being able to choose what the outcomes are, and that would cause a lot of unnecessary stress for me.  It's taken me a long time to get to the point I'm at now when it comes to things that are completely out of my control.

For a leader, I think having a pretty solid internal locus of control is very important, because they are able to recover more quickly from setbacks.  They are able to adapt more quickly to certain things, and respond better to when their plans do not work or are changed by an outside circumstance.  I think in order to be a well-rounded OT practitioner, having a strong internal LoC will make you more successful and also more willing to accept certain things and know how to traverse the unknown when it arises.