It’s now been 6 weeks, and what a ride it has been so far. We now are down to around 12 days left, and I can’t even begin to think of all the experiences and moments I have been able to share with all my friends. For the last week, I spent most of it trying to explore more of the inner parts of Dublin I hadn’t hit yet. Luckily, a good friend of mine who was also abroad came into town for a few days, and this further allowed me to step into more Dublin experiences I had not ventured into before. For example, on Friday, I was able to partake in a cocktail-making class at the Jameson distillery, which was an unbelievable experience. I had never bartended or even made any drinks myself in that intricate way, so this allowed me to learn all the kinds of cocktails available in the world of whiskey. There are a few things I did learn, however.
The first thing I learned is my appreciation for good whiskey has begun to change tremendously. Previously, I did not like the taste of whiskey in any sense as I felt the taste of it tasted too much like rubbing alcohol. Now, I think due to the amount of time I have spent in Ireland, their love of whiskey and maybe my age has caused me to appreciate forms of whiskey I did not before. The other thing I learned is: a bartender job is not for me! As much as bartending seems like such a cool job, I learned real quick that I am an extremely clumsy individual. I already knew that information, but it definitely falls into a job such as bartending as well. The experience was fun, but not for any professional experience. Additionally, my friend who works at a comedy lounge got us free tickets for a night show, and that was a great experience. I have never been the brunt of so many jokes by professional comedians, and wow did I get flamed! Was it worth it? I’d say yes. On Saturday I went to Dun Leary with one of my friends and we had a great time walking around the Dunleary Pier, and I had my first original Irish stew; definitely worth the purchase. Lastly, I went on a Viking Splash tour on Sunday with my friends, and ended the day with a much needed nap and recharge. This weekend was a mix of chill and exhilarating, but these last 12 days I will make sure to have no minute wasted, starting with my 21st birthday today, and a Scotland trip at the end of the weekend. I’m excited, but don’t want the time to ever go away; this has been nothing short of lifechanging, and I hope to make the rest of the trip memories forever.
Before this internship experience at Jobcare, I felt my leadership experience was somewhat mixed in the terms of the style provided. Since May of 2023, I have been the president of a fraternity. Managing an organization on a local, individual, regional, and national level is a sudden step in itself, so I knew I would need to take charge in some types of ways from that moment on. Although I would say I began to understand the style of leadership that worked for me, it would be described more as a mix of empathy and a strict schedule. Although I am very open to change and am always willing to work with individuals in problem-solving situations, conflicts, and other experiences, I also work on a very strict schedule, and will continue to push for whatever is necessary to succeed in the position I am in.
In regards to my job, this experience has most definitely challenged the style of leadership I have. One of my biggest struggles in a leadership position was having the courage and worry to not succeed. Although that is still something subconsciously I struggle with, the courage and perseverance I have learned to push through this queries has increased dramatically. When I am given new challenges, I have learned to remind myself that in order to succeed, I must make the first step myself. I never will know the outcome of a situation if I don’t ask. Of course there is always a time and a place for certain situations, but with a balance and understanding of those surroundings, I have become more confident in asking for help when needed. For example, just today when having to make calls to past participants, I needed to adapt my style of conversation with customers to better assist them and not just stop at something simple like “Okay, well if you need us, call, thanks!”
Overall, this has adapted my leadership style to add more assertiveness to my character. I will always be continuously adding priorities to certain others’ schedules, but making the first move has been my biggest struggle; a fear of failure. I am going to make sure to continue and work on that in both my personal and private life, but I will never stop continuing to improve the skills I have learned here into the future. Onwards we go!