| |
Profile
of Alexis Yakemovic, Intern, Carnegie Library, 8/06
by Shannon Durkin
PPW/Writing Center Publicity Intern
 Alexis
Yakemovic is a senior English Lit major with “an unnatural
obsession with the Food Network.” She is also currently an
intern at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s External Relations
Department, whose main focus is to promote literacy and a love of
reading. According to Alexis, the organization strives to be a cultural
beacon and cornerstone of the community.
Alexis asked Pam O’Brien for advice on where to go for an
internship. Pam gave her a list of approved organizations, and Alexis
decided to call Carnegie’s contact person. She talked to Suzanne
(her current boss) and dropped her resume off the same day. Alexis
called once a week to check on the status of the position. Due to
some unforeseen events (a lightning strike!) the library was in
upheaval and hiring an intern was not their top priority. Luckily,
Alexis’ persistence paid off. She feels that by calling so
often, she demonstrated that she would be committed to this internship.
Aside from meetings, Alexis mostly works by herself in her own office.
Her day begins at 9 a.m., when she meets with her supervisor and
receives her assignments for the day. Sometimes she has to push
for more assignments, but she would rather be a little pushy than
to sit around doing nothing. Alexis mainly writes press releases
and proofreads, but occasionally she will help ease the workload
of her supervisors. Her schedule is flexible; she takes a lunch
break whenever she chooses. If her bosses are happy with her work
for the day, she is even allowed to leave early!
Alexis’s tenacity and self-confidence are an inspiration to
students who are timid about networking and getting what they want.
“I was afraid of networking when I first came to college.
I thought it was just a form of nepotism and that it had no reflection
on the quality of your work. After experiencing networking I realize
that most people don’t help out people who are incompetent
or unprofessional. Your own reputation is on the line,” Alexis
says.
What does Alexis’s future hold? “I would love to be
a college professor teaching English. I would love to travel the
world, but come back to a loving home. And I’d always love
to have my own cooking show on the Food Network, but I’d have
to learn how to cook first.”
|
|