Post 8:Looking at other people's blogs
I spent the day sick in bed. I called in sick because i really was not feeling good. I think I am learning about the same since people are learning different things than me. I read Tera's, Elizabeth Moura's, Mariela's, and Julie Grants blog. I really like Tera and Julie Grants blog because they go into detail. It seems like some people are just not blogging. But oh well. I think my blog is okay because I answer all of the prompts well. I dont know who i would teach to blog because everyone does it a certain way. I probably would have someone teach me more how to blog because I am not good with commas and stuff like that. I actually haven't gotten bored of my WLE. Every time i come into the office there is always something new to do. I like my internship and I will miss it when I have to start going back to school.
POST 7: How my WLE project is going
This week I started putting all of my notes, flyers, and drafts together. For my WLE project I am going to put together all of the advertising drafts I have made. For example I made a couple of flyers about the tax services that my mentor is doing. Also I am going to print out all of the notes I had to take when we have meetings. I am waiting of a flyer that I designed to be shipped to the office so O could take a picture of it and present it on exhibition night. I just plan to get all of my work together and start bringing it in to school so I could start my presentation. I am on track of my hours I just need to count all of my hours together and show them to Micah.
Post 6: Mentor Interview January 7, 2011
My mentors name is Michael Corbett, he is a African-American of Panamanian decent. He is currently a self employed Paralegal and Notary. He is also a music and concert producer. His office is located in Oakland Fruitvale area. The main tasks he usually does is mobile notaries and legal document preparation and in the music business he is the tour manager. In a typical week he spends 10-20 hours a week doing mobile notaries and then about 10 hours or more doing legal document prep. He sometimes spends his time in the office looking for new clients, paying bills and administrative things. His main inspiration for producing concerts was from his father. His father was a comedy basketball player during his childhood so his fathers career encouraged him to get into the entertainment business. He was not really interested in the notary business he just thought it would enhance his paralegal career to be able to offer another service. For example he is now a notary, tax preparer, and a license insurance agent so he can now offer his clients all of those different services. Referring to the music business he has he said: "If you are going to be in the music business there are at least two things that you must do. You must study the music and the business. You must know music and business. " He is a paralegal and notary because it was a way for him to make money while he was pursuing his music career. He had experience in it already so it was not really necessary for him to go back to school and study since he knew how to do a lot of things.
To start off with my own questions I asked my mentor about how much money does a person make being a notary and he said he makes about $30,000-$60,000 a year if that is all you do. But he said a notary is usually a side business. Paralegals usually make about $36,000 or more a year. Referring to his music business, a concert producer makes money by their projects not by year. For example, he goes on tour every other year so he could not depend on that income so he did the notary and paralegal business to have a steady income. I asked him about how much school someone needs to do this type of work and he said " I have a masters degree, but I don't use it a lot. It takes at least 6 years to obtain that. To be a paralegal you need at least 3 years of college and some classes after wards." Every couple of years he takes continuing education classes to keep his licenses. My mentor also had a lot of internships in the music business. "Puff Daddy was an intern at a major music label while he was in college and that's how he made it big." My mentor is going to leave on tour with his music group on January 15th and will be gone for about 6 weeks. He is heading toward Canada, Virginia, Ohio, New York and Miami.
To start off with my own questions I asked my mentor about how much money does a person make being a notary and he said he makes about $30,000-$60,000 a year if that is all you do. But he said a notary is usually a side business. Paralegals usually make about $36,000 or more a year. Referring to his music business, a concert producer makes money by their projects not by year. For example, he goes on tour every other year so he could not depend on that income so he did the notary and paralegal business to have a steady income. I asked him about how much school someone needs to do this type of work and he said " I have a masters degree, but I don't use it a lot. It takes at least 6 years to obtain that. To be a paralegal you need at least 3 years of college and some classes after wards." Every couple of years he takes continuing education classes to keep his licenses. My mentor also had a lot of internships in the music business. "Puff Daddy was an intern at a major music label while he was in college and that's how he made it big." My mentor is going to leave on tour with his music group on January 15th and will be gone for about 6 weeks. He is heading toward Canada, Virginia, Ohio, New York and Miami.
Blog5: Friday Dec. 17th, Hours and Project
Today was probably one of the most busy days so far. Today I was able to get all of my work down from last week and this week with extra time to spare! When I first got here I had to sort a whole bunch of receipts and seperate them between Food, Car, and Store purchases. It did not take me long but it was a very time filled task. After that I cleaned up the office a bit and organized all of the Fed-Ex Boxes and UPS boxes they had in the office. I also organized a whole book shelf that had a ton of papers and books and made it more neater. I went with my mentor to Daly City to do a notary too.Today included a lot of paper work and organizing next weeks things. I came in on Saturday to move a fax machine they had in the back to the front. I went to the library to get a library card since my mentor made me get one in case i needed to check out a book for my project. I think i am at a good place with my hours since i was here pretty late last night finishing everything. To make sure I have all of my hours I am just going to comme in during Winter break since my WLE is really close to my house. I dont want it to be like last year so I am just starting on my project ideas now and making sure I am ahead in my hours. I am not sure yet what my WLE essential question or thesis is yet. Maybe it will be "If more advertisement is put out for the business then more clients will come in." I am not sure yet. The only thing i collected so far is some brochures of price differences for the banner I was told to design. Next week I might just take pictures of the outside of the place and the inside main office.
Blog 3
The people who need official documents to get notarized benefit from my WLE place and also people who will need to get their taxes done during tax season. Some strengths of my work place is that it is organized and well planned out. By organized I mean that since it is a notary and includes a lot of papers they have files of every person and keep everything organized by appointment and when the appointment got done. By well planned out i mean that my mentors are organized on making the appointments without over planning. Like if they have an appointment at 1pm they make sure that that time is dedicated to that one notary with that certain client. I do not think my workplace has any weaknesses because they are very organized and well planned.
Intro Post: How I got my WLE: Oct 26th.
I got my internship through my mom. Her friend Michael owns a little office in Oakland and also has a music group called Peru Negro. Over summer I talked to him about being able to intern at his office and he said yes. A leadership skill I used to get my internship was Solve Problems Resourcefully. I used it by asking around to see if anyone would like an intern at their office.
My mentor is Michael Corbett and he works in Oakland at an office Loch Management and his music group is called Peru Negro. His office is a small office with 2 desks. At my internship I will be helping him and my other mentor, Sandra to organize all the paperwork in the office since they run a notary. Also I will help them organize the office and help Michael with his music group and plan concerts for them.
My mentor is Michael Corbett and he works in Oakland at an office Loch Management and his music group is called Peru Negro. His office is a small office with 2 desks. At my internship I will be helping him and my other mentor, Sandra to organize all the paperwork in the office since they run a notary. Also I will help them organize the office and help Michael with his music group and plan concerts for them.
