So, most of us have some sort of sentiment attached to our respective colleges….

sometimes its the cafeteria sandwiches that we remember, other times, its that one amazing faculty member that made college seem like a second home – and most often its that group of friends that you practically live with for four years and then one fine day you all part ways and sort of grow up!!!

So, during my 11th and 12th years of Science in St. Xaviers, Mumbai – I was a Xavierite – AND BOY – did I take pride in it!

Strutted around campus every morning, feeling like I was the cat’s whiskers and there was no better place to be.

But after HSC it became clear that the world was much larger …. our college gang parted ways and after the initial manic efforts to stay in touch… we sort of move on!

Now, I’m at a new college (Amplify Mindware), with a new set of friends, another special faculty member that makes college feel like a second home…. and a whole new set of career options in the IT field available to me.

Andddd…. believe it or not a new identity!!! Here’s a riddle to discovering it…

What’s a circle, triangle and square at the same time….

Keep watching this space to know why the college chose this identity…

and feel free to share…. what is your special college identity???

Deadline: 31 January 2010

£16,400 Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire

This is an opportunity to be part of something really special. An opportunity to raise the profile of our pioneering work and to help break stories heralding the latest scientific breakthroughs.

Join the team at the world-leading research council and you’ll be actively involved in all aspects of Business & Marketing. You’ll be taking on the pivotal role of telling the world about our research and achievements, and will have the opportunity to enjoy a new challenge each day. One day you may be designing PR materials such as a newsletter and the next you could be organising an event, or inspiring the next generation of scientists. This role allows you the opportunity to explore and get involved in many different aspects within the Science and Technology Facilities Council Innovations directorate.

Whatever the project, you’ll broaden your experience and support the brilliant team behind some of the most exciting research projects in the world.

To Apply: Please register at http://bit.ly/gradstudentmilkround and apply under ‘Community, Social Services and Non-Profit’

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Deadline: 31 January 2010

£16,400 Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire
Our world-class science is underpinned by equally world-class technical expertise. Our technical team supports all of the amazing work we do and are the people who bring ideas to life and make things happen.

Join our team and you’ll be part of something really special. You’ll work with some of the finest minds, supporting pioneering research projects that will shape and define our future. We’re experts in the fields of ISIS, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic Engineering. So every day will present a new challenge. From nanoscience and precision engineering to
the latest e-science solutions for data management, analysis and exchange, we guarantee that you’ll get hands on experience and actively contribute to some of the world’s most exciting research projects.

To Apply: Please register at http://bit.ly/gradstudentmilkround and apply under ‘Community, Social Services and Non-Profit’

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Deadline: 31 January 2010

£16,400 Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire

This is an opportunity to be part of something really special. An opportunity to work alongside some of the most brilliant minds in science on some of the most exciting research projects in the world. Much more than an observer, you’ll be very much part of team at the world-leading
research council, actively contributing to projects that will shape and define our future.

As the variety of our work is incredible, you’ll broaden your experience much more than you could possibly imagine. At our Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, pioneering research takes place every day, and you could be part of it. Every day will present you with a new challenge as you help to make a difference at the forefront of scientific discovery. One day you could be helping to discover a new particle. The next day you could be using some of the world’s most powerful lasers to simulate how our Universe began.

To Apply: Please register at http://bit.ly/gradstudentmilkround and apply under ‘Community, Social Services and Non-Profit’

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Deadline: 31/01/2010

Industrial Placement Scheme

3M are one of the most innovative companies in the world and we are looking for talented individuals to join is in 2010 to maintain and grow our brand and manufacturing capability. We have 36 vacancies in 2010 and are particularly interested in people joining us in the following areas;

• Business – Marketing, HR, Logistics, Sales etc
• Engineering
• IT
• Science

An Industrial placement can be an important first step in your career. So at 3M, expect to be treated as part of the team from the day you arrive to the day you complete your 12 months within our organisation. Expect real work with real responsibility too. There’s no better way to equip you with skills, insight and support that could lead to a career with us after graduation if you show us your potential.

Above all, you need enthusiasm to succeed here, plus a genuine desire to be part of a supportive culture where everyone is focused on one thing: our customers.

You will need:

• The right to live and work in the EU
• A minimum of ‘C’ in GCSE Maths and English or equivalent qualifications
• A minimum of 3 ‘C’s (240 UCAS points) at ‘A’ level/Scottish Highers or other equivalent qualifications (Excluding General Studies)
• A UCAS tariff of at least 240 points
• To have or be on target to achieve a minimum 2:2 degree.

If you want to discover your true potential and you have what it takes to succeed at one of the world’s most innovative organisations, we’d like to receive your application.

We believe that how we do business is just as important as the business we do. So it’ll come as no surprise that, as a global organisation, we offer some truly world-class opportunities for your Industrial Placement year.

Industrial Placement salary: c.£16,200.

To Apply: Please register at http://bit.ly/gradstudentmilkround and apply under ‘Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations’

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B-schools in India, precisely the IIMs are mostly known for fat pay packages and hot corporate profiles. For an aspirant, getting into one of those hallowed portals of higher learning is an entry ticket to a life long assurance of fat paychecks. For parents and family members of the ones who managed to scrape through the rigors of a tough admission procedure aka CAT, it is a matter of prestige and immense pride.

The craze about these institutions is such that if some day God had to grant a wish, all Indians would have asked for reserved seats in IIT-IIMs for their sons and daughters. India, as a society values education and intellect. Therefore, every parent wants his/her children to focus more on education rather  than ‘wasting’ time on sports and hobbies. I don’t say that education guarantees wisdom… but that is what the perception is here in our country.

Now, the point here is… I also, like countless many, did engineering and then got into a B-school. For most MBA students, the biggest aim is to end up with a dream job at the end of the course. There is nothing wrong in that… more so because a B-School takes a significant amount investment, both in terms of time and money.

Frankly speaking I was never really bothered about too much money or a very high profile job when I joined IIM Lucknow. But, there was one thing that I was very sure of… that I would like to have a career in marketing. Never did I budge or even think about anything else. Marketing interested me because it did and it still does… I don’t have any concrete reasons for my fondness towards this particular stream. You may attribute it to my phobia towards anything remotely connected to Finance, but the truth is that I never saw myself being a corporate bank manager or an Investment Banker.

Last year, the global meltdown started and slowly but gradually news started spreading that the Sub-prime crisis was actually something more serious than a mere conception of an Economist’s mind. Even then it was a common belief in campus that nothing severe would happen… The great Indian Elephant, as was a common argument in classroom discussions then, would shrug it off and move forward with minor scratches. After all we are an emerging economy and Indian financial system is known to be stable and well regulated.

Although people interested in finance were a little worried because deteriorating financial conditions in the West would mean that prospects of having jobs abroad would decrease, no one really thought that getting a dream profile would be tough. I was even less bothered because I thought marketing jobs would be aplenty with few takers, as was the case before. I, for that matter any one in my batch, was not helped by the fact that we had the best placements record in the previous batch. The expectations were already high.

The scene started changing when banks in the West started collapsing… Some divisions got closed… markets started falling… economic outlook became worse than ever. Some PPOs (Pre Placement Offers) of students from other campuses, mostly offered by foreign recruiters (finance) to summer interns were getting cancelled. The media also left no stone unturned in ballyhooing the stories. The ultimate panic button was finally pressed when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy on September 15^th, 2008. Finance enthusiasts, for whom Lehman Brothers was like the Mecca of I-Banking, were unable to digest the news… there was a general sense of gloom in the campus.

Suddenly there was some sort of urgency in the air and people knew that nothing was going good with the job scene. It was a known fact that getting jobs was going to be difficult… profiles were going to be shitty and packages were going to be dicey.

The summers’ placements process of our juniors also confirmed the fact that things were not going in the right direction… There were no signs of the Global economy showing signs of recovery. News, mostly baleful ones, started spreading from here and there. Finally when our turn came to suit up and face the moment we had always been waiting for (although we had not been waiting for such a scene to come in the exact sense… but even then), we realized that most of us were caught unprepared.

The placements week came… Tension was palpable and gloom was in the air. The waiting rooms were full of unexpressed distressing human emotions… It was as if a mammoth dark cloud had turned the weather sullen… There were gleaming rays of sun, but those were not enough for 300 pairs of expectant eyes, which were fast losing hope on anything & everything around.

On a personal front, I found it very hard to get marketing shortlists. My entire two years were dedicated to creating a CV meant for a dream marketing profile… I don’t know what was wrong with my preparation but the lists which came out with my name on them were very few. The companies did not like my profile or probably they did not go through my resume… I don’t know! And there were companies where I was shortlisted but they were more than difficult to crack, however numbered such opportunities might have been.

I could not sleep the night before I got placed… I had stopped being sad by then. However one thing that saddened me was that I gave sleepless nights to my parents… I probably should not have told them about the placements because the more companies I was missing out on, the more concerned they were becoming…

Throughout the entire process I tried to be very composed and I actually was. There was some kind of optimism which probably flows from my inner self. But I was angry… and I was pissed with the situations surrounding all of us. What wrong did my batch do to face this…? We were doomed and I did not want to accept that.

There was one time though, when I was scared. That was when I was sitting in the waiting room for my day to start on the day I got placed. I probably got drifted into a mild sleep and that brought me some nightmares. I suddenly woke up sweating and realized that I did not have much time left to get a job in my hands. That was a ‘make or break’ day for me. Thankfully, in the end it was a good day for me. I got placed and felt it was ‘good riddance’ for me to be out of that quagmire. And I actually felt blessed to have a job in my hand.

Worse than my own situation were cases where people who saw more than 10-15 interviews and were yet not placed… I felt bad for them. For me, it was a case of wait and watch till my time came… For a lot, it was like go & face the interview only to be rejected in the last round. That probably hurt more…

The economy is slowly turning around. People are getting jobs… Summer placements have shown signs of recovery… companies are suddenly in the mood of recruitment. People from my batch will be looking for opportunities now. Some of our very bright minds had to settle for ‘poor’ jobs out of compulsion because they did not have any other options left in hand… It will be interesting now to see how the batch starts adapting and competing. Mind you, we will have to compete with experienced people and our juniors for the same set of jobs in the market. We might emerge as the greatest survivors but there is an equal chance of us being the ‘doomed batch’ forever.  People have conflicting view points… Only time will tell!

P.S: The ‘week’ mentioned in the title refers to a B-school placement week. The post written here reflect entirely my personal views.

Have you considered applying to AIESEC for a work placement abroad? They have four traineeships:

• Management – Internship at either Multinational / Large Local organisations happens in one of the countries of their choice (PAID to cover living costs in country) 6-18 months
• Development – Work with NGO in developing country. (No Salary, but all living costs / accomodation are covered) 2-18 months
• Educational – Teach English abroad / work with local government (PAID) 2-18 months
• Technical – Work in IT or Engineering organisation (PAID) 6-18 months

You’ll be expected to pay a one-off £350 administration fee, however AIESEC are very well known, and credible. For further information, visit their website or enquire at your Careers Service about their next visit.

Yesterday i had attended infosys placements. I cleared it and then i thought i will help others clear it. So i am writing this post.

The basic criteria to attend their interview is 60% in 10th 60% in 12th and 68% in UG and PG.

Infosys has two rounds in their interview process. They are

• Written test
• HR

The written test consists of two parts the verbal and the non-verbal.

Non-verbal – 30 questions in 40 minutes

Verbal – 40 questions in 35 minutes

The non-verbal round consists of 6 types of questions. They are

• Logical Resoning / Analytical Resoning
• Logic (Figure Type Questions)
• Data Sufficiency
• Data Interpretation
• Logical Puzzles
• Deductive Resoning

Each section consists of 5 marks each.

Refer this material for each topics and practice the puzzles for one week. Questions will be very easy but what that matters is time. I think little practise will solve this problem

• Logical Reasoning / Analytical Reasoning – “A modern approach to verbal and non verbal reasoning” by R.S Agarwal.Part II, Chapter 4.
• Logic – “A modern approach to verbal and non verbal reasoning” by R.S Agarwal.Part II,Chapter 1.
• Data sufficiency Don’t refer  “A modern approach to verbal and non verbal reasoning” by R.S Agarwal. Go for some CAT material.
• Data Interpretation – “Quantitative Aptitude” by R.S Agarwal.Chapters 36 – 39.
• Logical Puzzles – “A modern approach to verbal and non verbal reasoning” by R.S Agarwal.Section I,Chapter 5,6.
• Deductive Reasoning – “A modern approach to verbal and non verbal reasoning” by R.S Agarwal. Section II, Chapter 1.

For verbal reasoning go through some basic books.

Be cool in HR round. It’s just to check your Communication skills not your technical skills. 90% of the guys who clear written test clears HR. There is no GD in the process.

Hope it helped friends. Post your comments.

The Thing is that I’m not too interested in being an Engineer. Yeah, it does like a dumb career choice seeing that I’m on my way to get an engineering degree but that’s how my life has been, Mostly going with the flow. Things happened and I didn’t have ideas at that time and with me being the eldest in the family I had to explore things on my own; The what, the how and the where to apply, the procedure, etc., being the lazy dude I am , I didn’t venture too much away from the taken path. Me as an individual at a point of time did but only minutely change what I did. Like when I choose EC at Nitte over perhaps a Civil at Nitk. Because when I was to do Engg., I would rather study what I would like to learn about. Why wouldn’t you? Well looking back I still feel it was a good decision. Being at nitte has helped me so much more. I’ve got good friends, I’ve had good fun and I’ve lived.
So now we meet again at our next cross roads. TCS ya Infy? We can choose one. But once selected in one we would be stuck there for at least the duration of the service agreement expiry date. Now that’s 2 years for TCS while Infy is only 1 yr. So if I would be looking to seriously pursue my higher studies I should look towards Infy as a good employer. The pay there also seems to be slightly more.(lesser holidays)
But now what if I don’t make it to any of the higher studies colleges(that I want to get in and not any institute down the road) this year? Or the next? Wouldn’t TCS look like a better option in the long run. From what I’ve heard is that it gives better job opportunities.(more holidays)

But coding is not what I would like to see myself doing with my life. But I can’t see myself working in an EC background either. Yes I do like the coding aspect in EC better any day. Right now what seems to be an ideal choice for me would be like doing my MBA. That means passing through CAT(IIM’s) and/or XAT(XLRI) and going towards more managerial positions, of which HR looks inviting because it s essentially interacting with people.
On the other hand, GATE offers me a good College (IIT’s, NIT’s,IISc) and an approx Rs 8000 a month scholarship provided I get into a college. But looking at my current situation and with only one month remaining for GATE after my exams, my chances don’t look so good in it. But this has been a dream of mine to study from a premier technical institution.

And the choice of going abroad was thrown out by me a couple of months back. Presently it looks economically crazy to go for it. Scholarships are rare and you are more or less expected to foot the bill. That’s where huge bank loans will come in. How long do you think you will take to repay them back? After your MS that is. Yeah, the degree is coveted and most people say it would not take too long, provided that your MS is in a good subject. Some people like Rahul are indeed going for it. He’ s got a good GRE score and is pretty sure about what he’s going to do.

Now my choices are not limited to just these. An uncle of mine wants me to join government service. Perhaps write IAS like a certain ‘son of mangalore’ who passed it last year. The government does need youth but am not too good with languages. This had prompted me to dump the idea of a medical seat even though I had a CET rank of 441( yea bragging rights are mine). Because like medicine, government is about serving people.. Although what we see is not too many are doing that. It s not like they are not willing but it’s more like the system does not allow them to. Joining a system that does not work well will do no good.

So what do I want to be?

Somewhere down the line I want to quit work and start to enjoy the finer things in life. Do what I want to. Go through my Bucket List. This would mean safe and wait. What the TCS spokesperson, Sampath Kumar, said really impressed me. He gave us a brief intro of his life. Now that’s an accomplished man. He spent 19 years working for Bharat Electronics Ltd. Did his higher studies with them. Quit to join an MNC, quit the MNC when he was about to be promoted and started something that he wanted to do; Rural education. He became an educator and a multi-certified one at that. He was one of the founding team of the first BPO in India and then he joined TCS and is part if their leadership group. The guy is genuine. He’s lived his life. He’s done what he wanted to do. I haven’t met many such people in my life. Whenever I do , I feel immense respect for them. It made me remark to Karthik ‘ somewhere down the line , I wish I get a job like his’.

All this takes me back to ‘the Masterplan’ made by Rajat and me. But the feasibility of the plan would be only if time was slightly on the infinity side. ‘the Masterplan’ would also mean that you would be studying for a good amount of your life, but it would allow you to do all that you dream. It works well if you aren’t sure about what to do next. But the next thing on ‘the Masterplan’ is an Mtech degree through GATE.

So there we have it. My dilemma, in my words. It’s quite a lot. But it feels good to type it all out. I needed to do this and hope that few who read this were not too bored. So on the 19th I feel I’ll decide what needs to be done i.e., TCS ya Infy. Making Major decisions in between semester exams is just adding to the stress. Sheesh!

Working in Mr. Lalonde’s office continues to be extremely exciting, busy and interesting! I have been spending a lot of time both attending meetings with him, working on publications and responding to constituents. I am truly enjoying all of the work that I have been able to do in his office. His staff, both in Toronto and in his riding continue to be extremely helpful and dedicated resources and I am learning a lot from all of them about political process, tact and diplomacy. I am continually amazed at all of the hard work Mr. Lalonde puts in every single day. Did you know that every single year he spends both Christmas and New Year ’s Day visiting every single person who is living in either a nursing home or retirement home in his riding? He is an extremely hard-working member with a devoted staff and I am extremely honoured to be a part of it.

Finally, I’m going to be visiting Lavasa! yipeeeee

It’s all planned, next Saturday the 19th, we’ll be driving out early to beat Mumbai traffic and will hopefully reach Lavasa in about three hours straight. I’ve put my foot down and demanded that we make absolutely no stops along the way, so that we get more time at this beautiful place, I’m hoping to call home someday.

Check it out!

If I could study here for four years, I’m gonna be one content, happy, chick! It’s mind-blowingly beautiful dude!!! And I get to visit in exactly nine days cause Ecole Hoteliere Lavasa is organizing an OPEN DAY for prospective students and their families.

So, besides the great viewing, what’s really got me kicked is this Ecole orientation on the 19th. They’ve included everything that a student considering a career in hospitality would need to know :

Here’s a glimpse of the agenda they shared with us….

• Information session: Open day begins with an information session on careers in hospitality, facilitate by some of the Industry’s biggest names.
• Campus tour: Next, students are give a tour of the campus as well as Lavasa. This is a perfect way to gauge what living at Lavasa will be like (this by far is my favourite part in the entire agenda)
• Interactive session: Students will then have a chance to interact with faculty members of Ecole Hoteliere Lavasa, clear doubts and ask queries etc.

The icing on the cake is definitely the promised wine brunch for all participants.

So, get going and REGISTER !!!

(it’s easy, you can do it online)

But if I were you, I’d hurry – ’cause they have limited seats and you don’t want to miss this!!!

Using Carolyn’s presentation on the oboe as a basis – I planned out my saxophone class for the children.  I found it extremely hard to pitch it at the right level for 3-4 children.  However – I decided to start by introducing the children to the saxophone.  I explained about what it is made of and when it was made – I moved on to talking about the differences between my instrument and Carolyn’s – and it was interesting to see that none of the children really remembered anything about the last week’s talk!

We then introduced them to the different families in the orchestra and asked if they could name any instruments they knew the names of.

After that, I played them a few tunes and showed them different styles of music such as classical, oriental, folk and jazz.  They all responded very well to this and were all very interested in asking questions and playing on my mouthpieces.  They seemed to enjoy all the hands on touching and playing and talking about the instrument and liked our introduction to different families and techniques and styles.

Having learnt from our mistakes of the last week, we decided to meet earlier in the week to discuss lesson plans.

When looking for some inspiration for this placement, I thought about contacting my old babysitter who herself is a nursery school teacher.  She gave us lots of tips on how to present ourself – how we need to be enthusiastic about everything, using our voices to excite yet control the children, how to keep their attention when all they want to do is run around!  She also taught me a few songs and games we could try.  The main thing she suggested was for us to do what we know best and to introduce the children to our instruments.

So – this week we decided that Carolyn would take her oboe and explain it to the children and to play a few pieces.  It was very interesting to see their response to the instrument – for instance laughing at some of her pieces and trying to guess what it was.

It was easy to base the whole class around the oboe presentation as it kept all the childrens attention until the very end.  Next week will be me presenting my saxophone to the children.

This was the first time I’ve ever had to teach children so it was a massive first learning step.

Having noted down one or two of the hello songs and games we had talked about in the Community Music lessons – Carolyn, Hazel and I talked briefly and made up a quick lesson plan not really knowing what to expect, how long the lessons would be or how the children would react to us.

When we found the Bridgeton Family Learning Centre after asking certain members of the community, we were escorted to a reasonably large room and told to make ourselves comfortable and ready for the first group.

I think this first week was not very successful as we didn’t really work well as a team and the changes between elements of the class were not very smooth.  However, we managed to teach a Hello song, Hickety Tickety Bumblebee, a goodbye song and played a few games such as London Bridge is Falling down and The Teddy Bear song.

After this week, we learnt some of the activities that the children really enjoyed and responded to – so it will help to influence our next placement plans.

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is issuing a call for applications for internship positions in Berlin. ICD is an international, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization concerned with the promotion of intercultural understanding. At present, 25 distinct national and cultural backgrounds lead to innovation in the development and coordination of projects.

Depending on the capacities and specific needs of the ICD, the working areas for interns are diverse and can be in the following areas:

- Project Development and Coordination
- PR and marketing
- Planning special events or high-profile panel discussions.
- Research
- Journalism for Cultural Diplomacy News
- Writing and editing reports and project summaries

A strong work ethic and individual creativity are appreciated and awarded with increased responsibility and the support of individual initiatives. Further benefits of the internship are the availability of the ICD contact resources and immense networking opportunities during the preparation and hosting of high profile events involving panelists ranging from ambassadors to internationally accredited academics.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The ICD is only able to offer unpaid internship positions. They expect at least 3 months commitment working full-time.  Additionally, applicants must be at least 3^rd year undergraduate students. Please note that application forms must be submitted online via their website.  If you have any questions, please contact ICD directly.

Contact information

Mr. William Hernád
internship@culturaldiplomacy.org
Tel.: +49 (0) 30 2360 7680

What to say about my current placement! At the risk of sounding insincere, working with Joyce has been nothing but an absolutely amazing experience. Joyce’s staff, Colleen and Bianca, have incorporated me into the daily grind, throwing me new tasks and challenges every day. Some recent highlights to my work in the office so far has been to examine clause-by-clause amendments to a Government Bill, attending a Ministerial briefing on a piece of pending legislation, and attending stakeholder meetings as a representative for Joyce’s office. I’ve had many opportunities to write Member Statements, questions for question period, press releases as well as do research for a Private Member’s Bill. As my time in this office is wrapping up, Bianca, Colleen and Joyce have urged me to make a list of the activities that I would like to do in the office before I leave, as they truly want my experience to be the best it can. Needless to say, I am still greatly enjoying my placement and look forward to making my “to do list” for the last weeks in this office.

The last few weeks have required a balancing of responsibilities in my office, and the responsibilities to our OLIP committees. In a short period of times, the interns were responsible for the OLIP fall reception, attending the Churchill Society dinner, the release of Queen’s Park Insider, and hosting the Ottawa interns. This was all within a few short weeks; and it feels as though time has just flown by.

In my office I have continued to help with correspondence to constituents, which in certain circumstances has required research into specific government policies. I have also continued to attend meetings and receptions, and learning just how stakeholders communicate their needs to Members of Provincial Parliament.

Working for the Parliamentary Assistant to Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs, I have even been able to watch as policy and programs take effect. Two weeks ago, I was able to travel with MPP Johnson to Norfolk County, where the Ministry had just announced a grant of up to $1,000,000 for a new company aptly named Naturally Norfolk. This company would provide the technology to flash freeze produce, which in turn would extend the selling period for farmers in that region. What this means to the local economy, and to the farmers of the region should speak for itself. To be in attendance was incredible, and I was able to learn about how a government initiative can truly provide resources to individuals with great ideas.

With the closing date now passed, we recieved several good applications and are currently in the process of arranging interviews – candidates will be contacted soon. We are confident of selecting a suitable person for both of the two placements and continuing our successful pilot!

The beauty of politics is that it’s so unpredictable. No two days are the same; you are forever kept on your toes. The duties an intern performs reach far and wide, sometimes farther and wider than you had thought: whether or not you were in September, by October you’re becoming, and by November you’ve become a Jack(ie) of all trades. Last week as the constituency staffers of my office were unable to attend, I was asked to represent the office at a two-day Liberal Constituency Staff Seminar at Queen’s Park. Liberal Constituency staffers came from across the province to take part in seminars, workshops and roundtables on government policy and direction. The two days were extremely interesting, my pen never leaving the page. I was impressed by those who hosted the meetings, but more so, by those who attended. Constituency workers are the frontline of any politician’s office. They deal with the nitty-gritty issues brought to them by their community members. They are listeners, problem solvers, supporters. And leaders. It was one thing to work out of the constituency office for a few days and experience the real politics that goes on there every minute of every day. It was another to sit in a room of over 50 people who spend their every minute of every day working to improve their communities. It’s experiences like these that make the unpredictable oh so very exciting.

During final weeks of November and the beginning of December, I have been keeping quite busy in the office of Cheri DiNovo. I wrote an article on inclusionary zoning (Bill 198) and worked on day-to-day legislature business, which, as my fellow interns know, can keep one quite busy! Cheri has introduced a number of new Private Member’s Bills as of recently, including a bill to repealing the breed-specific aspect of the pit bull ban, a bill ensuring service dogs are treated fairly, and a bill enshrining gender identity into the Ontario Human Rights Code. Researching for these bills and corresponding with constituents and individuals across the world (yes, really!) on the pit bull issue has informed me a great deal on how dedicated pet owners truly are. Since I never grew up with any animals, I wasn’t aware of how much people really care about their pets. Don’t mess with dog owners!

Cheri at a rally held recently at Queen’s Park for dog owners in favour of Bill 222, repealing the BSL

During the week of November 2^nd, I attended a housing forum at a church in downtown Toronto with Cheri and her EA Chuck. Watching Cheri talk about the lack of affordable housing in Toronto and especially her riding makes me extremely proud to be working for such an inspirational MPP. Cheri’s background in conjunction with her dedication towards increasing access to affordable housing creates an incredible combination. Whenever I hear her speak, I even am more convinced that I am the luckiest intern, as I am placed in an office with a member who is particularly principled, passionate, and the most stimulating public speaker around the pink palace.

It has been a while since my last placement update – probably because I have been kept very (happily) busy in the office of Dr. Eric Hoskins!  I’ve been having a really great time here, and must say that first and foremost I continue to feel a part of the team.  Throughout the last month or so I have been involved in a variety of things.  I’ve written a member’s statement, various letters to constituents, have done quite a bit of policy research and helped prepare for an upcoming private member’s resolution.  Perhaps one of the highlights of the experience was during constituency week when I ventured over to St. Paul’s.  The morning was spent at a Remembrance Day ceremony at Maurice Cody Public School which was absolutely amazed me – the students ran the entire ceremony themselves, created their own videos, and even did an acoustic rendition of ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon.  Then, that afternoon, I helped out at two H1N1 vaccination clinics that Eric set up to target individuals that might not have otherwise gone out to get the shot.  Yes, that’s right, Eric conducted the vaccinations himself – he truly is the MPP that does everything!  But overall, it was really great to interact with some of the constituents.  On a sadder note, we are losing a member of our team this week.  Rob Newman is leaving us and I will truly miss him around here!  His unmatched wit and supply of vegan baked goods will be missed.  But in all seriousness he has taught me a lot, so I thank him for that.  We have also welcomed a new member to our team, Elliot Pobjoy, and it’s been great to get to know him.  I look forward to the next couple of months.

So far my time in MPP Jim Wilson’s office has been anything but dull.  As a former Minister, Jim Wilson has provided me with a wealth of knowledge about the Ontario Legislature, legislative procedure, and how government runs.  I have been involved in a myriad of projects.  From writing correspondence to research and speech writing, I have been involved in the daily operation of Mr. Wilson’s office.  During Remembrance Day week I had the pleasure of visiting Mr. Wilson’s riding, Simcoe-Grey, what an experience!  On Remembrance Day I had the pleasure of accompanying Mr. Wilson as he laid a wreath at the Collingwood cenotaph, a very solemn event that highlighted the important role an MPP plays as dignitary and symbol of the government.  After the cenotaph ceremony, Mr. Wilson took me on a whirlwind tour of the riding where we visited a number of legions where I had the pleasure of speaking to constituents about their concerns.  It was extremely interesting to see the difference in issues in a rural riding compared to an urban riding. I truly enjoyed my time in Simcoe-Grey! 

This past week I had the pleasure of seeing a Private Member’s Bill that I worked on tabled in the House.  Bill 225, An Act to resolve the labour dispute between DriveTest and United Steelworkers, Local 9511, was introduced and fully supported by Independent Driving Instructors that rallied at Queen’s Park against the ongoing DriveTest strike.  It was satisfying to see that something I worked on was happily accepted by so many hardworking Ontarians that are suffering under the ongoing labour dispute.  As you can see, my time in MPP Wilson’s office has been exciting and very educational. I look forward to the remainder of my time in his office. 

Paul

First of all I must apologise for not updating the blog more regularly. As I am sure teachers understand and a word of warning for those looking to start a PGCE; it is an incredibly busy time when you hit the placements!

I cannot remember if I am 3 or 4 weeks in now but I am certainly enjoying the experience and I am learning from every lesson (good and bad). I feel very fortunate to have a teacher who is supportive and full of wise words and they are certainly keeping me on my toes with adapting lesson plans, in preparation for the next one!

I only have two weeks left now, so am heading into the busiest period! It is 10pm in the evening and I have been doing lesson evaluations and plans for next week! Christmas Fayre tomorrow at school so that will be good fun! Christmas in school is a great experience!

The unthinkable has happened… I am now without a sitting member! Without an M.P.P. in the House, what’s an intern to do? I am so confused, panicked, and lost… Okay, maybe it’s not as dramatic as all that, but Randy Hillier’s recent sit-in and subsequent suspension from the House certainly made for an interesting week. As if I thought Randy’s office could not have become any more exciting… On Monday of last week, Randy and fellow PC Member Bill Murdoch called out the government for ramming through the HST legislation, and then refused to leave the House. After the Sergeant-at-Arms was prevented from removing both Randy and Mr. Murdoch, the Speaker dealt each of them a suspension until the House prorogues. But it did not end there. For the next two days and two nights, Randy remained in the House; only leaving his seat to use the washroom in the Member’s Lobby and get some shut-eye on the Lobby couches. For me, most of those few days were spent answering calls from media anxious to speak to Randy, as well as regular people calling to congratulate Randy on his courageous actions. I also spent much of those few days running from the office to the Member’s Lobby and back again, providing Randy with essentials and other supplies. It was an exciting week, to say that least.