WBL Journal #1

Instructions:​ Respond to each of the following questions with a complete sentence. You may
receive if a 100 if your answers show effort and quality. Please answer each prompt with at least
one complete paragraph.

Part 1:​ Explain your experience with job-hunting this summer for Work Based Learning.
Explain the struggles and successes you faced and how you believe they contributed to your
current situation. If you already had a job, explain why you stayed at this job for your WBL
experience and how you plan to grow at your current job over the course of the semester.

Over the summer I didn’t worry too much about finding a job. I knew I wanted to intern at a
physical therapy office and a family friend gave me a recommendation and a contact for PT
Solutions. As summer drew to a close, I finally reached out to the contact, only to get no
response. I decided to go in person and ask to talk to the person I emailed. The problem was the
person I emailed was a higher up and didn’t work in the clinic. It wasn’t a huge problem,
however, and I was able to talk to the clinic director about finding a position. Sadly, because PT
Solutions partnered with Wellstar they were unable to take on a high school student. They
referred me to Benchmark PT just down the road, however, who were happy to take me on as an
intern!

Part 2: ​What are your expectations for Work Based Learning this semester? What do you hope
to achieve from your placement? How do you believe your time in the WBL program will help
you to grow professionally?

This semester I hope that Work Based Learning will give me a good look at what my future
career will hopefully be like, as well as help me develop soft skills that employers are looking
for. I know that by being in a professional work environment will help me decide if physical
therapy is truly what I want to do as a career. Not only will I experience the day to day
environment of a physical therapist, I will also be able to see what it takes to run a business: the
struggles and the successes.

Part 3:​ List three soft skills you would like to improve this semester? How do you plan to
implement these skills at your place of work?

Through interning at Benchmark PT I hope to improve on adaptability, problem-solving, and

interpersonal skills. I plan on implementing these by being flexible when something changes as
well as relating to the patients my mentor is working with. Physical therapists have to be able to
make their patients feel comfortable in the environment they are in, so they can heal as fast as
possible and to the best of their ability.