This past week, I had the opportunity to drop in to UMass at Lowell to speak on a panel of experts about internships, job seeking, and the technology sector. Before I went, I sat down and tried to remember all the names and faces of the interns and co-ops I have had the pleasure of mentoring during my 7 years at Sun. Would you believe I have had over 20 people work for me in this way? I compiled a list of things I felt these students might want to know about. Ways we interviewed our candidates. Good and bad things we saw on resumes. Things that impressed us during interviews. What traits the successful intern new hires had in common. It gave me quite a bit to reflect on.

First off, most of my interns have been excited about working. The ones that had this "I guess college is about over and I guess I should be looking for work finally" attitude never made it past the first round. The ones that were working at delivering pizzas, stocking shelves, or doing some other current vocation, almost to the point of being too busy to come in for an interview, those were the ones that seemed to be the ones we wanted. They had a desire to work, and were not sitting idle waiting to be hired by the likes of us.

As much as it scares me, most of the interns we eventually hired came in and called me sir. Ouch! They were also humble, no afraid to say "I don't know" to an interview question, and were quite unafraid to ask questions in return. The ones we were the most excited about were the ones who wanted to know exactly what we were looking for, because they felt they were interviewing us as much as we were interviewing them. Some were shy, some were confident, some were quiet and some were loud. That really didn't matter to us. They conveyed, successfully, that they could do the job, that they wanted the job, and that they had a good attitude.

Imagine having to interview a Christian, sort of like some denominations that interview people before allowing them to join the church! "Well, God, I don't have much past experience being obedient. I don't know all of your will. I have been selfish, rude, lazy, and thoughtless. I have even worked actively against you. I can't do the job witthout you, and I never had the right attitude until now. But I want the job. I know I will mess up a lot, especially at first, but I will keep trying."

Or will it be "I guess life is about over and I guess I should be looking for heaven finally." Who do you suppose God would "hire"?

Matthew 26:7-10 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she has wrought a good work upon me.

John 6:28-29 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God. Jesus answered, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

John 9:4 I must work the work of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work.

1 Timothy 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desires the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

Matthew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

1 Corinthians 3:6-8 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, thst he may have to give to him that needeth.