Classroom Technology

Technology these days has truly changed the way students can work both in and outside the classroom. For our group project, communication was much easier with the use of Blackboard, email and the internet. Group pages in blackboard made file transferring easy and quick. We were able to choose everyone we wanted to send an email to without needing to know their e-mail address with it right under group pages. We didn’t have any virtual meetings but e-mail allowed for us all to work cooperatively and keep in touch about what everyone needed to do to complete each part. The internet has made large group projects very manageable!

After discussing some the Just memo, I was appalled that it was actually referring to humans. I was first thinking he was referring to some kind of animal (which is just as horrible), but to see that he was talking about humans is disturbing. Using words like merchandise and pieces shows how wrong and unethical many were during the Holocaust. Ethical lapses like this show us how important it is to hold on to your ethical standards when writing, especially in the workplace. It is easy to lose sight when you know your job is on the line! When I enter the workforce, I hope to learn and grow without jeopardizing my beliefs and ethical principles. Any time I write something, I’ll be sure to step back from the situation and ask myself it falls in line with my belief system.

Miscommunication on the Job....

Most of the jobs I’ve had since I started working have been at a restaurant as a server. Miscommunication unfortunately occurs a lot with everyone being in a rush and preoccupied with their tables. It’s very frustrating because sometimes problems come up, say regarding someone else’s table but they’re busy with customers, and miscommunication occurs. One of the worst situations is when you think you and another server agreed on taking their table and the customers end up waiting, creating a big issue. This recently happened to me while working at Longhorn Steakhouse when I thought someone said they would take one of my tables and they were saying “yes” to someone else’s question. It’s tough in a restaurant environment because everyone is so focused on what they’re doing that it’s easy to have many issues with miscommunication. I was frustrated because both the customers and my manager weren’t too happy with the situation and it was all because of miscommunication. After that experience, I will be sure to double check with other servers about switching tables and make sure there is some kind of eye contact involved to avoid it happening again.

Of the last presentations, I really enjoyed Jeremy’s presentation on tattoos. I thought it was very interesting and informative for people considering getting a tattoo. I have one so I could definitely relate when he talked about things to keep in mind when deciding to get one. As for online portfolios, the only type I’ve made is the required e-portfolio to graduate. It was somewhat enforced when I first came to Clemson but advisors haven’t really talked much about them since freshman year. I thought the concept of it was great because it showcases all of our work over time and it isn’t that hard to put together. To make sure I’m ready for the portfolio draft that is due at the end of March, I need to have my resume, cover letter & follow-up letter finished along with the first part of our projects.

Presentations

I definitely enjoyed all of the presentations, but the ones that stuck with me most were the ones using humor. I really liked Melesha’s presentation about the fast food drive thru process. It was so simple but had very funny implied humor tied in. The way she presented it got her point across very well – be ready to order and pay! I also enjoyed Tyler’s Super Bowl commercial presentation. I am a marketing major and love seeing the different ways companies get messages across and I think he chose some really funny ones. Now I want to look for more funny ads! I also thought Holmes’ presentation was really funny. It was so simple (why to own an aquarium) but the way he approached it gave me a good laugh. The way he used a babe magnetic scale was a good approach – it was so random that it was funny. Each of these presenters were calm & collected and seemed very confident when they spoke.

I thought the cover letter advice from Collegegrad.com was for the most part helpful. I thought it was interesting that the cover letter is often read after the resume! I just assumed that since it is essentially an opening to your resume, it was always read first. One thing that I am guilty of is mass-emailing my resume a few times. In my mind I thought it couldn’t hurt, but after reading how much of a waste of time it is and how important it is to personalize to each company, I won’t do that again! One thing I thought was unfortunate to read was that most entry level resumes are simply filed away. It was very discouraging as an undergrad to see but definitely a beneficial reality check. Another thing that I thought was helpful was its emphasis on researching and learning about the company to show your interest. I wrote my cover letter for internships about a year ago and will definitely be modifying it so it pertains more to each specific company. There were a few things I didn’t agree with on the site like the postscript technique. Depending on how conservative a company is, I think the P.S. may be too informal and may not be taken seriously, especially if it is handwritten. I think the cover letter checklist is very useful because it sums up everything your cover letter should include. It helps wean out anything that doesn’t look appealing to prospective companies. I thought this advice was very valuable and I plan on reviewing my cover letter to make it as professional as possible.

Client Visit

I thought this client visit was very interesting! Its good to know that Redfern really cares about the health of staff and students and wants to do something to improve everyone’s well being. I think its great that it incorporates the wellness of the people on campus and our campus itself. Its important that all aspects of “health” are covered and I think this program will certainly do so. First off, I think its very important to make everyone aware of the program. I also think its necessary that students take charge and pass on the word – I think it will be the most effective approach. Posters and signs around campus along with emails and such would be a great start. I really like the idea of making a website linked through Clemson with all kinds of things from exercise & health advice/tips to ways to keep our environment safe – something like a virtual magazine. It would also be valuable to include things like nutrition and environmental facts that are often ignored or missed to open more eyes to the importance of a healthy lifestyle in many ways. So far, our group has worked very well together. We communicate well and have each shared our ideas and will soon choose a specific direction for the project. I am excited to be a part of implementing this plan. The only thing I’m a little unsure of is the criteria of the project…are we just choosing a direction to take the Healthy Campus Initiative (like creating a website) and creating objectives and a plan?

Job Interview Mistakes

I definitely agree that these are some of the biggest mistakes you could make during a job interview. One, because I’m sure the writer knew what he/she was talking about and two, because these are definitely the types of things that run through my head when thinking about an interview. I’ve had both a phone interview and face-to-face interview and my biggest battles with both was sweating the little things and not practicing quite enough. The phone interview I had was for a Disney Internship where they asked me several scenario questions. I was somewhat caught off guard when they asked me what I’d do in each but I thankfully was able to answer them well. The face-to-face interview was much more intense! I had an interview with Avon in New York City this past summer and I honestly felt like I wasn’t prepared at all. It being my first official interview, I was very nervous and didn’t know what to expect outside of what I knew after talking to a few people. I had a hard time answering their questions involving work-related situations since I haven’t had many of those experiences yet. Next time, I’ll make sure I am much more prepared by trying to avoid many of these mistakes and practice, practice, practice! I’ll certainly make sure I also follow up to ensure I show my interest and just try to RELAX!

An Amazing Experience...

This was a tough one for me...just writing about anything we want because there are so many ways to go. Since its Superbowl Weekend, I thought I'd write about an experience I'll never forget. When we did the four sentences icebreaker in class, one of my truths was that I cheered at the ProBowl in Hawaii, so I thought I'd share my story of the wonderful opportunity. When I was 15, I cheered for a competitive cheerleading squad near my hometown in Montville, NJ. We had vigorous 3 hour practices 4x a week and would prepare for competition season until we were flawless. One of the big competitions we were invited to was in Atlantic City, NJ. During one of our pep talks before taking the floor, our coach had a few ribbons that he said he was going to hand out for us to tie on our shoes. He told us they were from a cheer association called ECU but didn’t explain. He said he only had 5 and that he would hand them out randomly and I was lucky enough to get one :). I thought, “Hey, this is cool…maybe I’ll get some free cheer stuff,” but didn’t think much else. He told us to tie them to our shoe laces before going on the floor. Later, during the trophy ceremony, an announcer from ECU explained that the ribbons were for an opportunity to cheer at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii that coming January. I thought that was pretty cool but didn’t get too excited because I remembered seeing a LOT of ribbons on other girl’s shoes! She explained that they watched each girl during their team’s performance and that they were going to read off names of who was invited. As she was reading down the names, I heard my own! I was so excited but didn’t think it would happen with all of the costs and worrying about missing school, so I was just happy to be chosen at all. When I talked to my mom right after, she told me that of course I could go…it was an experience of a lifetime that I just couldn’t miss out on! So, at the end of January I flew with mom, her fiancé and 2 other girls from my team. Hawaii was absolutely GORGEOUS! We had practice everyday right in front of the Diamond Head Volcano…that was pretty amazing! Come the day of the ProBowl, I was so excited to be a part of it all. We were a human flag during the National Anthem and did a routine with hundreds of other girls for halftime. It was really cool! I got autographs from many players and got a video of the whole show. To top off the experience, my Mom and fiancé hadn’t picked a wedding date yet so decided to plan a small Hawaiian wedding that was absolutely wonderful! This experience was one of many that I will truly remember forever. Oh, and back to football….GO CARDINALS! :)

In Ten Years...

In about ten years, I hope to be a successful business woman working at an advertising agency in the design department. I’ll have gotten my masters in marketing and hopefully have my dream job. I would like to have travelled a good amount to experience all of the different places around the world. I’ll hopefully be married, ready to start a family. I would ideally be living in a suburb somewhere close to where in grew up in New Jersey. I like a place with a lot going on and different things for families to do. I’ve always been somewhat of a risk taker so at some point, I would love to try skydiving, bungee jumping and fly a plane someday. You only live once, so it is important to me to experience all of the great things in life!

The Machine is Us/ing Us - Hmmm...

After watching the video “The Machine is Us/ing Us”, I had mixed feelings. I believe that the machine is us in the sense that the Internet has become such an important part of our lives – for both business and pleasure. Technology has become so advanced that we now can’t imagine living without it. It is as if our computers are attached at our hips – like we’d feel naked without it (as many do with their phones). Society has become so dependent on the Internet that we would feel disconnected from the world without it. Now, regarding it using us – I’m not so sure. To some extent, I feel that because we are so dependent on it, it’s as if the machine is taking over and “using us” but at the same time we created it! If anything it would be a good thing if the machine is using us…it has made many things a lot more convenient!

Web 2.0 affects someone who is ready to enter the workforce in a few ways. It definitely is a valuable tool to find anything and everything you need to know. It has resources for job searching, resume building, etc. It is so convenient for both employers and potential employees. On the downside, the Internet truly puts us all out there! Anyone can find out a lot about each of us and when its an employer - that can mean trouble! We must all be very conservative about what we decide to post on sites. The same applies for people already in the workforce – it provides tons of information that can help an employee’s job much easier. At the same time, they must be very careful about what is said in emails and online! With all of this advanced technology, it seems like nothing is private anymore. For the employers sake this is actually a good thing! They have much more control over their employees in the sense that they can monitor everything their doing. When it says we will have to rethink everything, I think it means that this technology has crept up on us (the general public) and have to make sure we are careful how far we let it get. There are people out there who are obsessively addicted to the Internet. We have to be careful to not let it truly takeover to the point where we someday sit back and say, “Wow, the machine really is using us!” It’s definitely something to think about!