Final Blog Post

Hello Spring 2009 Students! We're here to give you some tips and tricks of how to get ahead in this class.

Here's a hint. Do the work. Show up to class. Use what you've learned. The client projects can be tricky, but just try not to overextend yourself. It's all do-able. Angela is a great teacher and she'll help you out if you ask. My most important bit of advice is to choose your team-members wisely. They can make or break your project. If you have good team members, things go smoothly, the project gets completed, and the client is happy. If not, well I'm sure you can imagine.

Good luck!

Reflections

My reflections on our group project in the class.

I have learned quite a bit during my time doing the group project. I've learned how important it is to be able to adapt to different team members' working styles. I've learned how important it is to have a back-up plan. I've learned how to interact with clients and superiors and how to get tasks accomplished for them. The best part about the project is obviously that we get to help out a group that really needs it. I think what Helping Hands of Clemson is doing is fantastic and I only wish there was more we could do to give them assistance. Our biggest challenge has been designing on a budget. Unfortunately many tasks that we might want to do simply cannot be accomplished with the funds we have. It was tough at first to design an inexpensive solution to the client's needs, but overall I think it made for a better project.

Dual Coding Theory

In the image we have to review, there are a number of aspects of dual coding theory. First and foremost (for me anyway) is the words. I tend to jump to the text of an image first. "Practice Like Champions" and "We Believe" give you a very strong impression about work ethic and pride. The image itself is of a locker room door. It looks somewhat old and kind of worn, but with the words scrolled across it and inside it it adds to an impression of power and strength. Both the visuals (the picture part of the image) and the text work together to connect you to an impression of hard work and commitment that really get you ahead. Nike, a primarily sports-oriented company, appeals to the inner athlete in (most) guys by suggesting that they too can achieve athletic greatest through hard work and perseverance (and of course buying Nike apparel).

Miscommunication

Our blog topic for this week is miscommunication. Interestingly enough, this was also a problem for our group this week. Last week we had discussed each of our parts for the proposal we had to submit. We had outlined that the rest of the group would write their parts and email them to me by friday night. I was tasked with writing up a coverletter and summary of the project and putting the parts together into one cohesive presentation. Apparently there was some miscommunication in there. By friday night I had only recieved one of the three parts I was supposed to. The rest of the team was missing in action and didn't send their individual parts. I didn't hear from them again until sunday, when I recieved one of the remaining two parts (I never did recieve the last part). Obviously this made my job difficult as I was forced to make a summary of our project without an introduction or a conclusion written. This resulted in a mess of confusion and the re-writes of several parts of the paper. This could easily have been prevented had people understood the word 'Friday'. Another easy prevention would have been if the missing group members had checked their emails when I asked them again for their parts of the proposal and stressed the fact that I had not recieved them yet. In order to fix miscommunication, there needs to be communication.

Mock Interview Reflection

This week we had our mock interviews for our job applications. Overall I believe my interview went very well. Obviously it was not very fun running around campus all day in a suit, but other than that, I greatly enjoyed the whole process. I did not feel very nervous coming into the interview. I seem to have a knack for talking to people and discussing things. Sure it was slightly intimidating not knowing what questions they would ask me, but I believe I handled it well. No questions really threw me, though there were a few that I did not have the answers to off the top of my head. I had to think for a few seconds, but I felt my answers genuinely reflected my personality and thoughts. I feel that I learned a lot from this experience. From having to deal with interviewers asking me questions to being under time pressure to come up with quality answers. I learned how to handle myself much better and am very glad for the experience. The only thing I would change is that next time, it will be for a real job.

The presentations...

This week we watched our fellow classmates give presentations about topics that they enjoyed or were interested in. Our task for the blog this week is to write about three of the presentations that we liked the most. Personally, my favorites were Adrienn's presentation on wine, Douglas' presentation on supercars, and Margaret's presentation about the Balsam Woolly Adelgid.

I enjoyed Adrienn's presentation not so much for the wine, but for the chocolate she gave us. Perhaps I am just easily bribed, but chocolate bars can go a long way to winning my vote.

I enjoyed Douglas' presentation about the supercars due to his sources. I am a big fan of Top Gear as well, and it certainly piqued my interest in his presentation when he mentioned it in his opening.

I enjoyed Margaret's presentation because it involves something that I too have wondered about. With the whole, "strange dying trees" things I always wondered what was causing it. When she told us what was causing it, the Balsam Woolly Adelgid, it helped me figure it out.

Honestly some of these weren't even my favorite presentations, but some people conveniently didn't write their names down on their handouts, so matching people to their presentations was rather difficult.

A blog about...

So we have a free blog this week. Seems like kind of a strange concept, a free blog. As opposed to what? In trying to come up with a blog topic for this week I've re-stumbled onto something interesting. I don't have any blog topics to post about. This is actually the same reason I don't keep a blog of my own.

Is it that I haven't done anything? No, probably not. I've done more and experienced more than most people my age so that isn't the case. And as far as how much I've done this week, well this is probably the first free time I've had this week so I know I've been busy. So what is it then?

Do I not blog because I'm a poor writer? No, certainly not the case. I can write very well and sometimes begin to even ENJOY writing (only a phase I can assure you).

Fear of who is reading the blog? Again, I think I'm going to have to shoot this one down. On one hand, there are a lot of very unsavory people out there who could read a blog (not this one, as I'm 93% certain that only the teacher reads these), but there isn't anything too compromising about anything I would blog about. I don't have any dirty secrets or tantalizing confessions to make about things. No shocking tales of intrigue. Nothing interesting.

Maybe it's just that I lead a mundane life? Well I do. I'm happy with that though. I don't want a crazy life. I've done the soap-opera-esque drama thing before, it isn't any fun. I enjoy my mundane life. I enjoy not having anything important to blog about. Too often all we see are more people telling about all of their problems. I don't have many problems to tell about. That quite simply is the answer. There aren't enough problems in my life to put into a blog. I like my little blogless world.

And there you go, a blog about not blogging.

Cover Letter Advice

After reading the advice from the website ( http://www.collegegrad.com/coverletters/) about cover letters, I am pleased to see just how informative it is.

I tend to agree with most of the information offered in the articles. By asking the opinion of a professional who hires new employees in their regular work it gives the readers a unique insight into the hiring process. Many times suggestions for cover letters come from people who have never actually reviewed a resume for hiring someone. By having the advice of someone who hires people for a living, it helps to add credibility to the advice.

I think the most important information is just the simple knowledge that in a cover letter, you are selling yourself. Many people forget that and tend to market themselves poorly. No one wants to buy a mediocre product. People want to buy the best. If you take the effort to make your marketing the best, then people will want to hire you. It seems to come down to the matter of sales and influencing people.

I will certainly be using the checklist and the sample cover letter provided as guides for how to write my own cover letter when the time comes.

Articles

After reading the two articles about seeking jobs and interviews (http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview/Is_It_a_Fit__20060908-121225.html?subtopic=Interview+Preparation and http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/interview/A_Crash_Course_in_Interview_Preparation__20021018-1229.html?subtopic=Interview+Preparation) I have gained some good insight into how to go about an interview. Most importantly (as with many other things in life) one should prepare for an interview. It is often difficult to walk into a situation unprepared and perform as well as you would had you taken the time to prepare beforehand. Obviously it helps to prepare a few days before your interview so that you will perform better. The other thing I learned is not always made clear. As much as a company is interviewing you, you are also interviewing the company. You can prepare questions to ask of your interviewer to find out more about the company. In a way, you are selling them your services. If they decide they want your services it is up to you to decide whether or not you wish to give them to a company. These articles will help me to prepare for my interview. I will practice for the interview beforehand and come up with a few questions so that I may interview the company.

10 Years From Now

It is an interesting question, "Where do you see yourself in ten years from now?" Ten years seems like an eternity when you are young. In fact, ten years ago I was only ten (the number 10 seems to be recurring now). In ten years time I certainly plan to be finished with my degree at Clemson. If I wasn't I'd be a Super-Super-Super-Super-Super-Super-Super-Super Senior. That is 8 supers for anyone keeping count. At this point in my life I do not know whether or not I want to continue into graduate school or go straight into the workforce. I do know that I plan on leaving Clemson and South Carolina after I graduate. In 10 years time I would like to be done with any graduate schooling I plan on taking and be a productive member of the workforce. I would like to have a good job somewhere enjoyable, maybe even in a different country. I can see myself living in a big city (kind of) and enjoying life from a comfortable apartment. Things do not have to be Donald-Trump-Golden-Penthouse-in-the-Sky luxurious, but I would like a reasonable amount of luxury. Other than those things, I see myself enjoying time with friends and family and living a good, healthy life.

Web 2.0

Watching the video, Web 2.0, is an interesting experience. It details what has come to be known as "Web 2.0" (and in less than 5 minutes might I add). In essence the title is correct. As time and technology has progressed, access to the Internet (and the ability to add our own flair to it) has become easier and easier. We are now the users and the creators of content. We have become the Internet in a manner of speaking. Youtube is called "You"tube for a reason. It's ours. We've created the content and we make up the users. Same for Myspace, Facebook, and a whole host of others (this blog included). This provides a host of new opportunities for those getting involved in the workplace for the first time. On one hand it provides incredible access to information and people. Never before have we been so connected to others. On the other hand it provides a whole new area that we must protect and secure against. With the ability to take pictures on a cell phone and post them online instantly, our prospective bosses my not need to wonder what we do in our spare time anymore. It poses a different set of issues for those people already in the workforce. Like those of us first starting off, it provides a wealth of information for them too. The difference is in many of us of the younger generation have grown up with the Internet and computers. We are much more aware of what they can mean whereas others already in the workforce may have to learn all the tricks and nuances of our new virtual world. It is that virtual world that is referred to when the video states that we have to rethink everything. No longer are we just dealing with a solid, material world. We now have an entire virtual world to contend with. Different rules, different regulations, different authorities, and different standards. Ask any average college student and you can find out, the Internet isn't just an interesting toy or a neat idea; it's a way of life. It is a whole new world out there.

An Introduction...

Well I'm supposed to give an introduction, but I'm not sure what to introduce exactly. My name is Jeff T. I'm a twenty year old Junior at Clemson University and I'm majoring in Psychology, with a minor in Management. I'm planning on going into the Industrial/Organizational side of psychology after I graduate next year.