Miscommunication

This past summer I worked construction in Greenville. It was a lot of hard work, but overall a good experience. I had several times at this job where miscommunication was an issue. The main reason for this miscommunication was because I was working with many Hispanics, few of which spoke English. Back in high school I took several Spanish classes, so understood some Spanish. However, several times one of the guys would try to tell me to do something and I was unable to follow what they were saying. One of the main things that was miscommunicated was when one of the workers was trying to tell me how to tie rebar to make a footing for a building, and I did not do it correctly. We had to then untie and retie it to make it meet regulation. I suppose miscommunication could have been prevented if I had taken the time to further inquire if I was doing it right, or maybe if I knew just a little more Spanish. Overall, I learned to inquire further if I did not fully understand something. I have since done so, and really have not had an issue with miscommunication since then.

Mock Interview

I did my mock interview this past Wednesday. I think I was a little nervous once I was in the chair. I noticed I was talking a little faster than I usually do and was a little short with my answers. I had one question about my greatest accomplishment to date, but I feel like I handled the question rather well. I did not feel as prepared as I wanted to. If I were do do this again, I would give examples to go with the questions that were asked so that I could be in more control of the interview and the interviewer would know a little more about me. Overall, I learned a few tips about formatting my resume a little better, and a few tips about how to better address questions. I think it was a pretty valuable experience that will help benefit me in the future.

Favorite Presentations

I really liked Adrienn's presentation on how to properly open and pour wine. I thought that it showed some useful skills that I will probably use later in life. I learned a fair amount of how to properly open bottles of wine. I also liked how she included a guide to which wines to drink with different foods.

I liked Mark's presentation of the Chevy Volt. I thought that it was a good presentation and showed a sensible alternative to the current fuel crisis and it was affordable. I thought he listed the facts and specs of the car rather well.

I also thought Chelsey's presentation on South Africa was pretty interesting. I have never been to South Africa, but would like to go one day. I'm glad she included facts about the World Cup in 2010. I would love to go over there and see some of the matches.

Financial Crisis?

As a financial management major here at Clemson University I'm concerned about our economy and the current financial crisis that is happening with AIG and Lehman Brothers. My main concern now is whether or not I should continue to study finance or try to switch majors before it is too late. I have heard several stories about finance majors not being able to get jobs upon graduation and it is becoming a growing concern to me. I would like to know that I have some sort of ability to get a job upon graduating. I also feel like the state of the economy will be greatly influenced by who is elected into office. I really hope that I am able to get a job, and that the economy turns for the better so that I will be able to know that given I qualify I will be able to get a job.

Cover Letters

I found these articles to be pretty beneficial to writing a cover letter. I really liked how it explained that one should 'sell the benefits' rather than your 'features'. I previously thought that the best thing to do was talk about your accomplishments, but now I have a better understanding that you should tell the company about how you will benefit the company and that it is more likely that they will show interest. I also liked the part that talked about follow up contacts. Also I'm glad to know references are not important initially. I have always tried find references before applying for a job, but now my main focus will be on selling my attributes.

I found the postscript section to be most beneficial and a technique I will likely employ in future job searches. A hand-written P.S. definitely adds a personal touch.

Interview Skills

Mastering the Interview

In this article it gave that the main things to remember is the 3 P's. Preparation, presentation, and perception. It seems obvious that one should prepare for interviews and practice answering questions, and that they should dress appropriately for their job. These were some of the things I already knew from previous experience and other sources. However, the thing I found most useful was the responding to a question with a question and how this way you can not 'waste time' and seem more credible. I have experienced several times where I have had to come up with an answer and it was embarrassing. But now I realize that I can question the interviewer and that way buy some more time and have a better understanding of what they are asking me.

An Interview Strategy: Telling Stories

This article discusses some of the methods of competency-based interviews where the employer is looking at your accomplishments and real-life situations that will give them a better understanding of how you will be and asset to the company. I have gone into a few interviews and had a story or two for different situations, but I always feel like at some point I have to repeat the stories or do not have one appropriate for a specific situation. This article has taught me to come up with some good stories that would show the interviewer some of my skills in the work place and how I could be a beneficial asset to the company.

Where I'd like to be in 10 years.

In 10 years I would like to see myself retired. I imagine most people would also like to retired and I don't have a plan on how I plan on retiring by then, but that is 'where I'd like to be in 10 years.' The only ways I can see that happening would be for me to win the lottery (which I don't play), have a nice trust-fund that I didn't previously know about, or marry someone willing to support my 'retired' lifestyle.

Although my real 10 year plan is pretty unlikely, I have come up with a back up plan. In this one I would like to graduate college in the next 4 semesters, and then get a job that I actually do not mind waking up to do. At the end of 10 years, I would like to have secured an upper level position in the corporation. I would also like to be married at the end of 10 years, and maybe start a family. For now I just hope to graduate college and figure out what sort of job I would like to have.