Resumes and Cover Letters

The first article that I clicked on was "Words that Score On a Resume And Open Doors to Interviews." I thought it was a cool article because we had already talked about most of it in class. It was really neat to hear advice that I already knew. The article really emphasized the benefits of reading the description of a job listing and then implementing those nouns into the resume.
Another article that really perked my interest was called "A Memorable Cover Letter Will Boost Your Chances." This article went into a lot of detail about the ins and outs of effective cover letter writing. I really had never heard of a cover letter until the beginning of this semester in my internship preparatory seminar. When I had to write my first one, I basically copied the format exactly out of a text book and changed the words to apply to my desired outcome. This article really is helpful because it goes into so much detail. I had never really thought about using quotes from former employers in a cover letter. At the end of every summer, our boss at camp sends us all an email including an evaluation of our performance for that entire summer. That type of resource, according to this bit of advice, would be perfect to include in a cover letter. Most of the points on my evaluation are positive so it would be really beneficial. The article also mentioned a few tricks in order to have things to talk about during an interview. Ideas such as not mentioning money and tailoring the cover letter for the audience. One other aspect I thought was very interesting was to take a risk and include additional "risky" information in a post script. It is true that even if people do not read an entire letter, they always read the post script because sometimes that is where the most interesting information is kept.
I really think that these exercises of reading "advice columns" concerning interviews and resumes/cover letters will be so helpful not only for the tasks we need to complete in this course, but also for the future when we need to do all of this things as close to perfect as possible on the first try.

Job Interviews

The very first article I decided read was titled "How to Answer Any Interview Question." I thought it would be a general rule of thumb for any sort of interview process. This article made the point that no matter what question is asked, the person being interviewed can steer the conversation to a point that he or she wants to make. The Q = A+1 is a very interesting formula for saying exactly what you want to say. Another thing this article stressed is to have anecdotes ready for the interviewer. This is one issue that I worry about for future interviews because as of right now, I have really only had one significant job and if I was asked multiple questions such as, "Describe a time when you had to work with someone who did not like you or vice versa" or another question along those lines, the answers would sound very similar. The final point of the article said that in the case that questions are asked that bring up negative answers, do not dwell on them but rather answer it and turn it into more of a positive or learning experience.
The next article that perked my interest was titles "More Employers Are Using Personality Tests As Hiring Tools." I am a person that strongly believes that the way a person acts could possible make up for their minor lack or experience and skill. If someone, such as myself, has had very little job experience but is very eager to learn, I think the oppurtunity for success is there not only for the person, but also for the company. It's interesting that companies are implementing these new tests in order to hire compatible job applicants and also to avoid and diminish future turnover rates. With turnovers costing a significant amount of company dollars, it seems to be a no brainer for a little extra money to be spent in the application process on these extra tests.
The final article I read was "How Candidates Can Make A Good First Impression." In really any aspect of life, first impressions are so important. It was funny that one of the biggest pet peeves of Mr. Ferber (Don't really know who that is) was when applicants come into the interview chewing gum. I like to think that I make a good impression upon people but I believe that a mistake like having gum in your mouth is a very easy one to make. Small details can really make or break your chance of getting the job that you want. This article reinforced in my head how important first impressions are and made me realize that every detail of my appearance and demeanor is being monitored.

10 years from now...

Wow. That is a question that is so hard for me to answer. It's a bit easier for me describe my hopes for the future because that's all I've figured out so far. This time next year, I would love to be in Flagstaff, Arizona working my way towards a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. After those three years of class, I would like to stay in the west for a few years being a physical therapist. Within the next 10 years I would like to start a family so that I will be able to run around with my kids for as long as they want to run around with me. If I don't make it out to Flagstaff, Savannah, Georgia would be a close second choice. The remainders of the "fantasy" are still the same with just a few thousand miles difference. At the end of ten years, when I'm 31, I would really like to be recognized as a great person in all aspects of my endevors. It seems like such a silly way to answer the question and I know that later when I read this I'm going to wish I had written something different, but that is obviously what is on my mind right now. Happiness is where I hope to see myself in ten years.

Web 2.0

Firstly, the YouTube video was way too fast for me to follow. I had no idea that there were other ways to create a webapge than HTML. All that aside, it was pretty cool.
I think that the Web 2.0 concept is a very interesting one. It reminds me of our first class discussion on whether technology has made communication more or less efficient. I think that communication is much quicker, but maybe not as efficient. There really is no substitute for a meeting in a conference room in my opinion. It think it is a more tangible way of bringing people together. It also shows who is truly commited to a business and its mission enough to really show up. It is a little comprabable to an online class. If students were given the choice to attend a class in person or in an online discussion board setting, many students would chose the online setting if their commitment to the class was low. Again, these are the opinions of one of the least technological person in America, but I still believe that face to face connections cannot be beat.