Career Journal Tips

The first article I read, http://bb.clemson.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_24492_1, was about the rise in pre-employment personality tests as hiring tools. It was surprising to me at first that so many businesses are now requiring tests before to determine who they hire. I thought after the SATs I was done with standardized tests forever but I guess not! After reading the article and thinking about it, I realized that these tests do make sense. It allows the employer to learn more about the applicant than just a resume of experiences and interview could divulge. I thought it was really interesting that one employer hired a person after taking a personality test because he thought they would get along well together. It is a smart move to hire someone your compatible with though. It ensures that there is a positive work environment, and it does make going to work everyday easier and possibly more productive when you like the people you work with.

The article How Candidates Can Make A Good First Impression by Kris Maher gave some helpful tips on things to avoid during a job interview. It mentioned obvious things like asking for a cigarette break during mid-interview, chewing gum, and making a phone call when being escorted into the office building. The piece of advice that really stood out was that the biggest problem with candidates is that they think they can go in and wing the interview. It emphasized to me the importance of preparation; knowing the company and what they do is a big factor in getting hired.

I also looked at: http://bb.clemson.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_24492_1, which was about how thank you letters can make or break your chances of getting hired. The article told of one candidate who was a shoe-in for the job, but her post- interview thank you letters were full of spelling errors (including even spelling the name of the company wrong). “Closing the deal” as the article called it is a way of establishing professionalism and increasing your chances of getting the job even if the interview did not go as well as planned. I'm really glad I read the article because I will make sure when I apply for jobs to always send out thank you letters after being interviewed...I never knew just how important they were.

In 10 Years....

My main wish is that I am happy, healthy, and thankful for my life in 10 years. I hope to have graduated from Clemson with a B.S. in Food Science, concentration in Nutrition, and minor in Chemistry. I also hope to go to graduate school back in Baltimore for Nutrition and live downtown in the Inner Harbor area with some of my friends. I want to have completed my required internship so that I could become a Registered Dietitian. I'm not sure what my first choice spot would be for this- you have to pick your top 3 choices and apply for them using a computer matching system, but I want to go somewhere different...maybe New York, Boston, California?? They usually last from 6 months-1 year so I figure it would be a great opportunity to try out a different part of the country for a little. I ultimately want to live in a brick house in Baltimore, that's where most of my family and friends are, and I want to fall in love, get married, and have at least one kid by the time I'm 30.

Web 2.0

The title of the video, “The Machine is Us/ing Us” is a clever play on words that describes the boom in the use of computers, the internet, and web 2.0. Now with just a touch of a finger we can be connected to millions of people around the world via the web. We have access not only to other people but to the information they withhold. It’s incredible to think that with one small machine we can obtain information about businesses, countries, world events, celebrity gossip, all because someone put it out there for everyone to see. In that way, the machine is us because it can contain/display our thoughts and knowledge. It is also using us because we are the ones that put the information out there, but ultimately we are just adding to the immense about of material that is contained on the machine/the web. It makes you wonder if we are actually using the information out there for us and what we are using it for. The web also seems to control us because it has become such a big part of today’s society. People today have become obsessed with the web (blogging, facebooking, instant messaging, emailing) that we often spend a great portion of our day on our computers.

Web 2.0 is therefore a great effecter of someone who is ready to enter the workforce. The person can now easily access information about jobs that they wish to apply to. They can use that information to gain knowledge of the company and judge whether it is somewhere they want to work, average salary, how the company’s stocks are doing, etc. They also have information readily obtainable to them about what jobs are available, how to set up a resume, interviewing tips, and other things that could give them an edge over people applying. Someone just starting their career in this day in age would probably be expected to know a lot about how to use the web. Almost every career and many jobs now require you to use the internet in some form- whether the company has their own website or simply just interoffice emailing. People who are technologically savvy definitely would have an advantage over people who are not as the workforce is quickly becoming web 2.0 based. So people who are already in the workforce would probably be expected to learn about the web or would be at an extreme disadvantage to their newer younger generation employees.

When the video says “we will have to rethink everything” it means we have to look at communicating with other people and the way we access our information in a different light. Businesses are able to communicate with clients around the world, meaning that their knowledge and success can easily be expanded. Also formal letters, personal visits, and conference calls are being replaced by emails, instant messages, and chat rooms. The infrastructure of businesses is becoming internet based and controlled. Because of the large amount of information that is available online, business can also obtain information about their competitors easier. The business that is able to submit proposals quicker or has more knowledge of the internet is usually the one that wins over the client. The power the internet has is so great that we have to rethink how we use it and what its purpose is in our lives.

Introduction

Hi! I'm Rachel Coury, and I'm a junior from Baltimore, MD. I love Clemson and have had so much fun here, but it did take time adjusting to such a small town atmosphere. My favorite thing about it has to be the football games, even though I'm not a huge football fan and still don't really understand the rules, game days are always a blast. My major is Food Science with a concentration in Nutrition and a minor in Chemistry. I'm planning on going to grad school because I'm not really sure what I want to do job wise yet, so why not stay in school for as long as possible? I had a pretty cool internship this summer at McCormick Spices where I worked in Product Development and got to blend spices, cook food, and participate in taste tests. Not a bad summer job right? I'm the Risk Management Chair for my sorority, Delta Zeta. I'm also a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, Sigma Alpha Lambda, National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and the Food Science and Nutrition Club. I've done some work with Habitat for Humanity, so I think that should help in creating their website. I love meeting new people and think that this group project will definitely be a learning experience!