Advice

It's hard to believe the semester is already over, and I'm writing my final blog post. My advice to the upcoming Business 304 class is this- if you want to do well in this class you will. Angie is a really great teacher because she is always willing to help you and genuinely wants her students to do well in her class. So if you have any questions about anything definitely ask her. She gives you the opportunity to get her feedback on your assignments before she gives you a grade on them, which not only helps your grade but also helps you learn how to do things the right way. I would also make sure you get a good group for your group project. Angie gives you a chance to "speed date" other people in your class so take advantage of it. I know our class had some problems with group members, but our group pulled together and was able to work well with each other. This really makes the project so much easier; I couldn't imagine doing it if everyone in my group was a slacker. Our group found that the project ran a lot smoother if only one of the members was contacting the client directly, so the client was flooded with emails and could make a personal bond with that person. Also if at all possible try to get someone in your group who is computer savvy. That was a big help when we were forming our proposal. Good luck and enjoy the class. You will definitely learn a lot about the business world, and I really enjoyed the course.

Christmas

Since this week is a free blog topic I thought I'd talk about Christmas...since the holiday season is right around the corner. My favorite Christmas tradition is baking cookies. Every year we give cookies to all our neighbors for presents so we end up baking a ton of different kinds. I especially like making M&M ones because I have a really good recipe from my Aunt, and they're so delicious. I also really enjoy Christmas because you get to listen to fun holiday music and watch Christmassy movies. Surprisingly Hanson has one of the best CDs. It's really upbeat and jazzy. I also like Christina Aguliera's CD because she has an awesome voice. I think my all time favorite Christmas movie is Home Alone although I do really lie Elf and It's a Wonderful Life too. So basically I'm really excited for Christmas, it makes exam time seem a little less awful.

Employers Study Applicants' Personalities

I was really intrigued by the article "Employers Study Applicants' Personalities." In the present day, applicants are not only judged by their skill but by their ability to get along with the rest of the employees. In fact in some companies being personable is viewed as more important than being qualified for the job. After reading the article, I realized that personality does have a big influence on the working environment and overall chi of the workplace. So I do applaud some of the actions that are being taken to assess the person's character and make sure they are a good fit for the company. I certainly would not want to work with anyone who is mean-spirited, boastful, or always in a bad mood no matter how qualified or smart they were. I do think some companies may be taking this notion too far though and that they need to keep in mind that a person's qualifications should play a big part in the hiring process as well. Some of the businesses described in the article seemed like they were more interested in finding a new friend than a new employee.

Dual Coding Theory

I really enjoyed learning about the Dual Coding Theory in class. It was something that I've never heard of before but when it was described it made a lot of sense. The theory basically states that tying images together with words allows you to remember the idea/experience better. I think the Geico commercials do a good job of using this theory and a creating memorable ad. They use the gecko animal as sort of a Geico mascot because their names sound very similar. So it's easy for the viewer to associate the image gecko with the name Geico. Also their commercials are funny and often times bizarre. In one commercial the gecko appears on a talk show. In another one they talk about the Beverly Hillbillies and say that the reason they became instant millionaires was because they switched to Geico car insurance.

Mock Interview

Interviews are an extremely important part of the job application process, so it was very beneficial to be able to do a "mock interview" for this class. Interviews give the employer a chance to see the personality of the applicant as well as their ability to think on their feet. They are a one time opportunity to make a favorable impression on the interviewer and can either make or break your chance of getting hired.

Having a mock interview not only gave me the chance to practice my interview skills but also provided me with feedback with ways to improve and things that I was doing well. This was really helpful because you do not get this kind of feedback when you are doing real interviews.

Even though this was just a pretend situation, I still got nervous beforehand! I think the interview went well though, and I was very appreciative of Angie's comments. One thing I realized I need to work on is to really prepare myself for the interview. I often go with the mindset to just be myself and that I'll be able to "wing it", but in order to have a good interview I do think you need to be prepared for the kinds of questions the employer is going to ask you as well as be up to date with information on the company.

Fall Break

I have not had a chance to do my interview yet, so this week I decided to write about my fall break. I went to Asheville, NC with my mom for the first time. It's a really cool city, only about 2 hours away from Clemson, but it is completely different. It's very artsy with a lot of cafes, unique boutiques, and stores. The architecture there is beautiful, they have a lot of old historic neighborhoods and buildings. We also got a chance to tour the Biltmore which is so huge it looks like a castle. There's a 3 mile driveway from the entrance to the actual house, and it's very scenic with trees and streams all around it. Overall it was a great fall break, nice to take a break from doing school work and relax for a little while.

Class Presentations

I really enjoyed the diversity of the 5 minute presentations from our class. It kept it interesting, and I feel like I got to learn a little more about everyone. I especially liked Stacey's about her hometown of Boulder. I have never been to that part of the country before but have heard rave reviews about it so I loved getting an insider's take on it. It seems like a beautiful town with lots to offer. I also enjoyed Sal's presentation on masonry. It was something I knew very little about so it was interesting to learn more. The pictures he included of his work were amazing, it definitely shows he has a lot of skill.