The current event I'd like to talk about this week is the recent train crash in California. On Friday, September 12th, a commuter train in Los Angeles collided with a freight train, killing 25 people. This was a shock to me, not only because so many people died, but also because I could not understand how a train could crash into another train. After the investigation, however, it was discovered that the operator of the commuter train had been text messaging and was not paying attention to the rails ahead!
I could not get over how irresponsible someone could be to know they were trusted to operate a passenger train and yet think it was okay to try and multi task. The media has beaten the point to death that it is not safe to use a cell phone while driving, especially the text messaging feature. You have to literally take your eyes off of what you are doing to read the message. I used to think that if I heard the news emphasize the dangers one more time I was going to scream, but obviously some people still have not processed the message. It is one thing to put your own life in danger because it is your life to control, but when it comes to other people's lives, there is no excuse. I feel terrible for the families affected by this tragedy that could have been prevented.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Cover Letter Advice
After reviewing this website, I found a few points to be helpful, but was disappointed in the lack of indepth explanations about a cover letter structure. Each article was very short and gave more of an outline of the cover letter than anything else. I guess the most useful advice I read was that "customers do not buy features, they buy benefits. So make sure you drive home your benefit to the customer." I had not really thought of this as being a successful selling angle, but the more I read over it I realized that as a customer myself, thats exactly what I want from a product- great benefits.
I agree with most of the advice given, especially about making sure the letter is specific and personal. The cover letter is supposed to be about the company and help employers understand what they are all about. However, there was one point I definately did not agree with. One suggestion was to add personal testimony to the letter. I think this makes the letter look unprofessional, and comes across as trying to fill space. Covers letter should be specific and concise.
Something that did stick with me, and I will take with me into the mock interview, is realizing that the cover letter is not always read first. I thought it was always read first, hence the name "cover". This means that I will need to make sure my resume itself is just as impressive so that it will stick in my interviewers mind.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Response to articles
The first article that I read was How To Get Answers To 5 Key Questions Before Taking A Job. I found this to be a very insightful article, with an interesting approach to the whole interview concept. It suggested questions that you should walk around and ask employees working for potential company in order to get a more personal, inside look at the job. Before reading that article I had never even thought that it was appropriate to do that, but know I realize as long as the employer says it is ok, I can do it. It also brought to my attention that if the employer says I may not ask questions to others in the office, it may be a good indicater that something isn't quite right with the company, or the employee's level of satisfaction.
The second article I read was How To Deal With Interview Stress. I thought this article was a little more conventional with its ways of how to calm down before an interview, but yet methods that have proved to work for years. The most useful tip that I found in the article was about not arriving too early, and obviously not arriving too late. I had never thought that arriving too early can cause more stress, but it makes sense. The longer you sit there, the longer you have to dwell on the interview. This can only cause more panic than necessary. Reading this article helped to remind me of certain things to be aware of during the interview process, like not crossing my legs, and not clenching my jaw which I tend to do when I get nervous. The techniques discussed can only help me improve on my interview.
The second article I read was How To Deal With Interview Stress. I thought this article was a little more conventional with its ways of how to calm down before an interview, but yet methods that have proved to work for years. The most useful tip that I found in the article was about not arriving too early, and obviously not arriving too late. I had never thought that arriving too early can cause more stress, but it makes sense. The longer you sit there, the longer you have to dwell on the interview. This can only cause more panic than necessary. Reading this article helped to remind me of certain things to be aware of during the interview process, like not crossing my legs, and not clenching my jaw which I tend to do when I get nervous. The techniques discussed can only help me improve on my interview.
Monday, September 1, 2008
My life in 10 years...
In ten years I will be 31. That seems like such a long time from now, but I know that it will come sooner than I think.
I hope to get married soon after college, so I would see my husband and I being able to purchase our first home around this time. I would like to be living down South, either near Clemson or in Georgia, in a suburb. My house would be a farm style 2 story, with a beautiful white wrap around porch and swing. Outside the driveway would be parked my silver BMW, and we would have lots of yard space.
By then, I hope to have a good job that allows me to be financially stable. Right now my major is Sport Marketing, so I would love to have a job that involves working with sports. I hope, more specifically, that I am working as an event promoter for a farm league or even major league baseball team. If I were to make it to the big leagues, I would be working for the Atlanta Braves. Because I am such an avid lover of sports, I also see myself coaching a local high school volleyball team. That would give me something to do after work that I am passionate about.
However, I will not have too much free time, because by then I hope to have two kids, a boy and girl, who would be entering elementary school. I would start to get them involved in sports, and put them in a language program like I was place into, to give them a jump start on learning.
I imagine I will still be close to my family, and hopefully close enough to where we could visit my parents and sister's family for holidays. We are all die-hard Clemson fans, so football season would be an especially opportune time to be together and raise our children to bleed orange as well.
Basically, I hope to be happy in life, and able to still have dreams that I can hope to accomplish. It is scary to think about the future, but I feel I have had a firm foundation layed out for me to build mine on.
I hope to get married soon after college, so I would see my husband and I being able to purchase our first home around this time. I would like to be living down South, either near Clemson or in Georgia, in a suburb. My house would be a farm style 2 story, with a beautiful white wrap around porch and swing. Outside the driveway would be parked my silver BMW, and we would have lots of yard space.
By then, I hope to have a good job that allows me to be financially stable. Right now my major is Sport Marketing, so I would love to have a job that involves working with sports. I hope, more specifically, that I am working as an event promoter for a farm league or even major league baseball team. If I were to make it to the big leagues, I would be working for the Atlanta Braves. Because I am such an avid lover of sports, I also see myself coaching a local high school volleyball team. That would give me something to do after work that I am passionate about.
However, I will not have too much free time, because by then I hope to have two kids, a boy and girl, who would be entering elementary school. I would start to get them involved in sports, and put them in a language program like I was place into, to give them a jump start on learning.
I imagine I will still be close to my family, and hopefully close enough to where we could visit my parents and sister's family for holidays. We are all die-hard Clemson fans, so football season would be an especially opportune time to be together and raise our children to bleed orange as well.
Basically, I hope to be happy in life, and able to still have dreams that I can hope to accomplish. It is scary to think about the future, but I feel I have had a firm foundation layed out for me to build mine on.
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