Overall, I agreed with the advice from collegegrad.com. However, one point that I didn't agree with was the fact that bosses don't usually read cover letters. I believe that bosses do read cover letters because my Dad is the President of his commercial furniture company and he continuously reminds me how important the cover letters are. This is something that I think could variate depending on who the Hiring Manager is.
The section that was most useful to me was the "Best Use of a Cover Letter Section." Especially the formula for cover letters. For example, what is supposed to go in each paragraph. I think this will really be of use to me when I write my cover letter. Also, I really learned a lot from the Cover Letter Checklist, this can be somewhere that I can visit when I am finished with my cover letter and want to make sure that I have everything correct.
Some things that I was not aware of was the fact that cover letter is supposed to be about the company that you are applying for and not about you. I guess I had always just assumed that since it was a cover letter introducing your resume you should talk about yourself but I am aware now that this is not the case. Also I did not know that in your cover letter that you were supposed to refer to a specific person in the company. This also leads to the fact that your cover letter is prepared differently for each resume because it is meant to relate to that company only. I thought cover letters were like resumes, you had the same thing down no matter where it was going. I thought it was really interesting that the website said to be personal and to hand write a P.S. at the end of your letter. This comes a relief to me in some ways because the business world has always seemed so uptight and tense.
The most enlightening quote to me, in this article was: "The resume explains your features, your cover letter explains your benefits."
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Preparing for Interviews
I have only been to about three or four interviews in my lifetime and only one of those really had something to do with what I want to do as a career. I really liked this blog topic as well as some of things we are doing in class because it helps me to prepare for what the real world will be like...which is really only two years away...I can't believe that!!!
The first article I read from hotjobs was called Mastering the Interview. This article discussed three important components to "master your interview." They were preparation, presentation, and perception. Preparation involved what you wore, doing research about the company that you are interviewing for, and being familar with your resume. Most of these things made sense to me, except since I will most likely be applying for a teaching position, I was wondering what kind of research I would do about the school. I thought of ideas such as the demographics of the school, if the school has received any awards in the past, as well as information that would be on their website (mission statements, etc.). The presentation portion of mastering the interview involved introducing yourself to the receptionist, making sure your cell phone was off (what a bad first impression this could make-ringing in the middle of an interview!), your body language, and also focusing on the accomplishments you have made instead of just the job description. This one made sense to me because the company already knows what the job description is, they want to learn more about you and in what ways you can contribute. The last part of mastering the interview was making sure that your perception was efficient. This included asking questions to make sure you were understanding everything the employer said as well as any confusion you had about the company. In the interviews that I have been in, I am often so concerned with myself and making myself look good that I forget what I'm really there for and end up walking out not remembering what went on, this is definitely something I need to work on for my mock interview as well as real-life interviews.
The second article I read dealt with telling stories in your interview, it was called An Interview Strategy: Telling Stories. This was a very interesting article! It discussed how you can really make an impression in an interview if you focus on more than just facts. The article cited examples of what the company wants to know, some of these included: Are you a team player? Will you fit into the company's culture? and Are you an asset or liability? These questions can be answered by giving your employer certain instances (stories) where you saved money for your company, how life circumstances affected your work-these could include various crises or stress, and also times when you exhibited outstanding leadership skills. This article helped me to think about stories from my own life that I could use in an interview, and it was some that I had never even thought of before.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading these articles. They are in plain language and help me to focus on how I can make changes to my routine interview strategy to make it superb!!
The first article I read from hotjobs was called Mastering the Interview. This article discussed three important components to "master your interview." They were preparation, presentation, and perception. Preparation involved what you wore, doing research about the company that you are interviewing for, and being familar with your resume. Most of these things made sense to me, except since I will most likely be applying for a teaching position, I was wondering what kind of research I would do about the school. I thought of ideas such as the demographics of the school, if the school has received any awards in the past, as well as information that would be on their website (mission statements, etc.). The presentation portion of mastering the interview involved introducing yourself to the receptionist, making sure your cell phone was off (what a bad first impression this could make-ringing in the middle of an interview!), your body language, and also focusing on the accomplishments you have made instead of just the job description. This one made sense to me because the company already knows what the job description is, they want to learn more about you and in what ways you can contribute. The last part of mastering the interview was making sure that your perception was efficient. This included asking questions to make sure you were understanding everything the employer said as well as any confusion you had about the company. In the interviews that I have been in, I am often so concerned with myself and making myself look good that I forget what I'm really there for and end up walking out not remembering what went on, this is definitely something I need to work on for my mock interview as well as real-life interviews.
The second article I read dealt with telling stories in your interview, it was called An Interview Strategy: Telling Stories. This was a very interesting article! It discussed how you can really make an impression in an interview if you focus on more than just facts. The article cited examples of what the company wants to know, some of these included: Are you a team player? Will you fit into the company's culture? and Are you an asset or liability? These questions can be answered by giving your employer certain instances (stories) where you saved money for your company, how life circumstances affected your work-these could include various crises or stress, and also times when you exhibited outstanding leadership skills. This article helped me to think about stories from my own life that I could use in an interview, and it was some that I had never even thought of before.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading these articles. They are in plain language and help me to focus on how I can make changes to my routine interview strategy to make it superb!!
Sunday, September 7, 2008
In Ten Years....
First of all, in ten years I hope to have graduated from college with a degree in Early Childhood Education, a masters in Early Childhood Intervention and received my Montessori Certification. My dream is to be working as a first grade teacher in a public Elementary school in Greenville, South Carolina (close enough to the city and to Clemson!)
By this point in my life I hope to have traveled to China to work in the orphanages as a missionary. I also hope that I am married and have at least two children. I don't want to have any debt of any sort at age 30.
I hope to have traveled to Italy, France, England and Spain and to have ridden in a hot air balloon. I also hope to have seen all the classic movies and read as many classical novels as possible by this time.
I want to be able to support my mother and father at this stage in my life if they need me.
I want to be active in my church body where ever that may be.
The truth is I have many hopes and dreams about where I want to be 10 years from now. However, I am afraid of planning my life out too much. I want to go where I'm led and maybe experience something that I never thought would happen!
By this point in my life I hope to have traveled to China to work in the orphanages as a missionary. I also hope that I am married and have at least two children. I don't want to have any debt of any sort at age 30.
I hope to have traveled to Italy, France, England and Spain and to have ridden in a hot air balloon. I also hope to have seen all the classic movies and read as many classical novels as possible by this time.
I want to be able to support my mother and father at this stage in my life if they need me.
I want to be active in my church body where ever that may be.
The truth is I have many hopes and dreams about where I want to be 10 years from now. However, I am afraid of planning my life out too much. I want to go where I'm led and maybe experience something that I never thought would happen!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Web 2.0
I think the title of the video truly explains what my generation has been experiencing. The machine has been using me since I can remember. It seems like every year since I was a child, a new video game system was created, a new computer program, or a new way to listen to music. All of which required less and less control by its operator. As the years go by, this trend is continuing to grow, and I see no sign that it is ever going to go away.
Web 2.0 greatly affects those who are ready to enter the workforce, because in order to be hired they must be very proficient in technology. Companies are expecting applicants to literally jump off the page with their amount of technological knowledge. This creates an abundance of pressure for those looking for employment, but could also provide motivation.
People that are already in the workforce are most likely affected in the fact that they feel that they have some catching up to do in order to hold onto their jobs, especially if their bosses are hiring employees right out of college who are technologically sound. Also, those who are already in the workforce are probably experiencing a lot of frustration since they are used to doing things one way and now everything is changing, almost like being a black sheep.
When we say that we will have to rethink everything, I think that it means we have to be open to change and realize that while this change may be good, it also might require some adjustment. For example, one part of the video suggested that we needed to rethink family. This is something that really stuck out to me, but is very true. In a positive sense, because of Web 2.0, families are able to stay connected no matter how many miles apart they are. However, are families going to be satisfied now with a few e-mails a month from one another and forget the importance of spending quality time together? Will this cause family reunions to diminish? Also, when we discuss children being on the web, a whole new realm of safety concerns arise. Not only do parents have to watch the kids when they go out to play in the backyard, parents have to be aware of every click they make on the home computer. Love was also mentioned in the realm of things that need to be rethought. Are girlfriends and boyfriends going to depend on facebook wall posts to sustain their relationship? Where does romance fit into all of this?
Clearly, Web 2.0 has many advantages and disadvantages and it is up to our generation to create a balance within it all.
Web 2.0 greatly affects those who are ready to enter the workforce, because in order to be hired they must be very proficient in technology. Companies are expecting applicants to literally jump off the page with their amount of technological knowledge. This creates an abundance of pressure for those looking for employment, but could also provide motivation.
People that are already in the workforce are most likely affected in the fact that they feel that they have some catching up to do in order to hold onto their jobs, especially if their bosses are hiring employees right out of college who are technologically sound. Also, those who are already in the workforce are probably experiencing a lot of frustration since they are used to doing things one way and now everything is changing, almost like being a black sheep.
When we say that we will have to rethink everything, I think that it means we have to be open to change and realize that while this change may be good, it also might require some adjustment. For example, one part of the video suggested that we needed to rethink family. This is something that really stuck out to me, but is very true. In a positive sense, because of Web 2.0, families are able to stay connected no matter how many miles apart they are. However, are families going to be satisfied now with a few e-mails a month from one another and forget the importance of spending quality time together? Will this cause family reunions to diminish? Also, when we discuss children being on the web, a whole new realm of safety concerns arise. Not only do parents have to watch the kids when they go out to play in the backyard, parents have to be aware of every click they make on the home computer. Love was also mentioned in the realm of things that need to be rethought. Are girlfriends and boyfriends going to depend on facebook wall posts to sustain their relationship? Where does romance fit into all of this?
Clearly, Web 2.0 has many advantages and disadvantages and it is up to our generation to create a balance within it all.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
About Me!
Hi! My name is Taylor, and I am a junior at Clemson University! I am an Early Childhood Education major and I love working with children, it is truly my passion!! My hometown is Hendersonville, North Carolina-Home of the North Carolina Apple Festival! It is a small farm town, but I loved growing up there.
I am the Sales Director for Central Spirit here at Clemson and am also involved with Clemson FCA. I love Clemson and everything about it, especially the sunsets and football seasons!
My favorite television show is Jon & Kate Plus 8 and I love romantic comedies.
I am excited about being in this class and having an actual client to work with, I really hope to work with Helping Hands because I have been there many times volunteering and I know they can really use the help.
I look forward to getting to know everyone better!
Taylor D. :)
I am the Sales Director for Central Spirit here at Clemson and am also involved with Clemson FCA. I love Clemson and everything about it, especially the sunsets and football seasons!
My favorite television show is Jon & Kate Plus 8 and I love romantic comedies.
I am excited about being in this class and having an actual client to work with, I really hope to work with Helping Hands because I have been there many times volunteering and I know they can really use the help.
I look forward to getting to know everyone better!
Taylor D. :)
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