For Spring 2008 Students

In this class it is very important to stay on schedule and keep up with the work. The client project is a major part of your grade and the steps to complete it can take some time. Make sure you use good time management skills when completing anything for this class. You will learn a lot of this project so make sure you don't just throw something together and really think about how whatever you decided to create will be beneficial to your client. The client project is also a great opportunity to get to know your classmates, especially the people you work with in your group. When selecting group members make sure you find people that will do their share of the project and pick people who's schedules won't conflict.

This class is extremely beneficial when it comes to learning to write resumes and cover letters and other important documents. Everyone needs to have a resume and having a professor helping you write the resume is a huge help. Make sure you put a lot of effort into the resume assignment because you will probably use this when interviewing for internships and jobs. I really enjoyed this class and found that it will be very helpful when I enter the business world.

Client Projects

I have learned a lot from our client project and by working with my team members. My team members and I work extremely well together and are very good about dividing up the work. Getting everything done for our project has gone smoothly and there have been no major problems. The best part about the client project is having the ability to learn a lot more about an organization that helps kids. The biggest challenge of the project has been attempting to set up a PayPal account for our client. The age difference seems to be a big problem because the client in not familiar with the technology to set up the account. A valuable lesson I have learned from working with my group is that you should always work with people you know you will work well with, which my group does. Also, everyone must contribute their "fair share" to the project and it helps the project go much faster.

Dual Coding

The first thing you notice in the Nike ad is the writing. When I first looked at the ad I noticed the words "practice like champions" first because they were big and red. This phrase appears in many Nike ad's and sends the message that you must work hard no matter what time you are playing. Next I noticed "we believe" through the doorway. As I continued to look at the ad, I noticed it must have been a locker room. Most football teams use a lot of Nike equipment and this is why Nike chose to use this image. This image incorporates dual coding well because it uses words and images to express the message that if you practice hard and have faith, while using Nike gear, you can achieve a lot.

Mock Interviews

Going into the interview I was nervous. I have had interview experience in the past so that was helpful, although I still always get nervous going into any type of interview. To make myself less nervous, I reviewed my resume and made sure I knew everything that I had put on it and how to explain anything if i was questioned on the topic. Also, I wrote down questions to ask when the interviewer was done asking me questions. The hardest question I was asked during the interview was what was my greatest accomplishment thus far. I did have to pause and think about an answer, although after thinking about the question, I came up with a thoughtful answer and gave a completely answer to the question. If I could do my interview again the only thing I would do differently is talk more about the internships I have done in the past. These internships show that I have job experiences in my field of study and show that I have experience working with large companies. From the mock interview I learned that you should always enter an interview with confidence, even if you are nervous. Confidence shows that you are able to handle tough and stressful situations well and that you have faith in your abilities.

The three presentations I enjoyed this past week were Sarah's, Taylor's, and Chesley's. I enjoyed Sarah's presentation because it dealt with our helping hands project. It was interesting to find out more backgorund about our project and to learn about when and how it was started. Another presentation that I enjoy was Taylor's presentation about Central Spirit. I am also a member of this organization so it was interesting to here what someone else has to say about the organization. I liked how her goal was to recuit people to join Central Spirit because new members are always welcome. The third presentation I enjoy was Chelsey's presention about South Africa. I did not really know anything about the country before her presentation so it was fun to learn about. After seeing Chelseys presentation I would love to visit South Africa and visit the resort she talked about. Also, I love animals so I feel as though South Africa would be a great place to visit.

Financial Crisis

Everyone who knows anything about the financial market or who simply turns on the news knows that there is a major crisis right now. Big companies such as Lehman Brothers bankers and AIG are failing. Investors have seen there net worth drop dramatically in the past few weeks. This massive drop in our economy is going to effect every American and result in higher taxes. Not only will banks be hit hard but the effect will also spread to IT operations, accountants, lawyers, and other professional service employees who depend on work from finance companies. Even insurance companies, which have remained relatively strong, could be hurt if the economy worsens.
New York City is not the only city that will be effected by this financial crisis. Smaller financial centers and their suburbs could also see trouble ahead. Smaller cities such as Wilmington, DE, which is where many of the nations credit card companies are located; Charlotte, NC, home of Bank of America and Wachovia; and Sioux Falls, SD, where many back-office jobs are located, each have about 15% of residence working in finance, real estate, or insurance. These cities are not necessarily in trouble right now, but they could be hit hard soon.
Evrybody should be aware of the financial crisis going on in the United States right now and keeping up to date with news about the economy, especially those of us that will be in business industries. Hopefully the problems will begin being resolved shortly.

Cover Letter

I found the website about cover letters to be very helpful. I now feel that I will be able to draft a good cover letter to go with my resume. I did not know much about cover letters although, from I did know, I agree with the information given. One thing I may not agree with is that companies do not read cover letters. From what I have heard, many companies read cover letters to get a first impression of you.
The tutorial that I found most helpful was "The Best Use of a Cover Letter." This article was very informative of what you should include in your cover letter. I now realize that before writing a cover letter I will need to research the company I am writing it for. This is show the hiring manager what I am able to bring to the company. Also, when writing my cover letter I will include information about the company, my top skills and the benefits of them, and provide contact information. Overall, I learned a lot about drafting a cover letter and feel that I will not be able to write an effective letter.