Advise to Spring '08 Students

First of all, I'd like to begin by telling everyone that this class is probably one of the most beneficial classes at Clemson in regards to working with groups of people in real-world situations. We were given a task to complete by a client, and we all had to submit our proposal ideas so that he could pick the best one. This is a great example of working with a group of people to compete for something in the business world.

The best advice I can give new students is to communicate as much as possible. I was on the Design team and helped make the User Manual so our client (the American Haitian Foundation) would be able to update their Web site. This was difficult for us because we had to wait until the other groups finished the content of the Web site before we could explain how to update it. To make matters more difficult, our professor was out of town and we did not have "formal" class, so we had difficulty getting some of the people in other groups to come to class. Then, we tried to send out an email to remind people, but Blackboard didn't send it. Though annoying, these are things that happen on a daily basis and need to be dealt with accordingly.

This class is not academically challenging, but it promotes group cohesiveness and cooperation more than any class I have taken so far. It also provides advice for resumes, cover letters, and interviewing for jobs. We even had a "mock interview" to practice our interview skills. I definitely recommend this class!

Yahoo Article

This type of interview method where potential employees are judged based on personality rather than credentials definitely has pros and cons. I had an interview this past Spring similar to this where we worked in teams to design games for kids (it was for a job as a camp counselor), and I thought this was a good idea because we would be working with each other all summer. For other jobs, I don't think this is completely necessary. I have a friend who is an absolute computer genius (Computer Engineering major) and can fix anything I manage to screw up on my computer, but he has terrible people and social skills. He is courteous and polite, but he is very shy and I can see him being a wallflower in this type of interview situation. Although he would probably be more capable of performing the job than all of the other candidates, his abilities would probably not shine through as well. So, if a certain job (working with computers, for example) does not require as much people skills, I think this type of interview would be completely unnecessary.

One thing I did like was the company that had all day interviews (9-10 hours long) because they said that "people can't BS for that long." I would do well in that type of situation because I am myself no matter how long I have to be a part of something. There are those people that are completely fake, but it is difficult to weed them out based on a 30 minute interview. An all-day interview (even though it would be a pain, especially if you didn't get the job), is the best way to get rid of those types of people. Another important thing the article said to watch out for was people being picked based on compatible personalities. A group of co-workers may have a blast going out for beer, but they may have terrible quality of work together.

Dual Coding Theory

Dual coding theory is used to make information "stick" with viewers. Viewers have difficulty remembering auditory or visual images alone, but when these processes are combined, viewers are much more likely to retain the information. However, the auditory information must complement the visual information rather than compete with it.

One example of a commercial demonstrating dual coding theory is a current Lee's jeans (for her) commercial. The commercial has a catchy song in the background and explains why these jeans fit your curves perfectly. Each part of the advertisement that described the "fit" of these jeans also had the actress doing something to demonstrate this. When the ad was talking about the slender fit of the legs, the actress was twirling around where the camera could get a great shot of her elongated legs. When the ad was talking about a slim waist, the actress was playfully shaking her hips. These images, along with the speaker and the fun music, makes the viewer remember these jeans as easy-going and meeting all of her needs.

Another example of a dual coding commercial is the Invisalign (alternative to braces) commercial. This commercial will have more impact than a radio ad discussing the process or pictures alone because the actors were smiling and enjoying themselves while the speaker discussed the many benefits of Invisalign. The viewers will now connect Invisalign to perfect smiles and good times.

Group Work

It seems like this semester has contained a vast amount of groupwork from each class. I think my generation has been exposed to group work at a young age, and I have felt comfortable with it for quite some time. Our "Bridging the Gap" group was successful because we had different talents to work on each aspect of the proposal. Derek and Bob were our creative geniuses that took care of all of the artistic work of the website, Kent was the delegator and knew how to do a little of everything, and Stefanie and I were the writers. I felt bad at first because I couldn't help with the computer design work, but I realized that they had no desire to write either, so it worked out well that everyone had different strengths.

Our group didn't have any miscommunication problems. I think we can attribute this to the fact that we met up and worked together for most of the project instead of trying to email documents back and forth. We had to do this a few times for editing purposes, etc., and I think this was difficult for Derek when Stefanie and I both emailed him grammar corrections for a document. I'm glad that we completed most of the project in person, because I can't imagine doing a whole project over email.

The most difficult part about groupwork is trying to coordinate five busy, busy schedules to find a time when everyone is free. This is the case for all groupwork, and it often means meeting at inconvenient times. Another difficulty for groupwork is delegating tasks, but Kent was our CEO and I think he did a good job with that.

The best part about groupwork, in my opinion, is getting to know a group of people that you ordinarily would not hang out with outside of class. I really enjoy meeting all kinds of people, and groupwork gives me the opportunitiy to do this. I enjoyed our group because we had a wide range of personalities, but we all got along really well and completed our proposal with little to no difficulties.

Current Happenings-Clemson Animal Welfare Society

Right now, CAWS is pretty busy!! Yesterday (Oct. 27th), we helped with American Family Day to raise money for our club. American Family Day is a company that specializes in corporate family days...companies pay AFD to plan a carnival-like event for all of their employees and families and, instead of having workers travel around the country, AFD hires local organizations to work the events and gives them a donation. We had 20 people work the event and got to raise $850 for CAWS, so it was definitely worthwhile! This was the second time we worked an event like this and the event itself is really easy to work (paint faces, help with crafts, etc.), but the clean-up is a pain because all of the carnival tents, games, etc. have to fit in one Enterprise truck. Luckily, the Clemson men's Rugby team was working that day also, so they got to lift all of the heavy things : )

Next Saturday, (Nov. 3rd), CAWS is going to Asheville to help with the Wolfdog Rescue. As I mentioned in class, this rescue is a sanctuary for the "wolfdogs" in the mountains that are a problem due to wild dogs breeding with wolves. The animals have a difficult time because they have too many domesticated traits to make it in the wilderness with the wolves, but not many people want to adopt a dog that is half wolf. There are quite a few wolfdogs that are really loving and some have found great homes. I've never been to this rescue before, so I'm excited to find out more.

CAWS is also advertising our first annual calendar fundraiser. Everyone is encouraged to enter! Submit a photo of your pet showing "Clemson spirit" (be creative--it doesn't have to just be a costume). Right now the deadline is November 2nd, but we are considering extending it because we haven't even received 12 entries so far. The entry fee is $10 per photo entered, and you can enter more than one photo to increase your odds. The top twelve picks will earn spots in the calendar, a free calendar, and a customized bag of your pet's favorite treats. The top two photos will also win a $25 Petsmart giftcard. Talk to me to learn more or download the application from our website: www.clemson.edu/~caws

Mock Interview Reflection

I thought the mock interview was a helpful way to prepare for a real interview in the near future. Mrs. Rogers asked us to bring a description of a job, internship, or graduation school description that we were interested in so that she could tailor the questions to each student. She did a great job of keeping her “professional” demeanor during the interview and asking us questions that we more than likely will be asked at an interview.

When I prepared for the interview, I tried to imagine some of the challenging questions I could be asked, like “greatest strength,” or “greatest weakness.” I was not asked those questions, but she did pull some things directly off my resume to ask me about that caught me off guard. “How do you think your minor in Psychology will help your career in Health Science,” and “Since you have been involved with primarily quantitative research, would you be willing to work with qualitative research?” were a couple of the questions she asked.

Having this experience of thinking quickly to respond to questions helped build my confidence that I will be able to effectively hold up in a real interview. I was nervous before the interview, but I grew more comfortable as it went on. Three important lessons I learned were to relax, focus on each question, and make eye contact (even if it feels uncomfortable).

Great Presentations!

Everyone in class did a fantastic job on their presentations. One topic that particularly interested me was Stephanie Mitchell's topic on Alcohol Amnesty. I had actually never heard of this before, but it really makes sense. Despite underage drinking laws, MIPs, fines, etc., alcohol use/abuse will ALWAYS be an issue on college campuses, especially large universities.
Just recently I attended a university organizational meeting for leaders in various clubs on campus, and we had a speaker explaining how we (the clubs) always hold responsibility for the consequences of underage drinkers at our events. In the past, organizations have gotten by with using the "BYOB" rule ("Bring Your Own Beer") and would not be held responsible if a minor was charged for a possession, misdemeanor, etc. Now, even if they bring their own alcohol, the organization can get in serious trouble if a minor has possession of alcohol at a function.

While this may seem to cut down on underage drinking (doubtful, though), this raises a serious issue of safety...If a minor becomes obviously sick to the point of alcohol poisoning, some groups may be even more hesitant to call for help knowing that they can be charged for it. I certainly don't think ANY organization would deny someone of help just to keep themselves from getting in trouble, but they would be more likely to postpone calling and "wait it out" or "just make sure" before they call. This could inevitably lead to death.
Stephanie's presentation explained how certain universities have already passed alcohol amnesty laws stating that if students call for help for a fellow student, neither the caller nor the student could get in trouble. I think Clemson needs a law like this because I have witnessed very sick students begging their friends not to call the ambulance because of fear of "getting in trouble." When there is threat of losing a life, there should be no question whether to waive a charge or not.

Some might argue that this will condone underage drinking, but I disagree. Underage drinking always has and always will be a problem. I really don't see how this law could be abused because I doubt anyone would call in a "fake" alcohol poisoning case--if anything, a trip to the hospital is expensive and students would not want to pay this cost if it weren't even real. If there was a problem with students abusing this law to avoid an MIP, policymakers could address it then. Certainly they could look at the records of other universities that have already passed the law and see if they had a problem with this.

This was a great presentation because it addressed a very relevant issue at Clemson University as well as other universities--good job Stephanie!

Fair Weather Fans

This weekend, as everyone knows, most of us Clemson students witnessed a horrible game of Clemson vs. VT. I'm just as disappointed as the next person that we lost, but I became really frustrated during the game at some of the comments and actions of our supposed Clemson "fans."

Maybe we're losing the game--maybe even by a large spread--but when fans all start packing up and heading out how does that make our players feel? Does it give them motivation to put up a fight until the end? They are frustrated and the coaches are frustrated--the last thing they need is for the fans to be frustrated with them to the point that they feel a football game is no longer worth their time. I question their motives in the first place--do they only enjoy the game when Clemson is winning? What happened to watching the game for the sake of the game--applauding successful plays, trying to predict the next one, or just hoping for a turnover. I personally enjoy the game MORE when we're losing, because it gives me something to cheer for and makes me focus more intently on the game. What fun is it to cheer for a team that wins most of their games?

As if leaving isn't bad enough, rude comments from the fans about their own team anger me even more. If I heard another "What is he doing?? Anybody could have caught that" or "I could coach this team better than Tommy Bowden" comment I probably would have kicked someone. To make matters worse, a "Fire Tommy" chant started behind me to the tune of "Let's go Tigers." Of course I started chanting "Let's Go Tigers" as loud as I could.
Whatever their personal opinion is about the coach, a losing football game is not the time to bring it up. Write a letter--call Terry Don Phillips--whatever--just don't start a chant against your own Head Coach! When you are a Tiger fan, you are a fan rain or shine, win or lose, and no matter who your coach is. If we were winning the game and their name flashed up on the scoreboard saying they won a Tailgate Package where they got to hang out with Tommy Bowden, I'm sure they wouldn't have turned it down. One game, nor the opinions of some drunk kids in the student section, has little impact on a coach's professional career.
The point I'm making is--if you're a fan, stay until the end and cheer the whole time no matter what. If you don't, that's fine, but don't call yourself a Tiger fan.

Resume Articles

The first article I read was "Six Tips for Writing a Cover Letter," and it had a few general tips about making your cover letter stand out. A couple of ones I thought were important were to use a few new bits of information about yourself instead of reiterating your entire resume. Sending your cover letter to a specific person in the company was another tip, and this also seems like a good idea because it shows that you took the time to research the company and its employees. One tip I wasn't so sure about was the one titled "Using your connections." This tip claims that if you know someone in the organization to mention that first thing in your cover letter and say something along the lines of "Our mutual friend/acquaintance So-in-so thought I should email you." This seems a little inappropriate to me. If you are in fact friends with someone in the company, I can see telling them to personally recommend you to whomever would be hiring you, but it seems like trying to pull strings by mentioning this in your cover letter. I don't have much experience with cover letters and maybe this is considered acceptable, but I have never heard of anyone recommending this.

The next article that really caught my eye was "Don't Let Spam Filters Snatch Your Resume." Apparently, many resumes are getting trashed because of the strict spam filters on company databases. It isn't uncommon for large corporations to have spam filters with 20,000 rules to keep out unwanted emails. Some filter services automatically delete messages that contains words such as "free," "expand," "trial," and "mortgage" or exclamation marks or colored backgrounds. Other filters automatically delete messages from unknown email addresses with attached files. One man received an automatic reply that his resume had been automatically deleted because of "obscenities." He was confused until he saw that "magna cum laude" had triggered the filter. I can see these email filters becoming a problem, especially in an age where more and more businesses are expecting emailed resumes rather than paper copies.

Job Interview Articles

I think "CareerJournal.com" is a really useful site, and a number of articles caught my eye. The first one I read was "How to Answer Any Interview Question" because who DOESN'T want to know the answer to this? At first I didn't agree with what they were saying. The article basically said to have a few main points you want to convey in your interview and, no matter what the question asks, somehow get this point across. The first thing that came to my mind was a Powerword from 10th grade English--"circumlocution!" I felt like anyone who did this would seem like a politician talking in a roundabout way. The article went on to say that, unlike politicians, job interviewees must be respectful to their interviewer and answer the question with the content required. There was then a little formula that I thought made a lot of sense:

Q=A+1

"Q" is the question asked by the interviwer, "A" is the answer you give them directing the content of the question, "+"is the bridge between answering the question and a main point you want to make, and "1" is the point you want to make. The article said that if you just use the formula "Q=A" in an interview, then the interviewer is in control of the session.

One word sums up the best way to prepare for an interview: RESEARCH! The article gave examples of the importance of knowing company background to make you really stand out in an interview. For example, if you know the company is having financial difficulties, if an interview question asks about your strengths in a previous job be sure to incorporate how well you handled money (producing quality goods on time and under budget, etc.)

My dad has conducted quite a few interviews, and he has give me some useful advice. One of the best things I've learned is the realization that you (the interviewee) are essentially in control of the interview session. The interviewer isn't there to prove you wrong or hoping you don't work out--he or she WANTS you to be the perfect person so that the company can end their search. He told me that often the interviewers even try to talk themselves into thinking that an interviewee will work just so they can stop searching. So, as a little confidence boost, keep in mind that the interviewer really wants you to be the prefect match--all you have to do is show your skills to prove it.

10 Years from Now

Ten years from now seems like an eternity--but then again, I am only twenty, so it is half my life (and I can't believe I'm twenty!) I am aware it will be here before I know it, though, so I want to have a general idea of where I want to be and what I want to accomplish.

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I will be graduating from Clemson next December and hope to begin my Master's degree in Health Promotion and Education at Virginia Tech. I will be finished with this program by 2010, and after that my goal is to go on for my Ph.D. I haven't decided what or where I want to go for this program, but my decision will depend on where we are stationed for the Marines. I am thinking of becoming involved in health education research and working for a University. I have begun to lean towards research because I realized how much it fits my personality and lifestyle. I am a meticulous worker, and I think I would do well with the different stages of research because there is a definite need for detail! This would also give me an opportunity for flexible hours and the option to complete the majority of my work online depending on where I will be living. Ten years from now, I hope that I have a career that will mean something to me and be more than just a "paycheck." I love the Health field because there are countless ways to make a difference. The research is even rewarding because it gives an opportunity to statistically prove that health education programs are working (and even if they aren't, it provides an opportunity to improve them).

While I want to have a successful career, family is an important part of my life. In ten years I hope to have had my first child or at least be planning on having him or her. First I want to be established in a career, but in ten years hopefully I will be. I also want to be involved in a community and have a network of friends wherever I am living. By ten years, we should be finished with the Marine Corps life and settled down. Hopefully, I will have met lots of new people and made some lifetime friends while traveling the world.

I love volunteering (especially with animals), so I want to have a huge plot of land and start my own animal rescue. I want to increase foster networks to keep animals out of shelters until they find loving homes. I thought of a program called "No More Cages," which would be an online database of foster homes for domestic animals to keep them out of shelters until they find families. This database would work in collaboration with Petfinder.com (an existing website), where potential owners could search for pets without having to go to the shelters.


I'm not completely sure where I will be ten years from now, but who is? We all have to take life day by day, and be thankful for what we have : )

Web 2.0

The title "Web 2.0" is a simple way of saying that the internet today is nothing like the "original" internet. Anyone with access to a computer can easily create their own websites and can be published for anyone and everyone in the world to read. Today, it is not necessary to be a web designer or have any above-basic knowledge of the computer to put oneself out on the web. This is a definite advantage in some aspects--the internet connects so many different people because it is so user-friendly. However, this also means that ANY information can be out there, and everything we read is not legitimate. Because of the ease of designing websites, it is also safe to say that even "professional" looking websites can be fraudulent, so it's so important to be careful.

Web 2.0 can be a blessing or a burden for those of us trying to enter the workforce. One of the biggest drawbacks is the fact that potential employers can easily track information on us by what we publish on the web. Facebook, Myspace, Blogs, etc. can all be accessed, so it's important to keep them professional. There are plenty of advantages to job-seekers by using the web. New conveniences, like online job-searching sites and emailed resumes can greatly simplify the job hunt. There are also forums where you can chat with other people in your potential career field for advice.

Web 2.0 simplifies almost everything in the workforce due to its ability to connect people. Some of the biggest conveniences are emails, instant messages, chat rooms, video conferences, forums, etc. Instead of having to deliver a handwritten memo across an office park, an email memo can be sent. Instead of calling a co-worker to ask a question and risking a lengthy conversation, you can shoot her an IM and avoid small-talk. Chat rooms could be used to discuss a group project late at night from the comfort of our homes, and video conferencing saves time and money to avoid travel. While all of this technology makes the workforce much more efficient, it's important to also connect to co-workers to keep morale up in the workplace. I think we should all call from time to time to see how a close co-worker is doing, and sometimes walk a note to someone to make ourselves seem personable.

The statement that we have to "rethink everything" is true, because everything online is so communicable with very little privacy. An example that comes to my mind is composing an email to your boss. If you type an angry email, send it, and decide later that you should have taken a better approach, it's too late. If you were being considered for a job and an employer finds scandalous pictures of you on Facebook, you will likely be replaced by someone else. I think the bottom line is that Web 2.0 can bring us so much valuable knowledge, but we need to use our judgment to make sure that we are using credible sites, and that we aren't putting too much of ourselves out there for the world to see.

A little about me

Hi to everyone who doesn't know me! My name's Cassidy, and I was born in Spartanburg, SC. I went to high school at Wren High School, which is only about half an hour away from here in a town called Piedmont. I played tennis all through high school and wish I had the opportunity to play it more now. My major is Health Science with a pre-professional concentration-I have always wanted to go to medical school, but now that I'm only a year and a half away from graduating my career path has changed quite a bit. One reason for this is that I'm going to be marrying my boyfriend of 5 years when I graduate next December, and he'll be commissioning as an officer in the Marine Corps. There's no way to know where we'll be living, so getting a degree online is MUCH better suited for us! I've become interested in health promotion and education, and Virginia Tech offers a master's online, so that's what I've decided on. From there, I'll just see how things go, but I'm looking into a PhD so I can become more involved in research. It's a little scary not knowing where we'll be, but I'm looking forward to seeing some new places and making new friends along the way. One of my biggest loves is animals, and I am part of the Clemson Animal Welfare Society. We're involved in animal rescue and try to find homes for as many strays as possible. We also educate people on the advantages of adopting from shelters rather than buying from breeders, and encourage everyone (as Bob Barker would say) to "HAVE YOUR PETS SPAYED AND NEUTERED!" If you're considering a pet, let me know and I'll find the perfect one for you!

I hope everyone has a fun, safe weekend and enjoys the game. GO TIGERS!