Thursday, April 16, 2009

Finishing the Proposal

Over the past few weeks our group has been working really well together to get our presentation ready for next Monday! We are excited to have the opportunity to present our thoughts and ideas on the healthy campus initiative to Jennifer Goree.

Last week, our group began filming in the shoeboxes and everything has been very successful from the beginning. Nate and Blake did a great job acting out their scenes from Billy Breathes, and Erin really shined in her role. Additionally, the scenes at Fike were shot earlier this week including the front desk scene and the yoga class. Stephanie was an excellent front desk attendant and the video is coming together. Also, Nate has continually done an excellent job leading the group, thus giving us the ability to complete the film in a reasonable amount of time.

Yesterday, we finished the video portion of Billy Breathes and completed all the editing and formatting for the pilot episode in the Tillman Media Center. Again, Nate contributed extensively by figuring out how to use the Mac Home Movie editor (no one knew where to start haha). He added text, music and transitions to our video and it really looks great. By setting up different meetings we were able to accomplish our task and everyone has been trying to contribute in one way or another.

On Friday, we will have class time to discuss things even further, but as of right now we are ahead of schedule. I plan on creating a few slides for Friday so that we can incorporate them into our presentation. After discussion, we figured it will be necessary to have a PowerPoint to introduce the proposal, provide an overview, and then serve as a medium for viewing the video to our fellow classmates. All and all, we will easily meet the deadline and our proposal project has been very successful. I am part of a great team!!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Ethical Principles

With our future entrance in the business world near, we must come to realize the ethical dilemmas each of us may face. The most important thing to remember is to choose the moral high ground and do not let anyone change your values.

When I think of ethical dilemmas in the business world, the first companies that come to mind are Enron and WorldCom. They are two great examples of ethics gone bad and what not to do in the professional world. Changing the companies books in their favor is inexcusable and resulted in bankruptcies for both of them. Additionally, Corporate officers were sent to prison because of their ill-willed choices and it all came down to their greediness. After hearing many cases and the results of different choices I have easily determined my ethical principles.

The root of my ethical principles is honesty. Always telling the truth is something that should be well respected and is the basis for making appropriate choices. In addition, I will always communicate with team members to decide on the right actions. It is important to never assume you know all the rules and get second opinions on anything that is controversial. Lastly, I believe the easiest way to avoid an unethical decision is to ask yourself: who are the effected parties? Who will benefit and is this benefit legal? By taking a step back and asking questions it will be easier to decide on the appropriate course of action. All and all, our class discussions and other explains have led me to these ethical principles.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Workplace Miscommunication: The EpiPen

Whether its a job, sports team, organization or group there always needs to be open lines of communication. The importance of the easy and use of communication is paramount in conveying every one's ideas, setting up meetings and accomplishing the tasks at hand. Without communicating people may be unaware of deadlines or even jeopardize the safety of others. This became the case in one of my experiences in the past.

Although I have held many jobs, the biggest miscommunication in my workplace experience was when I was a camp counselor for TTS sports, a local day camp for kids. The one thing that is stressed when looking after children is always their safety. Above all it is vital to be on the look out for harmful things that may happen.

Numerous children have allergic problems these days and require the use of an EpiPen if an allergic reaction should arise. The situation began at camp one day when there was a miscommunication on who would take control of a child's EpiPen. Children who have such severe allergy problems must always have an EpiPen near by in order to ensure their safety. Furthermore at camp, it was the responsibility of the counselor overseeing the child for the day to have the medication at all times. As a matter of fact this did not happen one day at camp and the medication was left inside the field house for the entire day!! The miscommunication was a result of one counselor thinking the other had it and vice-versa. Obviously, this was a simple mistake; however it put the child's safety at risk.

Thankfully, the ramifications of the situation did not affect the child, but provided a valuable lesson for all of the TTS Sports staff. Our director really advised us that situations such as this one are very important to avoid and we must do everything in our power to ensure the safety of the kids. I think this situation could have been avoided by simply double checking with one another. For example, who is responsible for Jacob's EpiPen today? Which group of counselors is he participating with today? Also, we could have prepared a checklist of the items we need before leaving the field house including first aid kit, cell phones and of course specific medications for the campers. All and all, the miscommunication did not have detrimental consequences, but the result was a valuable lesson was learned.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Online Portfolios

As technology continues to increase, even college students will have to learn more about using the world wide web and online resources effectively. I am not completely computer literate, but I seem to be able to figure things out by trying and using them continuously.

My past experience with online portfolio work is somewhat limited; however I am now in the process of creating my own web-page to display my course work and my experience as a Clemson undergraduate student. I am using my Google account to create the portfolio page and it is very self explanatory so far. Therefore, the experience is definitely coming along, I just have been really particular when creating the pages. It is rather difficult sometimes to add the certain details to a page that make it look professional. Despite these challenges, it is a matter of time and effort and the experience has been good for me.

Since the main objective of Business Writing 304 is to create our own portfolio, I will certainly need to know details before combining and displaying my portfolio due on March 23rd. The main questions I have are as follows: Will the portfolio need to be displayed electronically or is a hard copy appropriate? What sites or programs will be most effective for this type of project? Mainly, I just need to know what students have done in the past and what is the best way of displaying our course work for the draft. I do know what needs to be included and I look forward to combining all of the work I have done to date. The best part of the portfolio is we will be able to use this in the future and creating it only helps us in the end.

Routine Maintenance Review

Despite the snow day on Monday, We were finally able to finish the presentations earlier this week. I really enjoyed all of them, but the one I liked most was the "Benefits of Doing Routine Maintenance." Simply, the presentation hit close to home.

I thought this was a great presentation because it took into account the audience, and the topic is something college students rarely think about, myself included. As a guy, I really should know more about cars and this presentation hopefully will begin my future learning. With gas prices the way they are students are always looking to save money, and routine maintenance is a simple option to accomplish savings. I haven't had my oil changed in forever, and the presentation has really motivated me to go out and get it changed asap. Also, I learned four main benefits to doing routine maintenance. By not ignoring your vehicle it will have a longer life, you'll have a better knowledge of your car (which I need), it is less expensive doing the maintenance yourself and of course it will increase fuel economy!

All and all, I was able to take a lot away from the presentation and plan to continue to learn more about my vehicle and take care of it the way it should be taken care of.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Class Presentations

What is the number one thing Americans fear? Of course it must be snakes, spiders or heights right? As a matter of fact it is none of the above; the answer happens to be public speaking. Some people say they would rather die than have to give a presentation and public speak! With that said, I think everyone has really shown confidence the last few days of class and I have really enjoyed all of my classmates five minute presentations.

To narrow down to my top three, I will have to select Harry's on "The Myths of Asians," Scott's, covering the new invention of "The Jetlev-Flyer," and Mike's which explained "The Inter-Ac Basketball League." What made each of these topics so enjoyable, was a direct result of my interests and hobbies.

First off, Harry's presentation was absolutely hilarious, he touched on the jokes associated with his ethnicity, which really gave him credibility or ethos. He had some really awesome clips from comedians, which made what can sometimes be a serious topic funny. I think he was effective because he kept the class engaged and entertained. He really put his background aside and embraced the topic to get people's attention by using pathos. Lastly, Harry connected with his audience and picked a topic he knew most people would get a kick out of. All and all, "the Myths of Asians" is my favorite presentation most recently.

In a different way, I really enjoyed Scott's presentation because I learned about something new. I had no idea such a cool water technology had just came out and the whole concept was intriguing. I really enjoy spending time on the lake and the discovery of this new jet pack makes me want to try it out someday. The presentation was enjoyable because of the clips showing the pack in action and all of the features associated with the jet pack. Lastly, Scott was an effective speaker because of the topic and the interest I had in lake activities.

The third topic I really enjoyed was "The Inter-AC Basketball League." Again, it came down to my interests, I love every sport and it was cool to hear his direct experience with future and current NBA stars. I think he was effective because of my knowledge of the sport and my personal interest. Moreover, he had plenty of ethos, which made me pay attention and get his perspective of his own personal experiences playing against the athletes. It was great to learn where many great basketball players have come from and it will be interesting to see if more develop into NBA stars from Mike's area.

I am looking forward to more presentations on friday!

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Covering the Cover Letter

No matter who you are there is always more to learn, and everyone who applies for jobs can always do something better. After perusing Collegegrad.com, and reading the advice on cover letters, I now have learned a few awesome tips to help with designing and improving my personal cover letter. Therefore, in this blog post I plan to cover the cover letter and the advice I have picked up in my little research.

Cover letters play a critical role for employment and they must be tailored to the specific company you are applying to. I agree with almost all of the advice offered by the articles on Collegegrad.com, especially the format. The three paragraph introduction, skills/benefits and close is a very effective and simple way to reach a prospective employer. Also, I really liked the two techniques offered, the postscript and testimonial techniques. This advice is a great way to establish your credibility and motivation to join the company. Moreover, I think the sample cover letter is the most useful part of the tutorial. I believe it is going to give me a general idea for which I can personalize my letter. Sometimes by seeing an example it really helps put the pieces to the puzzle together and spur greater thinking. Reading all of the articles have given me some great ideas to brainstorm on and how to go about constructing the cover letter.

Any surprises? As a matter of fact, I had no idea it was appropriate to write a post script, I thought that would be somewhat unprofessional. After reading the article, I have to agree that this will emphasize a person's value to the company and is a great way to get the reader's attention immediately. Additionally, I was unaware that most human resource managers always look at the resume first and push the cover letter aside until they are interested. I guess this does make sense, since they really need to see if someone is qualified before they go any further. All and all, I plan to use the post script technique and the testimonial technique because I believe these will definitely emphasize my skills and benefit to companies. I know there are so many other articles that will help me develop the best cover letter, and I plan on learning more before my job applications next year.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Client Visit

This week our client, Jennifer Goree was able to stop by and explain to us our project for the semester. The project is to become involved in the Healthy Campus Initiative program already running on campus. So far there has been the ice skating rink first semester and the Tiger Fitness Challenge currently going on at Fike. Our objective as business writing groups is to come up with new ideas on how to reach the students at Clemson and spread the word. After listening to Ms. Goree, we all realized the project can really go anywhwere it is very broad and is exactly like a creative inquiry. Ultimately, we really must strive to broaden the perspective of health on campus and are already on our way to developing some good ideas.

Brainstorming

As we discussed things further with Ms. Goree, she mentioned three project ideas that need to be expanded on. She really would like to begin healthy campus longterm planning, new marketing techniques and making students more aware of the student organic farm. Our group has come up with a couple of ideas mainly focusing on marketing and spreading the word around campus. So far we have discussed a facebook group that will encompass the six elements of health: physical, environmental, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and social. Basically, we want to lay a framework for students to access information in a place they go most often. Another idea mentioned, was to create a video series that could be entertaining to students and involve Clemson students. It is something that is really appealing to me, yet we are not sure what direction we are going in exaclty. Currently, we are going to do some research and see what other campuses are doing to incorporate the six dimensions of health.

Concerns

As far as concerns go, I do not have any major concerns since we are still in the development stages. If we are going to create a facebook group, I think the biggest issue will be setting it all up, which may bold difficulty because of the internet and technology. Personally, I am not extremely good with computers and execution will be key to this project. Also, if we are to create a video series the same goes. The technology side of things may be the hardest part, yet I am not concened because our group will definitly put the effort in to make the project work. I think our group is working really well together, and we may be able to involve all of the ideas we have come up with in some fashion.

Questions

The Healthy Campus Initiative Project is so broad that I really do not have any immediate questions. I am just wondering if we will be given the technology necessary to complete the project? I know there is very little or no budget for project, and I just hope we are able to access everything we need. Lastly, I would love to know what Jennifer Goree thinks about our group's ideas as of now; are we headed in the right direction? Is this what she had in mind?

All and all, I look forward to more brainstorming and I know our project will help spread the word around campus.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Job Interviewers Everywhere

No matter who you are, there is always a little stress and jitters in the nerves when it comes to job interviews. It is the basic fear of the unexpected, what questions are they going to ask? Am I going to screw up in my responses? The main thing to remember is be confident and no matter what you will have a great interview.

Interview Mistakes

The article assigned this week in class touched on almost all of the mistakes people commonly make in job interviews. Mainly, these mistakes arise because candidates just forget to do the simple things. One of the simplest and biggest mistakes mentioned is not asking for a follow up, or forgetting to follow up with email or a thank you note. By avoiding this mistake, it shows the interviewer that you are really excited about the opportunity. The second biggest mistake that can easily be avoided, is to simply be prepared, practice does in fact make perfect. One mistake the article failed to mention, is interviewees not arriving ON TIME, I believe this can make or break the interview right off the bat. All and all, each mistake is easily avoidable, and I completely agree with all ten that were mentioned in the article.

Personal Job Interviews

Over the last few years, I have been on many job interviews for part time and internship positions. All interviews are different and thus adequate preparation is needed to be successful in any interview. To begin, I have had many part time job interviews that are less formal, yet you must be ready to go. The questions seemed to be more direct and a more getting to know you process. Some were describe yourself? What are strengths, interests? In addition, the company normal describes the position, hours and other details of the job. Almost all of these interviews turned out successful for me and it was all a matter of being prepared, having a smile and answering honestly.
My most recent interview was with Hilton Head Health Institute, for a program internship. This was the most intense interview to date for me personally, and I am super excited that I will be heading down there in the fall. The process was very long and that is what made it a little nerve racking. I really like to get things going and plan out my future, yet with this interview process being so competitive that was not immediately possible. The first interview I was in front of two people and it lasted about an hour, which was definitly a good thing. I was able to learn more about the company and the position, yet there were some serious questions. I answered all of them really well and was able to relate them to my experiences and skills. After the first interview, it was determined that I would be better suited for the program internship. Therefore, I first spoke with the Fitness Specialist Ms. Walker over the phone and then was asked to do a third interview via webcam. The questions were not difficult, I just made sure to be myself and show my passion for health. In conclusion, the process was very grueling, but I really learned how to answer questions and tailor them to my KSAs.

7 TIPS for Success
  • Be yourself (don't try to be someone your not, let the interviewer get to know you)
  • Show up on time (simple, but very important)
  • Smile (as the saying goes, a smile goes a long way)
  • Dress for success (dress for the part you want to play)
  • Relax (its just an interview!)
  • Try to get the interviewer talking about themself (relationship building)
  • Be prepared (do research on the company, find out important facts - it will help you later)
  • Ask questions (employers want you to enjoy your job)
Photo: © iStockPhoto.com, askmen.com

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Never Been a Better Time

NEVER Been a Better Time to be a BOSTON SPORTS Fan

Growing up every little kid dreams to one day be a sports superstar. Most kids idolize players like Lebron James, Alex Rodriguez, Tom Brady and Tiger Woods - How can you not? Premiere athletes are rare, amazing and surrounded by fame and fortune. All things being equal, athletes are a small percentage of the population and the majority of us end up being fans of what we will never be. Boston is a city captivated with sports teams, wether your walking down Yawkey way to a sox game or entering the TD Banknorth Garden there is always excitement in Boston. Today is the best time to be a Boston sports fan.



BOSTON
RED SOX


The Sox have been around since before most of us were born, and are easily the most intriguing sports team in all of New England. Fenway park has been home to the sox for almost 100 years now and so many memorable games have been decided there. What makes this place so unique is not only the green monster and the Citgo sign, but the atmosphere. Everytime I go to a game it seems like there is just something special about the place and the history that surrounds it is completely unique.


As far as history goes, there use to be "the curse of the Bambino," when a questionable move by red sox management traded away Babe Ruth for practically nothing. It was said that the red sox would never win a world series and for a while the curse stood strong. Yet in 2004, the red sox won their first title in nearly 85 years, and again took the world series crown in 2007. Thus the bandwagon fans are joining and it has never been a better time to be a Boston sports fan.

BOSTON CELTICS

The Celtics are simply put legendary, they have won 17 NBA championships, the most in NBA history and between 1959 and 1966 they won 8 straight championships! They are the only team in professional sports to ever accomplish such a feat. Some notable players to be involved in such a dynasty include Larry Bird, Robert Parrish, and Bill Russell. They are ever ingrained in the history books and have created the franchise.

So are the Celtics back? After the new look Celtics won the Championship last year it looks like they are returning to glory. New acquisitions such as Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have helped fuel long time Celtic Paul Pierce and youngster Rajon Rondo. The team is at the top of Eastern conference again and with one title under their belts it has never been a better time to be a Boston Sports fan.


BO
STON
BRUINS

The Bruins are one of the 6 original hockey teams when the National Hockey League began and have had plenty of success. They have won 5 Stanley cups and 21 division titles. Most notably about the franchise is the Big Bad Bruin era, when players such as Bobby Orr, Ken Hodge, and Terry O'Reilly controlled the ice. This was a time when hockey began to become big and these guys made the game exciting.

Now, there is rejuvenation back in Boston! Over the past two decades the bruins have been rather disappointing, yet this year they are a top of the eastern conference. A new youthful team with players such as Patrice Bergeron, Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic and Blake Wheeler have sparked the franchise. They are currently 35 - 8 and beginning to get back to the old days, but in different style of speed and scoring. Again, it has never been a better time to be a Boston Sports fan.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

How can we forgot about the Patriots? The most successful football team to date, yet lacking the history of most Boston teams. They are home in Foxboro, MA about 22 miles south of Boston and are original member's of the AFL. Despite losing their first two Superbowls to the Bears and the Packers the Patriots franchise has been on the verge of being called a Dynasty. Between 2001 and 2005 they won 3 out of 4 superbowls!

So are the Patriots doing anything now? Of course under coach Bill Belichick they have continued success year after year. They were almost the second team to ever go an entire season undefeated, yet they lost in the Superbowl to the NY Giants last season. Unfortunatly, they were not able to pull thru but 4 superbowl appearences in 7 years is nothing to complain about. Therefore I must say once more:
it has never been a better time to be a Boston sports fan...

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Future - 10 Years Down the Road

As college upperclassmen were faced with this question every day, where will I be after I graduate? What would I like to do the rest of my life? At times it can be quite scary, yet at the same time possibilities remain endless. I look forward to the future and I really hope that all of my goals are achieved.

Professionally

Professionally, down the road I would like to be involved in the health and fitness industry and have a job where I have an impact on peoples lives. As the next 10 years go by I would like to have a secure job in health services, promotion, management or health administration. I plan on working for a facility and going back to graduate school to get my MBA with a health management emphasis. As for my personal life, in 10 years I hope to keep in touch with the one's closest to me; friends, family and others. Accordingly, I would like to be married and in the early stages of starting my own family. Therefore, my professional achievements and my personal life will change dramatically throughout the decade.

Destination

Finding a job and starting a family is one thing, but where am I going to be at when all of this is happening? In all honesty, It is not a major factor and all depends on what happens professionally and in my personal life. Being from the north, I would really like to try and make my way back up the east coast, hopefully somewhere closer to family in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. All and all, I will pretty much go with the flow and just want a nice home along the east coast.

Lifestyle

When it comes to lifestyle, I really do not want to change a whole lot. I would really like to continue achieving my fitness goals and be able to run in the Boston Marathon. I hope I maintain a healthy way of life and my nutrition, sleeping habits and total wellness remain constant. Additionally, I really hope I am not crazy busy and have time to share with my family and friends. In conclusion, change is inevitable, and I am excited to see where my road takes me in the coming years.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Machine is Us/ing Us - VIDEO CLIP

After viewing the video clip "The Machine is Us/ing Us" I think the title is trying to explain to us that things, specifically technology are changing because we are using it. The more we use something the more people are going to think of improvements to what we people are currently doing. The title is sort of pointing out that people have an increasing reliance on their computers because of the always changing features. Basically by using the computer the computer is actually in a way using us.
Web 2.0 affects different people in different ways and has an especially strong effect on new arrivals to the workforce. Many people in the workforce are not used to the web and may be hesitant to change, but as we use the machine day after day this will change the way new employees do things vs existing employees. The web opens up new options, features, solutions and not to exclude problems to the workforce. In addition, people already in the workforce may go about things in a different manner and conflicting styles will cause problems. Sort of new age versus old age coming together. The old age will have to adapt to the changing environment and the new age will have to solve problems with a reliance on the web and pave a different path.
Lastly to sum up this weeks blog, I want to touch on what does the video mean when it says "we will have to rethink everything?" I think this means exactly what I mentioned before as in finding a new route or new way of accomplishing tasks. With technology growing a rapidly increasing rate the new work force will have to figure things out in direct comparison to the web and its functions. With the introduction of the new Web 2.0 we will not be able to go back to the old ways people are going to have to adjust and find different means of acheiving goals and conducting business. All and all, the video is very abstract and has a lot to do with humans relying on the machine for all aspects of life.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Introduction to Classmates


Hey Everyone, the new spring semester is finally underway. I would like to begin by introducing myself and give a brief background of my life and how I ended up at Clemson.
I was born in Newbury, Massachusetts a small town about 40 minutes north of Boston and 30 minutes from the border of New Hampshire. I grew up loving sports from the very beginning and learned to ice skate early on. I attended Triton Regional High School where I played golf, hockey and baseball, but also remained focused on my academics.
I really enjoyed every minute of High School, but just wanted to switch things up a little and go out of my element by attending a college far away from home. I figure you have four years to go anywhere and experience anything, I may as well mix it up and check out what the south had to offer. Not to mention the climate, amazing sports and campus of Clemson.
My main interests now are health and fitness and of course sports. My passion is staying healthy, exercising regularly and focusing on school. Last summer, I received my certification in personal training and would like to eventually end up in the health/fitness service industry. I am majoring in Marketing with an emphasis in health and hospital services and a minor in health science. In addition to fitness, I love the beach, hiking, snowboarding, golfing - basically anything outdoors and I am set. Lastly, the Boston Red Sox are my team and baseball is my favorite sport to watch.
All and all, that's just a quick background of myself and how I ended up down here. I look forward to the semester and learning more about everyone.