Message to Spring 2009 Students

Spring 2009 Students,

Angela's Business Writing class is one of the most helpful classes I have taken at Clemson. To be successful in this class make sure you pay attention and keep up with the assignments. She lets you pick your groups for the client project so make sure you pick the right people. You will spend a lot of time in your groups working on your project, so just make sure you use your time wisely. The client project requires a great deal of work but as long as you divide it up properly you will be fine. You want to make sure you keep up with your blogs and don't get behind. Angela makes it very easy to know what is expected of you through her "To Do" list which you will learn about on the first day of class. Also, don't be scared of your portfolio assignment it is very easy to compile and launch for others to see. She is very willing to help you in anyway possible and really has your best interest at heart! Enjoy the class because you will actually be able to use what you learn in this class in the real world.

Project Reflection

This is the first project I have had at Clemson that you actually get to work with a real organization. Usually it is all hypothetical, so I liked the fact that what we did as a group can actually be used. My group has very diverse majors which has been very helpful throughout the project. We all learned how to work well as a group and use our strengths and weaknesses together. The best thing about this project was being able to have the freedom to come up with our own way to help the organization along with some guidance. I think it is important for the organization to give broad areas that need help but still letting us pick how we help. This works to their advantage because we may see things that need improving that the organization might have missed. Our biggest challenge was figuring out where to start. After that it was somewhat difficult to get Anna and Dave, the webmaster, together along with us to discuss our first vision to see if it was even possible. After that we were able to get started with the project and move forward. Something that I have learned that will be beneficial for my next group project was the time sheets (minutes). They are very useful and efficient when keeping track of the work accomplished.

Miscommunication

I work sometimes at a little kids store that does hand painted personalized items for kids. This includes writing names and drawing designs on items such as backpacks or plastic containers plus many many other items. The customer fills out the form for the artwork and leaves it with us and usually picks up their item the next day. It is imperative that the information on the form be direct and specific. In the first few months the store was opened, things were going well and customers were happy. Until one day when the customer's idea of what they meant was different from our view. This caused an unhappy customer which we re-did the item for but this also taught us a lesson. We learned we needed to be more precise in the way we filled out the order forms and we also decided to add a signature at the bottom of the forms. This signature is where the customer would "sign off" on that we were both in agreement of what the end product would look like. This would mean that if the customer came to pick up the product and did not like it how it turned out we would not be held responsible. So now we can avoid the miscommunication between our customers by going over what the product will look like and having them sign saying they understand and agree. This helps with our overall customer satisfaction which is our number one priority!

Interview Reflection

Was I nervous? Yes, even though it was not a "real" interview it still makes me nervous. I'm not great on having to "sell" myself so anything like an interview is not my favorite. I did my best to act calm and focus on the questions being asked while trying to relax. I feel I did well with my answers to the questions asked. One question threw me that I just couldn't come up with an answer for right away, but that just shows me I needed to prepare a little more for it. If I could do the interview again I would prepare a little more for it so I could more thorough with my answers. I was able to see where I can improve with my interviewing, so that I can do better the next time!

Presentations

I thoroughly enjoyed the presentations this week and the opportunity to get to know my classmates better. My 3 favorite were Kate, Jan, and Jess. Kate did a great job explaining how to make lemon bars and I'm not gonna lie they were probably the best lemon bars I've ever had! That will definitely be our next dessert made when my roommates and I have a "family" dinner! Jan's was very interesting because I have always wanted to travel abroad and unfortunately will not before I graduate, but I loved learning about it. Italy is one of the places I have always wanted to visit and that caught my interest as well. I also loved Jess' presentation on dark chocolate!! It's good to know that my dark chocolate and red wine are good for me! Everyone did a great job but those were favorite!

the simple things...

After spending the weekend with my cousins who are twin girls that are almost 2 1/2 years old you wonder where time goes! It seems like yesterday I was 5 years old without a care in the world and the only thing I had to worry about was whether or not I got to play with my favorite toy. It seems that when we are little all we want to do is grow up so fast, but once it starts actually happening all you want it to do is slow down. Being older is fun but it does have its consequences. You have to be responsible, get a job, and realize every decision you make will more than likely effect the rest of your life. I just wish sometimes I could go back to the days when all I had to worry about were the simple things in life. It just seems as you get older you forget to stop and take a deep breath and remember that life is short so enjoy every aspect of it as much as possible. I definitely try to slow down and take in everything that I experience and experience as much as I can in the time I am given. So go on take advantage of life and seize the day!!

Cover Letters...

I think it is important to remember that a cover letter is not about you specifically. It is however about how you can better a company. You should relay to the person reading the cover letter that you have thoroughly researched them as a company and that you would be a great employee for them with specific examples. I would agree that your cover letter should always be specific in who you are talking to. Even if it means calling and researching to find out, it will definitely benefit you in the long run. I liked the cover letter checklist the best because I am a person who likes to have a list of what needs to be included. Even though check ists are helpful you can not use it as a cop-out. Make sure your cover letter is the best possible and easy to understand. You want to stand out when employers are looking at hundreds of different cover letters a week. It is clear that a cover letter is part of your first step in the door and therefore it is important to have a spectacular cover letter along with your resume.

Interviewing

The first article I read "Mastering the Interview" by Sean Bosker was very interesting. This article really stresses how important it is to really research the company you are interviewing with so that you can know the most about them. The people who interview you are looking for how much you are willing to learn about them. It is important to remember you are also interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you. It is only in your best interest to find any articles in newspapers or magazines and express to the company why you are the best fit for that position. Dressing for success is also another key factor. When going in to an interview your actions and appearance speak louder than your words. Knowing all the information on your resume and cover letter is vital. If you are ever asked a difficult question he gives you tips on not answering right away. Bosker says to think about what the interviewer said even if it meant repeating the question back to them to make sure you understood it.

The next article I read was "How to answer the toughest interview question's" by Caroline Levchuck. When trying to answer the big picture question make sure to state your goals but to not be too specific. For the salary question you should give a range but make sure you have done your research to give the most realistic response. This is one of the questions that is most important to prepare before hand. The why question is one of the more difficult ones to answer but you have to make sure it is honest and confident and not boastful. Levchuck encourages those who are being interviewed to practice several times. When you get the silly question in an interview don't be afraid to answer it just don't panic before you do.

Both of these articles were very helpful in preparing for an interview. I think the most important tip of both articles is making sure that I have researched the company well before I go in for the interview.

My Life in 10 Years...

Ten years for me seems like an eternity away. I mean after all I'm just trying to get to graduation in May right now! So this has caused me to really think hard about where I want my life to be in ten years. I know a few things for certain so I guess I will start with them. I am hopefully moving to Charleston, SC after I graduate in May and there I will be entering a world of unknowns as far as jobs go. When considering jobs, I have the audacity to want a job I love. Even though I wouldn't mind working for somebody else, I also have ambitions to own my own business. Right now I don't have anything in particular in mind, possibly a franchise of some sort or maybe something of my own. But my dream job still needs to be able to support me financially throughout my life.

I hope to have a husband and a family of my own in the next ten years. Family is one of the most important things in life, and I want to be with my kids as they are growing so having a job that will allow me to do that would be great! I want to live in Charleston with my best friend and raise our families together. I want to make sure that I show the most important people in my life how much I appreciate them as well. I will try my best to repay my Mom for everything she has done for me. She is one of my favorite people in the whole world and to be able to do half the things she has done would be a tremendous accomplishment for me. Throughout the next ten years I hope I can look back on my life and be proud of the life I have lived. I have met some amazing people in the last few years and I plan on keeping in touch with all of them as they have helped mold my life for the better.

I have gone on Mission trips in the past and have helped rebuild homes for those less fortunate and I plan on continuing that in the next ten years. Helping rebuild homes and changing others lives for the better is something I love to do. So in a nut shell that is my best description of what I hope/think the next ten years of my life will look like and I can't wait to find out!!

Web 2.0

This video was very interesting. It is something that we all do on a daily basis without even giving thought to. Just as much as "the machine is us" we are also "using the machine". The internet is constantly changing, and so is the way we are using it. For someone who is getting ready to enter the workforce they better be prepared to understand the intricate works of the internet. It is nice to be able to change anything you want on a webpage in the blink of an eye, but it is also a learned behavior. If you did not start off learning the ways of the internet the concept of changing things in the blink of an eye could be very frustrating. For those who are already in the workforce have to go through different training classes to help them understand where the internet is taking them. They also have to be willing to work hard and keep up because if someone else comes along who can do their job who also understands how to work the internet they could be out of a job. We do have to rethink everything. Before the internet we wrote more on paper where like the video showed you would have to erase it for it to go away. Erasing something on paper is very noticeable as opposed to the computer where you could erase something and change it completely and no one would have any idea. Because things are advancing so quickly on the internet it requires us to rethink on a daily basis. Now that tracking down people has become so easy, we rethink putting both our first and last name anywhere with any kind of information. Identity theft has probably been one of the most frustrating things that comes with advancing in technology. I think the video just reminds us how things have changed so quickly and how we have to keep up if we are going to be able to compete in the workforce.

About Me!

Hi! My name is Monica and I am a senior at Clemson! I am a Business Management major and I am graduating in May!! Charleston is hands down one of my favorite places. I lived there all summer, and I plan on moving there when I graduate. Edisto is the perfect way of life. (Picture to the left) I love boats, the ocean, the beach, and pirates. I love the fall because of Clemson Football games. (Picture below) I'm pretty laid back and love to have a good time and meet new people. I have the best friends and I love them to death. This summer Dave became my new favorite and he played and awesome show in Charleston on July 4th. (Picture to the right) I absolutely love my life! Go Tigers!