Homework #4 (Chapter 4)

"Your major is not your end goal; it's a series of classes that will help you accomplish your goal." (83)

I think I agree with this quote because I think it is really true. I don't think a person's major is the end goal, but it is actually the beginning of a path in college and a career. I also agree with the idea of a major being a series of classes that will help you accomplish your goal. Through your major and the chain of classes that you are supposed to take you, can be able to accomplish your goal of eventually graduating college and starting a career in something that you might like or enjoy. In the end, I think this quote is very inspirational and it also lets students know that a major isn't just the end of the road, there is a lot more to see.

"No apologies, no regrets, no "if only's," and no "I should haves" when it comes to your education." (84)

I really like this quote because it has a strong and determined tone to it. I agree with this quote because education and thinking shouldn't be downplayed or taken lightly. It should be held in importance. I also believe if their were any mistakes or bad decisions made regarding one's education, I don't think sitting around regretting and thinking in the "shoulda, woulda, coulda" context is of any help. I believe thinking like that is a waste of time and that if s one is a position or circumstance similar to this they should try to get themselves out of it by taking smart actions. I don't think feeling sorry for yourself and regretting things is going to help you but I think it will only throw you in a depression. If there is something that you don't like about your major or education, don't feel sorry for yourself or regret it but try to get it together by working on finding a positive solution.You should work towards something that feels right to you.

"Getting the most of your academic experience isn't just about attending classes, writing papers, and taking exams. It's about delving into fields of study that will expand your mind and help you develop new connections. Your classroom experience can be the start of a new world and open up career opportunities you didn't even know existed." (86)

I really liked this quote, I felt impressed with it. I think I agree with this quote because now-a-days many college students just "want to get it over with." They don't really consider how these classes may help them in the future, but I think through this quote, college students could be inspired to go deeper into the education they are paying for, if not with money, with their time and energy. I think if we are putting effort into these classes, we should be able to pull something out of it to use in the future. I think this quote really caught my eye because it felt like it was pushing readers to look for more in their education rather then just grades, homework, and exams. I think that this quote was trying to ask "what are you getting out of these classes besides grades? do they make you think deeper about things?" But I also feel that many people don't have time to sit down and think, we live in a fast paced world, where we all have many things to do and take care of. So I guess, in the end, it's left to the individual, if they really want to open up their mind or not, if they actually have the time for that sort of thing.

Professional Associations

When I was researching about professional associations, I found many associations that were relevant to my major which Business Administration. I thought many of them were interesting and impressive. The first professional association that I found to be interesting and relevant to my major was the I.A.A (International Advertising Association.) I think I found this association to be interesting because last semester I took a marketing class, after taking it I was interested in how advertising works. Through the website, I was able to learn that the I.A.A. are basically a international network of professional marketers and advertisers that set and maintain the standards in their industry. Some of the things the I.A.A do are: promote freedom of commercial speech, fight unwarranted regulation, create industry forums or assemblies that tackle issues with a single global voice and encourage and promote self-regulation. I think in today's era, where (thanks to technology), we are able to promote in more places then before, such as on the Internet, on text messages, and spam emails; it's important to have people from that profession standing together and willing to represent the common interests of all advertisers, advertising agencies, and the media. I also think this benefits the public as well. Marketing communications is a way for customers to understand about what kind of products are out there, so the I.A.A. work hard in order to protect the freedom of commercial speech and consumer choice to ensure that goods and services are if not always, most of the time, legally produced and sold. I think it was useful to me because I find marketing to be interesting, in the future, if i decide to take a marketing class, the website and professional association can be useful.

The second professional association I found to be interesting and interrelated to my major is the A.F.A (American Finance Association.) I found this association to be really interesting because I always thought I would major in finance. Some of the things I was able to learn through the website was that the A.F.A is an academic organization devoted to the study and promotion of knowledge about financial economics. I also learned that the A.F.A's purpose was to improve public understanding of financial problems, to provide for the exchange of financial ideas through the distribution of a periodical and other media, and to encourage the study of finance in colleges and universities. I think that some of these purposes are very important, for example, to encourage the study of finance in colleges and universities is important in order for newer generations to become a part of professionals that are related to finance. I guess that this website and association would be useful to me because it could probably inspire or encourage me take up finance as a major in a 4 year college.

Professional Association website links:
http://www.afajof.org/default.asp
http://www.iaaglobal.org/#home

Informational Interview

http://careerplanning.about.com/cs/occupations/a/info_interviews.htm

I thought this website was really interesting and helpful because it explained what informational interviews were, who and what kind of people you should interview, what you need to know before you start the informational interview, and what kinds of questions to ask. I think that this website was really helpful because I have done an interview on careers before but I have not done a informational interview. So i think it was important for people who are first timers (like me) to understand what a informational interview is and what is the purpose of it. Through this website I was able to learn that the purpose of a informational interview is to get information about a field of work from someone who has some firsthand knowledge. This website also explained since a informational interview is about obtaining information on a particular career, the interviewee should me someone with lots of knowledge and experience on the career. Lastly, I liked the fact that they provided a list of questions you can ask to the interviewee, I found that very helpful. Questions such as "what is a typical day at work like?" or "how many hours do you work in a week?" are great to ask.

http://www.quintcareers.com/information_interview.html

This website is really helpful because is has a lists of questions that you can ask to an interviewee during an informational interview. Since our syllabus states that we have to also do a informational interview, I thought that this website might come of use. When I thought of the informational interview, I knew who I wanted to interview but I was confused in what kind of questions to ask. So this website is really help because it gives a lists of questions to choose from while clearing out confusion of what to ask.

http://career.ucla.edu/students/ExploreCareers/WhatIsAnInformationalInterview.aspx

I think this website was really helpful and intersting. I think this website will really those poeple who are going to do the informational interview assignment. This website explains what a informational interview is, the history behind informational interviews, the benefits behind this type of interview, and how to prepare for informational interviews. It also has many more helpful things that you can learn from. This website also gives a list of questions you can choose from to ask your interviewee. http://career.ucla.edu/Students/ExploreCareers/WhatIsAnInformationalInterview/QuestionsToAsk.aspx

Some of the questions that I liked and would probably ask are:

-What are the major responsibilities of these positions?

-What skills and education are needed to enter this field?

-What kinds of internships do you think are good training ground?

-What do you do as a ...?

-How do you spend a typical day/week?

-Do you spend most of your time at your desk? Moving around the company?

These were some of the reasons why I liked this website.

Homework #3 (Chapter 3)

"We need short and quick Web sites and books that spell out everything so we don't have to waste our time thinking." (50)

When I read this, I felt it really stood out to me because I felt like I could agree with this comment and how it takes place in the Internet, but I feel I can not totally agree with the values behind this. This quote belongs to a passage in the book that talks about downplaying intelligence and thinking. It talks about how we feel more "comfortable putting down our thinking power than promoting it." It talks about how this value is now also showing itself on the Internet. This new prevailing philosophy, regarding website, states that the worst thing you can possibly do is create a website that requires a person to think. Chapter 3 talks about why thinking is important and necessary. I think I found this quote to be interesting because I felt like I could draw strong opinions against this quote. I believe it's important to think and to promote it, rather then downplaying it's importance. I think that it's important to display one's good thinking skills because that is what employers look for now. These are my thoughts and feelings for this quote.

"...your knowledge and thinking skills are your power. Employers are begging for intelligent workers who possess and use the right mindsets: specific ways of thinking." (50)

I really like this quote, it really stood out and caught my attention because I felt like I could really agree with this quote. I think that one's knowledge and good thinking skills are a power in itself, through your knowledge you can be able to solve problems quicker and come up with solutions much faster. Through good thinking skills you can be able to find success in college, in job searches, and your career by making good decisions and choices. I think it is also true that employers are looking for workers who possess the right mindsets such as by being creative, analytic, strategic, positive, flexible, adaptive, and being a problem solver.

"When our attitude changes, our behaviors change, and this in turn influences our performance. So how you choose to think about your classes, experiences, the job search, and your job directly affects your success before and after graduation." (51)

I really agree with this quote because I feel like I can connect to it on a personal level, I think that this quote stands true because I can find examples of this quote in my life that agree and connect to it. For example, if your attitude of college or school changes from positive to negative, your behavior changes from positive to negative as well. If you went to class every day before, you probably cut class most of the time now which in turn influences your performance and the grade that you are supposed to get in that class. I think that the way you think whether if it is positive or negative, can effect the way you behave and perform in every situation from how you think, feel, and perceive classes to jobs. Chapter 3 discussed many right mind thinking mindsets that employers are seeking. I think these mindsets are very helpful in thinking positively which can lead to many positive experiences. Thinking "good" and positively can change how you might interpret and perceive a situation for the better, right mind thinking can create a road of success in whatever goals you might want to accomplish and achieve. Mentally approaching a less appealing situation with a realistic point of view and a intention to improve it can inspire a successful future.

Job Interview

http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interview-questions/100-potential-interview-questions/article.aspx

For job interviews, i think this website was related or connected to it. This website includes 100 different potential questions that an interviewer may ask. These questions are divided into different categorizes such as basics, career development, and salary. I think that these questions are really realistic and honest and should be answered in the same way. I believe that when a person goes to an interview, their mind is always running with different thoughts of what kind of questions the interviewer might ask. This can lead to nervousness and anxiety, but when the interviewee has a general idea or understanding of what might be asked of them, they can relax and try their best to answer the questions as honestly as possible.

http://www.quintcareers.com/job_interview_preparation.html

This website is a guide for preparation for job interviews. This guide explains that preparation for a job interview requires that the interviewee do a self- reflection of their skills, interests, values, and accomplishments, updating of the resume, and research on the targeted company/organization and the position that is available. It explains that you must do a self assessment of your self and update or add any information that you found through the self assessment. It also advices to research on the company or firm that will be interviewing you, so you can understand the company or firm's vision and mission and accommodate it to your own personal goals. Lastly, this guide advices to rehearse general interview questions and get a feel of what you want to say by being honest and realistic. I think i can appreciate it this website because it is informative in how to prepare for a interview.

http://career-advice.monster.com/job-interview/interview-preparation/what-if-your-interview-is-tomorrow/article.aspx

I think this last site was really different because it gave advice on different areas that i didn't really see in other websites. For example, some of the tips it gave was about dress codes and traffic. This was interesting because usually all the websites say the same thing about resumes or researching, none of them have ever talked about outer appearance or tardiness. I thought the tips were really helpful and realistic. I think that anyone could benefit from these tips and they should be taken into consideration. I really liked what this guide had to say about last minute interview preparations, i thought the tips were really considerate.

Resumes

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/565/1/

I found this site to be very informative on what a resume is and how to build a resume. Through this site, I was able to learn that resumes have different sections with specific needs. Some sections that are included in a resume are contact information, education, and work experience. I think that each section is equally important because without the contact information section, the employer would not be able to get in touch with the potential employee. If a employer or the human resources department of an organization wanted to hire you but did not have any way of contacting you or had outdated information, it can leave you in a disadvantage. I think the education section is very simple because you just have to discuss the highest degree of education you received. Lastly, the work experience section is where you discuss your present or previous employment(s). I think my reaction towards this site was appreciation for it's detailed explanations and specific tips that were really helpful. I have written resumes in the past but reading some of the tips surprised because I think I learned new things from them that I did not know before.

 http://www.resumewriting.net/outline.htm

I think this site is interesting because it provides a detailed outline of what a resume is supposed to look like. This site shows that a resume should have seven sections and within these sections there are factors that need to be addressed. For example, in contact information, factors such as name, mailing address, daytime phone, night time phone, cell phone, fax, and email have to be specifically addressed. I liked this website because it wasn't too wordy, it just got to the point. My reaction to the website and the sample resume was that I was familiar with most of the sections in the resume except for the activities section. I've written a few resumes before but never one with an activities section. So i found that to be new and interesting. I think it also made me think that maybe sometime in the future, it would be a good idea to include one.

http://www.professional-resume-example.com/resume-outline.htmlhttp://www.professional-resume-example.com/resume-outline.html

I think this last link was very important in helping to build the structure of a resume because it described each section within a resume and then once you had finished reading you were able to chose from a variety of sample resumes depending where you are in life. They had different resumes for different type of people. For example, they had resumes from freshly graduated high school students, students who are still in college, recently graduated college students, and if you were in the military. I thought that this website was really impressive because not every website involving resumes have mock resumes depending on the different stages of life. I thought it was really interesting to see the difference of experience between that of a high school-er to that of a college student. I think it made me reflect on changes in myself since high school.

Homework #2 (Chapter 2)

 "He said that the more you know about different disciplines and are able to to see the connections between those disciplines, the more you are able to create innovative solutions to problems." (21)

I think this quote really caught my attention because I felt like I can connect to what the author was saying here. During my fall semester, I had taken 3 business classes (Principles to Marketing, Principles to Management, and Business Law) and 1 English class. While taking these classes i found a number of connections between them, through these connections I was able to connect and apply things I had learned in one class to another class. I was able to apply the knowledge of business law terms such as whistle blower, embezzlement, and bonds to applications, examples, and chapters in my marketing and management classes. Also, in my English class, I had to read the short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener" by Herman Melville. This short story described in great detail the working environment and atmosphere of a lawyer's office and work which i was able to connect and compare and contrast to my business law class and my professor who has his own lawyer firm. So in this way, I do agree with this quote.

"Jim's Wandering Map illustrates what chaos theory calls pendulum attractors: his two main interests seem to oppose each other. He enjoys helping others in time of crisis, and he enjoys work related to money and finance." (37)

I found this example to be really interesting because it is really hard to develop a career choice and the career itself if both of your interests seem to be a contradiction to one another. The person who is used in this example seemed to have an interest in helping others such as volunteering at local shelters, supporting and counseling victims in the police department, and other non-profit activities. But in the other hand, he was also interested in activities that was related to money and finance such as working in banks, studying economics, and he also had a strong desire to work on Wall Street. I think that these interests conflict one another and are not compatible. But what i found most interesting of all was that this person was able to find common ground between these two interests. In other words, he was able to find similarities between these two interests such as at times both of these interests can help people who are in a crisis. By using this information as tools he would be able to find a job that suits his personality and interests leading to satisfaction.

"Your parents and other relatives can be influential sources of information and attitudes about careers...it's not uncommon for family traditions to develop around careers." (46)

I think I really liked this quote because i could agree with it, usually the careers your family has can be a great influence in what career you might want to take up in the future. Sometimes if your family and relatives feel positive or negative about a career, there are high chances that you might take up those same attitudes and preferences regarding those careers. I could really agree with this quote on a personal level.

ISTJ, Inspector

After taking the Myers-Briggs test, the result that i had gotten about my personality type was that i am a ISTJ type, which means that i am Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging. I predicted that my personality would be INTJ. For the most part, I had predicted correctly. The only part that I had gotten wrong, regarding my personality, was if i whether i was a intuition or sensing person. Sensing and Intuition are mental processes. Sensing is a mental perception that relies more on clear, tangible, data and information that fits well with the situation at hand. On the other hand, intuition is more abstract. It has a more big picture outlook and it is more imaginative. So i guess i would agree with the test when they say that i have a sensing personality trait because personally, i think i do rely on factual information and data.

I think that this test was really accurate in describing the kind of personality i have, it also gave a list of careers that would suit and fit my personality. But I don't think I want a personality test to dictate or guide the choices i make in my life. I do agree with the Myers-Briggs personality test and the results i got regarding my personality, but i don't think personality is a heavy enough factor in deciding what career you should choose. There are other factors that should be taken into consideration before choosing a career such as knowledge, skills, talents, preferences, and etc... I don't think that personality is a heavy enough factor to judge by itself what career should be chosen. I think that it is also a greatly composed test that asks fair enough questions.
My experience with this test is that through the tests and results of the test i was able to respect it and consider it to be accurate with it. I think i am really content after taking the test because it was very candid and gave me an insight in to the the type of person i am. I think it really taught me on what kind of personality i have and what that is supposed to mean. But i think i was a little surprised with the list of careers that would have went this personality. Accounting was one of the few that were on the list, even though i might be good at math, i do not like it personally. Whenever i picture accounting, i kind of see it as being dreary and boring. So i was kind of surprised to find it on this list, the only way i would think of it as a career is if my imagination of accounting were proved to be wrong. This is my feelings and experiences with the Myers-Briggs Personality test.

Cover Letters

http://www.career.vt.edu/jobsearchguide/coverlettersamples.html

This website was quite informational in providing advice on how to create and establish a cover letter. Some of the things that i have learned through this website is that all cover letters should explain why you are sending a resume and cover letter, it should be able to reflect your attitude, and it should also be able to point out or call attention to important background information and factors. It also gives great advice on what kind of page margins, font style and size to use. This website also gives great sample cover letter format guidelines. Lastly, through this website i learned that cover letters falls under two different categories which are letter of application and letter of inquiry.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/549/1/

This next website explains what a cover letter is and what it's purpose is. it explains that cover letters you and your resume to potential employers or certain organizations that you would like to join. It also explains that it introduces your experiences in a story-like format to catch the employer's attention. Through your cover letter you are also providing a sample of your writing skills and knowledge. This website also gives tips and advice on formatting a cover letter. For example, in the heading you should provide your contact information, the day you are writing the letter, and the address to the company. Other tips that were give were that for the introduction you should specifically greet the person you are corresponding with. For the body, you should tell a story, you should not just list your skills and credentials, but make it make it more interesting. Finally for the conclusion, i learned that you should give them a strong reason or a reminder of why you are a good fit for the firm or organization.

http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/CoverLetters.html

I found this website to be very useful because it provided advice on what a cover letter is, how to format a cover letter, what should be included in a cover letter, how to organize a cover letter, and questions on how to guide your writing. It said that you should try to limit your cover letter to one page, as a way to not bore the person who is reading it. This website advised that the cover letter should reflect your personality and the type of person you are. The cover letter should be written in a clear style, long sentences should be avoided. These were some of the things that i was able to learn through these websites about cover letters.

Homework #1 (Chapter 1)

1.  "Clearly, reality doesn't always match up to that traditional linear career path. These graduates, whether by design or by accident, have channeled the real, deep value of their academic and life experiences, and taken them beyond traditional thinking...liner thinking can keep you from thinking broadly about you options and being open minded to new opportunities." (4)

I found the passage of linear thinking to be quite interesting, through out our college life, we think that there should be a linear relationship or symmetry that exists when choosing majors and careers, but through this passage and quote I learned that this isn't always the case. Traditional linear career path thinking is saying "since i am majoring in geography, i will be a high school geography teacher." Through this quote i was able to understand that, with your values, academic knowledge, life experiences, and skills you can open up a more vast amount of opportunities and doors which can help avoid the narrowness of the traditional linear thinking. Instead of being a high school geography teacher you can also be a editor for a publishing house. Using the chaos theory, you can have a bigger amount of options regarding choosing a career. I also found it interesting when i learned the traditional linear thinking was something that occurred more in the 20th century where things were a little bit more predictable, than the fast moving and ambiguous 21st century.

2."It's ridiculous to ask liberal arts students what they plan to do in five years. They don't even know what they plan to have for dinner." (8)

I found this quote to be meaningful because it is a very realistic and factual opinion. Before entering college, i had always thought that most people, including myself, know what they want when they go to college. But this is not the case because the road to one's career is very unpredictable and complex, full of twists and turns. I realized soon well into my first semester, that i did not know what i wanted from myself 4-5 years down the road. Even though some of us might like to walk down a straight and narrow path that brings us to our future straightforwardly, this is not always the case because both life and career choices are full of ambiguity and unpredictability which can sometimes be a positive thing.  

3 "You might be surprised to learn that in one study of university graduates almost 70 percent reported that their careers were significantly influenced by unplanned events- in other words the butterfly effect." (10)

I found this quote and the story that well along with it about the student majoring in psychology to be very interesting, because it was a great example of how the Chaos Theory worked. This quote and the story connected to the Chaos Theory. I found this quote to be interesting because it challenged the idea that everyone must follow a linear path when thinking of career goals. Instead of an art major becoming a cartoonist, through a logical train of thought, why doesn't an art major become a special prosecutor at a DA's office by widening the narrow train of thought and opening more options for yourself? It also shows that unplanned events can always change the future, whether if it's for the better or worse. For example, the psychology student, who started off in a liner path to getting a PH.d, she soon changed her mind after she had interned and helped create an Native American exhibition. Through the unplanned internship she found what was her calling which lead her to a career that follows the chaos theory.

Work Values Assessment Test Reactions

According to the results of the Work Values Assessment test, my career should be chosen in accordance with factors such as supervisory relations, way of life, security, economic return, and achievement. My reaction to these results is that it is quite accurate. In my opinion, the quality of the way of life is really important in order to live a happy life. To have a career that conflicts with my ideal way of life would be going against my personal ideals and values. I also believe economic return is also a important factor that goes into choosing a career. I also believe in achievements because what you achieve in your career can be a motivator to try harder. Factors that came in as being moderately important to me were altruism, surroundings, prestige, independence, and management. I believe, personally, that these results were also fairly accurate. Surroundings are moderately important when choosing a career because working in a environment that is clean and organized place can be a benefit in retaining focus on your work because your mind would not be wandering off on how filthy, hazardous, and unsafe the working environment is. Independence is fairly important because if i were a subordinate to a boss, i would not mind that either. Lastly the factors that were shown as the least important were creativity, intellectual stimulation, variety, associates, esthetics. To me creativity and variety in a career is of least importance, doing the same thing over and over as a daily routine is not tiresome for me. My reaction to the results of this test were that they were fairly accurate, more or less candid and is quite agreeable.