Presentations

I really enjoyed all the presentations this week.  My three favorite ones were from Melesha, Ally, and Brandon.  I thought Melesha's presentation about the drive- thru process was really interesting and entertaining.  I liked all of her advice, and I thought that her handout brochure was really effective.  Now, whenever I go through the drive- thru I make a point to follow her tips, such as waiting for the cashier to repeat the order.  Ally's presentation really interested me because I drink coffee every morning.  I enjoyed learning about the history of coffee, and I thought her handout about the coffee options was very helpful.  Sometimes, I'm not sure what type of coffee to order when I want something special, and knowing what is in each one from her handout will help a lot.  Brandon's presentation was fun and informative.  I had never heard of a sugar glider before, and it was cool to learn about them.  I thought bringing in an actual sugar glider was really effective.  It was neat to see one in person.  

Cover Letter

After reading the advise from collegegrad.com, I feel like I have a better understanding of how to write a cover letter.  I agreed with most of the advise that was given such as tailoring the letter to match the company, not sending out mass cover letters, and not addressing it "To Whom it May Concern."  However, I did not agree with writing a P.S. at the end.  I think that would make the letter seem unprofessional.  If I were hiring and received a cover letter that had a P.S. , handwritten or not, I would think that person did not really care about the job and did not spend a lot of time or put a lot of thought into writing the letter.  They forgot to say something in the letter, and instead of revising the letter they just added a note to the end.  That would not go over well with me, so I think that was bad advise. 

  "The Reality of Cover Letters" and "The Best Use of a Cover Letter" were the most helpful sections to me.  I didn't realize that cover letters were read after the resume and that most of them didn't get read at all unless the company was really interested in you.  I also learned that the cover letter is more about the company  than yourself, and it should address the benefits that you will bring them.  I am going to take all of this advise into consideration when writing my cover letter. 

Client Project

The client visit was very informative.  I learned a lot about what she was expecting with this project, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to work on improving the health of our campus.   I like the idea of incorporating the student organic farm into our project.  Before the visit, I had not heard of the farm, and I still don't know where it is located.  Therefore, I think we should try to promote the farm and focus on making the students more aware of it.  I also think it would be neat if we could create some kind of farmer's market on campus where students could buy fresh, local vegetables.   I know I would buy the vegetables from the farm if they were sold in a convenient location.  I'm still not so sure I completely understand the client's specific goals with this project, and I'm not sure where to begin.  However, I think that as a group, we will be able to work together to make this project a success. 

Interview Mistakes

I like receiving advice from others so I can better prepare myself for a situation, and I thought that this article was helpful in pointing out interview mistakes that can be avoided.   Those mistakes were big and important to avoid, such as asking stupid questions, giving false information, and treating the secretary poorly.  However, I don't think that these are the only biggest mistakes that could be made in an interview.  I think that mispronouncing the interviewer's name, arriving late to the interview, being inappropriately dressed, chewing gum, or acting rude or conceited are all big mistakes to avoid.  

I have never had a job interview, but I do think that being adequately prepared for the interview will be a benefit.  If I were preparing for an interview, I would search for the frequently asked questions and prepare my answers in advance.  In addition, I would do as much research as I could about the company, the interviewer, and the specific position for which I was applying.  I would also practice interviewing with a friend or family member and make sure I had an appropriate outfit.  

Taken for Granted?

I watched the movie The Duchess this weekend, and it really made me appreciate being a woman in today's society.  Women back then, especially the king's wives, duchesses, etc, really had a sad life.  They had very little choices or say in any decision.  In the movie, the Duchess, played by Keira Knightley, made a comment that the only way women could express themselves was through their clothes and hats, and that the men had many ways of expressing themselves.  When the Duke married the Duchess, she thought that he was marrying her because he loved her, but later on in the movie, the Duke told her that her purpose as a wife was to be loyal and to give him a male heir.  Her response to this was, "Just like your dogs."  Throughout the movie, the Duke hardly ever talked to the Duchess, and he had many mistresses.  One of them was the Duchess's best friend who even lived in their house with them.  The Duchess knew all about his mistresses, but could not do anything about it.  She ended up falling in love with another guy, but when the Duke found out about their affair, he threatened to kill the guy and take the Duchess's children away from her.  It was ok for the Duke to have affairs, and it was even expected of him, but if the Duchess even attempted to have one, there would be extreme consequences.  Sometimes women were even beheaded for this act.  There was such a double standard at this time.  I got angry watching how she was being treated.  The Duke basically walked all over her, and she could do nothing about it.   I wanted her to slap the Duke or get a divorce or something!  I wouldn't put up with any of that.  However, during that time she couldn't get a divorce, and it was her duty to put up with it all.  Nobody really cared about her happiness or her feelings at all.  The movie didn't end like I had hoped it would, and I was disappointed.  However, it was based on a true story, and, sadly, this was how their lives really were. 

Watching this movie and seeing the Duchess's emotions and the turmoil she was going through really made me appreciate being a woman today.  Women have really come a long way since those days.  We can vote, make our own decisions, decide who we want to marry, and if it doesn't work out, get a divorce.  It is not expected or accepted for our husbands to have affairs.   We have the freedom be whomever we want and to do whatever we want, and we don't have to put up with being treated horribly by others.  I think sometimes we take our freedom and our ability to choose for granted because we can't imaging it any other way.  The reality is, though, that we didn't always have this freedom, and that women's lives back in the 1700s were far different from our lives today.  We all have been blessed to live in this century and to have the lives that we do, and we need to be thankful for that each and every day.