Class presentation.

Today was a nerve racking day. I don't remember the last time I've been so nervous, while talking in-front of a group of people. I usually don't have a problem when it comes to public speaking, but for some reason today the adrenaline was flowing. I guess having that cup of coffee, before the presentation wasn't such a good idea. Today's experience was a good one, I really enjoyed speaking in-front of the class, and really enjoyed seeing the other students presentation.

Parachute 2011 Chapter 9

Chapter 9 begins by discussing the steps to creating your own business. The first type of business Bolles discusses is the home business. The first fact that is introduced about home business is that most home business' only generate 70% of what their office based equal produces. After Bolles points out all the negative associated with running a home business, he begins to advise on choosing the particular kind of business one wants to run. Bolles suggests that you ask yourself, what do you love to do? He also suggests you look at your dreams in order to find your answer. Another approach is to ask yourself, what services might your community need? If that isn't enough ask yourself, what services does the world need? Bolles suggests using internet websites like eBay for marketing  products. Once you have finally decided what kind of business you want to open. the next step is to do your research, talk to people who have opened the same kind of business and ask them questions about the ups and downs of running the business. This step is usually overlooked and is a big reason why most small businesses end prematurely. The most important piece of advice provided in this chapter is that there is only "one life to live don't let your pessimistic friends and family's opinion get in the way of your dreams."



Exercise

The Exercise in chapter 9 is called the A-B=C. This exercise is used to determine what skills you are lacking in order to run your future business successfully. In order to do this exercise you will have to interview a business owner who is running the kind of business you plan to open in the future. You will make a list of all the skills that the owner quoted as required, then you will need to make a second list of all the skills you posses. For the final step, subtract all your common skills from list A and B and the remaining skills will be transferred to list C. The skills in list C will be the skills one needs to acquire through training or one needs to recruit someone else with those skills. The exercise is a very simple way to find out the good and bad of running a business. This exercise is a real eye opener and can really help in preventing someone from getting in over their heads.

Doctors Diaries

 The doctor I found the most interesting is Tom Tarter, his story represents the struggle that many American are currently facing. While reading his interview I was surprised to hear that doctors go through financial struggles. I always thought once you went down the path of becoming a doctor and succeeded, one would be financially set. The one thing that jumped out at me from Tom's story is his passion for his career. He truly loves what he does regardless of all the negative connotations that come with his career choice. He still manages to speak passionately when asked about his career. The one lesson that tom's story provided me with, is that passion is a key ingredient for a fulfilling career.

Proffesional Association Research

http://iava.org/

Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran of America organization is a great resource for veterans who are currently transitioning from military to civilian life. I am a current member of this organization and it has been a great asset. Iava.org is a great resource for a wide variety of veteran programs that assist veterans establish a stable and productive civilian life.

http://www.nea.org/

The organization started in 1857 uniting educators in the fight in expanding education for every U.S. Citizen. The National Education Association is a great resource for any one considering a career in education. It's a great place to gather in depth information on the education profession. The website is well organized and has a abundance of information covering everything from lesson plans to grants for schools.

http://www.nyssbdc.org/

New York State Small Business Development Center is good website to start your research if you have a desire to become a small business owner in the future. The purpose of the organization is to provide prospective business owners with the information needed to run a successful small business in New York. The web site provides several links to other organization that provide specialized information for specific interest.

Parachute 2011 Chapter 7-8

Summary


Negotiating your salary after a successful interview.

Bolles's first tip in chapter seven is to always discuss salary after the job has been offered, never discuss salary prior to that moment. The next piece of advice that I found interesting is to never be the first one to mention a salary figure. Bolles states that the first person who breaks this rule usually losses the negotiation. Another important rule is do your home work. Go out and gather as much information as possible on salaries for your desired position. It's best to be prepared with this information in the event your employer decides to low ball you with his or her first offer.

Chapter eight opens up with the topic of career testing and how career assessment test do not describe the individual rather it describes the family of people you pertain to. One of the things to remember while taking these online self assessment tests is to always keep in mind that these tests are all flawed in one way or another. When analyzing the results, you have to process the information as a suggestion or an opinion, nothing more. A career change starts with finding out what you want from a career. The biggest difference in obtaining a new career is passion and enthusiasm. The best career is a career that uses your best transferable skills. Do not go by your friend's suggestion when choosing a career. The best way to find out if a career suits you is by trying it out. One has to make up their own mind about a career, go out and ask people about careers that interest you, gather information on your own and decide for your self.



Exercise

This exercise asks the reader to draw a picture of their ideal life. In the picture one has to draw your ideal location, the people you want in your life and a dream job. The exercise emphasizes that you use your imagination and not to allow reason to influence your drawing. When done with the drawing you will have a clue of where you need to aim your life towards. The exercise is simple and effective when done honestly..

Preparing for the Mock Interview

 Company Info

For today's class we were asked to research a prospective job that we are interested in and gather as much background information on the organization as possible.

For my research I chose Williamsburg Charter High School. My future goal is to become a New York state certified teacher and move to becoming a college professor. I believe that working in a charter school will help me transition to teaching at the college level in the future

The Williamsburgs charter High School opened in July 2004. WCHS is a performance based school which places high standards on their students and staff. Charter schools run smaller classes which allow the teacher to provide their students with an individualized experience.

Position Info

Global Studies I & II- Global Studies is based on the idea that the study of history is more than just days, years, and people.

Job Interview Tips

http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20045.htm

The first tip provided at this website is one of the most important and overlooked tip for most interviewers, which is "Learn about the organization." I know from personal experience I rarely did any research on an organization before interviewing. I solely depended on my general knowledge  of the job I was applying for, which was generally vague because of the lack of research.

http://www.best-job-interview.com/interview-checklist.html

This website provides a general outline of the dos and don'ts of interviewing. I feel this would serve as a good check list to look over before heading out on your interview.

http://www.quintcareers.com/interview_question_database/interview_questions_1.html

This website provides sample question of typical interview question most interviewer ask and provides sample answers. The website points out that the only way to prepare for an interview is by doing research on the company and preparing yourself to answer questions on how you would be a good fit for that organization.

http://www.askmen.com/fashion/fashiontip_400/434_dressing-for-a-job-interview.html

I find this website to be more of a marketing tool for high fashion, but provides tasteful advice in setting a first impression.  

http://www.education.com/reference/article/job-interviews-business-casual-wear/

This website focuses on the different attire for the different career fields. The website provides several examples in tailoring your attire according to the organization, this very useful advice.

http://www.best-job-interview.com/job-interview-clothes.html 

This site is more of a check list to help ensures good first impression at your job interview. The site provides a brief outlines on how to prepare your self prior to the interview.


Reaction:
 After completing my research I realized how vital and necessary job research is. While reading the several websites, I realized how careless I have been in the past about the whole job interviewing process. I spent most of the time asking questions that I thought the interviewer wanted to hear rather then question that would help me decide if the position suited me in what I was looking for. As for the topic of dressing up, the website reinforced some of the things I already new and provided me with a few things that I used to overlook. I must admit there were times where my shoes where not polished or maybe even scuffed. My research reminded me of how the little things can set you apart from the group. At the end of the day, interviewing is about making a statement "I'm the Best forget the Rest!"
 

Parachute 2011 Chapter 5-6

Summary:


Chapter five begins with the reminder that your resume alone cannot land you a job. A common mistake committed by most job hunters is solely relying on mailing and emailing resume in hopes of landing a job. Bolles stresses that a resume is a small part of the job hunting process. In order to be a successful job hunter ones has to be versatile, one cannot rely on one method for landing a job. Throughout the chapter Bolles outlines several alternatives to the resume. He primarily focused on using contacts for landing interviews. Bolles expands on the importance of using contacts to increase your chances of landing a job. Much of the advice given by Bolles are very simple and are usually overlooked by most job hunters. The advice I found most useful in chapter five is the information on who can be considered a contact. My list of contacts was considerably shorter than the one Bolles presented. Bolles advice on contacts has open my eyes on who I can use for job leads . The advice in this chapter is very simple, in order to increase your chances in landing a job one has to expand the list of people you use for job leads.



Chapter six covers job interviewing skills and the approaches that should be used while interviewing. The chapter begins by discussing how one should look at job interviewing. Bolles makes a good point when he describes job interviewing as dating and not a test. From my experience, I always made the mistake of looking at job interviewing as a test rather than a chance for me to evaluate the environment and the position being offered. During the interview Bolles suggest that one should follow the 50/50 rule while conversing, which means that you should only be speaking half of the time. This will prevent you from speaking too much and possibly damaging your image. Another important part of job interviewing is doing your research on the organization prior to the job interview. This will show your prospective employer that you are thorough and motivated about landing the position. The most important piece of advice that Bolles provides in this chapter is the reminder that job interviewing is not a science and what worked at one job interview might not work at another.