Reflection

So I had my mock interview Monday at 6, and things didn't start too well for me. I chose to interview for an actual full time position as an office manager at AppleOne. First I spent 15 minutes trying to log into Second Life, and I was never able to do so. So, I had to conduct a phone interview, which was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I was really nervous that I was going to get stuck on questions, and not have good enough answer. However, I feel like I had relatively quick responses to questions, and thought my answers were good too. Overall I think my interview went really well, and I think I am better prepared for an actual interview.

Free Write

For my free write I've decided to write about what I want to do this summer. My plans for this summer haven't started off as great as they have been. I wanted to start out by studying abroad in Italy this summer for a month, but my parents placed a halt on that idea till next summer. I was really looking forward to it, and was beyond ecstatic about going. I did research on different programs and searched for flights which makes not going worse. For the past two years I have taken a family vacation for a week to Mexico, and this year my papa is sick so no vacation. So, this summer I will be around Clemson and at my house, and hopefully will have a better job than I have now. Working as a student for Clemson doesn't pay the bills to put it one way. I was really hoping to find an internship somewhere local, but it seems that everyone is looking for juniors or seniors. So, now I'm just hoping to get a job that pays more than 6 bucks an hour, and enjoy my free time on what is left of Hartwell Lake.

Cover Letter

I would say that I do agree with the advice given. The job market is very crowded, and to get that one job you have to do everything possible to set yourself apart. This apparently includes making a great cover letter on the chance that that possible employer likes your resume. I would have to say that what helped me the most from the tutorial is the sample cover letter because I always learn best when someone shows me an example instead of just telling me. This tutorial really taught me a lot of things that I didn't know, and probably wouldn't have considered. To be honest with you I didn't think that much went into a cover letter, especially that it was suppose to be all about the company. However, when you think about it, it really does make sense because they do already get a grasp of who you are, and if you're interested then you should know a little about them. I also didn't know that the cover letter is the last thing that an prospective employer looks at. Given that it is shown first I would automatically assume it was glanced over first. Basically, I plan to rely heavily on this website because it is actually a great guide to designing your cover letter.

Virtual Interviews

I think that the idea of having job interviews within Second Life is a good idea. There are still going to be some disadvantages as there are with everything else, but I think that the advantages could possibly out weight the disadvantages. For starters it is extremely convenient for employers to go to a virtual world to recruit future employees because it helps cut out traveling. Also, as the article mentioned it is an excellent way for computer software programmers to interview because it is essentially their world in which they work, and could definitely tell a lot about that applicant. Although, I would say that one big disadvantage concerning conducting interviews in Second Life is that you aren't able to get a great of feel for who that person actually is personality wise. Some people having amazing personalities that nail them the job, and these traits wouldn't be as noticeable there. I think that it is definitely a step into the future having interviews in virtual worlds, and I think that it could prove to be very beneficial.

Persuasive Differences

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in his actual jail cell in Birmingham, AL in 1963. Within this letter King addresses who he calls the clergymen, concerning their personal, yet widely held, belief that racial justice is fair and should be left alone. King has an amazing use of persuasion that one cannot only admire. Through a dignified and educated tone within in his letter he expresses his belief and objective in life that segregation is injustice and affects everyone around. He uses Biblical figures to parallel his mission to bring justice to every American. He answers the questions prompted within the clergymen's letter, and provides powerful answers of honesty. Through his letter King was able to express his belief that injustice has occured in Birmingham, as well as all over, and justice must be brought to every individual through the use of nonviolent protest and civilized reasoning between individuals.
For choosing something to compare, I looked on Monster.com because I'm not set on a company to work for. I found a company called AppleOne which is located in Columbia, SC that has an accounting/mangerial position open. The description was very persuasive to me because it covered all the areas I am and will be looking for. It offers a management position within a small/medium size firm that would allow me to not only lead other team members, but also work a lot with accounting information and procedures. It was persuasive to me because it went into what the actual job intailed, as well as very tempting benefits that are offered.
The two pieces of work are very different in many ways, but in particular their intended audience and subject matter. King uses power symbolism, beautifully assembled language, and a moving subject to persuade his audience. On the other hand, AppleOne is trying to persuade future applicants by appealing to interest and needs, and uses basic language. In the job discription it uses its features to show what they can offer you, and why that job opportunity is different than the rest. Both pieces are persuasive, however still completely different.

Me & 10 years

For me, 10 years from now means that I will be 30; let me first just say wow. As for where I want to be, in all honesty I'm not really sure as to all the details. Personally I kind of know what I want. I'd like to be married and definitely settled down by then, and also have one or two kids depending on when I'm married. I really want to stay somewhere local so I can be close to my family. As for my future career wise, well the one thing I do know for sure is that I really hope to have a job that I find amazing & really enjoy. The thing about what kind of job I want is kind of hard because I definitely know what I don't want to do, but I'm only just a sophomore and have just begun to take higher level courses in accounting. As of right now I'd like to pursue a job in financial or managerial accounting in a medium size company, or I might go to work for my parents. There I would also handle the financials for the business that they are partners in which is a new company that will be opening up May-ish of this year called Crescent Biodiesel. I really wouldn't be opposed to working there because I'm very big on environmental issues. That leads me to another aspiration that I have for the next 10 years. I really want to make an impact on people to get serious about our environment and the condition that our planet is in. I'm not sure how I'll do it, but I'd like to implement a program into small companies and large corporations alike that will not only save them money but use their impact to reduce our emissions and help save natural resources. A big thing for some companies is that it can be very costly to implement new equipment or change product so some companies, mainly smaller organizations, have trouble implementing new procedures without going broke. Basically I'd like to have a happy life at home, a job that I love, be financial stable/well off, and an impact on our environment within the next 10 years of my life.

Web 2.0 Response

I think the title means that the internet as a whole is evolving, hence 2.0. I also think it is trying to display how much we as a society actually rely on the use of the world wide web. Think about it, can you seriously imagine not being able to look up pretty much anything you can imagine and find a response within seconds? The internet has changed society so much, and the change is going to continue.
Web 2.0 I would say affects people who are entering the workforce by showing them some of the possibilities that the internet provides. People who are looking for jobs have numerous options that allow someone to post their resume, provide tips, and more. For people already in the workforce they are reaping the benefits as well with massive databases of information that is readily available at the click of a button, communicating with clients thousands of miles away. The internet is a vital asset to every single person.
When it says that we will have to rethink everything, the only the I can think of is even better capabilities, accessibility, and maybe how we use it. This is kind of unclear to me, but if you think about what we have now, and it is already changing at a rapid pace, the only thing we can do is invent newer and better applications. I can't imagine how much more accessible the internet could be, I mean you can already get it on your phone & iPod, but there will be something else. Lastly, I think that we might have to rethink what we use it for because I think the main thing people use it for is email, socializing, and research. There are so many possibilities that could become available that would be beneficial to work as well as everything else.