Reflection

Well, this is the end of the line, the last blog post that Peter and I will be sharing with you. As he and I wrap up this semester, one important aspect of completing both our Capstone and our Degree requirements is the completion of our e-portfolio, which you have also been working on throughout the semester.

Peter's Perspective:

In our e-portfolios we are given the chance to present any information we find fit for future employers. Once this information is presented we are not done. We have one key assignment and it’s reflecting on the information we present. An example of this would be in my e-portfolio I plan on attaching a copy of my transcript. Like a lot of people there are flaws in my transcript. A quick example being my freshmen year I managed to fail a class. Rather then not using my transcript as evidence because of this flaw in my reflection I mention it. I point out that while I did fail this class it was an elective, and then I go on to highlight the positives that I wanted to take from my transcript such as the 3.8 GPA in upper level courses. This is different then just describing the evidence in your portfolio. You are not just describing something that is obvious to whoever might be reading but rather highlighting the points you hope will stick out from your evidence. Overall this is the chance to really tell your audience what they should be looking for and expect from your e-portfolio.

My Perspective:

Looking back on my years spent working towards my degree, I find that I really had a difficult time finding a niche within the university. I've changed my major multiple times and even within IDS I've changed my areas of focus and minors- these changes are not flaws, instead they reflect the diversity of my interests, my ability to accomplish merit within various areas of study. I'm hoping that my e-portfolio, in showing my prowess in multiple fields, can also reflect my ability to work under diverse circumstances and showcase the multitude of my skills. Actually reflecting back on my education helps me to appreciate what I have been able to take away from my courses, whether difficult or easy, and whether or not I liked my professor. The e-portfolio reflects my own understanding of myself, which might not be accessible through a resume alone. We're interdisciplinary students, we have layers of interests and skills, it's just a matter of showcasing the validity and the actual value of our degrees, and showcasing how our course of study has benefited and shaped us as capable individuals.

Last week we talked about interviews and the results of them. Your humble mentors suggested that you all give perfectinterview.com a try. This week, hopefully with the experience of doing a simulated online interview, we will talk about the best ways to answer questions. Like always you will see contrasting ideas and differences between the two of us. We hope like always to continue hearing your ideas and views on ours. Enjoy!

Peter’s Perspective:
I think the best way to answer questions is to be direct and positive. When I say direct I mean to keep details to a minimum. I believe in an interview you want to show your attributes through the stories ideas, not the tiny unneeded details. The positive side of that I feel like is obvious, just show a pleasant disposition. An example of this would be question 3 in my interview. (Link on bottom) This question summed up asks what I disliked about my previous job. Rather then letting out twenty little things that I did dislike I went straight to a positive of me wanting to move on. A simple answer like this is usually quite functional in my view. This is the way I feel about all interviews. Whether your in a phone interview, or a panel interview attack it the same. This is my personal style I like being direct. I feel like being positive gets you further then being negative. You have to find what works for you. To have a successful interview you have to feel comfortable. Show your relaxed and confident in what you have to say and that is the best you can do.

The last thing to talk about is salary. The appropriate time to ask about salary would be at the end of the interview. There is a clause to this in my opinion. If the interviewer does not ask if you have any questions do not bring any up. You should be informed prior to attending of what position you are going for and basic idea of what you will be doing. That is your responsibility and if you’re not being hired on the spot you should not press the issue. It could be a multiple interview kind of business.

http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/text_viewer.asp?id=F5EB82FA-EB8D-46F3-9610-1C312EAA3C19&mediatype=flv


Mary's Perspective:
Like Peter, I feel that the most effective way to answer questions is to first be direct. Employers tend to ask questions for specific reasons, or so I have found, and answering in a roundabout manner works against you. As I mentioned before, confidence is definitely a key quality in answering what might come across as a non-standard interview question. Confidence is so key because, as I also mentioned before, you need to convey your own security in your skills and values as an individual. Although we all will want and need jobs post-graduation, I also feel that being confident, direct, and honest in your results will help you to find employment within an establishment that will help you flourish- I don't think it's worth lieing or manipulating your answers so you fit in. In terms of phone interviews and panel interviews, you have to be very aware of your communication- the phone is obviously a very critical way to conduct an interview, only your words will convey your qualifications and your character to a prospective employer.

Finally, in terms of discussing salary, I believe it is poor etiquette to blatantly ask, but I also feel that it is an important detail to be discussed. I would consider discussing this detail at the end of, or if possible, outside of the scope of the interview.

http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3020926&type=standard

Practice Interview

Hey guy another week bites the dust and here we are back again. This week were discussing practice interviews and the benefits we took from them. We definitely recommend that you sing up and give it a try.
Peter’s Interview Experience
I really found this interview practice useful. It gave me the chance to see questions in the format they will be used, as well as an opportunity to review what are deemed appropriate answers. The question that really stumped me off the bat was what was your favorite course and why? I had to really think about it and why it was important other then “it was easy” or “there were lots of cute girls”. This interview reminded me that interviewers are going to be asking very broad questions rather then content specific and its about knowing your strengths. Overall I really liked this and think if you guys are not already signed up for it you give it a try.

The one thing I took from this interview was that being optimistic and showing a true happiness in your life and what your doing will get you further then being bitter and resentful. In the example answer for the question what did you dislike about your former job they are very broad and positive with their example saying they chose to move on to better themselves and their careers. This is way better then saying “the stupid manager” or “all the hard work”




http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/text_viewer.asp?id=F5EB82FA-EB8D-46F3-9610-1C312EAA3C19&mediatype=flv
Mary’s Interview Experience
5.) Draft a reflection of at least a paragraph about your practice interview, commenting on the questions asked and your responses to the questions. You might comment on what questions were problematic. What were the strengths of your responses? What could you improve in your responses? How did you responses compare to the "Alternate Response"? What did you learn from the "Coach?"

I thought the practice interview was a great way to refresh myself as I beging to prepare to seek out a new career after graduation. I felt that most of the questions were fairly straightforward, and while I focused on formulating my own answers, the alternate responses were also very strong, offering a different and enlightening perspective. One of the questions I found the most difficult was, "Tell me what you think your most significant achievement was in the past couple of years". Since I've been so busy with school, I tried to emphasize my education as one of my strongest achievements within the last couple of years. In terms of improving my responses, I feel that most of my answers would stay the same, while taking into account the type of work/career that I am being interviewed for.

6.) At the end of the reflection give one question about interviewing or a piece of advice that you've gained in your interviewing experiences.

Honestly, I feel that one of the most critical aspects of the interview is being both comfortable AND confident within yourself. Prospective employers often ask questions that are not necessarily personal, but are reflective of your personality. In general, confidence is the best thing to have and exude.

7.) Click on "Review Saved Interviews." Click on the "Share" button. E-mail yourself your interview and include the links in your posting.
http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3020926&type=standard

A look at Professional life and our Philosophy

We are all inclined to develop work habits that are both negative and positive. These habits will stick with us and become our professional philosophy's. There are various philosophy's when it comes to the professional world and finding yours will really give you the ability to highlight your strengths in your resume. So without further delay here are our views.
I have always viewed my professional life as something that must be taken serious. My philosophy is if you put your head down and work you will wreak the rewards of your hard work. As an employee I have already benefited from this philosophy in two various jobs. The first was while working at a hospital, as a secretary, I got moved up from front desk secretary to E.R secretary. It entitled me to a higher pay as well as more responsibility. I worked hard in my original post and was able to handle a desk alone that normally required to secretaries. My hard work paid off. The other job was working in a restaurant. I started as a food runner but I worked hard and was moved up to the server position where I have the opportunity to make a lot more money. I did not do anything special I just followed my work philosophy of being the hardest worker. This philosophy is one that is not very interdisciplinary but more focuses on perfecting the idea of being a hard worker. From here the other skills needed to be successful can be obtained. This philosophy has allowed me to alter my career goals and reach for higher positions in every field of my life. I don’t see myself as a bottom of the chain worker because I work to hard for the lower levels.
Tying this into last weeks topic my work ethic is something I highlight in my resume. I make sure my future employers know that I have been rewarded for this dedication, and the work ethic I am bringing to their companys. I even have applied this into my law school applications by highlighting in my personal statement the success I have achieved through my work ethic, and how this ties into school. What is your work philosophy? Do you think that the habits you have at a part time job now will hurt or help you in your future carreer? These are the questions you should ask yourself and once you figure out you will be able to easily write a resume and cover letter that explain you as a worker.

Professional Life is Tough

Obviously, since Peter and I are very different people, we've had a lot of different professional experiences.
Personally, although I am not yet involved in the professional field of art, humanities, or political science, my personal philosophy in term of work does and will continue to apply to the job I hold and my future jobs. First, I think you have to accept that regardless of your job, at some point or another you are going to have to do work that you're not passionate about or don't enjoy. I also understand that my superiors, while in a higher position than me, are not always the bearers of knowledge as expected- like every other human, they are fallible and make mistakes and aren't perfect. In general, I look at every job or every situation that occurs at work as a learning experience. As tired as I am of my current job, I carefully consider all the skills that I am gaining. It totally sucks having to kiss up to customers all the time, but it teaches you how to communicate and listen more effectively, it also reinforces the necessity of empathy. I believe this approach is interdisciplinary because I am trying to integrate the skills I have gained from various fields and combine them in an effective way. Finally, my career goals have altered significantly since I started college, to the point that I feel a little unsure about what I want to do at this point. I'm still working on finding myself, too!

In contrast, Peter's Perspective:
I have always viewed my professional life as something that must be taken serious. My philosophy is if you put your head down and work you will wreak the rewards of your success. As an employee I have already benefited from this philosophy in two various jobs. The first was while working at a hospital I got moved up from front desk secretary to E.R secretary. It entitled me to a higher pay as well as more responsibility. The other job was working in a restaurant. I started as a food runner but since I worked so hard was moved up to the server position where I have the opportunity to make a lot more money. This philosophy is one that is not very interdisciplinary but more focuses on perfecting the idea of being a hard worker. From here the other skills needed to be successful can be obtained. This philosophy has allowed me to alter my career goals as to reach for higher positions. I don’t see myself as a bottom of the chain worker because I work to hard for the lower levels of business.

Resume and Coverletter.

In terms of highlighting your interdisciplinarity, a resume can be an important tool in terms of conveying the relationships between your different areas of study. In presenting a resume to a potential employer, you can convey the skills acquired from your various areas of study and how these skills combine to make you a desirable candidate.
In terms of content, I feel that while it is necessary to showcase your academic record, it is equally as important to highlight your professional experiences, be it internships, a job(s), or even volunteer work. On the same note, I feel that listing volunteer work and your skills acquired therein can highlight one’s character.
One of the biggest keys in getting hired is your resume. As interdisciplinary students we have to take advantage of being able to show diversity in our schooling history. In my resume I highlight the skills I have gained as an education minor. I talk about my increased communication skills and the way I have utilized these skills. Then I reach into my other discipline social science. From social science I have taken skills of organization and a general view of the world and how it works. Together these skills highlighted in my resume show my interdisciplinary education and give my future employers a view of me as a well rounded educated future employee.
I think cover letter is another aspect that as IDS students we can really take advantage of. The point of a cover letter is to tell information that gives you a competitive edge over others trying to get the job. Its not about reiterating information found in your resume but giving the employer a better view of you the person and what makes you different then other applicants.

Professional Opportunities and Job Skills

Hey guys welcome back! We both hope your having a great semester, and we both look forward to reading your posts. Now without further delay here are the views of your favorite Mentors Mary and Peter.

Marys view...
While we're all (I hope!), accustomed to interdisciplinarity within our academic lives, interdisciplinarity obviously plays a role within the professional realm. Despite the fact that universities tend to overwhelmingly emhasize the necessity of a single track of study, thus enforcing the idea of specialization, most careers utilize skills from various fields. While my professional experiences have been limited to the service industry, even within this thinking in an interdisciplinary way is still relevant- as a server my job is not limited simply to taking orders, I'm also responsible for creating a positive experience, interacting with my fellow staff, cleaning, and sometimes preparing desserts. It basically comes down to understanding that even within a specialized job, there are going to be aspects of a job outside that specialization.

My strongest professional skill, because I use it every time I work, is my ability to communicate- not only do I communication with the back of house and my co-workers, but also customers, and prospective business partners. Multi-tasking also plays an essential role in my job, because there are always tasks to manage and prioritize. In terms of my weakest skill, I would say that my motivation sometimes need a kick up, but I don't see this as being as much of an issue when I'm involved in a career that I feel passionate about. If anything, I need to find motivation by looking at my current career as a stepping stone towards another job and try and learn as much as possible where I'm at.

Although I wish I had taken advantage of the internship opportunities available at UCF, I did not utilize this because I couldn't find one area I felt dedicated to. However, I would definitely encourage participation- working in a professional environment, in your desired field, can offer a lot of useful information and important professional contacts/mentors.

Peters view...
The benefits of the track we have taken, Interdisciplinary studies, are felt in all aspects of life. They are affecting our daily lives even today. As I near graduation, I am being effected by and utilizing. One of the most important skills I have taken from IDS are nonverbal conversational ones. I have learned the habits I have that give a negative connotation and now I am able to avoid them.
Along with this I have been able to take the positive attributes and allow them to exceed the negatives. This is a great benefit for me as in my current work. I am in the service industry and the last thing you want to do is offend your guests! You always have the goal to entertain and leave them satisfied. I think the benefits of IDS really shine through there. I really have always been a hard worker but now to accompany this I have a comfortableness talking to strangers and engaging them in conversation, something I attribute to my education courses, that without the IDS programs flexibility I would of missed out on. Another strength that I have derived from IDS is my attention to detail. When you are serving people a clutch skill is to notice the little details and make sure they are taken care. Doing this is really beneficial. I am not impervious however to weaknesses. The first one, even though it’s strength, can also be a weakness. It’s my communication skills. Sometimes I find myself conversing too much. As a server sometimes you need to just put your head down and get work done. This is a skill I am trying to improve but rather then working directly on it I am focusing on time management. I think that my internship was a great chance to practice these skills and really recognize which ones were my strengths and which were my weaknesses. I was forced in here to communicate with a classroom but I couldn’t get stuck on one thing ad talk about it for fifty minutes. I had to make sure I managed my time efficiently while still covering subjects enough to education and amuse my class. The question for me even today is, What skill is going to be the most important twenty years from now?