Sunday, December 9, 2007

For the Expected English304 Students....

GET READY FOR THE MOST WORK OF YOUR LIFE!!! Just kidding of course, well, kinda kidding. The client based projects throughout the semester involve A LOT of communication between group members, other groups, and the client. You have to stay on top of things and have to always be thinking of ideas and ways to improve the project. Whether you are creating a web site or putting together some other web-based project, you always have to check with the client before making changes. Furthermore, when building a proposal, you have to think of questions to ask the client so that you know exactly what they want. As in, what THEY WANT. What you think may not be the same as your client, so you have no choice but to do what they decide.
I learned a lot about client-based projects. Specifically when trying to put together the actual final proposal and building the RE-STORE part of the Anderson Habitat for Humanity web site. I had to email our client often and sometimes it got frustrating. At the end, I was glad that I had asked her questions because if I hadn't then I would not know how to build the web site page.
In the end, prepare to be sociable. Not so much hard work as in numbers and word problems, but synergy and working together through problems. Be prepared to state your opinion, keeping thoughts to yourself won't get anything accomplished. I think Angie stated that one of her favorite quotes is 1 brain = 1 brain where as 2 brains = 3 brains. Something along those lines (sorry if I messed it up Angie). Meaning that if you work together the outcome is far greater than working independently.
Good luck future students.

Monday, December 3, 2007

New Job Interview

Well, for my post this week I am going to blog about the interview I had last week. Last Tuesday I had an interview as a financial analyst with Owens Corning. The company is a Fortune 500 company and main plant is located in Toledo Ohio, but also has a branch in Anderson, SC. Going into the interview I was very confident because of my practice throughout the semester with common questions that are asked in interviews. (Also because my parents got me a new tie and shirt over Thanksgiving Break) After completing the interview I was very confident, and last Friday they gave me a call back and offered me the internship position! The only problem is that they want me to come internship in the winter and summer. They said they can work around my schedule, but I don't think I can manage both an internship of 16 hours minimum a week and a lot of hard classes. I am torn between whether to take the internship, but I will have to make a decision soon. I will be back to let you know what I do!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Unique Interviews

Reading this article was very refreshing. I have been in situations where I am interviewing and competing for a position, not necessarily a job, in a program. What upsets me is that most interviewers cannot get a good sense of persons personality in 10 minutes. It's hard to see through the "BS" within that short of time. Whereas a person may have a little more experience in terms of the field, but hates to work with others and gets stressed easily. I would rather hire the person with a great personality that is willing to learn and work along with others.
What really caught my eye was at the beginning of the article where it said investment bankers have been practicing the day-long interviews. I have heard that one of the most prestigious investment banking firms, The Lehman Brothers, holds 10 hour to 2 day interviews. When I interviewed with Vanguard Group they said that they usually hold full day interviews where they take a tour of the firm and the also ask questions. I am happy to hear that because even though I have some experience, I feel as though I am approachable and have a better chance at getting the position if I can talk to the employer for more than 10 minutes.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Dual Coding- Cadillac

I am posting this blog as I am watching TV, just to see how dual coding is used in different types of commercials. In car commercials, they either take one of two stances: appealing to family protection (mini-vans, accident safety, etc..) or appeal to the sexiness and confidence-boosting of the car. One car commercial that stood out among the rest is Cadillac. The commercial shows a lady getting into a fast red sports car(dim lights, night time, cd player lighting her face..of course). After describing the automotive aspects of the car, she ends with one question...."Whenever you turn on your car, does it return the favor?" Of course she speeds away into the nighttime. In relation to the dual coding theory, Cadillac relates their car with modern sexiness. Instead of going the family route, it is incorporated to the jumble of sexiness and fast cars. The ending line acts as the kicker and is very "smooth." As a matter of fact, the same commercial just came on, but instead of it being a girl, it is a guy in the car talking. They also use dual coding to appeal to the view of the opposite sex.

Friday, November 2, 2007

Group Work

As we have come to an end to phase one in our web site proposal for Anderson Habitat for Humanity, our group, The Dream Builders, has done very well. I am happy that I have group members that work hard and are very organized. We also have a compromise on meeting times so it is not hard for all of us to get together and work on the project.
I do not have any complaints in our group work. Everything has worked smoothly, and hope to work as well on the phase two part of the project. One miscommunication did happen throughout Phase 1. I was not aware that we were having a team meeting so I was not able to make it to the library in time. It was not that I did not want to meet, or did not care to meet, but that I was not informed by the rest of my team members. Either way, the group just informed me about what was accomplished during the meeting, and I got back on track. Other than that, the project is going great and am excited about the feedback from Shelby on the web site proposals.

Friday, October 26, 2007

Investing.....oh no.

I just finished this week off with a test in Finance 305: Investing Analysis. People ask me what I want to be when I grow up and immediately I say an investment banker. I like looking at stocks, and evaluating the stock market.
One reason why I think I like analyzing stocks to much is due to an odd similarity to music. All throughout my life I have enjoyed looking at bands that no one knows much about. They are not popular yet, and still have their unique qualities. After a few months, the bands gradually get more popular and soon they are selling out concerts and played on radio stations continuously. In comparison to stocks, I like to look for small stock companies that have a unique and promising product or service, and watch it grow. I cannot make money watching bands grow, but investing in the small soon-to-be large companies, I can make a lot of profit. I realized this just the other day, in the shower. Funny how things come to you at the weirdest times.
I like Finance 305 as a class, but the tests are ridiculous. They are so stressful. I would rather just use the tools I know from the class in real life, rather than try to explain them on a test. Anyways, in order to graduate and be an investment banker, I have to deal with these classes and hopefully learn more information so I can analyze stocks more effectively.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Interview Reflection

My mock interview was funny because I actually already had my real-life interview beforehand. I knew what type of questions were going to be asked. The weird thing is that I was more nervous for the mock interview than with the real interview. I don't know why, but I may have done even better in my real interview than my mock interview!
The first thing I quickly noticed were the similar questions. Mrs. Rogers asks at least 4 or 5 questions exactly similar to Brad, the Vanguard Group representative. Whenever I went in to start the interview I was a little nervous, but after answering a few questions I was more comfortable and able to explain myself a little bit better. I guess the more you practice interviewing, the easier it is to talk about yourself and your best qualities in interviews. I am still awaiting the response because they also are doing interviews at other schools in the southeast, but I sent my thank you letter 2 days after the interview. I am so happy I know how to write formal business letters. I feel as though I now have an edge over other students from different schools. They may not have had business writing or have the wrong format for letters. Overall the interview went well, and the advice I received on centering my cover letter vertically was very beneficial. I will update the blog when I receive information about the internship!

Monday, October 15, 2007

Presentations

One presentation that stood out was Colin's on hybrid cars. I did not know that they made hybrid SUV's let alone that multiple car manufacturers are creating their own hybrid program. I knew that Honda had a couple hybrids for sale on the market, but I had no idea that Lexus started its own hybrid series. It is also funny that they can run solely upon electric when going at slow speeds. I have not heard one yet, but the fact that it sounds like a big electric golf cart would be funny to witness.
One thing that surprised be was that they are creating/created hybrid trucks. Many American's feel that hybrids are destroying the view on "American cars." Meaning tough, rugged trucks and 4-wheel drive vehicles. The opposite is actually true. Colin mentioned that they are even making V6 hybrids and trucks. I do not see why these cars are more popular, because the price is even similar to cars that run on gasoline. Right now I drive a Jeep Cherokee and also hate spending so much on gas everytime I go to the gas station. I realize now that there are more alternatives that are affordable and better for the environment than just the normal SUV.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Rules of Attraction

I just got done watching Rules Of Attraction, and I must say that is definitely moved into my top 3 favorite movies. I normally like comedy and action movies such as Old School and Wedding Crashers, but this movie is more thought provoking. I saw it once before in highschool, but watching it again gave it a whole different meaning/perspective.
One reason why I probably like it so much is because it is by the same director that made American Psycho. That movie is one of the craziest movies I have ever seen (I recommend in a weird way), so Rules Of Attraction was also really interesting. I want to blog about it, but I don't want to ruin the movie for the people that are reading this blog. I just want to say that even though it is based on college stereotypes (drinking, etc...) you have to look further into the movie to get the real message. I thought that the movie's message is that you cannot just go along with life ignorant. Doing simple things that you think means nothing to anybody. Instead, the small things may effect someone's life. Whether that person is really close to you, or a person you have talked to only twice in your life.

Monday, October 1, 2007

Going Resume Crazy!

I read two articles that involve how to get my resume noticed, while also making it more aesthetically attractive. The first article listed key words to put in your resume such as "team-oriented," "leadership," and most of all "business development." It said that sometimes employers look at competitive employer's job offerings and search for similar criteria. An easy way to attract a lot of employers is to use similar phrases in your resume as they do in their job descriptions.
The second article that caught my eye listed how you can make your resume look more appealing without being unprofessional. One girl shown made her resume into a pamphlet. In English, word diversity, such as bold, italics, and underlining, could even catch the reader's eye. I was always scared to use any different word styles or line dividers because I thought resumes had to be straight forward and black and white. This article adds to how you can get your resume noticed without straying far from the traditional resume.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Chatterboxes at Interviews

One thing that caught my attention when reading through the articles was that interviews are more of a reflection of your overall personality, and that it is better to be yourself rather than being strictlly prepared. I always thought that you want to be prepared and talk as much about your accomplishments during the interview as possible. After reading the articles, I noticed that I was absolutely wrong.
Talking to much can be overwhelming at times when having a conversation with friends or family. Interviews are no different. A mix of preparation and knowledge about the company should be enough for the interview. Rehersing every single possible question that may be asked is too much, even though a little practice does make you less nervous. The article "Avoid Being A Chatterbox During Interviews" shows that the biggest misttake made during an interview is talking to much. The less I think about, the more it makes sense. If I were giving an interview, I definitely would not want to higher a person that talks to much or spoke for hours about himself/herself. It is common sense. Interviewers want to a real judge of your personality. If they were to only base the job off of background and academics, interviews would not be needed and they could higher people based on their resume. The article made me realize that interviewers are people too, and want to higher not only a person that will be good for the company, but also a person that has a good personality.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Champagne on a plane? Welcome to the Good Life.

To sum up where I want to be in ten years in one post is a hard task. I am finding out more about myself and what I want to be doing as a career this year because I am starting to take my finance classes. When I arrived at Clemson University as a freshman my first passion was music, but I knew that I would not be able to pursue it as a steady career. Now that my classes are getting more interesting, in ten years I see myself with a job as either a financial analyst, investment banker, or accountant. As of right now, I am still trying to decide if I want to double major in accounting.
I want to set my goals high and try to get a finance or accounting job for a respectable firm in either Atlanta or in New York City. If I get a job as a financial analyst or investment banker, I will have to move by New York City and Boston to be closer to the New York Stock Exchange and major corporations. I am going to wait to start a family until I get a well-paying job because I do not want it to interfere with my motivation and business goals.
Although I want to have a job in finance or accounting, I still want to be able to follow music and go to a lot of concerts. If I become an accountant I want to be in the entertainment (music) business. This way I can be close to my music passion, as well as use my skills that I learned at Clemson University. On the other hand, if I become a financial analyst I want to have bands as some of my clients. This way I can build a budget for them and get involved with the music and touring.
On top of my occupation, I want to also own an apartment in downtown Atlanta or a city up north. I do not see myself buying a house yet because I will most likely be living alone. Furthermore, a house, nevertheless an apartment, is very expensive in a major city. One thing that I am not looking forward to is having to dress up for work everyday. I do not really think about the material items because they are not the reason for following my goals to work in the business, but they are definitely fun to think about seeing as I am currently a poor college student.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Reponse to Web 2.0 Video

The title of the video: "Web 2.0 is us/using us" means that even though, as individuals, we form to make up the internet, the internet is also using us for information and changing the customs and quality of life of the world. For example, when entering the business world, meetings can be held by web cams and employees can telecommunicate or work from home on the internet. The video shows that html and email are gradually changing the way we exchange information. Paper and pencil are sometimes no longer needed on a daily basis to communicate with co-workers. Furthermore, employees entering the workforce looking for jobs must know how to use the internet and develop computer skills in order to be competitive. Without being internet and computer savvy, they will become overwhelmed by technology and will not be able to keep pace with their employer. Employees already in the workforce have to take the time to learn the new computer skills, or get replaced. The whole point of a company is to reduce its working capital costs and time. The internet and computers reduce both capital costs (such as organizing information and accounting for inventory) and is also time efficient.
The internet makes us "rethink everything." It makes us rethink the ways we communicate, the way we gather information, the way we pay or bills, the way we shop, and even the way we spend our free time. Everything that was once a separate activity can now all be accomplished on the internet. Even our language is slowly being changed by internet slang. Is the internet us, or is it using us and changing the way we live permanently?

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Welcome

Hey, welcome to my new blog. My name is Jon and I am currently a finance major at Clemson University. I am from Columbia, SC, home of our biggest rivals: the USC Gamecocks. When I first got to Clemson I was not sure if I wanted to major in engineering or finance. After taking my first semester of classes, I quickly came to a decision on finance. The more finance classes I take at Clemson, the more stock markets and money markets interest me.
Other than finance, a couple of my interests include playing musical instruments, going to concerts, and Clemson sports. I have been playing guitar for 8 years and viola since I was in elementary school. They are very relaxing and even more fun when you have a friend to play along. I try to go to as many concerts as possible, it may be due to my interest in musical instruments, but I really enjoy them. As a matter of fact, I am going to see the band Copeland tomorrow night, August 29th, in Asheville. I also enjoy Clemson sports. Clemson soccer starts off against USC Friday, August 31st while football starts on Labor Day against Florida State.
Thank you for visiting my blog and I am sure you will hear more from me soon.