Sunday, November 9, 2008

Dual Coding Theory

The advertisement created by Nike contains elements that the human brain processes using dual-coding theory.  




We first are drawn to the writing on the wall. The phrases "Practice Like Champions" and "We Believe"  are meant to instill a sense of determination and fervor in those who read it. The fact that they are different texts and colors, along with being on different surfaces suggests that we consider both separately while the placement suggests we should consider them as parts of one grand idea.

The second thing the brain does is attach meaning to the images that can be seen. In this ad, a strip of green to the left is about the only hint of what is behind the second wooden screen.  It appears to be a field, likely a football stadium at a high school.  This would place the viewer in a locker room with a glimpse of glory in their eyes. The phrases are once again considered, giving a fiery meaning to the images.  

As the brain weighs the written stimuli and the visual stimuli, it invokes significance to the usage of each. Dual-coding theory is the human brain's involuntary method of decrypting information, and in this case, forces us to imagine the glory of a high school football championship.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Communication Breakdown!

Since I began working at Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Shop in Downtown Clemson, I have started to realize that communication is one of the key factors of efficient business operations.  Without proper and open lines of communication, a company can find itself in dire emergency.


A relevant case arose at "the creamery" when our ice cream distributor (whom shall remain unnamed) switched the delivery schedule from once a week to once every two weeks.....without notifying anyone.  

Normally this is no problem, but it was First Friday at Clemson.  Now we have a problem.

Let's put some numbers up on the board.  On a well-prepared home game weekend we should offer a maximum 36 flavors.  We had 6.  We should have 40 bins as backup inventory.  We had 6. 

After numerous calls the week prior to the game, no ice cream was delivered.  


What we came to realize is that the secretary at the distributor quit; and as it turned out the "fill-in" was not so "filled-in" on what the job entailed (i.e. reporting a scheduling change to your customers).  The lines of communication had been severed, and what was left was a disaster of a week in sales for likely most of the southeastern dessert shops.  

Tragic.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

My Thoughts Before the Interview

Since I have yet to meet with Professor Rogers due to her illness, I am unable to write a reflection.  Hooray! No blog assignment due this week for me!  

Well, sort of. 

I have been in such a good habit of writing a blog post Sunday night of each week that I feel I should continue. So I will write about some of the thoughts and feelings I have before conducting the mock interview. Here are a few:

  • I am fairly confident in my ability to speak professionally with a possible future employer.
  • However, I must remember to keep eye contact and be attentive at all times, and keep my posture upright.
  • I should mention things pertaining to successes in my life, and try to relate it to adding value to the firm for which I am applying.
  • Towards the end of the meeting, I should insist on continued correspondence and demonstrate my interest in a second interview.
I feel that things will run relatively smoothly, but I must always be mindful of the possibility that a question could stump me.  If so, I should remain relaxed, think about my response, and present my thoughts clearly.  

P.S.  I will likely update this post with a reflection after the mock interview.


And here it is...

The interview with Ms. Rogers went relatively well, with the exception of one part.  I felt comfortable speaking with her; this might be attributed to the fact that I have a class with her.  

Despite this, I acted as if it were real, and knew she would conduct it as such.  I answered her questions as I had learned to do in class.  This involved being collected and prepared to be put on the spot.  

Although I practiced answering certain important matters, one question that stumped me was "What is your biggest weakness?"  It was difficult to respond to this, because it is imperative that one stress his or her strengths in an interview, not his or her weaknesses.

I stalled.

And stalled.

And made jokes.

And they were not funny.


Basically, I choked.

I was not prepared to answer a question about my shortcomings, as I had been too invested in expounding on my successes.  Other than this hiccup, I felt satisfied with my performance in the mock interview.  I now know that it pays to be equipped to address cases of failure as well as triumph.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Well Done Fellow Classmates!

The presentations this past week were quite interesting, and by having an open topic, we were truly able to learn a variety of things.  Three that I enjoyed were those by Frankie, Garrett, and Shawn.  

What played well for Frankie was the nature of his topic and the fact that he was first to present. A controversial topic such as the use of marijuana immediately catches the attention of an audience of our age and impressionable manner. It was also intriguing to hear some names for marijuana from other countries (i.e. Africa: daga).

Garrett was well-prepared and had an effective idea to keep people compelled to pay attention. That, coupled with the toys he passed around, allowed for a comfortable atmosphere to relay his message. I thought it was great that he mentioned upcoming events and how easily one could become involved. Again, the audience was also well considered. 

Shawn also picked a great topic for the class audience.  Revealing incongruities in the officiating of ACC basketball teams was a very captivating and weighty issue to take into consideration. The information seemed documented and well-backed, which sparked emotion from the listeners.  

To whittle my favorites down to three is not an easy task, as all of them kept me entertained. As aforementioned, each of these speakers chose a pertinent subject for the audience at hand. This is one of the most important aspects of speech preparation to bear in mind, and contributed to their success.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Cooking 101

I am severely addicted to food.  Today, I realized that there are many steps to creating a perfect dish, and I can not figure out which I enjoy the most.  As far as I break it down, there are 5 basic steps to inventing a recipe, while having fun:

1.  Dream.  
If you allow yourself to conjure up combinations of flavor without bounds you can open an entire new world of cooking possibilities.  And if you end up with a failed attempt, at least you should know what not to do in the future.

2.  Be picky.
I do not know how long normal folks spend in the grocery store to buy a week's worth of food, but I have got them beat.  I start at the same end of the store each time, working my way down the aisles.  Produce is always last, and my favorite section.  I study each piece until the prize fruit, vegetable, or herb is found.  Tomatoes, basil, onions, limes, mushrooms, cilantro, leeks, potatoes, spinach - nothing makes me happier.  Except...wait...garlic! Oh, the garlic!

3.  Prep well.
I might like this step the best of the five for one simple reason.  My passion for cooking is held in a 7.5 inch Santoku knife.  Chopping veggies to hear the snap of a clean cut is by far the best part of cooking - end of discussion and moving on.

4.  Be alert.
Not every oven or stove cooks the same, and a minute too long can ruin the doneness, consistency, and even the flavor of some foods.  Be watchful when the flame is on, and stir if it calls for it.  Catching a mistake early can save an entire meal.  

5.  Enjoy!
This step still takes second place to prepping, but it is the culmination of an afternoon in the kitchen.  Plating and garnishing the food is fun, but destroying the evidence of hard work is delicious and intoxicating.  

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Cover Letters Uncovered!

The advice given at CollegeGrad.com seems reasonably credible, and after reading other sources on cover letters, was one of the most helpful.  I am glad that this class provides me with the tools I will need to be more successful as a professional - before doing this and other research, I was unaware of their value and the extent of their use.

Cover letters are application wrapping paper.  From what I learned about the reality of cover letters, employers tear through stacks of applications with one initiative: review resumes.  A cover letter is often overlooked at first to expedite the process of getting a position filled with a quality employee.  

One piece of advice that I have not allowed my mind to be convinced is a good idea is to hand-write a postscript (P.S.).  To me, with all the other documents being professional-looking and standard typed, a handwritten note on the front seems like a killer.  I do understand the concept of the employer seeing this first and perhaps reading the cover letter sooner, but I can not see it boding well as a technique to present the possible hire as professional.

I can relate to the tip about not sending mass emails because I delete eighty percent of mine without reading them.  I am sure employers looking to have a position filled get plenty of emails a day, and those that go by the offices likely have better chances of getting the job.  However, if you were referred to someone who is expecting to hear from you, an email would not be a ticket for a rejection letter.  

The value of cover letters is not diminished if they are crafted succinctly and skillfully.  They can be a beneficial addition to a resume or an ineffective impediment to getting the job.  If you consider a resume a gift, it is best to wrap that gift in the gold wrapping paper that is a compelling cover letter.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Job Interview Articles

Response to "Six Common Job Interview Questions" by Tom Musbach:

This article caught my attention immediately as something valuable I would need to know in order to be confident in an interview. Prior knowledge of these common interview questions can prepare me to have a solid response that would only better my chances at being given the job offer. I can easily see fielding any of these questions in an interview for a position I might want to fill.

Questions like "Why did you leave your last position?" are aggressive and demand a calm and legitimate response. I learned that one should always be honest, and refrain from speaking negatively about a previous job. The ramifications are obvious, as potential employers might feel that that the person is unable to cooperate, or that he or she holds unhealthy grudges.

Questions like "Can you describe a previous work situation in which you...?" and "What is your ideal work environment?" can give insight to interviewers about how a person might fit into the company mold. A sense of cohesiveness among coworkers is necessary for a successful business, and responding with strong, objective driven answers can really impress a future employer.


Response to "The Second Interview" by Caroline Levchuck:

This article was most helpful in providing good points relating to how to handle a second interview once passing the initial. To me, the second interview seems like perhaps the most important time spent with potential coworkers before terms of hire are agreed upon and settled.

During this time, one should be personable, approachable, and distinguishable as a worthy member of the business team. This is another good time to meet many new people, develop a list of contacts, and provide concrete examples of how your skills and experiences could add value to the company and it's objectives.

Determining the proper steps to take as follow up is just as important as preparation, and can make or break a job offer for a candidate. I was unaware that one should never take a job offer on the spot, but instead avoid hasty decisions. I could have easily seen myself getting overly-excited and biting at a handsome offer.


Both of these articles were very helpful in preparing me for the importance of the many factors that contribute to a successful interviewing process. I will likely read the others, and any other tools provided for me through this course as it can only foster a desire to achieve a high level of success in any endeavor I choose.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Ten Years from Now...

As a second year senior, I have been forced to think about my future all too often in the recent year or so. I know that when people ask me, "What are you doing after you graduate?", I always end up listing my plans by importance, without regard to a budget. The list is short, but if each was fulfilled, I would be completely satisfied. It is as follows:

1) Travel to Europe.
This is first on my list because I have never been, and I feel it necessary to experience before I continue on any other endeavor. The only issue is my finances, and if they will hold up enough to allow me to go to all the European cities I would like. They include: Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Genoa, Rome, Athens, among others.

2) Get a job.
I would like a
n entry-level position in a financial analyst firm. I cannot be too picky on a location, but I am hoping to get a job offer somewhere in the southeast. My preference would be Charleston, then Greenville, and then Athens or Asheville. I have been very interested in my new major (Economics) and am anxious to begin work.

3) Buy a new car.
I have always driven the lower priced cars (Corolla, Camry), so when I start getting a decent paycheck, I would like to purchase a new, more valuable car. I am a sucker for speed and beauty, so an Audi (or something comparable), would be my vehicle of choice. I am also excited about learning how to finance assets, build credit, and manage money, and buying an expensive car will force me to do that.

4) Buy a house.
To finally settle down in a house and have a place to call home will be a great feeling. My dog will hopefully have a big yard to run around, and I will have the perfect kitchen. I would obviously like to call one of the aforementioned cities home, but I am prepared to move most anywhere. If I become successful in my profession, I will likely have to live around larger cities for some amount of time.

5) Build a family.
A wife and a few kids will complement my dog, Penny well. All I can ask for is a woman who invests the time and love that I hope to invest in her. I would probably like to have two or three children, at least one girl and one boy. Having a supportive, loving family is the most important thing about my future, and if all goes well, the list can end here.

I'll be 34 in ten years, and I would like to have accomplished all of the above by then (minus one kid, maybe). Now when I'm asked that question about my post-grad plans, I can simply say, check my blog.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

Web 2.0

     I found this video particularly interesting, and watching it actually introduced me to the term and concept of Web 2.0.   The title Web 2.0: The Machine is Us/ing Us is a clever way to express the notion that while we feel that we use the web, its vast utility is actually reshaping the way people live.  
     Web 2.0 is the recognition of a "new" Internet, not in any technical sense, but in a way that is allowing people to interact through social-networking sites, podcasts, wikis, blogs, video feeds and the like.  The implications that new and faster "connect-ability" offers is astounding: people can find old friends, apply  for jobs, place ads, send entire files or portfolios, and even find a soulmate.  
     Once the web became known for its effectiveness, it molded the way software developers and web masters developed web pages.  No longer are our audiences bound by geographic barriers; Web 2.0 allows interconnectivity on a global scale.  Anyone with access can have their own web page, introducing them to the rest of the world.  Businesses that take advantage of the benefits that this "new" Internet can offer are able to operate on an elevated level.  Those that are currently part of the workforce must keep their business agile and flexible to adapt to the changing face of day to day operations, while those entering the workforce must anticipate the wide use of Web 2.0 applications in today's global community.  
     This is what Professor Wesch meant by "We need to rethink everything."  We must all consider the expanding of the web and its correlation with each and every aspect of our daily lives.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Hello Class!

My name is Grant, and it is nice to meet all of you electronically! This is officially my first blog and I am taking a liking to it already. I posted a survey question on the side of this page about the Tiger football season if you would like to share your input. There is more about me there as well if you care to know. The picture I chose is of my dog Penny Lane, who is a Dalmatian/Pit-Bull mix. She is almost three years old and lives with me in Clemson. Here are some of my favorite shots of her:During the week in the evenings you can find me in the scoop shop (Ben&Jerry's) downtown. If you come in and I am there, mention to me that you are in my business writing class and I will give you a free scoop! This also applies to you, Professor Rogers. Now that is bribery at it's very best. I will try to make my blogs interesting, and my page easy on the eyes. I am looking forward to a great semester and to meeting all of you in person. See you in class!