Week 8 Blog

Our group project consists of informing people how to create effective and successful cover letters and resumes. This topic is something very prevalent to both college graduates and all job hunters alike. Because of its relevance, this information is highly sought after and so should be both easy to access and understand.

I feel like the two largest questions people have about cover letters and resumes are what to include and what to exclude. I feel like these two questions should be presented in the introduction to let the audience know exactly what the main issues covered in the presentation will be. I think it is also very important to note that these pieces of writing are personal and that there are no right and wrong ways to go about writing them, but that there are definitely some important tips to make your writings more effective to the employer.

Examples of sample cover letters and resumes should be shown during the presentation. These samples should include both mistakes and great examples of amazing cover letters and resumes. It is important to show things that are not necessary to include, and make note of good examples within the samples as well.

Our presentation will also include our brochures that have been made for the career service center. The brochures will include great tips to writing cover letters and resumes, links to sites online that help with these processes, and also some other information regarding the topic. Cover letters and resumes can be a daunting process, but with the right help, they are a simple task to let others know your intentions, skills, and desire for employment within a company. They are your chance to shine and be a beacon of light among other employees seeking the job.

Blog week 7

Social networking is a current trend that enable the user to reach mass amounts of people very quickly and effectively. There are so many social networking websites available on the world wide web making it an easy tool to find and create. If you need to promote your business, promote yourself as an artist or employee, or even get others to see your point of view on a situation, websites like facebook, myspace, and twitter can allow you to reach these goals.

For students in the job market, social networking tools can be very useful as before mentioned; but, they can also be very harmful. Many of these sites are monitored by companies looking to hire employees. Unflattering pictures, unacceptable language, and personal views should be kept off of your personal social networking page. These situations can inhibit an employer from hiring a new person in the job market.

I interviewed a fellow graduate in the job market about his views on social networking sites. He talked about many benefits:

"When I was traveling through Europe, I had to use social networking sites like facebook as my primary form of communication. Also, I kept my friends updated by posting pictures, and sharing anecdotes with my friends about my travels. I have also been able to maintain friendships from my past through use of these same sites. Also, I am very aware that many employers screen applicants facebook pages. In a strange way I view it as a chance to promote myself by sharing my life, and my former experiences in the work place with my potential employers."

Social networking sites can be extremely beneficial when dealing with every aspect of life. From friends, family, to future job opportunities, you can be your own advocate.

Week 6 Blog

As of now in this class, we are currently working on a group project. I have never been a fan of group projects, and being that this is an online class, group projects are even harder to coordinate and complete. In a regular classroom setting, you must attend at a particular time. This makes group work far more accessible because it is being done in a classroom at a set time that all people are agreeing to be present. In an online class situation, people are taking an online class because they do not want to be constricted to a class time and structure. Because of this, having group work becomes very difficult since everyone is on different schedules and do not have the comfort of semi-knowing each other from a classroom setting. With this said, I feel this project is not taking complete fruition as I would like it to. I am not a leader by nature, as I do not want to step on anyone's toes, or cross a boundary and tell people what to do. So by my nature alone, I have kind of set back and let others decide project decisions, conference times, etc.

Our proposal is to teach students how to make a cover letter and resume that will be effective for their job search and qualifications. This is a very important part of the employment process, especially for those seeking jobs online, which is where a vast majority of jobs can be found today. Having a quality cover letter that introduces yourself and your intentions with the company are a great way to get the employer to want to look further into your resume. As far as work progress, our group has created the proposal to submit to the teacher. Our proposal outlines exactly what we are intending to do and our schedule for all of the work we want to accomplish. We have yet to have our group skype conference, nor do I know when this conference is supposed to take place. Hopefully I will hear soon.

My main concerns with this project are communication, which is an integral part of this process.

Week 5 Blog

There are four current jobs that I am looking at for future career opportunities. The first two that I am interested in are in my field of schooling, education. Both teaching jobs are located within the Orange County School District. I found these jobs through the Orange County School District website. This website has an area where potential employees can create an account, search for jobs, and essentially apply. Both jobs are for fourth grade teachers at the same elementary school. The requirements for the job are a Florida teacher's license indicating that I am qualified to teach fourth grade. I have my teaching license which states I can teach all subjects k-6, and english and math grades 7-12. I am qualified to teach these positions, but being hired would be based on my resume, my references, and an interview if offered one. I have currently applied for both positions, have mailed my cover letter and resume, and am waiting for phone calls or emails about the jobs. Both of these jobs are looking for a candidate with the required licensure, an exciting teaching philosophy, and a successful interview. The next two jobs are sided towards my entertainment career. One job is an equity dance position for holiday dancers at The Walt Disney World Resort. The other is for character performers at the Nickelodeon Hotel in Orlando. Both jobs require attendance at an audition, a resume listing any skills that are related to the jobs, and a professional head shot. The character performer audition also requires that you be within a certain height range. Both of these jobs are looking for a candidate that has a strong technical dance background, animation and performance abilities, and a certain look that is subjective to the employers.

My qualifications for the teaching jobs are that I am a graduate of USM with a degree in Elementary Education, I have applied for and successfully gotten my teaching license, and I have a great love for the profession that I am able to convey in an interview. My qualifications for the entertainment jobs are that I am a trained dancer and have prior performance experience with other companies. My resume and cover letter would express my desire to work for the mentioned companies and how I will benefit and enhance those companies. The resume would include my accomplishments in each field and include references that can attest to these accomplishments. In entertainment positions, the audition is where you show your skill set to the employers.

At this moment I really want to pursue the equity dance position with Walt Disney. I want this position because it is a seasonal position that can go along well with any other job that I may have at the time of hire. I also want this job so I can have an outlet to perform and share my love of performance with an audience and fellow coworkers. My resume and cover letter would share my skill set, my experience in dance, and my desire to enhance a company with my love of performance. My head shot would be a clear representation of what I look like. My audition would hopefully go as smoothly as possible and I would be able to show the employers that I have the skills that they are looking for.

http://corporate.disney.go.com/auditions/

http://www.orlandojobs.com/e_profilesdetail.asp?em_id=1298

https://www.ocps.net/Pages/default.aspx

Week 4 Blog

I chose the Mississippi Department of Education website for this blog. I frequent this website due to the fact that I am currently applying for my Mississippi teaching license. The process for applying for your license can be very intimidating, and this website is where everything takes place in regards to any topic on education in the state of Mississippi. mde.k12.ms.us is the website if you are interested in visiting it!

Dear Web Designer,

As a future educator in the state of Mississippi I visit this website quite often in search of important information that my success in my career relies on. First I would like to thank you for creating this website, as it is the central hub for educators, parents, students, and those with invested interest in the department of education here in Mississippi. The aspects of the website that I find amazing are the amounts of information that can be found and the variety of topics that this website presents. Not only can I find current events in education here in Mississippi and across the United States, but I can use this website as a teacher with regards to my license, renewal, teaching methods, and resources. The largest strength of this website is the information provided, hands down.

Even with the large amounts of information, the website is far from user friendly. The home page of the website can be very intimidating as the large amount of information is not very well organized. As a user, I almost do not know where to look first. I immediately noticed the search bar which is a great help when the initial fear hits. The search box allows the user to immediately find whatever it may be they are looking for without having to sift through unnecessary information. So my biggest piece of advice would be to organize the home page in a more user friendly way. Maybe through the use of color blocking, larger headlines, or removing non-important information the user may not be as intimidated upon entering the site.

Blog 2

With a degree in Elementary Education, I have come across and will continue to come across many articles that relate to my field, the studies, and the advances being made by educators across the world. One subject that I find to be very stimulating, and a subject that I particularly remember a specific article about is that of gifted learners. There are many views and opinions on gifted learners and this particular article gave an insight that I found to be both informative and intriguing.

Issues raised by the writer focus on the idea that not all gifted learners are "book smart." He speaks a lot about the idea of multiple intelligences defining the gifted student instead of the usual standard IQ tests that are used today to place students in gifted programs. The larger debate happening in this article is the question of what defines a gifted student. He claims that some students not receiving the benefits that come with a pull out gifted program are missing out on opportunities that could increase their learning potential.

The write of this article is an educator himself. An elementary teacher for many years turned college professor in an Education department a university. Through research of many studies, articles, and more, he has formulated this article with his beliefs on multiple intelligences and gifted programming.

This publication is intended for educators, students, and parents. Access is given to anyone wanting to read the article and is not restricted to certain professionals. A variety of topics regarding education is covered in this article. It does not focus on one subject or area of education.

Although not stated, I feel that this writer is compelled to create this piece due to personal experiences with his own students. He sees students that are gifted in other ways besides in the classroom. He feels that these students should also receive the benefits of a gifted pull out program. His purpose is to inform the masses that being gifted does not just mean being intelligent. Multiple intelligences range from being a gifted piano player to being a gifted memorizer. The purpose of this article is very evident through reading the writer's thoughts and beliefs on the topic. He backs up his persuasive writing with facts.

The intended audience is educators and parents. The views expressed in this article are meant for the audience to re-evaluate their own ideas of the definition of a gifted student. The writer's word choice and language is also very reader friendly. He does use some language that only those knowledgeable about education would know. This, however, does not distract from the message as a whole.

I feel that this writer strongly expressed the ideas that he wanted to get across. Through the presentation of facts, personal experiences, and true concern, the writer successfully reached me, and I am sure many others.

Week 1 Blog

Hi, my name is Nicholas Kade Clement. I am a recent graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis on mathematics. I am currently seeking employment in many school districts across the South and hoping to get a math teaching job in the secondary level of education.

This week has been a very hectic week for me because I am currently moving to Orlando, Florida for a summer job. I have been employed by the Walt Disney Company for a few years as a dancer in shows and parades. Dance has always been a passion of mine and working for Disney is a great outlet for me to perform and share my passion with others.

I am currently working on another degree and taking this class will help me reach that goal. Writing has always been a great strength of mine and I also enjoy it very much. Writing in many forms I find narrative to be my strong point. Narrative writing can be very therapeutic and allow you to get your thoughts down on paper and analyze them in a more thorough way.

The only breakdown I remember as a writer was as a senior in high school. It was my first real serious writing assignment to write a term paper on Bette Davis. Getting all of my sources, writing note cards, citing sources, etc, became very overwhelming as a first time writer.

I hope to learn some things about writing that I may have missed along both my high school and college education. I am also hoping that this course will be a great refresher as I enter the job market and have to write philosophies of education, autobiographies, and job applications.

I am leaving Picayune, MS today at five and will be without internet until next Wednesday when it will be installed in my apartment in Orlando. I wish everyone luck with this course and can not wait to begin learning and growing as a writer!