Unit 1 class discussion

Class DiscussionSharron Dortch5/31/2011 4:06:30 PM When you go to sleep tonight, you dream a miracle happens. When you awake the next day everything in your life is exactly the way you want it to be. What do you see? Based on the this scenario, write one paragraph responding to all of the following prompts: What is the first thing that you notice? How is this meaningful to you? Describe how you spend most of your time. What is a typical day like? How are you different in the dream setting from how you are in your waking life?

The first thing I notice is my big beautiful four bedroom home. This is meaningful because I have obtained just one of my goals of owning my own home. I can only assume I have advanced in my career as a crime scene investigator and Im doing very well at it. I spend most of my time working to solve cases. I try to get a little free time in but not much. Work is so demanding and I like it that way, for now. My typical day starts at 6 am. I wake up to the sound of my alarm, get dress and Im off to the office. From there anything can happen. I could be called to the scene of a crime or asked for my advice about an unsolved homicide. In my dream setting I handle stress better. I have managed my money better because of my big beautiful home, I am more mature.

Unit 2 discussion 1

1. What are some of the pros and cons of informational interviewing? I can't name any cons to an informational interviewing. Some of the pros of informational interviewing are: Its a stepping stone for building a networking and contacting system with people in your field. Its an effective way to experience a variety of work opportunities that might interest you. It can lead to other unplanned events and circumstances.

2. What obstacles would prevent you from conducting an informational interview? The obstacles that would prevent you from conducting an informational interview are not being properly prepared and/or time does not allow the person that you are interviewing to

be interviewed. How would you prepare for an informational interview? Research the organization, and if possible, the person you will be interviewing. Prepare some questions that you would be asking the interviewee. Prepare to wear some type of business attire to the interview. Find someone to interview. Set up a time to meet that individual in person.

Unit 2 discussion 2

What qualities must todays workers have in order to manage their own career development? The qualities that todays workers must have in order to manage their own career development are skills in communication, honesty/integrity, interpersonal, strong work

ethic, teamwork, analytical, motivation, flexibility/adaptability, computer, detailoriented, leadership, and organization. What are the pros and cons of job hopping in the current economic climate? The pros to job hopping in the current economic climate is it opens the opportunity to allow you to establish what job make you happy. Allow you time to make a decision on your career choice. The cons to job hopping is that you are only retaining shallow experience if you dont stay long enough in a position to retain the requirements and experience needed to benefit you. Your employer also can look at your stability as a red flag if you move to often this means that its a chance you may leave the company. So why waste the revenue and time on training you or hiring you permanently in the position that you may be ready to settle down in. How has the concept of loyalty changed for todays employees and employers? It was once known that if your job performance was great and you were committed and dependable when it came to your employer than you were guaranteed you position which included a paycheck, benefits

and retirement. Things have changed over the decade that affects the loyalty between employees and employers due to rapid development of technology; the increase in competition; the scarcity of employees with the right skills set; and the death of employee/employer loyalty.

Unit 3 discussion 1 Why is networking an effective job search strategy? Networking is an effective job search strategy because it shares insight and job opportunities information from meeting contact individuals in your field. Getting that opportunity that you are looking for could be uncovered faster by who you know, not by what you know, thats what make networking an effective strategy. In your opinion, what is the most important thing to remember about networking

etiquette? Why? The most important thing to remember about networking etiquette is your introduction and being honest with who you are conducting your interview with. Why, because your appearance is a part of your introduction and that is the first characteristic you are judged on. Honesty is important because the interviewee is going to be curious about the nature of the interview. Its important to say that you are seeking employment or you are interested in finding out more about a career path. What would be your greatest challenge in using networking as a job search tool? Not networking at all can be one of your biggest challenges and failing to ask family and friends for help, these people are the ones that make your most effective connections.

Unit 3 discussion 2 What type of resume style would best fit your employment history? The resume style that would best fit my employment history would be the combination resume. Why is it the most effective resume style for you? It is the most effective resume style for me because I am making a radical career change and this format places emphasis on achievements and skills first, rather than pointing out that this is a big change in my career path. Also, because I am a student with little work history this format allows me to showcase my skills first before revealing my short work history. What are some of the pros and cons of using a combination style resume? The pros of using a combination style resume are it gives you a opportunity to present both a strong summary of your skills and accomplishments up front (functional), while also providing a detailed employment history (chronological) that supports the statements made in the first section. If you are making a career change this format places emphasis on achievements and skills first, rather than

pointing out that this is a big change in your career path. If youre a student with little work history, this format allows you to showcase your skills first before revealing your short work history. The cons of using a combination style resume are if you switched jobs frequently then the chronological portion of this format still highlights the frequent switching as well as the timeline gaps in employment history. If you are trying to conceal your age, the combination format would give a potential employer enough information to get a rough idea of when you were born.Resource: http://www.money-zine.com/Career-Development/ResumeWriting/Combination-Resume/

Unit 4 discussion 1

Write one sentence stating where you are from and what your career interests are. I am from Washington, DC and my career interests are Medical Billing and Coding. In no more than two sentences, describe your relevant education and training. My educational background consists of

currently attending Everest University online. I have achieved 44 credits toward my associates degree in Medical Billing and Coding with a GPA of 3.5. In no more than two sentences, describe your relevant work background and focus on responsibilities and accomplishments. Ive achieved 9 years of managerial experience that include supervising numerous associates in developmental competencies in a high paced office environment. My work ethic and motivational support has accelerated my team to contributing to meeting and exceeding the companys budget quarterly. In one sentence, describe your job and career goals. I am currently a full time student focusing on my associate degree. In one sentence, state the value that you bring to the position. My strong communicational skills will administer proficiency in the position of

Medical Billing and Coding. Read your main post to a friend or family member and invite feedback. What feedback did you receive? The feedback that I received from a family member was that I used a great deal of resume strong words in which was impressive.

Unit 5 discussion 1

The cover letter is most often the employer's first "first" impression of an applicant. An effective cover letter acts a bridge between you and your future employer opening the door to the job interview. For a cover letter to be effective it must do more than express the applicant's interest; it must invite and entice the reader to want to know more about you. Please respond to all of the following prompts: What are the essential elements of an effective cover letter? The essential elements to an effective cover

letter are date, salutation, addressee information, personal identification, an opening paragraph, closing paragraph, and signature. What gives a cover letter a professional "look"? To make a cover letter professional looking need to make sure that you use black ink on white standard 8 by 11 inch paper. Also try to not use graphics, lines, or shading and also try to make sure that you use clear font with 12 point font. Try to avoid using abbreviations for anything but state and street names. How will you make your letter stand out from all the others? Try to make sure that your cover letter is readable and enjoyable. Make sure that while youre writing about yourself you dont become too personal or step over any professional boundaries and there are some words that can help make your cover letter pop out more. What do you find the most challenging part of writing a cover letter? What are some ways you could overcome this?

One of the hardest parts that I have about writing a cover letter is making sure it sounds good and doesnt go overboard on information. The best way to overcome this is to always have someone else read your cover letter to make sure that it sounds the best possible.

Unit 5 discussion 2

The documents in your portfolio serve as proof of your past performance and demonstrate what you have to offer to a potential employer. Take the next step in the career development process by gathering evidence of your skills, training, achievements, and references and compiling them into an employment portfolio. Please respond to all of the following prompts: In what ways is the portfolio important in the 21st century job market? A portfolio in the 21st century job market is truly important because it helps an employee carry on during the inevitable. It also can give an employee a sense of being able to withstand anything and weather the storms

that might come along. How will your portfolio help you to manage your career and control your future? Your portfolio helps you manage your career in giving you a place to document all of your experience and interests from each and every job that you might have. A portfolio empowers you into determining the future you want by giving you all the resources you might need right at your fingertips. What will you include in your portfolio and how will you organize it? You want to have the PEAKS within your portfolio and they could be organized just in that order. The P stands for personal meaning that it tells about you and your traits that define who you are. E stands for the experience you have gained from previous employers. A is for any work, academic, or personal accomplishments that you might have achieved and K stands for knowledge and what you know and the types of schools you attended. S is for your skills that you have gained or even possess.

Unit 5 discussion 1

On a scale of 1-10 with 1 representing "out of control" and 10 representing total balance, how would you rate your current life balance - personal, professional, financial, and social? Personal life would be a 5, professional would be 7, financial would be 7, and social life would be a 3. What areas of your life consume the most attention? What areas of your life lack attention? My personal and professional life consumes the most of my attention as between work and my son I dont have a lot of time for anything. The least amount of attention goes to a social life as I havent had one of them since I had my son 8 years ago. How does the state of your life balance affect your moods and outlook on life? At times the balance of my life can become extremely stressful and cause myself to become extremely overwhelmed. Although my outlook on life always stands the same as

every situation could be much worse. What are one or two changes that could help bring your life into balance? The biggest change that I would have to make would have to be having to find time for more of a social life and time to have by myself.Unit 5 discussion 2

Think about an experience you had as the new person in an organization. How did you learn to fit in? Describe the culture of the organization. As the new person at the current company I work for it was pretty hard to find an area to fit into. As a culture the place is completely diverse and there are no real culture boundaries. Everyone attempts to find the area or group they fit in with the best. I was lucky enough to meet a wonderful group of individuals that I became friends with and we are very drastically different in age, race, and even beliefs, but we dont judge each other and enjoy being

around one another. Name three professional behaviors that could contribute to your success in the workplace. How are these behaviors helpful?Courtesy as you never want to be disrespectful to anyone and should always attempt to stay within work boundaries. Polite- You always want to be polite to all coworkers no matter what your feelings for them are. It keeps the workplace pleasant for everyone. Make sure you conduct yourself at the highest level of professionalism. Being professional helps keep all negative behaviors outside of the workplace and it can keep from anyone feeling uneasy around you.

teamwork week 4