Reflection

Hello, Mentees! I hope you are doing well and getting back into the swing of things this past week after a much needed spring break! Spring break is always a nice way to relax a little and step back from homework and school, isn’t it?

Reflection is essential in making many life decisions, whether personal, academic or professional. Everyday I use reflection techniques in one way or another—when decided what to eat, what task to do at work, etc. I often recall past events to help me make the present decisions. For example, “I recall the last time I order that entre at the restaurant, afterwards I felt sick to my stomach, missed work the next day and swore I would never touch that stuff again.”

Read on for good advice and descriptions of reflection, then tell me how you use reflection in your life.Reflection makes meaning by using present perspective to look back on a past experience. Some reflective prompts include:

• I thought/I began to feel…
• I wondered/began to wonder…
• I figured…
• I felt as though…
• I began to feel…
• I said to myself…

The reflective voice is the one who has the advantage of perspective and insight on the past event. This voice can be the one that drives the development of thought and the subtext of the piece. It's important, then, that this present perspective has power. Consider this passage by doctor/writer Richard Selzer:

"It is twelve years since I walked away from my beloved workbench in the operating room. It was not done with a cheery wave of the hand. For a long time, there was a sense of dislocation as if I was standing on the bank of a stream, and it was the bank that was flowing while the stream stood still. Surgery was my native land. The writer who cuts himself off from his native land does so at great risk. The subject of so much of my writing had been my work as a doctor. Would I be punished for sending myself into exile? Have nothing left to say? I needn't have worried. There is always the sharp and aching tooth of memory."

After reading Dr. Selzer’s passage, do you have a better understanding of how reflection is used? Do you see the several examples of reflection used to give us, the reader, an insight to how important being a doctor was to him and the controversy he had when deciding to leave it behind?

After reviewing the above information and examples, plus using your own recent reflection assignment, can you give me examples of what you think reflection is and why? How you can use reflection in developing your e-portfolio, your academic path and your career path?

I look forward to your responses! :o)

Kadie

Interviews

Hello everyone I hope you all had a great spring break! This posting will be about interviewing as you probably already know from the title. We will have you practice an interview by clicking the fist link I provided below. I did an interview myself and that is the second link that I posted for you. Some of these questions are tough to answer because they may be vague or not really apply to you. Answer them to the best of your ability anyways and try to act as if this is for a job you really want. My interview went pretty well I think as I said some of the questions did not really apply to me but it made me think how I would react if it was a real interview and I learned that I need to maybe work on coming up with my answers a bit quicker.

We would like for you to practice an interview, and tell us how it went. Where are some of your strong points, where are your weaker points? How would you handle a phone interview differently? And finally when do you think is the appropriate time to talk about your salary? I hope the interview goes well for you. When you post in response to this don't be afraid to ask us any other questions you may have as well.

http://www.perfectinterview.com/ucf/

http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3024724&type=standard

Topic #5- Resumes & Cover Letters

Hello Mentees,
This week we will be discussing covers letters and resumes. What is a resume? A resume is a brief document that summarizes your education, employment history, and experiences that are relevant to your qualifications for a particular job for which you are applying. The purpose of a resume (along with your cover letter) is to get an interview. Research has shown that it takes an average of ten (10) interviews to receive one (1) job offer, so your resume needs to be persuasive and perfect. Now let’s put our heads together and exchange some ideas so we can come up with that perfect resume. First, explain ways your resume can highlight your interdisciplinarity. Second, ask any questions about cover letters or resumes that you might have. Third, share any advice you may have or feel free to share your best cover letter. Here is a link I found to be helpful and interesting.

http://jobstar.org/tools/resume/index.php

Looking forward to hearing from all of you!
Pam



Hello Mentees!
I do believe that resumes are a very important part of this class. It is wonderful that professors have resumes be submitted for reprise. As they say....you only get one chance for a first impression. I believe this is true of resumes. You want to leave them with enough information and knowledge about you but at the same time you do not want to kill them will pages to read. My dad revises written work for a living and is kept up to date on the proper etiquette of resumes. I am constantly sending him mine. He recently emailed me a couple of little tips on resumes. Here they are below. I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any questions! =) Id also love to hear tips on anything that you have gotten complimented on as far as your resumes are concerned =) Hope you have a wonderful Spring Break =)

~Rebe



Here are some fun and interesting little tidbits about resumes:

It's becoming harder than ever to get your resume read by a real person. "HR people are drowning in resumes, and despite their best intentions, many can't keep up," says executive recruiter Mike Travis.Help your resume win the attention it deserves by following these up-to-date tips from industry insiders.* "Keep it shorter, tighter, and more laser-focused," advises resume expert Louise Kursmark. "Resumes are by necessity becoming crisper and more to the point." With Twitter, texting, and a barrage of quick-hit multimedia messages, we're getting accustomed to the succinct. "Readers quickly lose interest in wordy resumes that don't get right to the point," she says. This goes for cover letters, too.* "Show some humor or personality," says Jennifer Turner, of Talagy recruiting and staffing company. "I recently called a candidate, even though he didn't match any current positions, because his online resume title was, 'Smart and Funny Sales Guy.'"* "Make your resume read like a news story, not an encyclopedia entry," suggests Sam Levine, of The Buttonwood Group. Pop an eye-catching headline and lead on the top and be sure to include a summary of qualifications.* "Be results-oriented," advises Erin Riley, assistant director of career services at the Chapman University School of Law. Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments. Example: Instead of simply writing "Drafted OSHA appeal," she says, include results: "Drafted OSHA appeal resulting in 90% reduction of employer fine for employee's serious on-the-job injury." * "Show what sets you apart," says Nancy Keene, a director of Stanton Chase global executive search firm. "I like to see some indication of personal interests. It's a good conversation trigger and provides some additional insight into who the person is." Riley agrees. "It's an opportunity to make yourself memorable as an applicant," she says. While an actual Personal Interest section is not usually advised, you can find ways to integrate your interests into your resume. For example, you could list your volunteer activities to give hiring managers some sense of your passions. * "Use appropriate keywords," suggests Kursmark. Since machines are increasingly reading your resume before people are, give the tracking systems what they're looking for: the most significant keywords from the job description that fit your qualifications -- anything from degrees to programming languages and other specialized job-related skills.* "Let others sing your praises," says Richard Deems, co-author of "Make Job Loss Work for You." "We add a section at the end we title, 'What Others Say.' Then we list five short statements, usually without attribution, that others have said about the person." Examples: "Sticks with it until the job gets done," or "The most creative, prolific employee I've ever had."* "If your name is difficult to pronounce, include your nickname," says Heather R. Huhman, president of Come Recommended. Like it or not, "Companies are more likely to call you for an interview if you provide a name they can easily pronounce," she says.