Reflection

I am thankful I put the time in during cornerstone on my e-Portfolio. I would be really struggling right now with my course load and having to put together my final e-Portfolio. I really think this is one of those projects that don't go away, so put in the time now. There are so many projects and papers I've written since I first created my e-Portfolio. I am really trying to only put in information that shows my diversity and understanding of my areas of study. Some are just okay, but there are those I put everything into. The reflection I'm using to do all this is me trying to put myself in the other chair. Meaning, I am trying to think what I would think if I read this e-Portfolio. Does it give insight into who I am? Does it demonstrate how passionate I am about my studies? Do I appear to have more than book smarts? Can I apply what I've learned in a real setting, in real situations?

When I think about reflection, I consider it a form of mental paraphrasing. What did I experience? How did it change me or not change me? Was I able to apply it to my life? Reflection for me is a time to take all the little memories and lessons, in any situation, and get a bottom line on what the meaning turned out to be.

Reflection is different than description. When you are describing a situation you are like a journalist and leave out editorializing. When you are reflecting, you are using critical thinking to transform an action to have meaning. Use your reflections to understand the experience. How are you all doing on your e-Portfolio's. Have you started them yet?

Interviewing Part II

There are certain questions that I consider standard. Although, I recommend honesty as the way to go, there are certain ways to answer standard questions. These are questions that are asking a specific question, but really seeking other information. Such as,

Why did you leave your last employment?

This can be asking if you are planning on viewing this as a temporary job or a permanent job. It's also asking if you quit or were fired. It's giving them a baseline, if they know the answer, if you are lying. It might throw you off to have to answer a questions that you answered on an application. You might wonder if they know something that you didn't think they knew. They are looking for sincerity, if you plan on staying for a while or if you were fired.

How well do you get along with other co-workers?

They want to know if you are too social, an outcast, a rabble-rouser (yup, just said it), etc. If you answer you were the best of friends with people, you are too focused on socializing. If you said you never talked to anyone, that seems sneaky and like an outcast. You want to focus on having good working relationships with everyone, but really tried to keep it professional. That it's more effective for you to keep your private life and work life separate. They want to hear that you get along with others, but you're not there for the party.

What are your hobbies?

Careful with this one. It's a legal way of trying to see if you have a family and children. Most parents say that they love spending time with their kids! There goes that overtime they were hoping you'd complete. I've always been honest about my available hours, but that doesn't mean you have to tell them why. For hobbies, I stick to personal likes not having to do with my family. I do mention I love my family and am close.

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I don't know much about phone and panel interviews. I've been in interviews with two people, but one is usually "reading" you and the other asks the questions. It's very unnerving. I've never had a phone interview. But if I did, I would have answers jotted down ahead of time. They can't see you looking down. You want an outline though, not an essay. How obvious, right?! I'd love to hear your opinion on both.

Please review my interviews and we'll discuss the experiences we've had. Do you think they are similar to any real life interviews you've experienced?

http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3020739&type=standard



http://www.perfectinterview.com/online/review_gateway.asp?id=3020740&type=standard

Professionalism and Philosophy

I’ve noticed that people think that you only have to act professional in a business office setting. I worked with a friend at Outback who was also a UCF student that told me she ignored everyone because she doesn’t have to be professional in a restaurant. Another co-worker who served as a manager (key) some shifts told me she acted different as a key and a server because she could. As a server she didn’t do all of her work, but as a Key, she demanded everyone do theirs. It was appalling to me. Being professional and having work ethics carries over to any job. What constitutes being professional does depend on the environment, but certain aspects are consistent. You should be polite to all co-workers, you should give 100% and find the importance in all jobs that are required and requested of you. Show incentive. If you are going to work for the paycheck only, you are in the wrong field and I can guarantee you aren’t giving your all. I’ve always wondered why people go to work and complain every day. We all have bad days; I understand. But for everyday to be so emotionally draining would be devastating to me. I always try to find some middle ground with co-workers. I am not there to be friends, but it is important to see each person as someone like you. Meaning, they have their own personal life, too. They are not just the person who always leaves a mess when making coffee. They might have more to offer than always wanting to switch shifts. My career goals are constantly evolving. I’ve stayed consistent since I’ve decided to become a nurse. That has been since 2007. However, the years from 1999 until then were pretty up in the air. I was just kind of going with the flow of what opportunities came to me. It was an epiphany for me to realize I didn’t have to do what I was doing. Even with a family, with children, I could make it work to become who I wanted to be. Liberating!! I hope you all realize that your path will take you on many adventures and will help you determine some goals, but your path does not mandate the future. My feelings about my work ethic can be considered interdisciplinarian if I sit and make it do so. I think everything has some interdisciplinary aspect to it to some degree. I think you should concentrate on work, but be social to co-workers. I think you should have empathy for your boss’ responsibilities, but expect to be treated properly. I think there is a direct correlation with liking your job and the amount of effort you put forth. Also, I think being professional is a state of mind and applies to any job in any environment. What do you think? Are there jobs that don’t require your professional attitude?

Cover Letters and Resumes

I’ve found that cover letters are just as important as the information on your resume. I’ve been in the position as the interviewee and the interviewer. I’ve hired and trained replacements for two jobs I’ve held. I’ve recently decided to change my cover letter. It was written well and had the catchiness I wanted, but it didn’t stand out. I am going to tell a bit of a story in my cover letter. A short story. Just to let them know that I am a free thinker, but can stay within the lines when necessary. You can really demonstrate your interdisciplinarity on your resume by listing some core courses under a section labeled, maybe, skills or strengths. A huge mistake people make is thinking a small typo won’t matter. It does matter. It matters a lot. If you can’t take the time to have someone else look over what you’ve done and find these mistakes, it makes it seems like you feel the forest will hide some trees. Also, when someone asks you if for a 500 essay. Make it 500 words. Not 505, not 499. If they say “at least 500 words” then it doesn’t matter. But they are looking to see if you can follow instructions. In my cover letters, I’ve always mentioned being as asset to a company, multi-tasking, team member and information about the company. Why do you think would be most important on a cover letter?

Here is the only cover letter I've ever written...
Dear Human Resources Director:I am writing about the Lab Assistant position at the Osceola Regional Medical Center in West Kissimmee found when searching jobs on the Osceola Regional Medical Center website. I will be graduating from the University of Central Florida in December 2009 with my Interdisciplinary Studies Bachelor’s of Science degree. My areas of study within this degree are Behavioral/Social Sciences and Life/Biomedical Sciences with a minor in Health Sciences.I am currently employed by Friendly’s Restaurant as a server. Though not the medical field, it is a very fast paced environment and it has prepared me for anything fast paced. Being a server has also given me a chance to become very personable and sensitive to the needs of others. I have obtained lab experience when I was a teacher’s assistant for my biology/anatomy teacher, Mrs. Nancy Evers at Osceola High School. She had me do several tasks such as helping students in her classes dissect different specimen and cleaning lab equipment, as well as preparing different equipment for different labs done in class.My major at the University of Central Florida has prepared me for various different scenarios. Having experience in more than one area of study has made me very well rounded and has given me the chance to view things from several different points of view instead of just one.I appreciate the time taken to look over my resume and I look forward to speaking to you in person. I can be reached by phone at 407-XXX-XXXX as well as by email at rekcarcenutrof@gmail.com. Thank you again for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely, Shellee King

Other insights...As someone with little experience in the medical field I thought it to be helpful to include other life experiences such as gaining the ability to work in a fast paced environment through serving. I may later on include my knowledge of healthcare from the patient's perspective through my life experiences as a diabetic. I would love other suggestions on how to improve my cover letter, as well as my resume.

Professional Development

I was a full-charge bookkeeper before I decided I wanted to be a nurse. I was an office manager, financial analyst and a human resources department! Accounting was my thing. I never actually chose accounting. It chose me. An opportunity became available and I found myself thriving in that field. Then, after nine or so years, I wanted to do more. I wanted a career that had meaning and was good and helped people. A lot of those skills will actually transfer over to my job as a nurse. There are elements of management, people skills, communications skills. I literally helped people run their companies. It was exhilarating. I’ve taken accounting courses, but all my recent courses have nothing to do with my former career. I’ve been a server at Outback the whole time I’ve been here at UCF, so there is a definite disconnect between careers. My weakest job skills are those of delegating. I have a hard time trusting other people to do work that will reflect on me or just not get finished. So, I tend to take on too much and the stress can become unbearable. I haven’t had any professional arenas, lately, to work on these skills. But I know you have to work as a team as a nurse, but are responsible for work you sign. I think clinical will help get a feel for what is expected. When I become a nursing student, I will join the National Student Nurses Association and when I am a nurse I will join the American Nurses Association. Our program has clinical as part of the curriculum, like an internship. I am also choosing to pursue the job as a Nurse Tech which, in Florida, is a job for nursing students to give you experience for when you graduate. Everyone in any career wants experience. Enough to where you know your way around, but not too much that you can’t be trained specifically to their company. So what job skills do you feel are an asset to a new employer that will make them feel confident in you, but not intimated and weary?? Hmm… What do you think?

As of right now I have not put my interdisciplinary skills to use. The only real jobs I've had is working at Friendly's restaurant, usually as a server and working at a golf course as a snack bar attendant. Though neither of these jobs are directly related to the health field I feel that working as a server can be a hectic job in the sense that when people are hungry they want their food, fast! I feel that working in this usually fast paced environment has prepared me for the potentially fast paced environment of the medical field. I can also use the people skills I've acquired as a server to better serve people in the medical field as well. In addition to my job I've been very active in my sorority, a honorary band sorority providing service to the college bands. Though also not directly tied to the health field I feel that it's given me a chance to work with people and I get many chances to aid people. There have also been a few instances where I've needed to help band kids who have gotten sick, although not in my "job description." It always feels good to know you've helped someone out.

Critcal Thinking.

We've been focusing a lot on the integration of our areas and minor. To do that, there was a large element of critical thinking taking place. It takes a lot of critical thinking to figure out how and why we chose our areas of study and how we are going to utilize them in the future. As college students, there are times we take our assignments for granted and just try to finish them on time and not really focus on what the purpose in the assignment was intended to teach. I know cornerstone was a difficult experience for me because so many elements of the class were what I thought were vague and I really had to think about why I was doing the assignment just to complete it! Healthcare, in general, is all about critical thinking. There aren't many clear-cut answers. Although there are guidelines on how to handle, say, diagnoses, you still have to first figure out the diagnoses. How do you all think you are going to utilize your critical thinking skills to finish your degrees and then apply them to future careers? I am looking forward to the problem solving. I like knowing there are different ways to get to the same results. We all think differently, right? Let us know what you think!