Powerpoint Presentations

These are my top 3 choices for most interesting powerpoint presentations:

-"The Jetlev-flyer" by Scott Braun: I found this presentation interesting because of the new and different topic. The information provided was state of the art and very unknown. It was cool to hear the new technological advancements such as this flying designed machine used for recreational use. By learning about the price of these machines, of approximently $125,000, I will probably not be investing in one of these soon. I think he did a good job on picking and interesting topic, informing the audience on this new machine, and by showing the video helped the audience understand the machine better.

-"The Case for Women's Gymnastics at Clemson University" by Laura: I found this presentation interesting because of the case that she made which motivates me to feel a certain way towards having gymnastics as a NCAA sport at Clemson. I learned that South Carolina does not have a NCAA gymnastics program and these special women's athletes go out of state to train in other schools. Also, gymnists have a 99% graduation rate and average a 3.5 GPA or higher! Her presentation was good because she had many facts and statistics to back up her case which filled her presentation with logos. I also liked the legit handout.

-"Native American Mascot" by Kevin Crandall: I found this presentation interesting because the subject title was a subject to our collegiate population, but not necessarily Clemson University. I learned about the laws and bans about Native American Mascots and why they were made. I was most impressed with the logos that he built for his case that athletic teams should not be required to change their nickname solely because it refers to Native Americans. I enjoyed the pictures pertaining "bad" mascots versus the strong Native American mascots.

Writing Cover Letters

The links that were provided were about how to write effective cover letters for resumes. I feel like the purpose of a cover letter is to introduce yourself as a potential employee for the company or school and to show why you are looking into the job. Also, I feel like this is the time to make similarities with the job description so that the human resource employee can see that you will fit the job well. You agree that it is a standard business letter and should address the target in such a manner. The body should bring up your attributes but the list form should be more for the resume itself, where as this is a time to really connect with the job description and job title itself and to make yourself to be THE ONE to fit the job. I also agree that you should follow-up with the employer to make sure that they received the documents needed and to see whether a further interview is needed.

I do not agree with using P.S. for emphasis because it seems informal. Also, I feel like the length should be appropriate to the job description and company/presentation and not "limited" to 3 paragraphs. Finally, I do not agree with adding in testimonials into your cover letter because it seems self-centered.

I feel like the most useful part of this tutorial is the section on "The Reality of Cover Letters" where it emphasizes how cover letters are sometimes over-looked and to make yours really stand out, to make the cover letter about the company and not yourself, and to not send out a mass of cover letters/resumes which shows rejection.

I know that I need to work on my cover letter and really focusing it on the company and how my credentials, knowledge, and background can benefit the company.

"Client Visit"

The client from Redfern has projects for our class concerning "Healthy Campus," the ecological approach to having a healthy campus, and involves the 6 aspects of health and wellness (physical, social, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual, and environment). I feel like these projects that are already going on are not well marketed to the campus that they are on because I did not know about the projects and their motivation. I feel like the way to market to our population about this health strategy to get our campus active and fit is to use our type of socializing as the audience. I feel like alot of the people on campus use facebook and that would be a great way to target the audience with little to no cost. We could set up a group and put events that are going on around campus that grab the member's attention that would remind them to stay healthy (Fike activities, menus for dining halls). By joining the group, we could have a central location to where students/faculty can find information about healthy activities by having many hyperlinks to get to the information that they need to know. To first get the members, we need to motivate them to join the group through banners, e-mails, "Toilet Paper", and other activities such as a making a quick snip video about the 6 aspects that make it fun ("True Life"?? "The Amazing Race"?) podcasts to yoga classes or cooking shows. To motivate students we could host a "Walk to Class" Day or even a Cook-off on the Library Bridge where we have healthy recipes or taste tests of the food from the Student Organic Farm, which another part we would like to find out and research more on as a group. (Ex: Veggie sales at athletic events, dining halls?) I do feel a little overwhelmed with the project because we do not have step to step directions and are just going but I think by working with a group will be easier and collaborating with each other will really guide our project towards success.

"Interview Advice"

After reading the article on what to do and what not to do during an interview, whether that be face-to-face or over the phone, I learned a lot of valuable stuff. I feel like the items listed are some of the biggest mistakes that the person being interviewed makes because 1.) I feel like not researching the company and the background will show in the questions that you get to ask the employer and 2.) I feel like it is out of respect to the company and employer that you send a follow up note of some sort to see what the status is on the job opening as well as to further extend your attributes by being respectful and show trustworthiness. I have been in one job interview and it was over the phone as I took the interview and received the job. After reading these tips on phone interviews, "Don't forget to prepare for the phone interview," I relived my interview and I feel like I followed it well. I set time away to speak with the employer away from distractions and was still able to fully answer his questions to a personal feel so to make it seem as if it were face-to-face.

To be well prepared for a job interview, I feel like you must first research and study the job description/position for which you are applying and find information on the business as you write down intelligent questions to ask. I feel like answering the questions truthfully and honestly will give the employer and even yourself a view on what kind of person you are and if this job title will fit your qualities and needs. Interviews are made to show the employeer a more personal side to you other than what is written on paper in your resume, so showing your attributes in every answer will benefit you.