Sadness, Severance, and Perseverance

There is so much going on in my life right now that I feel like it's one defeat after another. I am stressed to the max with classes, homework, my internship, and my job. but, I am even more stressed since last week because of things that have happened.

A few weeks ago, I found out my uncle/godfather has cancer, my cousin was severely injured in a 200-foot fall during a hiking accident, a close family friend passed away, and my dad was let go from his job at the Philadelphia Phillies. So much has gone on. It's been a hell of a week. I am so so tired, but I need to keep going. I have to stay strong and persevere. I just have to keep on truckin'.

We had some pretty amazing guest speakers in this week's class, who went over resumes and interviews, the do's and don'ts, and even had some tips for us. The guest speakers were Casey Finestone and Mike Tholfsen. Casey works for a company called Script. There, she works as an outreach specialist, while Mike is the production manager for Microsoft Education. Both speakers shared their tips, red flags, and what you should avoid in an interview. Casey's touched on the subject of red flags, stating that jokes that are offensive might steer an interviewer away, and also inappropriate profile pictures could steer them away as well. Mike also made some good points. He mentioned how you should never put something on your application that you didn't actually do. Always be truthful on your resume!

One thing I am worried about is what I am going to do about work after I graduate. Should I stay at the job I am at now or try to find a new gig? I have an offer from the internship I am at now, so I might take them up on that offer. Thankfully, my professor has given us some links to interviews. I read a lot of them, so I am going to some up 2 of the articles that stood out to me the most.

How do I handle awkward pauses in job interviews?

This was the first article that stuck out to me because I have really bad social anxiety, so when an awkward pause or event happens during an interview, I tend to shut down even more. I become shyer and more nervous. This article spoke to me because he talks about how it's best to not ramble on trying to fill in the awkward void. I can tell you, I have had that happen so many times in the past. There have been awkward silence and I feel that I am responsible to keep the conversation going by talking, and sometimes it doesn't help me get anywhere. I also tend to ask silly questions just to not have the silence going. My favorite part from this article was how the writer said "be confident and smile under any circumstance." I have to work on staying confident, even if an interview or two don't go my way. I have to let them inspire me to keep going. rather than letting them bog me down.

2 Mistakes To Avoid In A Job Interview

This article ties in to the other, because they both discuss how to try to not talk too much, but this one mentions to not talk too little. It's hard to find the common ground between talking too little, and talking too much, which is what this article focused on. I liked how this article said to learn how to "self-edit". The author noted to give short, confident and concise answers. You want to make it brief, but knowledgeable because they're trying to learn about you in a short period of time. When it comes to talking too little, the author notes you should always avoid being short when answering. If you are giving short responses, it may send the author the feeling you are disengaged and uninterested in the interview.

Chapter 7 of Light Bright and Polite

This chapter focused on the emailing more than the social media aspects of the book. Ochs states that email is the most professional way to contact and interact with fellow staff in the workplace. You should always add a signature to your emails, with your name, position, email, phone number, and Company address if wanted. That way, your peers know exactly who you are, and how to get in touch with you. Adding a signature also helps with a more professional aspect feature. You should always keep your emails short, and try to make the point as clear as possible. Always be professional went emailing important people in the workplace, and never give your professional email out to someone who shouldn't have it.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend.

Talk soon,

Cass