My role in our group is that of leader/manager. Throughout the progress of our project, I have been the one to set guidelines and deadlines for completing the various group assignments and tasks on time. I have also been responsible for making sure that all group members stay on task and contribute equally to the group effort. I also have been responsible for contacting the director of our organization of choice in order to get information and relay it to the rest of the group. For each assignment, I was the one to assign each group member a specific task or part of the assignment that would contribute to the overall group assignment. Also, for each assignment, I was the one to put everyone’s work together into the group’s final draft and then send this final draft to all group members for further proofreading. Overall, I feel that I have put much time and effort into ensuring that our group project be successful.
On this note, I believe that our group project has proven to be very successful. The website that we created in order to help our organization of choice gain more notice and thereby more support and funding has proven to be quite effective. We have received positive feedback from members of our target audience and the director of the organization herself. For the most part, I believe that our group has worked together well. Despite the fact that there has been one member of our group who has produced poor work that seems to lack much, if any, effort and has had problems with adhering to designated deadlines agreed upon by the group, I feel that the steps taken in completing the project have gone very smoothly. The group, throughout the project, has been able to work together respectfully and without any conflict to produce quality work in a timely and efficient manner.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Blog Assignment 7: Editorial
The idea that being super thin makes a woman beautiful, happy, and successful has become a staple in American culture and other western-influenced cultures. Even with the recent push to promote average women as the new definition of beauty, many media agencies continue to hold onto the old idea of “thin is in.” A prime example of a form of media presenting such narrow-minded, old-fashioned ideas is models.com. All of the models exhibited on this website are the stereotypical stick-skinny models that we are all used to seeing on the covers of magazines, on television, and on billboards. I think that it is time that we stop thinking with such a shallow mindset and change the definition of beauty to a more realistic concept.
For too long, young girls have been subjected to and forced to believe the idea that they can only be considered beautiful, liked, and useful if they are perfect---super tall, super thin, long hair, big boobs, young, and tan-colored skin. It has long been the impression that if you are anything other than these things you are not beautiful or worthy of being represented in the media. Every year, thousands of young girls go to unthinkable extremes to try to obtain the body image that the media portrays as “perfect.” These extremes include everything from excessive dieting and exercise to anorexia and bulimia. This is not to even mention the increasing number every year of young women under the age of twenty-one that are getting plastic surgery to try to achieve this “perfect” body image. Millions of dollars are spent each year in America alone by women of all ages who are trying to gain the ideal “Barbie-doll” body.
I firmly believe that it is time that we unite to take a stand against succumbing to the belief that beauty is only defined by what we see in magazines and on television. We should do it for all of the young girls and women who have ever succumbed to the pressures of such media images and harmed themselves trying to gain “perfection.” There is no one definition of beauty, and I think that we should reinforce this idea in every young girl to ensure that they do not grow up believing the same outdated, unobtainable idea of what beauty is that so many of us have grown up believing.
*Reasons for Rhetorical Situations Used in This Editorial
I chose to address the issue of thin being the only idea of beauty in America and other western-influenced countries because I believe that this is always a relevant issue as thousands of young girls each year are subjecting themselves to extremes in order to obtain this idea of beauty. Even though there seems to be a new push to portray average women in a positive and beautiful light in the media today, it still seems that whenever you turn on a television or open a magazine there are model-thin women dominating the screen and pages. I also felt that people all over the country would be able to relate to this topic since it is such a widespread epidemic in America. I really tried to write to an audience of people, mainly other young women, who are just as tired as I am of the portrayal of women in the media. I tried to use words like “we” in order to make the editorial more personal and try to unite readers in my cause. I also tried to use descriptions like “perfect” and “Barbie-doll” to show how ridiculous the common idea of thin being beautiful is. Furthermore, I tried to use roughly estimated statistics to draw on the readers’ emotions and further spark their enrage over the issue. Also, I believed that these estimated statistics would resonate with readers who like hard evidence and figures.
http://www.models.com/
For too long, young girls have been subjected to and forced to believe the idea that they can only be considered beautiful, liked, and useful if they are perfect---super tall, super thin, long hair, big boobs, young, and tan-colored skin. It has long been the impression that if you are anything other than these things you are not beautiful or worthy of being represented in the media. Every year, thousands of young girls go to unthinkable extremes to try to obtain the body image that the media portrays as “perfect.” These extremes include everything from excessive dieting and exercise to anorexia and bulimia. This is not to even mention the increasing number every year of young women under the age of twenty-one that are getting plastic surgery to try to achieve this “perfect” body image. Millions of dollars are spent each year in America alone by women of all ages who are trying to gain the ideal “Barbie-doll” body.
I firmly believe that it is time that we unite to take a stand against succumbing to the belief that beauty is only defined by what we see in magazines and on television. We should do it for all of the young girls and women who have ever succumbed to the pressures of such media images and harmed themselves trying to gain “perfection.” There is no one definition of beauty, and I think that we should reinforce this idea in every young girl to ensure that they do not grow up believing the same outdated, unobtainable idea of what beauty is that so many of us have grown up believing.
*Reasons for Rhetorical Situations Used in This Editorial
I chose to address the issue of thin being the only idea of beauty in America and other western-influenced countries because I believe that this is always a relevant issue as thousands of young girls each year are subjecting themselves to extremes in order to obtain this idea of beauty. Even though there seems to be a new push to portray average women in a positive and beautiful light in the media today, it still seems that whenever you turn on a television or open a magazine there are model-thin women dominating the screen and pages. I also felt that people all over the country would be able to relate to this topic since it is such a widespread epidemic in America. I really tried to write to an audience of people, mainly other young women, who are just as tired as I am of the portrayal of women in the media. I tried to use words like “we” in order to make the editorial more personal and try to unite readers in my cause. I also tried to use descriptions like “perfect” and “Barbie-doll” to show how ridiculous the common idea of thin being beautiful is. Furthermore, I tried to use roughly estimated statistics to draw on the readers’ emotions and further spark their enrage over the issue. Also, I believed that these estimated statistics would resonate with readers who like hard evidence and figures.
http://www.models.com/
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Blog Assignment 6: Beginning the Job Search
After researching various job openings at numerous online sources for job openings, I was able to narrow down my options to just four job openings. While none of the jobs are my ideal or dream job, they are all jobs that I could see myself applying for in the next several months to a year. These jobs include a medical office receptionist, a retail store manager, an assistant restaurant manager, and a business office receptionist. While all of these jobs require little or no experience and a minimal education level (high school or equivalent), all of these jobs seem to be looking for their own specific qualifications and skills.
Retail Store Manager
The position of retail store manager requires the following skills and abilities: High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent work experience; minimum of five years retail management experience; ability to work at least 45 hours per week; excellent organizational, communication, leadership, presentation, and interpersonal skills; basic English literacy and math skills; and basic PC skills.
http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88761468
Medical Office Receptionist
The position of medical office receptionist requires the following skills and abilities: multi-tasking; flexibility; telephone skills; customer service; time management; organization; attention to detail; scheduling; word processing; professionalism; quality focus; and a High School Diploma or equivalent.
http://www.employmentguide.com/jobdetails.html?JobID=5938669
Business Office Receptionist
The position of business office receptionist requires the following skills and abilities: verbal and written communication skills; professional personal presentation; customer service orientation; information management; organizing and planning; attention to detail; initiative and reliability; and a High School Diploma or equivalent.
http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88735826
Assistant Restaurant Manager
The position of assistant restaurant manager requires the following skills and abilities: customer service skills; multi-tasking; High School Diploma or equivalent; reliability; and attention to detail.
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?Job_DID=J8E65Q77XMPWL7XWWGN&siteid=cb_emailjob_US&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=2ce6e25a63f24e3f94f7c6b730d7ef64-332099588-RC-4
All of these jobs seem to require that applicants be good at time-management, be reliable, and have good oral and written communication skills. These are all skills that I possess. For the past two years, I have been a full-time student taking at least seventeen credit hours each fall and spring semester and at least ten credit hours each summer semester. Meanwhile, I have done a six-week externship at a medical hospital and hundreds of hours of community service all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. I think this accomplishment demonstrates my time-management skills, reliability for consistently doing a good job, and organization. The fact that I have worked with others in several groups in both educational and professional settings and have produced efficient and quality work in these groups shows that I have good communication skills. Over the last two years, I have had to work in peer groups for several classes in order to complete assignments. All of these projects have turned out very successful. Also, I have worked with others as a student volunteer to perform services to the community, and all of these projects have gone very smoothly.
Out of these four jobs, I feel that I am most qualified for the medical office receptionist position. I have worked in a secretarial position as a volunteer, and I have pretty good knowledge and understanding of how to perform the office tasks required of receptionists. Also, I am accustomed to working with others in such an office setting. Furthermore, because of my science background and interest in one day working in the medical profession, I am familiar with many of the medical terms used in medical offices. In order to ensure that I am taken seriously for the position of medical office receptionists, I would be sure to emphasize these skills, attributes, and experiences on both my resume and in a cover letter to accommodate that resume.
Retail Store Manager
The position of retail store manager requires the following skills and abilities: High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent work experience; minimum of five years retail management experience; ability to work at least 45 hours per week; excellent organizational, communication, leadership, presentation, and interpersonal skills; basic English literacy and math skills; and basic PC skills.
http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88761468
Medical Office Receptionist
The position of medical office receptionist requires the following skills and abilities: multi-tasking; flexibility; telephone skills; customer service; time management; organization; attention to detail; scheduling; word processing; professionalism; quality focus; and a High School Diploma or equivalent.
http://www.employmentguide.com/jobdetails.html?JobID=5938669
Business Office Receptionist
The position of business office receptionist requires the following skills and abilities: verbal and written communication skills; professional personal presentation; customer service orientation; information management; organizing and planning; attention to detail; initiative and reliability; and a High School Diploma or equivalent.
http://jobview.monster.com/GetJob.aspx?JobID=88735826
Assistant Restaurant Manager
The position of assistant restaurant manager requires the following skills and abilities: customer service skills; multi-tasking; High School Diploma or equivalent; reliability; and attention to detail.
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?Job_DID=J8E65Q77XMPWL7XWWGN&siteid=cb_emailjob_US&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=2ce6e25a63f24e3f94f7c6b730d7ef64-332099588-RC-4
All of these jobs seem to require that applicants be good at time-management, be reliable, and have good oral and written communication skills. These are all skills that I possess. For the past two years, I have been a full-time student taking at least seventeen credit hours each fall and spring semester and at least ten credit hours each summer semester. Meanwhile, I have done a six-week externship at a medical hospital and hundreds of hours of community service all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. I think this accomplishment demonstrates my time-management skills, reliability for consistently doing a good job, and organization. The fact that I have worked with others in several groups in both educational and professional settings and have produced efficient and quality work in these groups shows that I have good communication skills. Over the last two years, I have had to work in peer groups for several classes in order to complete assignments. All of these projects have turned out very successful. Also, I have worked with others as a student volunteer to perform services to the community, and all of these projects have gone very smoothly.
Out of these four jobs, I feel that I am most qualified for the medical office receptionist position. I have worked in a secretarial position as a volunteer, and I have pretty good knowledge and understanding of how to perform the office tasks required of receptionists. Also, I am accustomed to working with others in such an office setting. Furthermore, because of my science background and interest in one day working in the medical profession, I am familiar with many of the medical terms used in medical offices. In order to ensure that I am taken seriously for the position of medical office receptionists, I would be sure to emphasize these skills, attributes, and experiences on both my resume and in a cover letter to accommodate that resume.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Blog Assignment 5: Group Brainstorming
In our group, my role is that of leader/manager and point-of-contact person. As of yet, I feel that I have contributed much to our group and our project. I researched many nonprofit organizations and report my findings back to my other group members so that we might all decide upon an organization to choose for our project. I then helped to assign individual tasks to my group members in order to get work with our group memo rolling. I set deadlines for the completion of these tasks in order to ensure that the assignment was completed efficiently and on time. I also contacted the director of the organization that our group chose and visited the site of the organization in order to meet the director and get more information. Furthermore, I helped to construct the final layout of the memo by putting everyone’s work together in the appropriate format.
I can see several different directions in which our project could go. For one, I think that we could build a website that honors and highlights the accomplishments of the organization we have chosen. My group members and I all agree that the organization that we have chosen is a very positive influence on the city of Hattiesburg. Another possibility for our project is that we could create a website that tries to get the organization that we have chosen sponsorship or grants. We could highlight what the organization does while discussing the organization’s need for funding. We could use the persuasive writing skills that we have learned in this course to convince other organizations to donate to our organization. We could also use these persuasive techniques to try and recruit volunteers for the organization. A third option is that we could create a website that tries to attract youths who might be looking for an after-school program and outlet to express themselves through art, get tutoring, or get moral support. I think that all of these options could result in a successful project for our group. Hopefully, we can find a way to combine all of these options.
My group members and I all communicate quite well with each other. We communicate through facebook and email. So far, it has been pretty easy to get in contact with everyone and everyone has been really supportive and considerate of each other. We try to divide up work into individual tasks of equal and fair quantities. So far, this has worked quite well. By assigning individual tasks, it makes the completion of our overall group tasks much less confusing and much simpler as each group member can focus on one particular aspect.
Besides improving on the writing skills that we have discussed in this course, I feel that this project will help us learn how to efficiently complete tasks in workplace settings where we would be working with others. Because everyone in our group seems to be very willing and eager to do his or her part, I believe that our group project will be very successful. I think that we can do a really good job and create a website that does the organization that we have chosen a real justice.
I can see several different directions in which our project could go. For one, I think that we could build a website that honors and highlights the accomplishments of the organization we have chosen. My group members and I all agree that the organization that we have chosen is a very positive influence on the city of Hattiesburg. Another possibility for our project is that we could create a website that tries to get the organization that we have chosen sponsorship or grants. We could highlight what the organization does while discussing the organization’s need for funding. We could use the persuasive writing skills that we have learned in this course to convince other organizations to donate to our organization. We could also use these persuasive techniques to try and recruit volunteers for the organization. A third option is that we could create a website that tries to attract youths who might be looking for an after-school program and outlet to express themselves through art, get tutoring, or get moral support. I think that all of these options could result in a successful project for our group. Hopefully, we can find a way to combine all of these options.
My group members and I all communicate quite well with each other. We communicate through facebook and email. So far, it has been pretty easy to get in contact with everyone and everyone has been really supportive and considerate of each other. We try to divide up work into individual tasks of equal and fair quantities. So far, this has worked quite well. By assigning individual tasks, it makes the completion of our overall group tasks much less confusing and much simpler as each group member can focus on one particular aspect.
Besides improving on the writing skills that we have discussed in this course, I feel that this project will help us learn how to efficiently complete tasks in workplace settings where we would be working with others. Because everyone in our group seems to be very willing and eager to do his or her part, I believe that our group project will be very successful. I think that we can do a really good job and create a website that does the organization that we have chosen a real justice.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
