Canada, Eh.

As I sit down at the computer for the first time since Thursday, which is a long time for me, I realize that our blog is a free topic, which is somewhat nice seeing as I'm on my last hour before the blog is due. The assignment said to write about any current event that we choose, but I don't really know what to write about. I have been in Canada since Thursday morning for a rowing regatta (a race/competition, if you will) and have hardly had any time to turn on a tv, let alone get on the computer. Therefore, I am currently a little behind on what's going on in the world. I have heard a few things here and there about topics such as the debate on Friday , trying economic times, and the plane crash involving DJ A.M. and Travis Barker... but that's about the extent to which I know what is going on.

Therefore, my current event will instead be about the reason I don't know what's currently going on. As mentioned, Thursday morning 10 rowers and 2 coaches from my team left Clemson for Canada. We drove to Atlanta, flew to Buffalo, NY, and then drove to Welland, Canada for a Rowing Regatta. Welland isn't exactly the most beautiful or affluent of places, but the canal that we rowed on was beautiful and the people there are as nice as can be. We had a warm welcome from local teams and the venue we rowed at was great. Thursday and Friday were spent practicing and preparing for our races on Saturday. On Saturday we raced two fours against a few other colleges and Clemson came in both first and second. (My boat was the first place boat). Then, later in the afternoon, the two fours merged into one eight and raced again, resulting in another gold. It was our first race of the season and a great way to start it off. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we are all proud of where we are for now and we have an idea of how hard we need to work before our next big race, which is in the end of October in Boston.

After a long day of racing on Saturday, Sunday was our day for a little fun before traveling home. After a delicious breakfast at a local restaurant, we turned into huge tourists and visited Niagara Falls, which was fun to do. I have family from Buffalo, so I've been to the falls a few times before, but it was still fun to go with the team and check it out.

All in all, it was a great weekend. Unfortunately, it's back to reality and there is a long week of work ahead of me.

Cover Letters

I found the first article interesting when it described how often the cover letter is skipped over and Hiring Managers instead go straight to the resume. At first I didn't believe it, but as I read further and found that the resume is self-driven, while the cover letter is more about the company and what targets are for it. But after reading some of the different articles I was confused on what exactly I should be doing with cover letters because some of the other links, including the example of a cover letter, seemed to be about the individual and a somewhat summed up version of their resume in paragraph form.

After reading the different articles on advice that was given about writing cover letters, I still wasn't really sure what to believe and what not to believe. While some links were telling me one way to write them and when to write them, other sites were telling me otherwise. Therefore in some ways I agree with some of the advice given. I would tend to think that you'd want to state what you want to do in the company or what you want from the company while still including assets and accomplishments that may stand out to the potential employer. Incidentally, I disagreed with some of the advice given. Most specifically, I thought the postscript technique was very strange. I feel that if I had written it on my cover letter and an employer was to read it, that they would think my work was unorganized and that I didn't want to take the time to incorporate it more appropriately into the interview.

The checklist is very useful because it essentially encorporates all of the other articles into one bulleted list of important things to remember to put into the cover letter. Then, if for some reason, I needed more info on what one of the bullets was referring to, I could refer back to one of the articles.

If I were to incorporate something that I hadn't previously thought of into a cover letter, I think the testimonial is an interesting and potentially helpful idea, if it is actually something companies would be interested in reading. If I understand it correctly, it's a more detailed way of having a reference. Instead of talking about myself, I could have someone share their opionion on why I would be a good candidate.

How to Handle Interviews

The interviewing process is something that you can only be so ready for. No matter how much you prepare, there's always a little element of surprise involved. Regardless, there are many ways to make the process run as smoothly and comfortably as possible. The first article I chose was the article giving advice about answering the toughest interview questions. The article taught me that there are no right or wrong answers to the questions. Instead, it gave advice on how to best answer them, such as answering with confidence while still being humble and having some research done prior to the interview to help you sound knowledgeable and prepared. The part of the article that I benefited the most from was the part referring to the "where do you see yourself in five years" question. I learned that instead of specifics, that saying general hopes, such as growth, is an appropriate answer.

The second article I read pertained to dealing with interview stress. I chose this one because the ability to feel calm and confident in an interview can completely affect how smoothly the interview runs. Stress is inevitable before any interview, so the article gave a few techniques and pointers on how to keep the stress to a minimum and with whatever stress is present, what to do about it. I learned from the article that a few seconds of silence should not be thought of as awkward and that nothing has to be done to avoid it or prevent it. Let it happen because it shows confidence in the interviewer and that they're not feeling awkward and pressured to talk, as well as giving a few seconds to regroup and refresh thoughts.

How's It Gonna Be?

Mitch Hedgberg couldn't have said it any better when responding to a very similar question in a job interview by saying he'd be celebrating the anniversary of being asked that question. In other words, other than the celebration, there's not much else I know. I'm not much of a planner. I'd rather do what needs to be done for the time being and worry about the rest later. Call it procrastination, if you wish, but that's just the way I am and that's the way it's going to be. I've also never been the type of person who knows what they want to do with their life since age four, especially considering I've changed my mind three times since my freshman year. But given where I am today and if I were to decide right now, this is a rough sketch of what it'll be like... (although, I personally don't like thinking of myself as 30. Not ready for that yet)

In ten years, I would like to be a Clemson graduate. As excited as I will be to be finished with college and schooling, I also would like to attend a graduate school to become either a sports psychologist or child psychologist. I love athletics and have been involved with them for years. I also love working with/helping people. So I feel as though the sports psychologist goes hand in hand with those things. I also love children and have always been able to relate with them and understand them. I've been a camp counselor, coach, and have many young children in my extended family. No matter which career I end up in, I hope that i wake up everyday enjoying my job and wanting to go to work, rather than dreading it. Yes, I admit, I would like to have money. Who doesn't? But as long as I am well enough off to where I don't have to worry about money being to tight and can live comfortably, I'm happy.

As far as my personal life is concerned. I would like to have someone in my life, whether we're getting married or are already. I also would like to have at least one kid by then. I look forward to working, but when I have children I hope my husband and I are stable enough financially so that I can stay at home and raise them. I hope to be healthy, fit, happy, and that I am still close with my family and closest friends who all mean a lot to me. I don't have a specific city, state, or even region of the U.S. that I want to live in, but it would be nice if I'm somewhat close to my family.

These next ten years will make a big impact on who I'll be for the rest of my life. My education will ultimately determine which job I get and my job will determine where I live and how much money I make. Who knows, somewhere in there I may meet my "Mr. Right". But for now, I'm just going to focus on getting through my undergrad here at Clemson and having a good time doing so in the process.