Sunday, April 27, 2008

Advice to Future Students

I really enjoyed this class! You will learn lots of skills that will help you when you are applying for jobs, and when you are actually in the real world. A lot of the assignments were really interesting, but not too difficult. And the assignments helped me in other classes as well (like how to write a cover letter, and guidelines on effective power points).

I just have a few words of advice:
  • Make the teaching site one of your favorites on your computer. If you check that page often then there is no way to fall behind. If you do the work, you'll get credit.
  • Don't forget to do your blog!
  • Make sure you pick your group members wisely, because you will be working with them for the rest of the semester.

Good luck this semester!



Saturday, April 19, 2008

Ethics Research

Michael and I had a difficult time finding an example of ethical lapses and dehumanizing langauge. I had heard something awhile ago about an experiment with shock therapy but I wasn't able to find it. We eventually found an article about testing prisoners in Canada.

The link is here

The article discusses prisoners being used for medical testing. At one point in the article says:

"On March 24, 1949, an electroshock machine arrived at Kingston
Penitentiary, ushering in a new era in the treatment of ``nervous and
mental disorders.'' During an initial session, a monthly report says, ``a
good seizure was obtained'' when 225 volts of electricity surged through
one inmate."
I was shocked by this article, but somewhat surprised that it was so difficult to find a good example of an ethical lapse that included the language. We also kept coming across the same article about a prison experiment at Stanford that was very disturbing. To be completely honest, I didn't really enjoy this assignment because of the disturbing things that we found.



Sunday, April 13, 2008

Ethical Lapses

I thought that the article was interesting, but not very shocking. While I was reading the article I found myself wondering how they defined "ethical lapses." Ethical lapses obviously means different things to different people, but the definition (in this study) would be important. The data seemed as if it needed to be taken with a grain of salt, considering there are probably a lot of workers who feel as if they or someone else has been wronged in the workplace. I also feel that there is a tendency for workers to gossip in the workplace, and consider something a problem whereas an outsider would not consider the issue an "ethical lapse."

Having said this, the survey was interesting. It does show that ethics will always be a controversial issue-- and an issue that needs to be dealt with in the workplace.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Writing on the Web

I think that the most important difference between writing on the web and writing on paper is the length. You need to get to your point quickly when you are writing on the web because people typically don't spend a lot of time reading websites. Your writing needs to be concise and it needs to be easy to navigate. I can't stand websites where you have to read a lot of information to find out one small fact. Headings are extremely useful because people are usually seeking out very specific information on the internet.

When you're writing on paper you still need to be aware of how the writing appears, but writing for the internet gives you more options for color and style. When it's on paper it's typically black type on white paper with maybe a colored logo... but on the internet you're able to make your writing stand out by adding more personality.

When you are transforming a document on paper to something on the web it would be helpful to add more headings and make it navigable.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Free Write

This has been a pretty difficult week. I feel like school hasn't really slowed down for the past month or so, and even with spring break- I don't really feel like I've gotten a break. I think that I have just been stressed with trying to find an internship, which I am still not sure what I will do this summer. Something I am excited about is that baseball is starting soon. I am a huge Red Sox fan and I am actually hoping to get up to Boston at sometime this summer to see a game. I also like college baseball, my boyfriend is on the team at Wake Forest and they are playing Florida State this weekend, who is ranked #2 in the country (Wake is probably like 70 or 80). They actually won a game yesterday! We were pretty excited about that. Anyway, I hope that this week gets easier!

Monday, March 10, 2008

Fake Resumes

I thought that the article was very interesting. I actually just saw an article about lying on a resume a few days ago... The article that I read was about Robert Irvine- who is the host of the show Dinner: Impossible on the Food Network. The article said that he had embellished his resume and the Food Network decided not to renew his contract. Irvine claimed to have cooked for the royal family as well as US presidents. The show is based around cooking in difficult and stressful situations, so it's obvious how these lies could have probably helped him get hired for the show.

I also found it interesting that people are more inclined to lie as they rise up the ranks in their company. I guess that would make sense if you believe that people become more power-hungry as they make more money, but at the same time you would think that the would have a lot more accomplishments to document on their resume and not need to 'pad' the resume.

The article was helpful because I was not aware that the company could take legal action against you after discovering the embellishments in the resume.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Class Presentations

I really enjoyed hearing all of the presentations. When we were first told about the assignment I wasn't too excited, because typically presentations (especially when you have to listen to 20) aren't fun. I also don't really like giving presentations myself but this presentation was a really good experience. It didn't involve a lot of research/planning and since the environment was so relaxed it wasn't too stressful.

I thought that all of the presentations were good because you learned something about every classmate. When you give a presentation that is free topic you get to know what people are passionate about. I enjoyed hearing the presentations about traveling abroad because the pictures were beautiful, and everyone's experiences in Europe are unique. I also really enjoyed the presentation about Charleston, because my mother recently moved to Mount Pleasant and the changes in the area really affect me and my family. I also enjoy cooking (and really really enjoy the Food Network) so the presentations about the cream puff and how to make the perfect burger were really great.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Mock Interview

I thought that the mock interview was a really good experience. I thought that the most difficult part would be answering questions about myself, but actually I thought the hardest part was thinking of good questions to ask at the end. We read earlier in the semester that you need to ask a question that shows that you have done your research on the company/school and also relate the question back to yourself. Although it was difficult to do this in the mock interview, I hope that it will be easier to think of pertinent questions after actually seeing the school or company.




Sunday, February 24, 2008

Free Write

For this weeks blog, I guess I will talk a little bit about what's going on in my life. First, my mother got a new puppy! She just flew up to New Hampshire to pick up our new yellow lab, who is the cousin of our five year old lab, Alley. We named the new dog Bogey because my mother loves to golf. At first Alley and Bogey did not like eachother at all, and would bark and make a big scene... but now they are pretty good friends.

Other than the puppy, I have been fairly busy with school work this past week and have also been busy applying for internships. I hope that I end up in Washington this summer, but I also wouldn't mind working in Charleston again.

I am also excited that baseball has finally started! It's one of my favorite sports to watch, and it means that warm weather is coming!

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Cover Letters

I thought that these articles were very helpful. I am currently in the process of applying for internships for this summer and have written a few cover letters already. I was not aware that most employers just brush past the cover letter, but I guess it isn't surprising. I agree with a lot of the advice given, particularly the three paragraph method. I used this while writing my cover letters. I also agree with the suggestion of talking about the company in which you're interested rather than yourself, it's true that your resume should tell the employer everything they need to know about you.


I thought that the testimonials suggestion was a bit odd, although I obviously don't have experience in the field- it still seems a little bit strange. Also the handwritten P.S. was interesting, but I can understand why it would be the first thing that people read!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Interview Strategies

I read "Minor Matters That Make Your Interview" and "Phone Interviews: Tips to Get Called Back".

The first article seemed a little silly. The article suggested things such as making sure you have your clothes ready the day before, and that you should brush your teeth after eating anything. Maybe it's just me.. but it all seemed a little obvious. The one thing that I might not have thought about would be to make sure you know exactly how to get there (not just the address but where you need to go in the building once you arrive) and also the "eyes and ears are everywhere" section. This last section warned that the interview starts when you are in the parking lot, because your possible interviewer could be anywhere.

The second article had a lot of helpful tips. One section said that you should stand up when you get nervous because it can make your voice sound more confident. The beginning of the article also suggested dressing in business attire for your phone interview. I never thought to do this, but it would put me in a more 'professional' state of mind and would probably be very helpful. The article also suggested having a copy of your resume ready as well as a pen and paper, which might help you be in the right state of mind as well.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Rhetoric

I chose to write about John McCain's speech after winning the Florida primary. Politicians are gifted in art of persuasion, and McCain is also a good example. Six months ago people had counted McCain out of the presidential race all together, so this win was unexpected. McCain does not come close to comparing to MLK Jr but he does have an impressive way of appealing to the audience on many levels.

The first paragraph of the speech McCain thanked his supporters, which he does gracefully. This could be considered pathos since he is appealing to Floridians. He related to them by explaining his roots to the state and how the residents in Florida have affected him over the years. Although this was a victory speech and did not necessarily need to further persuade the Floridians, McCain knew that other Americans were listening to the speech and needed to emphasize his qualities to these other voters.

The most impressive part was the middle of the speech when he (again) graciously spoke of his competitors. I think that this was important because it says a lot about McCain's character to acknowledge that the win was not a "landslide" and that he truly does not have any right to brag.

The following paragraph was a blatant appeal to ethos. McCain speaks about his history as a soldier and then calls on Americans to act on Super Tuesday. He does this by using carefully chosen words such as "courage" and "good sense" and also bringing up Reagan-esque images. This would be persuasive to Republicans that do not reside in Florida, and are still deciding who they are going to vote for in the looming primaries.

I thought that this was a good example of a persuasive piece because politicians have to literally sell themselves to the American people. They have to be able to articulate their ideas and appeal to multitudes of people at a time. I think that McCain's emotion in this speech, and his emotion in a lot of his other speeches, was passionate (although his passion can not compare to MLK, it was better than the speakers that we had in class).


http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/PressReleases/400d362c-3db6-4318-85ba-a846fa32b98f.htm)

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Looking Ahead..

I have always had a plan for my future. When I was in middle school I was constantly thinking about how I was going to get into the best prep school, and through high school I was preoccupied with getting into the best colleges. I decided to come to Clemson on a whim, but I am still happy with my choice. The plan had always been to go to law school after college and then move back to New England after that.

In ten years I see myself working in or around Boston. I am not sure what I want to do with my law degree but hopefully that will become more clear after I have explored different areas of law. I know that I would not want to be a criminal lawyer but business law seems to be a little boring. I have taken a sports law class and I plan on looking into entertainment law. I would like to be settled with a family but I don't want to start a family until I'm comfortable in my career... but all of that is rather personal. But before my goals get too lofty I have to take the LSAT and start the law school application process...

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Web 2.0

I think that the web 2.0 should have a huge impact on someone who is entering the work force. Today people need to be able to utilize more computer skills and need to be able to navigate the internet effectively. The first part of the video showed how the digital text (hypertext) is different than text, both quicker and more wide reaching. The last part of the video was the most resonating for me. The video said that we needed to rethink everything including privacy, love, governance and authorship; which I think is true. I also thought that the video had a more positive message towards technology, which was refreshing considering a lot of people think that technology is reducing human contact rather than enhancing it.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

About Me



Hi! My name is Sarah Hayward and I'm originally from Hampden, Maine but currently live in Charleston. I am a Political Science major with a Legal Studies minor. I enjoy political science but don't know what I would do with the degree other than go to law school, so that's the plan. I hope to go to school in Boston because it is one of my favorite cities.

Until this semester I was on the Clemson Women's Varsity Rowing Team, but I decided not to continue because rowing was not as fun as it used to be and it was pretty difficult getting up at 5 every morning. Other than rowing I enjoy running, reading, cooking, the Red Sox and traveling. Some of my favorite places to travel are Turks and Caicos and Cape Cod.

I am excited about this semester and look forward to getting started!