College Inc., its an episode of Frontline, on PBS. It was fairly interesting to watch. It showed us how the business that is higher education has flourished in the last few years. The schools, like the University of Phoenix, provide an education that focuses on trade building so that they can draw in students that are in need of a higher state of living. I can see the benefits in it, to be completely honest, to provide and education and to save a failing college. However, in the process, the school becomes a business, and like any business, it becomes vulnerable to dishonest business practices. An example is evidence that these schools have been employing very dishonest practices to draw in students who can not pass and can not succeed to sustain the required amount of students needed to keep the school open. The ways these things work are somewhat corrupt, but I'm not too sure that it can not be completely that it does not overall benefit the people who want an education.

I don't currently have a family of friend in a for profit college, but I don't think I'd be too worried if i did. It just seems that if you are going to a for profit college that you should be aware of your finances and not make any assumptions.

When I choose a college, I make sure that I am aware of exactly what I need and what I have. If I want to do something with my life, I have to make sure that the college I attend is an environment that will allow me to reach that end. That includes majors, internships, and maybe some job placement programs.

Watching this video definitely reminds me to make sure that I am not trying to attend a college that I could not possibly afford, and if the college that I want to attend is expensive, I would have to be sure that I don't dig myself a whole with all the loans I would need. Also, it reminds me to definitely try to go for more scholarships.

This blog entry will be about job interviewing skills. I will eventually have to go on a few job interviews, and even though, being an artist, I usually let my portfolio speak for me, I am aware that I will have to eventually utter a few words.

The following sites have information dealing with interviews and skills-


Job Interview Tips - Interview Tips and Advice
http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/interviews/a/jobinterviewtip.htm

Best Employment Interviewing Tips - Interview Questions and Questions to Ask the Employer
http://www.careercc.com/interv3.shtml

Job Interview Tips
http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco20045.htm



Some tips and advice for interviewing include-

• Always plan ahead, never go in to an interview knowing nothing
• Work on your appearance, be well groomed, and dress as sharply as possible
• Greet your interviewer by name and make sure to give them a firm and confident handshake
• Be sure to maintain eye contact
• You should be early
• Use proper language and have good manners
• Ask questions about the company, but be sure to not ask questions about thigns that are readily available on the website
• Thank the Interviewer afterwards and make sure to send a thank you note

Apparently, interview skills seem to mostly be composed of things that anyone with common sense would do. However, common sense is all but common these days. It does appear that alot of preparation is needed to have a sucessful interview. You should try to make the interview seem as natural as possible, as well as, keeping it clean and not messing up or stumbling.

This blog entry will focus on the creation of my first resume'. This is very interesting to look at, because I have never created a resume'. in fact, I have never worked a normal nine to five job in my life.

The following sites have information on "Resume' Writing"

Resume Writing, Resume Writing Tips, Writing a Resume
http://www.bestresumewriting.com/

RESUME WRITING How to write a masterpiece resume
http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes.html

Resume Writing-10 Tips to Bulletproof Your Resume
http://www.free-resume-tips.com/10tips.html


Some tips and information on resume's include

• Making sure your resume' captures the readers attention, because most resume's are given about 10 to 15 seconds of consideration.
• Make sure to compose the resume for the specific employer and job that you are trying to impress or attain, respectively.
• A resume' is more than simply a history of your past, it is written to create interest and persuade the employer.
• Use things such as "Power Words" in order to create interest and be specific in the work that you have done in the past.
• Make sure to imply the type of salary you desire by the way you present yourself.

This research has made me realize exactly how I should write my resume'. It is not simply what I have done in the past and what I intend to do. It should be a testament to my skill and should show the employer why I deserve the job and why they would be lucky to have me. It must be sure to capture the interest of the employer quickly and should create my image before I even meet the employer. This research has definitely set me on the right track.

Life Skills for Adult Life

This blog entry will focus on life skills for a sucessful adult life. Me, being on the cusp of adult life, find pertinance in this.
A life skill is a trait that would help someone live a sucessful personal and professional life.

The following sites have information on "Life Skills"-

Life Skills for Adults-Shaping their Personalities-
http://changingminds.org/articles/articles/life_skills.htm

Essential Life Skills for Personal Development and Growth-
http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/

UNICEF Life Skills-Which Skills are Life Skills-
http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/index_whichskills.html

Some life skills are

• Empathy
• Critical Thinking
• Effective Communication Skills
• Acceptance
• Resilience
• Negotiation

I personally possess the skills of acceptance, empathy, and negotiation and critical thinking. However, I am not the most social person in the world and can stand to be more open with my ideas and more assertive in general.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AX2f2DOKJWFbZGY2bTN3ZmpfMWRrOGg2OWQ3&hl=en

Transferable Job Skills

This blog entry will have to do with "Transferable Job Skills". It will record my research into the topic as well as include examples of transferable job skills I find and possess myself.

The three following web sites have information on the Transferable Job Skills

Transferable Job Skills Sets for Job Seekers-http://www.quintcareers.com/transferable_skills_set.html

Examples of Transferable Skills - Short List of Transferable Skill-
http://careerplanning.about.com/od/careerchoicechan/a/trans_skills_ex.htm

Changing Careers and Transferable Job Skills: Identifying and Obtaining Work Skills That Transfer-
http://adult-education.suite101.com/article.cfm/changing_careers_and_transferable_job_skills

Transferable Job Skills are skills that can be used and applied in any workplace, they are extremely useful and are can be used to help make a resume' stronger.

Some Transferable Job Skills that are considered are-

• Communication: The ability to express an idea clearly to those around you.
• Human Relations: The ability to use interpersonal skills to empathize, and sympathize, with people, and resolving conflicts among co-workers.
• Time Management: The ability to use and distribute time to increace potency and efficiency in the work place.

Other examples of Transferable Job Skills are-

• Event Planning
• Speaking a Foreign Language
• The ability to utilize computer programs
• Multitasking
• Team Player

I currently do not possess a resume', so this would be my first draft of my skills list.
Applicable skills

• Extremely comfortable with computers and computer programs, including Adobe Photoshop, as well as, Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Excel.
• Fluent in Spanish
• Works well on teams
• Takes direction well

First entry in this blog, It'll be a bit direct, as at the time of its writing, I am running short on time. My results of my Myers-Briggs personality test resulted in me receiving a "INTP". Apparently INTP stands for Introverted Intuitive Thinking Perceiving and is called the "Architect". It's rare, only 1 percent of the entire population is an Architect. The highlights of the results say that the Architect is drawn within himself, often hard to understand, and may seem standoffish. All of these things are true, i can not deny them. It also states that I have the urge to understand all things, their purpose and the manner in which they function, which i also can not deny. In terms of the suggested careers (Education, Natural Science, Computer Programming, Engineering, Law, Librarian) I believe that these are not correct, cause I'm very inclined towards the arts and music, and none of these include those. Besides the career part, it was pretty spot on.