Hello! Here we are in week 5 of our blog, and this week’s topic relates to prior job experiences and skills, professional opportunities, and how interdisciplinarity relates to and interacts with these concepts. First, we are going to ask you to share about your professional history to date. Share a little about the types of jobs you have had, if any. If you have not had any specific job experience, feel free to discuss any volunteer experience instead. Have you have participated in any internships or externships? If so, how have they promoted professional development for you? Did any of your work experiences lead you to a particular area of focus in your interdisciplinary studies? Can you identify ways that your career goals have fluctuated and changed?
When evaluating past professional experiences, it is important for each of us to identify our strengths and weaknesses, as we each have them. Some people are naturally good with detailed-oriented, focused assignments while others are much more people and customer service oriented. What have you found to be your strongest and weakest job skills? Try to identify at least one strength and one weakness with regards to your work experience. Once identified, we should always be striving to build up where we are weak realizing that we will never be perfect but should always strive to be better. What are some strategies or ways you can actively improve upon the weakness you identified?
Lastly, we will ask you to consider and discuss your personal philosophy regarding your professional life and work experiences? How has it impacted your work life thus far? How do you see it relating to your future profession? Would you say that your philosophy is interdisciplinary in nature? Something that can be immensely helpful is to identify a couple of professional organizations that would provide useful to your future career. Try to find and list at least two relevant organizations in your post.
Now for a shameless plug for UCF’s Office of Experiential Learning. If you are interested in finding work, an internship, or any professional experience potentially related to your areas of study, be sure to check out the options available to you at their office. The staff will link you with a coordinator specific to your studies that will help you with your resume, interviewing skills, and accessing job and internship opportunities. Here is the link to their website to get you started! http://www.coop.ucf.edu/
A quick word about the timing of this post as it relates to your portion of the assignment…this post is live tonight Sunday, March 4th even though tomorrow is the beginning of spring break. You are by no means required to post on the blog over spring break, which is from March 5th to March 11th. This topic is intended for the following week of March 12th to March 18th, but we are required to put it up tonight!
As always, please be sure to post thoughtful responses to the topics and sign with your first and last name. Enjoy your spring break!
~ The Mentors
hello everyone!!
ReplyDeleteHope everyone had a great break, I know that it was just nice not to do homework everyday for me. Some of my past and present work history is that I currently work in a restaurant behind the bar and on the floor during the week. I am one of the head wait staff and have to micromanage a handfull of staff everynight. Another part of this job being that i have ben in the industry for almost 15 years, not all in the same restauarnt, my cliental base is pretty large so everynight is not just waiting on a table of random people for the most part I have know these people for many many years so it more of talking and catching up with the week or the month, now even more is the snowbirds and how was the last 6 months and how long you down for this year? during these past 15 years I have also worked with my uncle and together we ran his custom cabnet shop during the day. Both of these jobs are completly different from each other becasue one has taught me to be more outgoing and how to work with poeople and customer service and time management and the other has taught me to be creative and work with my hands to create something beutiful. Both of these jobs have taught me how to run small businesses in these difficult years for the economy. Both of these businesses are mom and pop places a good friend of mine started this restauarnt almost three years ago with myself as a opening employee so I have seen it grow from nothing to them opening there third restauarnt now. so very succeful place and my uncles shop has been in business for 40 years and it has only really been himself and maybe two other employees including myself. I have learned from these jobs that I love interacting with customers, I like people and I like to talk I guess. Also I have learned from some very business smart guys that know how to make it work and that I enjoy getting my hands dirty or working with my hands. This has changed my goals in life I think a little bit? I have always wanted to become a pharmacist like my father and now I have changed plans and I think that I can maybe just run a pharmacy instead. Then I think maybe I could open my own brew pub the resaurant business I something I know and do very well? Who knows! Im hoping that this degree can help me decide.
Hope I started the week off okay with this post.
Justin Sikes
I still couldn't tell you exactly what my plans are after I graduate this semester, but I feel if you follow your passion that you will find what works for you. I choose the IDS degree because I couldn't pick just one area to study and love all of the areas of my degree. My degree has given me a direction and sometimes I think it is just as important to know what you don't want to do as knowing what you think you want to do.
DeleteMelissa Castorino
Hey Melissa!,
DeleteI agree with you, it is very important to understand what you dont want do and from there you can find out what you like to do. I did a lot of interning with the local fire department and at the hospital where I spent one day a week for three years almost and I got to do a lot of cool things in the hospital and especially in the fire department. This of course was in high school, I was in a medical academy that allowed use to do things like that. So i got to see what area in the hospital I didnt like and which ones I did like. from the ER to the OR and to nursing, pharmacy and even the billing departments so it was very helpful to me.
Justin Sikes
Justin, you have been one very busy person. However after reading your post, I think you have learned a huge amount with these two jobs that you have worked. Plus the benefit is that you have leard two different aspects of the work industry as well. It sounds like after obtaining your IDS degree you will be even more of an assest to yourself or whatever emplolyer you decided to work for. As always good luck.
DeletePatricia Alise Priest
Hi Justin!
DeleteThat is awesome that you have had so much experience in different areas of work. Although you may not know what you want to do when you graduate, you at least have a few different options! It is also helpful that you have family already working in these areas, so you could always follow in their footsteps. Have a great week,
Bri Darby
Hey Justin!
DeleteIt's so cool that you know a lot of the people who go into the restaurant you work at. I have worked as a server for a few years as well, and moving around a lot, one of the things I always disliked was not having a steady crowd. Relating back to the topic, you having such diverse jobs definitely benefits you more. The diversity would, in my opinion, give you a good outlook owning your own pub someday.
-Tanya Hunt
Hi Everyone!
ReplyDeleteI did not have any "real" work experience until my senior year of high school, and my first formal job was as a bagger at a local grocery store. This was my first experience in the customer service department, and it came as quite a shock to me. I am a very shy person around people that I do not know, and I grew up babysitting and interacting with children. I am very detail-oriented and I prefer working alone, and working in the grocery store was the complete opposite. I was able to stick it out for the summer and save up for college, but I was definitely still more comfortable babysitting.
Also throughout high school I did a lot of community service, all which has been helpful though college. One of my major areas of study is health, and this is where most of my community service falls. I worked for a couple of of years with my local American Red Cross chapter where I served as a member of the Youth Board. As a member of the youth board we worked closely with children at local elementary schools on topics such as proper hand washing and swimming safety. I have also been CPR and first aid a few times through the Red Cross. For a couple of summers I also had the opportunity to spend time in a doctor's office, where I took inventory of exam rooms and did different office tasks. These community service opportunities have allowed me to get a good look at different areas of health.
As of now, I work as a scribe in the emergency room. Here I work side by side with an emergency room physician; I take their notes, get patient information from the computer (such as past medical history, surgical history, labs, etc.) and discharge patients. This opportunity allows me to get a very up close look at the medical field, and has assured me that I do NOT want to work in the emergency setting. Regardless, it is a very god experience and provides me with a steady job that pertains to my major.
As I said before, I am very shy and am better at working alone. I see myself working individually or with a few other people, and I would like to be analyzing details such as profiling criminals. I am a good critical thinker, and even though I do not prefer to work with people, I am good at incorporating others opinions with my own. I could easily learn to become more comfortable with others, but it would take some time for me to find a good balance between incorporating my own opinion and balancing it with others'. Have a great week!
Bri Darby
I am also not a huge fan of working in groups and I do prefer to work alone or in a small group. What I have learned is that it is important to develop communication skills that make it easier to function in a group. Through my time in school I have had to work on several group projects, most of which I dreaded, but in the end most have turned out very well. If communications is part of your major, I encourage you to take group dynamics, it definitely has helped me learn how to function better in a group setting. The more you work in a group setting, the more comfortable you are likely to become. You could also join a group or club just to stay involved in a group and this may help you become more comfortable with others.
DeleteMelissa Castorino
Bri, when reading the begining of your post I thougth of a book I once read called Johnny the Bagger. It is a great book that every person in the service industry should read. You are exactly right the health industry is seriously deprieved of good customer service. Thats great that you have volunteered for the American Red Cross. This has probably gave you some hands on experience that you would have never gotten anywhere else. Good luck with the future.
DeletePatricia Alise Priest
Hey Bri!
DeleteIt's probably good that you started out your working career with something that wasn't exactly in your "comfort zone". Although bagging groceries will most likely, from your description, never be your career, it gave you good insight into dealing with customers, and in that type of atmosphere. Your community service and work as a scribe sound so interesting! Also definitely jobs you can learn a lot from, even if you do plan on profiling criminals one day (shout out to criminal minds!) :).
-Tanya Hunt
Bri -
DeleteAny kind of work experience, whether paid or volunteer, is beneficial. You proved this point by determining that you do not want a career in the ER setting, something you would have only figured out through practical experience. I also tend to enjoy working individually but have found that it will be necessary to learn how to work with others in any future profession. Since this could be considered a weakness a suggestion I have to help eliminate this is to force yourself to incorporate into a group, it doesn’t have to be for anything important but just something to help you get used to working alongside others. Also, any additional work experience will help you.
Angela Boyd
The first experience I had in the work force was a hostess job at a restaurant. After I graduated high school I also worked in a lawyer’s office as a runner and filer. I have since then been in the insurance industry for several years. I’m a licensed insurance agent who sales home, auto, life, commercial and various other lines of personal insurance. My job has helped me tremendously from a professional stand point sometimes there is nothing better than hands on experience. I inter-act everyday face to face with clients, who are happy, mad and everything in between. I’m not sure that my work experience has led me to a major choice in interdisciplinary studies. My career goals have changed many times over the course of my professional career to date. I have wanted to be a teacher, nurse, account you names it I’ve but it on my list of future goals and taken them off.
ReplyDeleteI believe one of my strongest points in the professional world is working with customers and providing excellent customer service. I have also found that I’m good at creating a schedule and keeping it. I’m also great at keeping organized. Probably my weakest point is taking on too much and not saying no when I’m overloaded with work. I need to learn to be able to say no when I have too much going on. I can work on this by starting with small things maybe outside of the office. I find that I typically say yes to everyone one inside or outside of the office. My work philosophy is to always work 110% at whatever it is you are doing. So far this has worked out very well for me people notice that I’m a hard working and I have been recognized for that. I thinking working to my max ability will always pay out in the future not matter what job I take on.
I found and organization called, Health Institute for Health Care improvement, http://www.ihi.org/offerings/Pages/default.aspx. This organization would help me with networking and new ideas that are coming around in the health care industry.
The next organization I found was the, American Psychology Association. http://www.apa.org/. This is a great site for anyone interested in psychology.
Hi Patricia!
DeleteI understand doing things 110% that is the only way I work as well and I do the samething life and never say no and it just keeps pilling up things to do for everyone else. I have recently have had to put my foot down and start saying no because with work and school I just dont have the free time to do a lot of the things I use to do for people. Its tough for me to do that but something has to give right. thanks for the website I will take a look at the health care one.
Have a good weekend
Justin Sikes
Patricia,
DeleteYou and I have very similar strengths and weaknesses in the professional world. I am very organized, and make myself a long to-do list for the entire week, and I always follow it. I too take on too much sometimes, and I find it hard to say "no" when someone asks me to do something for them. Although I do not know what I want to do when I graduate, I know that these strengths will be helpful!
Bri Darby
Patricia -
DeleteI would completely agree that hands-on-experience is some of the most beneficial. I also think that your strength is extremely important in many careers. Interpersonal skills as well as organization are extremely important in each of the career paths that you have considered. It is good that you recognize that taking on too much is a weakness because while it is a nice gesture it will end up badly for all parties involved. Choosing to focus either on saying yes inside or outside the office is a good way to eliminate your weakness. I enjoyed the websites you selected as being beneficial.
Angela Boyd
Patricia,
DeleteI also tend to be very organized but, like you, I say yes to too many people and then get bogged down. It can work both in your favor by earning you recognition, or turn out pretty badly.
I also agree with your statement about having hands on experience. That really allows a person to figure out what it is they like about a job and if it is right for them as a career.
-Amanda Brashear
When I was in high school I had a lot of experience with volunteering through an organization called Students Working Against Tobacco. After I graduated I started volunteering at a local veterinarian's office because I wanted to be a Veterinary Technician at the time and needed some experience. Within a couple years my career goals changed so I stopped volunteering there. Out of the blue one day, I was offered a part-time job as a receptionist for an MRI office. I worked there until I transferred to UCF.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that I was able to get the chance to work there because it helped show me what some of my strengths and weaknesses are. I learned that I prefer to work on detail-oriented, single-person tasks like organizing and filing the patients' paperwork, and I was able to learn how to deal with not-so-pleasant patients and coworkers. Volunteering also helped me to learn to work with others even if it is uncomfortable for me.
-Amanda Brashear
Amanda,
DeleteIt is great that you are taking all your different experiences into consideration with regards to your work experience. I think it is easy to dismiss volunteer experiences as having the potential to speak about our abilities, strengths, and weaknesses! However, it is really important to view any work experience, even if it is not one for which we are paid, as a opportunity to learn about ourselves as well as network. I would be curious to know if you were offered the job at the MRI office by someone who knew of your volunteer work at the veterinarian's office.
Just keep looking for those opportunities to grow and develop as a future employee and you will be great! Thanks for a good post!
Julia Elrod!:)
Hey guys!
ReplyDeleteHope you all had a relaxing (or not-so-relaxing) spring break!
Getting to the point of this week's blog, my first, and longest job to date was teaching martial arts. I began at the age of 15 teaching a few classes a week after I was done with my regular school each day. By the time I graduated high school, I was teaching pretty much all of the classes, to all ages. Throughout college, however, I have had much different job experience. I have worked as a server in various restaurants over the past few years. Both of these jobs, as different as they are, helped me to develop professionally.
As far as strengths and weaknesses go, I am a very outgoing person, which makes both types of jobs that I have had much easier. I seem to be quite patient with customers, and can also keep focused in stressful situations. A weakness of mine is that I am very much a perfectionist, and if something veers off course, or does not go as planned, I sometimes can get aggravated. Also, I can sometimes get overwhelmed when I have too much on my plate. I can improve on my weaknesses by, I think, keeping calm and taking a deep breath when needed.
Both of my jobs have prepared, and somewhat inspired what I have chosen to focus on career-wise. Being that I want to focus on human resources, any job experience at all is good experience. Especially, however, my time as a martial arts instructor. Not only was I dealing with customers (parents), as I did in the restaurant industry, but I also had to keep in mind the legal aspects regarding injuries, and teach a skill in a way that many people would be able to understand. It helped me to mature much quicker, and I know I will use the situations I dealt with then while I am in human resources.
My philosophy regarding my professional and work experiences is to put my all into everything, keep my morals at the forefront of my career, and have fun. This philosophy is most definitely interdisciplinary in nature, as I am combining my morals with my drive and other qualities. One relevant organization is the National Human Resources Association. Another is the Central Florida Human Resources Association, which would be more relevant since it is in my area.
-Tanya Hunt
Tanya,
DeleteThat's a really neat job experience to have! And you're right about human resources. As long as you have had experience with people, then you're on the right track. I do think your experience has given you an advantage in that it was a long term position so you were able to handle it and do your job well. You also have more than one aspect as you mentioned the legalities of injuries.
As far as your strengths and weaknesses, I think I'm on the same page with you. I tend to be regarded as patient and committed, but my perfectionism can sometimes make me intimidating and unapproachable. We differ in that I am quiet so that's probably why I am unapproachable at times. I have definitely been working on that. But you are right that sometimes when we see people slacking or doing the job differently than we see to be most efficient, aggravation is definitely an option. Definitely slowing down and getting to know your coworkers will help in this situation.
I think you're definitely on the right track here and have identified a lot of good and strong points!
-Michelle Puikis
I like that keeping your morals is most important to you. Too many times in life do people let that slip in order to advance in something less meaningful then their own beliefs. You did a good job thinking outside of the box how you came up with combining morals and work ethic to come up with something interdisciplinary.
DeleteHi Everyone -
ReplyDeleteAlmost all of the work experience I have had is centered around pharmacy or in the field of health care. My first job was as a pharmacy technician at my neighborhood pharmacy. When I moved to Orlando to start UCF, I was a volunteer pharmacy technician at Florida Hospital. Currently, I am an intern at Jackson Nurse Professionals, which is a professional staffing agency. In all these work experiences, I have had the ability to develop my professionalism, from putting together a resume and being interviewed through how to appropriately conduct myself in the workplace. Obviously, all these jobs have been geared toward the health profession, in particular pharmacy, which in turn has guided my course selection within interdisciplinary studies. This has been a consistent goal and career path I have selected since I was in high school.
In regards to my strength and weaknesses, I think I have several of both. However, one strength I believe I possess is attention to detail. I find that this is extremely important especially in my career path, to be sure each task is completed efficiently and precisely. One weakness I have is that I am not as assertive as some others. I think this is a weakness that I can work on eliminating which is extremely important so that I can succeed in the workplace. Several ways I can work on becoming more assertive is to be more forthcoming with certain ideas I have within organization I am a part of. Also, when working in groups I can volunteer to be group leader.
My philosophy regarding professional life and work experience is that having a job at a younger age is beneficial because it promotes responsibility, teaches professionalism, and in certain cases allows you to decide if a particular career is suited for you. I find that all of this is true in my work experience. The work experience I have gained has impacted my life in a very positive way, in so far as it has been a large part of being accepted into pharmacy school. I’m not sure that my philosophy would be considered interdisciplinary because it’s not really using different parts for multiple reasons.
The following are two organizations that are beneficial to my future career in pharmacy:
http://www.pharmacist.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Professional_Pharmacy_Organizations
https://www.ascp.com/
Angela Boyd
Hi Angela,
DeleteYour mentioned strengths and weaknesses are some that I share as well. Being assertive has always come very hard for me but I've been working on it. I agree with your career philosophy. The more job experience a person has, the better of an idea they will have as to what kind of career they want.
-Amanda Brashear
Hi Angela,
DeleteIn my work experience I too have had issues with being assertive. It took a bit for me to learn the difference between assertive and aggressive in the workplace.
I say go for it on being the group leader and wish you luck with everything.
-Gabriella DiSpada
(PART 1)
ReplyDeleteIn my occupational history I have had two jobs. One job I worked as a food handler at the concession kitchen of a water park in my hometown. The other job I had was as a sales associate working in retail. Of the two, I definitely enjoyed the water park job more than retail. The commute was a 5 minute walk, versus a 30 minute drive when I worked in retail. The hours were more structured and allowed me to be off no later than 6pm, whereas as a sales associate I sometimes would not get off work until 1 or 2 in the morning. Lastly, I barely knew any of my coworkers in the retail position, however at the water park we were more of one big family, we all hung out in and out of work, went to local high schools, and got along very well.
Oddly enough, neither of these jobs lead me to a particular area of focus in my interdisciplinary studies. My areas of study are health and business. While business is related to the retail position I held, and health is related to the concession kitchen position I held because there are certain health standards that have to be upheld, neither one of these jobs made me want to pursue the areas of study that I am in now. I pursued these areas for different reasons.
Overall, my career goals have definitely fluctuated and changed since I have been in college. One thing that has remained the same from the start is my wanting to be an Officer in the Air Force. However, the career I pursued in the military has changed. Initially I was on scholarship and was planning to be an engineer. Then my goal changed to be a hospital administrator in the military. Now my goal is to be a logistics or force support officer in the military.
From the two position I have held, I think that my weakest job skill is seeing things from others perspectives. Anytime you work as a team you have to realize that everyone sees things differently and sometimes there is no right or wrong way to do something. My strongest job skill I would say is problem solving. I think recall several instances when a problem would arise and quickly offered a solution, or if in the position of authority knew how to put the right people in the right place to solve the problem. To improve on the weakness I stated above, I have to make a conscious effort to recognize when a situation is a black and white, wrong or right situation, and when it is a matter of perception. In situations where it is a matter of perception, just hear out the other person(s) and value what they are contributing.
-Nicholas Spivey
Hi Nicholas,
DeleteI have to tell you that I really identify with the strengths and weaknesses that you described. Sometimes it is hard to see things from another perspective when the situation so so black and white to your own perception. I am still learning to be better at this myself.
I have been in situations where listening to others perceptions has lead me to see a solution that I did not see before. Knowing when to listen and when to follow your gut and ignore others sometimes is still a work in progress for me.
-Gabriella DiSpada
(PART II)
ReplyDeleteMy personal philosophy regarding my professional life and work is do your job, and if you are going to do something you might as well be the best at it. I have found that many people do jobs that they do not genuinely enjoy. Therefore, they do just enough to get by. Or sometimes people do well at a job but for an external reason such as a bonus. For me, I always picture it as the way people view you is reflected upon the work you put out. If you do sloppy work than people will think you are a sloppy lazy person. I have a lot of pride in that when people think of my work I want them to think nothing less than stellar. To add, I realized that in this society, rather you like your job or not, most Americans have to work to make money and survive; bottom line. Therefore, if you are going to spend the next 20 years working in a job, you might as well be the best at it. Thus far, my thoughts and philosophy has not had much impact on my life. This is not because my philosophy is wrong or ineffective; but because my philosophy works better with a career than a “job”. The positions I held are not careers in that there is no progression or corporate ladder to climb as a sales associate or working in concession. The way to do so would be to work in those positions long enough to receive a promotion. However, because of school and college I did not stay in those positions long enough to do so. My philosophy has more impact with someone who has a career, in that their job is just one step in the big picture of their work life. A job is something you just do. A career is made of jobs but also involves training and bettering yourself to move up and progress in a field. With regards to my future profession as I strive to become an USAF Officer, this philosophy should serve me well in that the military is all about getting your job done. People’s lives can be dependent upon decisions you make as an Officer, so it is vital that I do my job and do it well. Although this philosophy should serve me well, I do not think it is interdisciplinary in nature, but it could be applied in an interdisciplinary manner. The philosophy itself focuses more on performance and always doing your job to the best you can and remaining consistent. However, this can be applied in an interdisciplinary manner because I may have to integrate different fields or skills in order to do my job and be the best at it. For example, being an Air Force Officer means you have to be competent in your field, as well as have certain management skills because you will oversee enlisted airmen. In order to effectively do your job, you must have both sets of skills.
Outside of the military, two organizations that are relevant to the career I am pursuing are the Department of Defense (DoD) and UPS. The DoD is relevant because there are jobs out of the military that the DoD has that I would be able to pursue if I have military service. Secondly, if I become a logistics Officer, than upon retirement, a company such as UPS would love to have a prior military logistician on staff because the nature of the job is very similar
-Nicholas Spivey
Hi Nicholas,
DeleteYes, I agree in that if you are going to be working for a specific company or in a certain field you should be the best that you can be. Which may not necessarily be the best out there but at least you can feel great that you have given it everything you got. Why work if you are only going to give what you can to get by? When I see employees like this at my current company it drives me crazy. I feel like why don't they just leave because they are miserable here and they are making everyone around them feel this negative energy.
Love what you do cause you only get one life!
Leanne Sless Gardner
I find it very interesting that most of us as interdisciplinary students can in one way or another relate our major to job experience or careers we are pursuing. I think that as an IDS student, this is reflective of the nature of the major. Unlike other majors such as communications, liberal arts, or business where many people end up in an occupation that does not have to do with their major, IDS is all about making your major fit what you want to do in the work place.
ReplyDelete-Nicholas Spivey
Nicholas,
DeleteYou have discovered a great truth and fact about studying as an interdisciplinary student. This program really does allow us to work backwards, so to speak, tailoring our degrees to our professions! For me, when I started my educational journey almost 12 years ago, I was scared to go to school only to graduate with a degree I cared little for because I had little professional direction at 18. It wasn't until I was 28 that I had any real idea about my future career making the interdisciplinary program perfect for me.
As you stated in your post, many people squeak by with the bare minimum in their job performance because they just don't really like their jobs. This is why it is really vital for students to get any kind of exposure to the field they want to study before they get knee deep in a bachelor's program. It seems like you work experiences at least gave you some sense of direction, even if it was the opposite of what you were currently doing!
If you haven't already, you should look at the USAJOBS website. Even just browsing all the different positions can be really beneficial. Anyways, thanks for a great, detailed post! It seems that you are making the most of this experience!
Julia Elrod!:)
I agree with Nick. It's all about adapting to the environment that we want to put ourselves in and succeed. We learn from all different areas and combine it until one big mass of education so that we may succeed in whatever we want to.
DeleteGreg Eisenberg
My first real work experience was when I began babysitting at age 12. I had several customers in my neighborhood and soon began per sitting as well. This early experience gave me a strong work ethic at a young age. In my senior year of high school I was a bagger at a local grocery chain. While I found the work tedious, I loved interacting with people. I would see the same people from week to week and would catch up with them while bagging their groceries. Some people would even request me!
ReplyDeleteMy first "big-time" job, where I had insurance, 401k, the whole 9, was as a company that handles reservations for hotels worldwide. Learning how to conduct myself in that corporate environment was a learning curve for me. Not only did I need to provide customer service over the phone, but I also had to deal with the hotel executives and properties themselves. I then moved to marketing and worked for a firm that handled in store promotional events at places such as Publix, Walmart, Albertsons, etc. I worked my way around and up and had much more responsibility at this company eventually handling the 1099 payroll issues for the east coast. I also learned how big business is run much differently than small business. In both of these positions I learned how to watch my own back in business. Some people are sharks and if they smell blood in the water, they will not hesitate to make you their next target.
I know this sounds pessimistic, but one of the best lessons I have learned in my work experience is to CYA (cover your a**). I learned the hard way the not everyone is there to help you and there are people who will use this guise to make themselves look better and get ahead. You just have to be aware and avoid these people as much as you can. Toot your own horn just a little because no one else will and above all, do your job to the best of your ability, it's the reason they hired you in the first place.
One website that has helped me tremendously over the years is mindtools.com. They have great articles about tons of work related topics.
-Gabriella DiSpada
Hi Gabriella, That is a great thing that you had a good work ethic engrained in you at such a young age. I did not and believe that is why it has taken me longer to get adjusted into the corporate world.
DeleteI must agree with you on the "CYA" and how utterly important this is. This is not only helpful with people and co workers who are out to get you but with clients when they are trying to put blame on you. I have personally found it to be one of the best tools in the business world.
Great Job!
Leanne Sless Gardner
I used to think my biggest weakness was being over trusting of others, but then I realized it was not trusting myself as much as I should in business situations. I really trust my instincts in many other areas of my life and they have not steered me wrong. For a while I felt that people knew so much more than I did in certain areas of business and I trusted them instead of myself. I take a little time to assess and see how I truly feel about situation and person before I move forward.
ReplyDeleteI feel one of my biggest strengths is my creativity. Solving issues sometimes take creative use of your resources and I feel that I am really good at this. I love learning new things and seeing how I can use that knowledge in different ways.
-Gabriella DiSpada
Gabriella,
DeleteWow, yes the issue of trust is such a good point! It's important for us to demonstrate and be confident in our decisions and in our work. Trusting other people more than ourselves can also be dangerous in that people tend to take advantage of how much you trust them. I'm so glad you see that now and are taking the steps to break that pattern. I think this new strength you are developing will be super beneficial in all of your relationships, not just work.
-Michelle Puikis
My job experience that I would look at as interdisciplinary was being a server at a restaurant. You need to pull skills from a bunch of different areas in order to be successful. Business is the first aspect. You need to worry about your food sales and push certain items in order to generate more business. A close second is communications. You have to be well spoken in order to inform customers on certain items and sales and also be a good listener while taking an order. The third is psychology. When a customer gets upset you need to combine psychology with communications in order to figure out and defuse the issue.
ReplyDelete-Greg Eisenberg
Hi Greg, Those are some great points that you make on being a server. I have never personally been one so I never thought of it that way. Taking all of these elements into your job as a server will make you one of the best. Thinking to when I go to a restaurant and what is important to me in our server, it would have to be communications. A great server is someone who can communicate everything to us well throughout the entire dinner experience, that is key!
DeleteGreat Job!
Leanne Sless Gardner
Hello Greg,
DeleteI agree with Leanne, you make some good points about skills to use as a server. I know that servers who communicate well and know how to connect with people can certainly make a restaurant experience wonderful. Good job!
Chanel Mosby
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