Why Lie?

After reading this article, I became disgusted. Over %50 percent of applicants have lied in one form or another. Granted that most of the lies are small and sometimes insignificant, this number was alarming to me. I feel like lying on your resume and getting caught could be devastating to the rest of your career or lack there of. You might be able to get away with it but then it could really hurt you down the road once you have been promoted several times and are regarded very highly within the company. I know that my resume is consistent and truthful and it was not that hard. I obviously could have embellished it in certain areas, but why do so? It could only hurt me in the long run. I hope that people seriously consider the downfall of lying before the next time they turn in a resume. It could damage any hope of a career or the one they currently have. 

Our Company

My team has decided to enter into the delivery business. We are not delivering pizzas or late night munchies, but rather full blown grocery lists. We have decided to try and open an online grocery delivery company. Second Life users could enter our store on Second Life, browse the store for groceries needed, and fill out an order form as they checkout. One day later, the food arrives on their doorstep ready to be consumed. One aspect of this operation we have not fully completed is the payment process. Should shoppers be required to pay before the food is delivered, or should they have the payment ready upon delivery? Also, should the use of linden dollars be used or make the payments come from real money transactions? These are two of the questions we have left before we really put our company idea into motion. I hope that this company will thrive in the future. With the amount of users on Second Life, and the numbers growing everyday, I do not see any reason why this company would not succeed. 

Mock Interview

I was really pleased at the way my mock interview went. It was much different than I had expected and was actually more relaxed than a face to face interview. One problem I did worry about was the response time to answer the questions asked. It takes everyone much longer to type their response than in person. However, this is also an advantage to Second Life. Sometimes the first answer that comes to mind may not be the best or worded the way you want it to sound. Second Life allows to read what you say before you say it. I found this tool to come in handy throughout my interview. I know there were several times where my first response to the question may not have been the best one and I was able to rephrase it better. Second Life interviews have the advantages and disadvantages, but I do see the usefulness of this tool and I see it being used more frequently in the future. 

The Weather

I am sick and tired of waking up and wondering what type of weather to expect here in Clemson. I may look outside and one could assume that it was 70 degrees and sunny but until further inspection you find it to be 40 degrees. It's not only the deception, it's also the consistent fluctuations. For instance, this past Friday it was 44 degree with mist and rain all day long. And then yesterday (Saturday) it was 68 degrees and sunny all day. I love Clemson and everything it has to offer, but I would rather have it 68 and sunny everyday or even 44 and misty than to have it change on a daily basis. This may just me ranting at the moon do to the fact that today's high is 55 and rain is in the forecast. It seems as though we have daily cold fronts. Where as at home in Orlando the weather is consistent everyday and if  a cold front moves in, it lasts for several days. Who knows what to expect tomorrow, maybe snow again and then 82 degrees the next day.  

Cover Letters

Firstly, I do not agree with all of the information given. I feel as though the cover letter is not cast away immediately as said. It seems as though the resume reader would at least glance over it to give themselves and idea of the resume that are about to read. However, I do agree with the point about cover letters being specific and personal. You should not send out 100 of the same cover letters to different companies and wait for responses. It some cases a cover letter may need to be different based on what type of company is receiving the letter. 

I also like this site because it describes in somewhat good detail, exactly what to include in your cover letter and in what order. This will come very useful in the near future when I need to write my cover letters. 

The Second Life Advantage

It seems to me that the use of Second Life in the world of recruiting for businesses is a great idea. It is one more, different way for businesses to get to know their possible future employees. In my opinion this would be a great advantage for anyone applying for jobs. Many people, including myself get nervous before giving a speech or before an important moment in life. If that is the case, then using Second Life is a great alternative. Employers would be able to talk to possible candidates in a manner that would allow them to be in a comfortable surrounding. I believe that this could be a big hit for some companies as another form of interview. It greatly reduces that amount of time, money, and traveling it takes to fly people in from all over the country to be interviewed. However, I do not feel that this takes the place of face to face interviews. The use of Second Life could help to narrow down the field to whom deserves a face to face interview. I am learning more and more about this thing called Second Life. I feel we have just begun to scratch the surface of what this program can be used for. Classes, Interviews, Advertising, and social networking are just a few of the things already being done through Second Life. 

Persuasive Writing

In "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is very persuasive in his writings. He is defending he actions and doing so very well. He is upset about the recent and on-going racial divide in Birmingham, Alabama. People were criticizing his reasoning and actions for causing turmoil in Birmingham, when he himself is not from the town itself. He responds with the reasoning that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."  His way of persuasive speech is defending his actions and trying to convince people he was right. When looking at the websites for Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, I found that there are several similarities and and differences between their styles of writings. One similarity is that they both try to convince you to choose them as your financial advisors. However, they have nothing to defend themselves for. They just try to convince you why you should work for them, they never mention their competition. They do not want you to look elsewhere so you could get an idea of the competition. Dr. MLK Jr. wanted you to know what the animosity was for and why he has stood up for what he believed in. In both cases, each writer was trying to persuade the reader to choose their side and negate the other side's opinion or stance. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech was very moving and persuasive. I can understand why and how he was a leader who was capable of leading millions in a fight for a better society.