Hi everyone,
Over the past four weeks I hope you have all developed a better understanding of our major and how we can use our education to achieve our career goals. This week we will be looking at professional opportunities and job skills. It’s important to recognize how the things we are currently doing will help us, both during our time at UCF and in the working world. We should be identifying our job skills and making ourselves more marketable for our future careers. I hope these activities will help you!
Activity:
Look over the following site: http://www.cyberlearning-world.com/nhhs/html/jurassic.htm. This site integrates film with various fields of study (disciplines). You don’t have to answer any of the questions on the site, but pay special attention to the writing prompts.
Do you think this site is a good example of some of the ways interdisciplinary studies is applied? How does this broaden your perception of the sort of skills you’d need in your field and the types of job opportunities there are out there?
Your thoughts:
We would like to learn more about you and encourage you to think about your academic and career paths, including things you are doing now that will ultimately affect your future! Please respond to 5 of the questions below.
· How have you used your interdisciplinarity in your professional life?
· What has been your professional history?
· What are your strongest and weakest job skills?
· What can you do to develop and improve upon your weak skills?
· Identify two professional clubs or organizations that are useful to your chosen career.
· How have internship or externship helped your professional development?
· Discuss your personal philosophy concerning your professional life
· How is or isn't this philosophy interdisciplinary?
· How have your career goals altered?
Remember...we are here to help! Let us know if you have any questions.
Do you think this site is a good example of some of the ways interdisciplinary studies is applied? How does this broaden your perception of the sort of skills you’d need in your field and the types of job opportunities there are out there?
ReplyDeleteI think this site is an excellent example of some ways interdisciplinary studies is applied to work. It breaks the whole film down to show the different components to make it into one whole film and yet how each component can stand on its own. I’m not sure how much it has broaden my perception since I have been able to acknowledge the different areas I need to pull from and work them together into my chosen career, but it does open my eyes to more of what’s around me and realizing how IDS is really a part of everything, not just for people in this major.
~Joy Perez
You make an excellent point. A lot of people don't realize how relevant IDS is in just about everything that goes on around us. You're right, it's not just for people in this major! Thinking about it this way definitely helped me to better understand IDS back when I was in Cornerstone. I thought this site was pretty cool because it puts things into a better perspective, and applies it in a way that was actually interesting to me (I love movies). Great reaction!
DeleteWhat has been your professional history?
ReplyDeleteI do not really have much of a professional history. I had an internship at Valencia, where I thought a class where they sung and danced, but that’s about the extent of professionalism for me. I’ve only held a small handful of job prior and now but they are simplistic run of the mill job, like my job right now as a cashier at Publix. Reflecting back on my time at VCC or now known as VC, I did have to use many different aspect from my education to connect all the dots and have my students be able to put together the final product of their work into one big musical show. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work but I feel it has better prepared me for my future classroom.
What are your strongest and weakest job skills?
My strongest job skills? One is a little abstract but I would have to say, a strong skill of mine is my passion. I have a lot of passion for what I do and this always me to give it my all from within my self and no need for pushing from others. Some people call it my “Drive” but it is so much more than that.
I would also have to go into a more traditional route and say, My willingness to try new things. A teacher has to be open to new ideas and experiences since no two students are the same, so in essence each student brings a new idea, complication, helpfulness, etc, to the table. This all also go along with my skill to adapt.
My weakest? My procrastination… I know I should take advantage of starting work early but I always seem to push it off to last minute?
What can you do to develop and improve upon your weak skills?
To improve upon my weak skill I could start making myself a personal schedule with due dates that break up my assignments but that correlates with what ever the final due date is for my work. This will allow me to start early and little by little get the work done with less stress and in a timely manner.
~Joy Perez
The cool thing about you teaching that class is that it gave you an idea of what things can be like. If it didn't go the way you wanted it to or if it wasn't everything you hoped it would be, at least now you know what you don't want or how you can do some thing differently. This is exactly what happened to me when I had my first teaching job (a 3 week study vacation program teaching ESL). It was nothing what I thought it would be like, but I also know that every situation and classroom is different. And, now that I've done it, I know where I can make adjustments. It's all a learning experience -- internships are great for this! If there's one piece of advice I have for you, it's definitely to take advantage of these. You don't want to be lost once you graduate. Instead, it's important to create contacts and network your way to where you want to be. Good luck!
DeleteI can totally relate to the procrastination problem. For a bit I was not managing my time very well and would end up rushed and stressed by the end of the week trying to turn in work. I have learned to break up assignments into daily manageable chucks. I print out a calendar for the semester for my assignments and cross them off a I finish them.
Delete~Sara Lopez
I must agree with both of you about the procrastination but honestly I feel like I perform better under pressure. So it’s a bit of a curse but a blessing. I know to try to get myself organized. I have my "handy dandy notebook" (yes a Blues Clues reference... Remember I’m a mother to a 4yr old lol) In this organizer I plan out my life for the full month. It had definitely helped me get my act together.
Delete~Zenya Moreira
How have internship or externship helped your professional development?
ReplyDeleteMy only internship has helped me to better have a feel for being in charge of a classroom and how much work actually goes into it from the teacher’s side. It allowed me to have another reason for why I would rather teach older students as compared to elementary level, because I get a bit more freedom on the way I choose to explore a subject and how to present it to the age bracket. I understand I will always have limitations but I do get a wider range as they get older. As an academic teacher I will be allotted more styles of teaching the information including projects, and group work, while as a music teacher I get a wider selection of music to have my students perform with a much higher skill level in the performance.
How have your career goals altered?
My career goals have altered in only one way. I always strived to be a music teacher but in the past year or so I changed to a goal of becoming an academic teacher primarily so I will have an easier time find a position. I still would like to be a music teacher, should the opportunity ever present its self, but for now I’m content with the idea of knowing I will have my own classroom and being teaching students, regardless the subject matter.
~Joy Perez
@ Joy
DeleteI love the perspective you took on the internship opportunity you had. I also want to eventually go into teaching and feel the same way. While I love younger students (elementary age) I can't help but feel passionately for certain subjects and would want to teach my way and be more in depth. Instead of having to teach just for test taking purposes. Example, FCAT. I have a friend who is currently an elementary school teacher and all of her reading and writing material is given to her. She literally can read off of the prompting if she chooses. It is extremely structured and would be hard to make fun for students. I think you should definitely keep your love of music alive even if you are just doing academic teaching for a while. Maybe you could teach a music class at a local rec center or do music lessons outside of the classroom until the opportunity to teach music became available!
What are your strongest and weakest job skills?
ReplyDeleteMy strongest job skill is my dedication to being on time and ready for work. WHen I am on a job, I am not relaxing or taking a break. I feel that if I am getting paid, I have to be doing something productive. I am also very punctual. My weakest job skill might be performing unexpected tasks. I am someone who likes to know what needs to be done beforehand. I can handle sudden change. However, sometimes it irks me a bit to have to handle things I didn't prepare for.
Grant,
DeleteI can relate! My father was a very hard worker with a great work ethic, so thankfully my siblings and I gleamed that quality from him. I need to remind myself to maintain balance though because I can tend to get a little too focused on work allowing the important things to get neglected.
Again, I am also someone who is not fond of surprises when it comes to work expectations. However, I have found that those occasions provide an opportunity for me to grow in my abilities and learn more about what I am good at and what I still need to work on too. On occasion, I have been really surprised that I could do something much better than I ever would have anticipated. So, although I am a creature of habit, I have been forced to become more flexible which is always good (I think).
The great thing about these exercises is that they force you to think critically about things that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Lauren :-)
Grant,
DeleteI wish more people thought like you; everyone should! Any employer will be very fortunate to have you as an employee. Today many people just want to get by and sometime do less than the minimum.
As for you weakness, I can relate. As a military family change happens all the time and can be very stressful. It has taken me a while, but I see change as a challenge and at times as a new adventure or a new learning experience.
~Sara
Grant, knowing something beforehand is very beneficial because you are ready and know what to accomplish, but you always have to be ready for unexpected situation or things you have to do. Everyone has to be ready to do what’s asked in the job. I’m really glad you are very determined in doing your job. I have seen and heard people who just sit around all day and do nothing. What’s the point in going in for work then? Keep up with what you’re doing. Being a successful person at the job is a high demand quality for employers.
DeleteHow has internship helped your professional life?
ReplyDeleteWell, I started my internship a couple months ago. It involves writing short articles and narratives for an event planning company. It really helps me to understand what the working world will demand from me. It also provides me with a great deal of experience and time management skills.
What has been your professional history?
My professional history has pretty much con sited of several different bus boy and waiter jobs. After I got out of that field. I wired front desk at a gym. Now, I have the best job I've ever had. I am a server at a hookah lounge. I get to interact with so many interesting people and it is a mellow environment where I can truly be myself.
Internships are sooo valuable! I wish I had done more of them, mainly for one reason: NETWORKING. There is nothing worse than graduating and then not knowing what to do next because you have no experience and no foot in the door anywhere! You are smart to have taken advantage of this! Do as many as you can and talk to as many people as possible, you will never know where that may lead you! Do you like your internship so far? What sort of insight does it give you in terms of your career goals and your educational direction? Do you feel you're on the right track?
DeleteWhat can you do to develop upon your weak skills?
ReplyDeleteI need to realize that life throws curve balls. My weak skill is that I don't always deal with sudden change very well. LIfe is a series of change, though and I need to just accept that. Going into a job or a class, I need to expect that change beforehand.
How have your career goals been altered?
My career goals have altered by not getting into the ad/pr program. I don't even see it as a negative thing, really. I feel I would be more suited as a sports or travel writer. This is something I can see myself excelling in, whereas advertising was sort of just a field I picked because I thought it would make me a lot of money.
@ Cohen,
DeleteSometimes things don't go the way we intend, but the most important thing is how we deal with them. Don't ever let anyone stop you from following your dreams. Sometimes when life throws us a hard ball, it may be just what we need sometimes in order to come into the fullness in life. So really you never know, it just maybe just what you needed to get to the next level in life.
Sandy
@ Grant,
DeleteLife does throw you curve balls and its great outlook you have. I too had a problem with change. In my situation however it was more like change meant I was losing control. As I got older I just started to realize that you can never really be in control of everything. Life is not simple and you just have to roll with the punches and make best of every situation both personally/professionally.
~Zenya Moreira
@Cohen
ReplyDeleteYou have a very positive attitude towards a negative event. I am a strong believer in looking towards the future with a positive attitude. You did just that by not letting acceptance into the program get you down. Maybe, that just was not part of your purpose in life. Embrace whatever lemons life throuws at you at just make lemonade. :-)
Oh, and if I can just lend a word of advice to you and everyone else in our blog, I would emphasize the importance of never doing anything in life for the love of money. True happiness and satisfaction can only come from being at peace within yourself and will never be attained by worldly material possesions.
• What has been your professional history?
ReplyDeleteI really do not have much of a professional history as I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 16 years since my husband joined the Army. I guess you could say I am the “manager” of the home. I am the bookkeeper, cook, cleaning lady, laundress, nurse, accountant, teacher, driver, etc.
• What are your strongest and weakest job skills?
I think my strongest skill is my dedication. When I commit to something I feel highly obligated to complete and see it through. My weakest, and not necessarily a skill, is my shyness. I have always been very shy which sometimes keeps me from speaking up, letting my opinions be known and taking charge. I have been working on this and starting to make some progress.
• What can you do to develop and improve upon your weak skills?
My weakness is something I have been struggling with my whole life. It is something I have to power through when in a setting that requires for me to speak in front of others to not let it get in the way of what I am trying to say, do or convey. Speech class helped me a lot and I wish I had taken it years ago. All I can do is try to be more assertive and not let my emotions get in the way.
• How have internship or externship helped your professional development?
I have not done an internship, but have been volunteering for almost 12 years for our unit’s Family Readiness Group. Through volunteering and especially in the past 2 years that I have held a leadership position I have been able to break out of my shell a bit. Having to deal with commanders, the families, and other volunteers has pushed me to become more vocal and step out of my comfort zone.
• How have your career goals altered?
I was half way through nursing school before my husband joined the Army almost 16 years ago. Since then we have lived overseas and in 5 different states and are moving again soon. Focusing on my education has been difficult. After all these years and all the many things I have experienced in this lifestyle, my wants, likes and needs have ended up changing.
~Sara Lopez
Hey Sara,
DeleteBeing a Full time mom is hard. My mom had 8 kids and I know with out her being there guding me. I would not be the man I am today. I give you creidt for putting your kids first. Now with your guidence I hope they are able to become doctors, lawyers, and etc. I hope this will give you courage in the workforce to not be shy and to think of your coworkers as kids of your own.
Take care,
Sam
Sara, I am a mom of two and trust me it's hard work! Being a dedicated person show a lot of qualities. I have also had many changes in my education life, but changes just makes us see things differently. Volunteering is a great way to help the community and to explore different skills. You should take that oppurtunity and to change your shyness. Being a leader will help you back off those shields. Good luck!
Delete@ Sara,
ReplyDeleteWhen life throws you lemon's you make leomonade. That is the thought that comes into my mind about you. It's amazing how you did not allow life's event from allowing you to complete your school. I am from a military town and often the family dynamics take a hit because of the sacrifices that each services members have to take. With that said, you did not allow that stop you from perusing your goals. Ambition is something in your veins and don't ever let that change.
Sandy
Q: What has been your professional history?
ReplyDeleteA: I really do not have much job history when I was younger I worked for a daycare for about 2 years. After that worked part-time as a receptionist, and then worked at the family owned restaurant. There I was the hostess, waitress, bus-lady, played bartender, cook, helped with the clerical work basically whatever they needed me to do I would do it. After that I started working for my current employer and that was 9 years ago. Here I have also jumped around within the organization. I started as a receptionist then moved to sales, then marketing, then operations and now I do both sales and operation.
Q: How have you used your interdisciplinarity in your professional life?
A: Since I have moved around into different departments I am knowledgeable in all aspects of the organization. So when faced with a situation I am able to find a better solution rather than if I was just looking at it from one point of view (lets say sales perspective).
Q: What are your strongest and weakest job skills?
A: My strongest job skill would have to be my dedication and being a team player. Once I am invested in something I take ownership of it and make sure I do my best to get the job done. I do know however that it takes multiple people and skills to get a job done. I know when to ask for help when needed and how to assist others in their job to help the organization overall. My weakest job skill would have to be my lack of finesse. I need a filter from my brain to my mouth. I just say what’s on my mind and that can be a bad thing especially if it’s a stressful situation I am in. I would never speak to someone of authority in an unprofessional manner but my fellow coworkers that another thing.
Q: Discuss your personal philosophy concerning your professional life?
A: I like to follow the saying of “DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY”. Find your place in the professional world and make sure you enjoy what you do. There is nothing worse then waking up everyday and forcing yourself to go to work. If you are not happy take the proper (responsible) steps to get you where you want to be.
Q: How have your career goals altered?
A: Though I do enjoy where I am currently at, I want more. I know there isn’t anymore room for me to grow within the organization. That is the whole reasoning to coming back to school and becoming a teacher. I am also a mother now and my priorities have change because of it.
~Zenya Moreira
•How have you used your interdisciplinarity in your professional life?
ReplyDeleteDuring my professional life I have encountered many situations that I’ve put my interdisciplinarity view into effect. The areas I have studied have influenced my knowledge on a better understanding of how I can work with what I have.
•What has been your professional history?
I started off volunteering at my children’s school. Then, went to Publix as a cashier in order to save enough money to buy a house and now I am a paraprofessional at an elementary school. I have to say I have been employed in different professions for example, I was a doctor’s assistant and a teller at a bank.
•What are your strongest and weakest job skills?
My strongest work skill is that I do work well with young children and if I start a task I will complete it in a good amount of time. Another one is I can type and file at a rapid pace. Some of my weak job skills are that I don’t have proper grammar knowledge due to a lack of learning, and I am not always acceptable to changes.
•What can you do to develop and improve upon your weak skills?
What I can do to improve on my weak skills is to get professional help so I can advance on my grammar. I do have to be more lineate with changes because those changes might be very beneficial for me in the future.
•Discuss your personal philosophy concerning your professional life?
At this present moment I like where things are headed. I have had hardships throughout my education life due to not passing the general knowledge test, but I am grateful that I found out about IDS because now I can put together all of the things I like to do in one career.
• What has been your professional history?
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to work for a radio station down in South Florida a couple years ago while I was attending FAU, which later developed into me working for ESPN Radio in North Carolina and Orlando. Having no previous experience, I was able to network myself and confidently learn “the business” fast. I met and made many connections which have allowed me after my time at UCF to not only intern but hopefully land a job. That is the only professional history I have thus far pertaining to my major other than that like any other college student waiting tables is not something I can put on a resume.
• What are your strongest and weakest job skills?
3 of my strongest job skills are: Learning the routine/task of a new job in speedy fashion, I take criticism well and apply it to better myself and the work environment and I work well with others in a group setting which is the case in a lot of marketing firms. Some of my weakest job skills are I have a hard time handling stress and deadlines; I sometimes let outside issues effect what’s going on at work. With the last one that tends to sometimes allow me to get disorganized.
• What can you do to develop and improve upon your weak skills?
Time management is a problem I need to really tackle. Scheduling working on things a little bit a day even if it is for an hour so the day or week it’s due I am not panicking. I think that would also help with the stress factor. I tend to get overwhelmed and I have yet to find a way to deal with stress on a daily basis. Once I have a full time position I’m not sure if that stress will be totally different than what I deal with, with school.
• Identify two professional clubs or organizations that are useful to your chosen career.
http://www.marketingpower.com/Pages/default.aspx The American Marketing Association
http://www.marketing.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1 Business Marketing Association
• How have your career goals altered?
I at first wanted to be a nurse. I then did voluntary work at an ER and immediately decided it was not for me. I then wanted to be a broadcaster but realized that field to have a successful career was extremely competitive. I decided to stick with media and after working at the radio station and ESPN I realized I have niche for sales and I have a way with people that is great for that field.
Cayce Connolly