The Huntsman Experience

I have greatly enjoyed the time that I have spent so far as a student at the Huntsman School of Business.  I have enjoyed the classes and the material that is covered.  The atmosphere at the Huntsman School of Business is warm and friendly.  One reason for that is because of the teachers' commitment to the students.

The teachers here are so enthusiastic about the subjects that they teach.  I have been trying to decide recently which way I want to go with my accounting degree and what sort of field I want to work in, so I went and spoke with my accounting professor.  He was able to give me some great advice about which direction to go in and how to research more and decide which way to go.

That is feeling I get here at the Huntsman School of Business.  The teachers know the material that they are teaching.  They are passionate about the subjects that they teach.  They are always willing to help students to understand.  If I don't understand a topic or concept, I can meet with the teacher and have them help me to understand.  It motivates me to want to learn more and to do well in the classes.

The Huntsman School of Business is a great place to get and education and a major part of that is because of the people that work and teach there.  Their dedication and commitment to the students is one of the reasons why I have enjoyed attending the school and learning from them.  I hope to continue to have great teachers in the future who are as committed and passionate as the ones I have already had.

How can a blog be used to professionally present oneself in a job interview?

Social media and blogging has completely changed the way people are viewed.  When looking for a job, this must be kept in mind.  Andrew Marcinek, teacher, wrote an article entitled "Interview 2.0: Using Social Media to Prepare Student for the Workplace".  In it, he writes that people "...are conducting silent interviews daily by what [they] add to [their] profiles."  So how can social media, particularly a blog, benefit someone in an interview?  There are two ways that I am going to focus on.  One is to show employers what sort of work you have done.  The other way is to promote your writing skills.

A blog can act as an additional resume to a paper resume.  Mr. Marcinek talks about how he recently put his portfolio on a wikispace.  In this way he can showcase his talents and the work that he has done.  This information could also be posted on a blog.  Everything that an individual has worked on can be posted online.  For example, an architect could post designs and schematics of buildings that they have created, or list projects that they have worked on.  This is useful to give potential employers a look at what work has been done and to see the experience a person has.  It is also useful to help them determine if that person is a good fit for the company.

Communication is an important quality to have as a prospective employee.  Companies look for individuals who are able to communicate well, both in writing and in speech.  One of the ways to showcase writing skills is through a blog.  Potential employers will be able to see those writing skills.  This can be a good way to get and edge up on the rest of the competition.

Now, all of this can be very useful, but if the employer does not know that these things exist, then the blog will not be very helpful.  At some point, either in the cover letter, or during the interview, they need to know that this online resource exists for them to look at.  But, blogging can showcase writing skills and supplement a resume.  This can be a great tool in helping with an interview and obtaining employment.

Citation

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/using-social-media-for-interview-20

Google Docs: A Collaboration Technology at Work

            Group work is an important aspect of today’s business world.  Many companies desire employees that can effectively work together on projects to get them accomplished.  This goal is made much easier by the many different collaborative technologies that exist.  Google Docs is one such technology that can be a benefit to a business’ success.

            I worked for an aftermarket auto parts company that made use of Google Docs on a daily basis.  The shipping department and painting facilities were located in Illinois, while the customer service department was located in Utah.  Google Docs was extremely useful because it allowed both departments to update information in the same document and have the record of it for all departments to see.

Employees could instantly check if a part was at the paint shop, in shipment on its way to a customer, or already arrived.  When a shipment was returned to us, it was entered back into a spreadsheet on Google Docs so that the customer service department could resolve any problems or issues with a customer and have the information on hand.

Some of the employees were students with heavy school workloads and were working part time.  Using Google Docs, those employees were still able to get through their workload even if they weren’t physically on site because of the way Google Docs allowed them to be involved in the work and still be at home or school.

            Google Docs is extremely useful because they allow parts of a business to interact across great distances.  Employees also have immediate access to the most up to date information and are able to create and edit new documents.  Google Docs also allows people to work from home if necessary.

            

What can professional blogs do for business?

Blogs are a good way for businesses to educate customers about their products. At www.businessblogging.net, Ed Bejarana says that blogs should be used by businesses to "weducate" their customers, or help customers "solve challenges they face with the goal of providing overwhelming evidence that [the business is] the service provider with the knowledge to service their needs."  This does not have to be a place to sell a product.  A blog can be used to promote the name, or goodwill, of the company.  Business blogging is, in essence, telling the world why you are the best suited for the job at hand.  

Blogging is also a low-cost option for smaller businesses.  Blogging is typically free and relatively easy to learn.  The startup is really quick.  A blog is much easier to update and keep track of than a website.  It also offers a way to have interaction with readers.  By being able to comment on topics, consumers become involved and make the whole experience interactive.  Businesses can get up to date feedback from the people that comment and respond to blogs.

Businesses should always be looking for a new way to reach out to customers and blogging is just one more way to do so.  Jennifer Kyrnin, an about.com guide supplies a list of ways a blog could be used for a business:

• Frequently asked questions
• Promotions
• Contests
• What's New Pages
• What's Coming
• Photo Blog
• Developer's Notes
• News

These are just a few examples of the many different ways blogs can be used.  They ultimately can help businesses to succeed, pull ahead of the competition, and get the word out to the world just exactly what they are all about.