Critical Thinking

Hello all!

My name is Val and this week we'll be focusing on critical thinking; as interdisciplinarians we're given an advantage over others who have only one weapon of choice, but that doesn't mean we got it easier.

Before we get started check out this Errol Morris' writing and this article about Youtube and the arts.

Having multiple disciplines and fusing them together leaves us not only with different solutions to problems, but helps us see problems that normally we wouldn't notice. And these problems aren't ones that are talked about in intro classes so it takes more than just us thinking outside the box.

How do you think interdisciplinary relates to critical thinking? After you figure that one out talk about your thoughts on the Errol Morris piece you had to look over and tell us how it can apply to real life situations?

Also with YouTube being a huge part of our culture today and at the same time we have a strong performing art backbone, with iconic places like Broadway, what do you feel YouTube is doing? Is YouTube a beginner's stage? Or is it dumbing us down and taking away from appreciating "real" art?

Interviewing

Hey there Group 4!
I’m Caitlin and I’ll be guiding you through your blog posts this week.

So, you found some jobs to apply to, turned in your beautiful resume, and the company liked you enough to request an interview! For some of you, this may be a chance to shine and show off your dazzling people skills(and snazzy business attire!) but for others it could be your worst nightmare. Not to worry! There are plenty of things you can do to polish and perfect your skills so that you’ll be sure to snag the job of your dreams. For starters, check out the UCF Career Services interview page and give the practice interview a try. Write about your experience. Was it helpful? Did you find anything else helpful on the page?

Because that page covers most of the interview basics such as what to wear and what to say, I’d like to spend the rest of our conversation this week focusing on unexpected elements in an interview.Go ahead and share some thoughts on what you should never do or say in an interview. Think outside the box for this one! What mistakes have you made in interviews in the past? How much information about yourself is too much?

For example, one classic mistake I always hear about is the way people answer that dreaded question: “What is your greatest weakness?” Never EVER say that your biggest weakness is being too hard working. Employers see right through this. My dad used to interview for the Air Force Academy and he told me the best thing to do when it comes to a tough question like that is to be honest and always end on a positive note.

What are some unexpected or difficult questions you may be asked?It may be helpful to think through how you would explain your degree to a potential employer, or what questions they may ask that are unique to the job you are applying for.

I can’t wait to read your responses and wish you the best of luck in your future interviews!

Getting the Job!!

Hello all, my name is Michael Strahan, no not the guy from the New York Giants or Subway commercials. You see me here as strahonsolo.
So why are we all here in college? I’m sure there are some who are here just to become well rounded people, however, most of us are here to get a better, higher paying job. How should we go about getting these better, higher paying jobs after college (which I’m sure most all of you will start before you graduate)? Well there is more than one way to do it: we could “pound the payment” and put our face in front of anyone who’s willing to let us in the door; we could use a job search website; look in the newspaper want ads; or stand on the corner and wait to see who comes down the street and hires us. Although the last idea seems like the easiest, and may produce the best story to tell your grandchildren, I doubt that it will be the most effective or expedient way of getting a job. This leaves us with going door to door or using a jobs website. So we need to have the right stuff.
Part of the right stuff is you resume. Think of your resume as a reflection of the professional you on paper. Would you ever go into an interview wearing clothes that where to old and don’t fit you correctly? If the answer is not “no”, you might be one of those who came to college just to become enlightened. For the rest of us, if you wouldn’t wear old and ill fitting clothes, why would you present a resume that is?
The best resumes, like clothes, are tailored to the job. So the first thing we would like you to do is find a job posting for your “dream job”. Don’t worry if you don’t know what your dream job is, I have no idea what mine would look like on paper. Post what tools you used to find this “dream” job. How was your search different because of your interdisciplinarity?

Thinking about Graduate school? Take a look at UCF Plan for Graduate School website. Which grad school would be your “dream” school? Why? Tell us what you think about the site.

Now that you have found your dream job it is time to go get it. This is where the resume and cover letter come in. They are usually the first, and many cases, only thing your potential new employer has to go on to know who you are. Look through the UCF Career Services website. It has a lot of information about how to write cover letters and resumes as well as other great resources for job seekers. Share your thoughts on the website. Was it helpful? Are there resources you will use? Tell us what services you think are the most useful.

Now that you have found your “dream” job and have read about resumes and cover letters, it’s time to show your wears. Write a cover letter for your chosen “dream” job. Think about what you will include and exclude. Post your cover letter. Do you think sending a cover letter via email good enough? How long do you think you should wait to contact (call, email, stop-in or park outside in an unmarked van)?

Finally, think about your resume. What are some of the ways your resume can emphasize your interdisciplinarity? Do you think an interdisciplinary resume will get noticed more or less by hiring managers?