Sunday, November 16, 2008

I would like to say thank you for assigning me with this group. My group members were very easy to work with and there were no fights among us like I have had in previous groups. The thing that stood out the most about my members was everyone was on the same page and we kept each other updated with ideas. I learned that working with different people I got the chance to see other people's personalities. We had five members in the group so the biggest challenge for us was our schedules. With Cumbie and I playing football that limited some of our meeting time, but when we did meet we made the best of it. The thing I learned was being flexible with everyone and hearing out everyone's opinions. I learned that it is very different being a leader in a group than one on the football field because I was working with people I really did not know as well, so I had to pay more attention to what they said and did.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Dual Coding Theory

When looking at the image there are a lot of interpretations I can relate to dual code theory. The thing that caught my eye was the words "practice like champions and we believe". Than there is an image of the door that lead out to the practice fields, so in my mind I form the mentality that if I practice like a champion then I would become one. The images of being the ACC champions pop in my mind and always winning the bowl game.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

This week's blog was something I have dealt with many times when it comes to miscommunicating. The one I can remember the most was when I had to go pay a ticket in Georgia and was heading home afterwards for my daughter's birthday. Well I decided not to tell my coaches I was going home after I paid the ticket and there were worries that I was not going to return. The aftermath was the media took it out of proportion and thought I was transferring schools for some reason. There were teammates calling me and asking questions and I started a lot of chaos up in Clemson. All of this could have been avoided if I would have told my coaches where I was going after I paid the ticket. I also had to run that Monday when I got back in town and my legs were pretty gone and I apologized to the team for the miscommunication. The media kept going on about the whole situation for a couple weeks and it kept people wondering but I knew what I was going to be at Clemson the whole time.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

The interview was a good experience for me. I was not as nervous as I thought I would be because I had to do an interview for a real job while in high school, so I kind of knew what to expect. The thing that really helped me with the interview was practicing in front of the mirror several times before I actually did the real one. The questions that were asked were very professional and I handled those questions with the most integrity and honesty as possible. If there was another chance for me to do the interview again I would. I found myself talking really fast and I tend to do that when the media interviews me after games. I need to talk at a good pace so that the people can understand what I’m saying. I walked away from this interview with the experience that I have to be ready for all types of questions but most importantly, I need to answer the questions with confidence and honesty.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

This past week in class when did our presentation on things that would motivate and persuade others they should either try or begin doing. The three people presentations that stood out to was Cassidy Farrell which was about the love of dogs. I thought this was a good opportunity for people to understand that all dogs are not vicious but depend on the owner and how they treat the dog I would really encourage others to visit her blog and look at her presentation changed your mindset about dogs. The other person was my boy Jamie Cumbie that gave of the benefits about drinking gatorade. He gave us the background history and why people should drink it especially athletes because we lose a lot of electrolytes from competition or practice. The last presentation was by Julie Lemons which was about Wild horse Racing. The sport is a lot dangerous than what I thought. What the guys have to go through before riding the horse is crazy and to jump on the horse without training was weird.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Season still promising

In this week’s blog, I want to talk about how our football season has gone. Before we started the season, our team had some high expectations and was ranked #9; the highest ranking under coach Bowden since he has been here. We started off with a disappointing loss against Alabama and took a lot of heat from the outside media about being not as good as people thought. Well than we won three games in row and started making people believe in us again. This past Saturday we lost an ACC game, and everyone is counting us out of the ACC championship game. I just want to let everyone know that the team is disappointed in the loss, but the team spirit is high, and we still believe in going to the ACC championship game. I just want all the true tiger fans to bear with us, and don’t stop believing in us. The season is still promising to us, and I cannot wait for our game against Wake Forrest.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Cover letter

I agree mostly with all the viewpoints about a cover letter. People should not put all their focus on the cover letter but the resume itself, because most companies do not read the cover letter. I found the best use of a cover letter to be very helpful because it laid out key points for writing the body. The important thing is to contact the employer and not sit around and wait for them to call you because the chances are low and how to sell yourself to the company. I was very unaware about the testimonials. Some companies find it very interesting when someone else says that you are great and not just you saying it the whole time. The P.S. is probably the other important factor in getting a company interested in you because it shows that you are very interested in their company.

Monday, September 8, 2008

I chose to read the two articles below because they will help me handle tough questions and also ask good interview questions.
“ How to Answer the Toughest Interview Questions”
The easiest way to answer tough types of questions is to practice in a mirror over and over. The most important question is usually the salary question, so it is best to prepare in advanced and give a good range. People should think about their last salary and the average salary for that company and the position they are seeking. The question I think that is more important is the Why question. This one will probably determine if you get the job or not because people do not understand there is a difference between being confident and boastful about yourself. It is good to show confidence about your accomplishments, but also show integrity. People should also be prepared to answer the silly question because companies want to know how you handle pressure, so it is best to expect the unexpected. The article also stated that is not so important what you compare yourself with but give good explanation.
“It's Your Turn: What to Ask an Interviewer”
At the end of interview it is important to ask questions because it shows that you are interested in the job. Be sure that the questions you ask are appropriate for the person. The main questions to try and avoid are the salary, vacation, and your retirement benefits questions. By asking these questions, you might send a message to interviewer that you are more interested in compensation than the industry itself. The recruiter questions are referred to as the big picture types. With this in mind ask the recruiter questions like how is the culture, what type of employees excel at that position, and to describe the interview process. The questions that are best for your future boss are very different. The questions should be very specific about the job responsibilities and its challenges. If you are seeking to be working closely with the executive, it is important to ask questions about the future of the corporation, because it shows your knowledge of the company. After all the interviewing, it is important to meet with a co-worker and ask questions. Try you best to stay away from the inside information, but there is nothing wrong asking about the department and the work environment.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Ten yrs from Now

Family- My family goals for the next ten years are something that I am looking forward to. My plans are to be married in about 4 or 5 years to a supermodel with at least two more children because I already have a beautiful, one- year old daughter. I want to watch my kids grow up spiritually and make sure that they are stable financially, so that they do not have to depend on other people to provide for them or even have to ask for anything. The most important thing that I want to see is watching my kids graduate my both high school and college.
Professional- If all works out I will be graduating next December with a degree in sociology and minor in coaching. My next step will be to enter the 2009 NFL draft and be taken in the top ten pick. For the team that signs me, I would love to make it past three years because the average runningback span is 3.5 years. As the starting runningback I want to set the rushing records and go to the pro bowl couple times.
After my playing days are over the plans for me is to return to my hometown and be the football coach for many years. Hopefully I will be financially stable enough to build a couple recreational centers; one being in my hometown and the other in the city of the team I played for. The reason for opening these centers is to give kids the opportunity to stay away from juvenile delinquency.
Personal- I love to travel, so when I have the time and money I would like to travel the world. When I do travel it will be to help underprivileged kids and people. No matter what I do in life my biggest thing is to be a role model to my own kids and others.