Online Meeting

A couple days ago my group had its first online meeting. The experience had a few hiccups, but we were able to accomplish what we had intended to accomplish.

The platform that we used was Google+ Hangouts. A couple of my team members had not used this before, and I had forgotten to complete a mock meeting during our last in-person meet-up. This would have eliminated a couple technical difficulties when we were setting the meeting up.

While the platform did force us to be more succinct than we typically are in person, I don't think that it was worth the tradeoff of losing body language cues. For example, there were times that we would all start talking at once, since the delay cut out indication that someone was about to start talking.

Overall the meeting went well and we communicated what we needed to, while resisting the urge to use the mustache feature. In the future, I would prefer live meetings, but I know that we are capable of using online meetings as an alternative if necessary. 

Wonder of Wonders, Miracle of Miracles

Remember my last post? About practicing for what you want and not taking yourself out of the running? This week has been a surreal confirmation of just how powerful that kind of thinking, coupled with action, can be.

The position that I was applying for during the in-class interview was assistant manager in the BYU QA lab. I applied for the actual job at the last minute, knowing the position was not open to seniors such as myself. I was excited to gain some more interview practice to help me in my future job search. I prepped my PAR stories, created a list of ways I envisioned improving the lab, and reviewed my cover letter.

The actual interview was a really enjoyable experience. I used Professor Middleton's advice and infused humor into the conversation to help set a comfortable mood. 

When asked what my least favorite part of working in the lab is, I shared an experience of slicing my finger on a jagged piece of metal during a product test. This began a roundtable of lab accident stories, with each interviewer sharing multiple similar experiences. The conversation created a nice ice breaker; I later learned that one of the other candidates almost passed out because they forgot to breath. The managers were still a bit on edge from the experience, so showing that I felt at ease in the situation allowed them to relax as well.

The next morning I received an email that began with "I am pleased to inform you ..."

I didn't need to read the rest of the email. I could not believe that I had received the position that I have wanted for the past year, but almost didn't apply for because I thought myself unqualified. I am absolutely thrilled to have a chance to improve the lab that I love working in so much, and to add some leadership experience to my resume before I graduate.

This experience furthered my belief that sometimes the only thing standing between me and what I want is my own self-doubt. Not every application results in an offer, or even an interview. But you never know where those experiences will take you until you get out of your own way and give it your best shot.

Online Interview

My online interview experience was interesting. I had never used the platform before (Facetime, which, I know, I should have started using years ago), which was a rookie mistake. The video cut out a couple times, but the call was never dropped.

However, I did remember the advice given in class and sat in front of a background that did not distract from the interview.

To be honest, the most difficult part of the experience was coming up with questions to ask my classmate.

I will have to be better at using the breathing skills that we talked about in class today. Even in low-pressure situations like this interview, I often forget to breath deeply and the pace of my words speeds up until my sentences become a tangled mess.

I will also have more concise stories to share about the experiences I choose to include in my resume.

Overall, the experience was a good one, and it helped me to target areas I can improve upon.

The Power of Positive Thinking

During my sophomore year, I had the opportunity to take an entrepreneurship lecture series. One of the guest speakers was a woman who had recently sold her medical data processing company for an absurd about of money.

As she was listing off everything she had achieved and gained over the last few years, she mentioned that she had a secret that had contributed to her success. She then showed us a slide of what she called her "dream board." The screen looked like a chaotic Pinterest board. She explained that whenever she had a dream about achieving something, she would find a picture to symbolize that dream and include it on her board.

The system had worked for her so well, she had completed all the dreams on her first board, and she was starting a second one.

Source

At the time, I was feeling a bit jaded with life, and I scoffed at the idea that someone could improve their situation in life with a glorified scrapbooking page.

However, I tried something similar a few months ago. Whenever I think of something that I would like to have or change in my life, I no longer ask why I should deserve to have it. Granted, these are no possessions like the private jet or ski boat that the CEO had shown us. Rather, they are jobs, relationships, and personal qualities.

The results have been astounding. Changing my perspective from "Why?" to "How?" has made all the difference in the world. My confidence in my ability to make things happen has drastically improved virtually every aspect of my life.

I thought about this change in thought patterns during class this week as Professor Middleton discussed the importance of confidence while applying to jobs. Don't take yourself out of the running. Train for the run, be confident in your training, and don't stop until the finish line.

Who's Dewey?

Having fun isn't hard

Our session in the good ol' HBLL on Monday was a wakeup call. There are countless resources available to us while we are students at BYU, and many go unused. The Daily Harold wrote about a few interesting library facts.

Beyond using the search engines and databases available through the library, I decided that I want to study in the building more often.

I only wish that this app was still functioning. At least we can still use the website's fantastic name.

Too Many Social Media Articles Include "140" in the Title

My relationship status with social media has always been complicated. I teeter between wanting to share the goodness I see in the world and wanting to keep it to myself for fear of obtaining a Pollyanna reputation.

However,  I've found that I generally receive positive feedback so long as I maintain a tone that mirrors my voice IRL (to steal a social media acronym).

Those who mind don't matter, and those that matter don't mind.*





*To tie in another topic from class this week, the complex attribution history of this quote can be found here.

The Goldenrod Ones Go to Roz. Leave the Puce!

Organization is an attractive trait

This week we discussed how to minimize clutter in email inboxes. Professor Middleton mentioned a saving grace, called OTHER INBOX. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it.

I have reached the point where I need an extra help in maintaining order in my email. With two jobs, an internship, school, family, church, and companies enticing with coupons, there is plenty to stay atop of.