Miss 1 Month

Did I mention that I graduated? It's been a month and it's been great. 

Miss Choices

Choices, choices, choices.

Is it ingrained in us to know how to make the biggest choices we will ever make in our lives? Does it just come naturally? Is it an instinct? I'm not so sure.

I am at one of those crossroads in my life where I have to make choices. Which job do I take? Should I go to grad school? Should we move? How much money should we put in savings? When should we start having kids?

My mind is a whirlwind.

A few criteria to consider when making big choices:

• Who is involved? When you make your decision, be sure to realize who is involved when you make this decision. 
• Is it time sensitive? If your choice is time-sensitive, you should set an even earlier deadline for yourself.
• Try it on. Someone once taught me that if I am considering a choice but not fully sure of it, to try it on and see how I feel. For example, if I was trying to decided what school to go to, I would choose a school and start pursuing it and if it didn't feel right, I would then know for sure to rule it out. 
• Talk it out. I am famous for this. I have a choice and I talk it to death with my poor husband, family, friends  teachers, random strangers, etc. Talking may help you come to conclusions you never realized. It may cause you to over think, so you this technique with caution. 

Miss Cap & Gown

I picked up my cap and gown today. Was I nervous? No. It's strange that I don't get those butterflies that I used to get when it was the last week of the school year--every school year. The anxiety and adrenaline must be weighing too heavily on my stomach for the butterflies to fly.

In the meantime, I will eat my cupcake from BYU-Idaho Alumni and be satisfied that I completed one final today and only have 5 more to go.

Miss HR, whaaa?

So, I work in HR now. I recently transferred departments and I have been enjoying it. I mainly work as an employment coordinator assisting in posting jobs and reviewing applications. I am also working on a few small projects. Currently I am working on a project that has to do with the Rehabilitation Act, section 504.  It's been interesting and I am learning a lot about legal and ethical issues.

Human Resources is more than just hiring and firing. HR deals with the internal employment structure in a company, or in my case, a university. Here are a few gems that I have learned over the past 2 weeks:

• Patience looks really good on you
• People who apply for a job, usually think they should get it...no matter what
• Being the bearer of bad news takes practice
• You are a therapist 
• Reviewing 30 applications is the easy part
• Asking the right questions is is great way to reveal character
• You resume doesn't get you the job, your interview does

I know there is so much more to learn but this has been such a great opportunity for me. I am learning and growing in new ways and expanding my skills and abilities.

Miss Innovation

"Innovation is more than just being creative, it's about finding new platforms for growth." Clark Gilbert

The College of Business and Communication Summit went so well! I got to campus at 7:30 AM and left campus at 7:30 PM. A long day but well worth it.

I learned so much from the speakers. Here are my notes:

Curtis Peterson-

• Don't lose faith! You will find a job. 
• You may not end up in the field of work that you expected. 
• Internships are crucial, whether the company is big or small.

Susan Preytor

• Do I want to be an entrepreneur? 
• Non-profit isn't always the best option for a business is you are working with investors. 
• You need resources to create.

Clark Gilbert

• There are two aspects to innovation.

1. Sustaining Innovation-to maintain creating and changing norms to create a profit.
2. Disruptive Innovation-companies innovate faster than customers' lives change.

An few examples of disruptive innovations are: the kindle, the ipod, the telephone, the electric car and online media. All of these inventions took companies out of their comfort zones, took a step into the dark and plunged into the future.

This presentation hit me the hardest. As I reflect upon the Talent Activities program, which I am the area director for, we have made many changes this semester. We went on faith, with little logic, but are seeing results. Some good and some 'learning experiences'. Regardless, I am glad that we made them because I know they will help the program in the future.

In a late post, I will talk about the innovations we have made this semester in the program. Stay tuned. :)