Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:41:00 -0800WeeblyMon, 10 May 2010 06:51:05 -0800http://www.bjanket.com/1/post/2010/05/budget-your-personal-finances-the-right-way.htmlWe all have a system of how we budget the expenses in coordination with revenue. It is our planning that allows us make the proper adjustments based on what we've saved,  and earn. Making a budget is a key component in the success of your finances, and your life! The key steps to changing and implimenting a positive budget plan are:

1:  Look at where you have been spending your money. Is buying certain items really necessary, or could the hard earned money go somewhere else?

2: Develope goals to cut back on how you spend. Always keep track of where and what your spending your money on. As part of this, you need to keep track of the money in coordination with your goals. Make sure your meeting certain goals, which will allow you to enhance your net worth, and overall success of your finances!]]>Tue, 16 Mar 2010 19:31:46 -0800http://www.bjanket.com/1/post/2010/03/the-essence-of-time-management-and-how-it-relates-to-my-life.htmlOver the past decade, humans have changed their habits and activities to consume their time.  As a student at Onondaga Community College, I see the challenge of having a lack of time throughout the day to achieve the goals that I need to meet every day.  One of the fundamental challenges that I’ve faced in my college career is taking on multiple commitments that require time out of my busy schedule.  I’m President of the Business Club, was a student government officer, an orientation leaders, and countless other activities that benefit myself and Onondaga Community College.  The behavior change contract created a foundation for understanding the fundamentals of time management, and the importance of using the tools available in our everyday life.

Using a calendar allows you to organize your events and activities in an accessible way to view for the future.  It’s essential to plan out what you will be doing throughout the day, week, month, and year.  A calendar organizes what you plan to do, and allows you to not forget the information as easily.  According to the behavioral change contract, I started the process of using a calendar on February 03, 2010. In order to provide a correct analysis of my process, I would record all events and activities on the calendar right away. I purchased an Obama Calendar, and set up the Google calendar account.  I found that recording the information on the calendar allowed me to remember when events were, and never overlap.  When events would overlap, I could easily catch it and communicate the information with those around me.

One of the challenges that I faced throughout high school was getting up on time for school. The challenge never became easier for me in college, but the responsibilities become more of a burden on my life.   Being on time is one of the most fundamental challenges for some people, and yet it is so important in regards to managing your time.  Managing your time can be a personal goal, but managing your time “to be on time” sends a message to everyone who has taken the time to meet with you. If you’re late, the message is distilled in the person’s head that you wouldn’t make a good employee, or a good fit for the company.  I agreed to set an alarm every time I would fall asleep, or need to be somewhere. If I failed to wake up once, I would set another alarm. I found that I only needed to set one alarm, but be committed enough to actually wake up.  

I found that a large portion of my time is spent trying to find materials.  One of the first things that I did on February 5, 2010 was organizing everything into folders.  All of the receipts that I need to file my taxes have a separate folder, every class that I have has a folder, ect. Organizing my materials made it easier to simply grab the folder that the information was in, instead of searching countless folders for the information.

Using a calendar, alarm, and materials for organization allows me to manage my time successfully.  The main problems that the solutions fixed were oversleeping, overlapping and forgetting events, and disorganization.  The behavioral change contract allowed me to reflect on the time conflicts that I faced, and create solid solutions that allowed me to become successful in managing my time.  I learned that managing my time, also creates a less stressful life overall.]]>Sun, 14 Mar 2010 21:50:49 -0800http://www.bjanket.com/1/post/2010/03/walking.htmlRiding public transportation allows one to view the diverse attributes of society as a whole.  When I was on a Centro Bus, I noticed the different regions of the cities reflected the differences among classes. Some parts of the city were destroyed, poverty stricken, and hard to look at. It was in that moment where I wondered how the past influenced the future, and the decisions people made in coordination with trends of society changed the richness of that region. ]]>Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:34:39 -0800http://www.bjanket.com/1/post/2010/01/drawing-traffic-to-your-blog-ask-questions.htmlOne of the most empowering things that you can do as a publisher is ask questions in your blog. "What's your story?" "What is your experience?" "What do you think?" "What are you working on?" All of these questions brings the reader to share information, and giving readers the power to engage and feel engaged. Users enjoy reading content, but the content that you post can only go so far. It's essential to draw your readers in, and have them talk about their experiences and opinions about the topic that you're discussing. ]]>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:19:10 -0800http://www.bjanket.com/1/post/2010/01/business-conference-ncsl.htmlI recently went to Washington D.C. on November 20th for a leadership conference. I was a proud representative of Onondaga Community College, and went with the future leaders of tomorrow. Here is a quick overview of the NCSL conference workshops.

Getting More and Going Further with Creativity

The workshop tries to bring creative inhibition with psychological elements. We were told to draw something that we feel we could be more creative with, and think deeply about how we could improve this.   I found the workshop to be very little help, but it was a good networking opportunity for me.  I talked to five different people that I had never had the opportunity to meet before.

Zing! Your Life, Leadership, and Legacy

When the first walked into this workshop, I didn’t know what to expect.   I thought the workshop was good at showing the effects of having a positive attitude. I realize that I have the ability to positively influence others through my values and morals that I express. We often think of people that influence others, but even the silence that we have has consequences. It’s when we raise our hands, become engaged, and challenge ourselves that we can positively influence those around us.  Zing means to change the flow-forces around you because you can bring something better to the table. I believe that Nancy Denney did a good job at showing everyone that we make a difference, and sometimes we don’t even realize it.  I realize that I need to make people feel more welcome wherever I am, and to think positively about situations.

Turn your idea into reality in 29 days

I have over 4 different projects that I want to launch, and this workshop helped me with the implementation process.  The workshop was good for those that have ideas, but my partner didn’t have any ideas. She was in the nursing program, and didn’t feel that the workshop had any value for her.  I learned that I need to express my ideas to people, and set a date that the project needs to be done by. I need to set goals for myself to make sure that I get everything done. The workshop explained that you need to set mission statements for the ideas that you have, and that you need to tell people about the projects that you want to do. These are things that I’ve been doing for years, and I find value in them everyday.

Credibility : Nick Tarant & Steve Wymer

Credibility is, “The single most missing component for student leadership organizations across the country.” Credibility allows people to believe in you, and makes you worthy of that belief, or confidence. Without credibility, there would be low membership levels, apathy among members, criticism, and a loss of power/influence. You must always be aware of where you are, and who you are speaking with. You will always need the media, but realize that they like drama.  I found this session interesting because I’ve had problems in the past. I want to become better, and do exactly what needs to be done in order to accomplish new goals. I learned that follow through is the key to success, and to always be aware of what you do.

 

Balancing How to Say It with What you Say: Influence and Credibility

The role-play session showed how people look when they do certain things.  It’s important to dress appropriate for the situation, look like you care, and make appropriate decisions at the right time. Your posture, tone, and expression all play a key role in how people perceive you. We may do things that we don’t even realize when we’re talking to people, and we need to be aware of that. There were skits of what the person might look like, and it wasn’t just information on a screen. ]]>Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:23:17 -0800http://www.bjanket.com/1/post/2009/12/jets-win.htmlOn December 27th, 2009, the Jets defeated the former undefeated colts. ]]>Sat, 26 Dec 2009 10:50:56 -0800http://www.bjanket.com/1/post/2009/12/find-a-job-how-to-do-it-effectively.htmlHave you ever applied for a job, but wondered why you never received a call back? There are effective methods to obtain a job, have a positive first impression, and get the job that you desire!

1. Build a resume for everywhere that you apply. For every job that you have, you should submit a resume, or have set references that can be utilized to provide the "first impression" of you. Companies will look at credibility, character, and general ability when they view each application. You need to reflect your ability to exceed the expectations of the employer, or atleast a sense of ability for the position desired.
2. Call the place! So many people put in the application, and assume that the company will call them back. Companies spend resources trying to hire employees, but there results in hundreds, and sometimes thousands of applications being sent to a company at a time. The conflict starts when the hiring manager is responsible for hiring so many employees, and needs to pick who is the best option for the company. Calling a company after you submit the application can result in the hiring manager pulling your application, and reviewing it over the other applications submitted.
3. Have you changed your number in the past week, month, or possibly year? Changing your number can result in missed calls, opportunities, and jobs that may have occured due to a "waiting list." Remember that companies want to hire the best person they can for the position, and changing your number will only limit their ability to call you  in the future.
]]>Sat, 26 Dec 2009 06:20:44 -0800http://www.bjanket.com/1/post/2009/12/suburban-propane-the-inside-scoop-of-working-for-them.htmlAs a customer-service representative, Suburban Propane expresses their interested on providing "unparalleled customer-service" to all customers that work with them. The training program deceptively states specific policies, and the idea that they want to help every employee be successful. As a former employee of Suburban, I learned that companies use certain approaches to benefit them:

1. Staffing agencies provide a large quantity of staff members that would work for the company. When companies work with staffing agencies, the employees become less important to the company. They will get rid of you if you make one small mistake, and provide little justification to why you were fired. Staffing agencies is a great way to get hired onto a company with very little experience, but can be limited.

1.Policies are in place to be followed by employees. Companies should never set one policy, and then promote another policy to the employees. There was a lack of communication with this, which can be detrimental to employees at any company. Provide one policy for all employees, and make sure all managers/supervisors are aware of this.
 
3. Training programs are essential elements to the growth of customer-service representatives. Supervisors use a S.M.A.R.T technique to analyze the quality of calls, and help employees change their habits to make themselves better. Use some technique, either notes or a rubber band, to influence change on every employee to make themselves better.  It might seem silly, but it allows employees to always become better. 

4. When you fire someone, there should be some justification to why it occurred.   As an employee that followed correct procedure but was fired for it, there was little justification to my termination with Suburban Propane. Termination should never occur with little or no regard to system errors, which most likely occurred as a result. I was a good employee: I came in early, followed procedure, left early to save the company labor expenses, my fellow employees enjoyed me there, and yet it doesn't matter to the company at all. There was a complete disregard to all of those things when accounting for my employment at Suburban Propane.   ]]>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 08:22:56 -0800http://www.bjanket.com/1/post/2009/11/resume-title.htmlA resume title is the first impression employers have when they review your resume. The title allows you to be different from the “competition,” and express your interests in a specific job, or field. Use what you’ve done, the experience you have, and/or the qualities that fit that desired field. ]]>Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:32:45 -0800http://www.bjanket.com/1/post/2009/08/writing-an-effective-cover-letter.html

Writing letters is a very effective tool of communication. The good thing about this means of communication is that it avoids impulsive and spur of the moment utterance without thinking first. With letters, you can organize your thoughts and pen it in a very respectful way.

The power of writing letters can be proven in cover letters. Cover letters are often on top of resumes that one passes in companies if he is applying for a job. A remarkable cover letter is always essential when looking for a job. It is essential to learn how to write a successful cover letter with lasting impact.

An effective cover letter strikes an employer with a heavy impact. It increases the chances of getting the job if the employer is impressed with what's written in the cover letter. In fact, this serves as the first impression since an employer has no idea yet of the applicants when the resumes are being passed to him.

A cover letter gives an overview of an applicant's qualifications and wishes to join a company. It should be brief yet containing all the necessary details that an employer will look for.

What is written in cover letters? And how does one write an effective cover letter? First of all, a cover letter should indicate the position one is applying for. It is usually included in the first paragraph. Be specific. Avoid writing down several positions in one letter. You want to convey to the employer that you are focused.

Include in your letter the addressee. Again, be specific as much as possible. Avoid the generic formulas like "To Whom It May Concern." This gives the impression that you did not research well about the company. Write the particular name of the HR officer. Be resourceful in finding out this detail. It is impressive to be able to find out such detail, and this scores you a point early on.

The cover letter should briefly emphasize your qualifications and abilities. It is your selling point. Explain clearly your competence and potential in the company when hired. Make sure your qualifications fit the position you are targeting.

Be sure to only state your competency in brief because you have your resume to further yourself. For the cover letter, the idea is merely to catch the attention of the employer, to make him flip over and move on to your resume.

It is also good to add in your letter specific details about the employer or the company. It implies familiarity with the company and great interest in working for them.

You can say something like:

I have always been a close observer of (name of the company) for several years. I go along its development with enormous fascination as it grew into becoming one of the major (telecommunications, marketing, real estate, etc.) companies in the country.

Or, you can state:

I'm highly concerned in playing a role and putting in my experience and capabilities to your company as your company is recognized for its excellence over the last ten years.

Many applicants take for granted cover letters. Truth is, if you practice the art of effective writing, and in turn write effective cover letters, it will immediately give you a big edge over the other applicants.]]>