Back to the Grind

And we are back! Welcome back, all.

I hope that everyone is enjoying the first few days of class. I know that I am supremely overwhelmed already yet I am enjoying every minute of it.

I am interested in knowing what you guys want to know more about from the Manning School of Business. Would you like to learn more about the school itself? The staff? Why you have to take certain classes? What it’s like to live in certain dorms?

I can answer all of those questions and more with the help of you.

Let’s get through this semester together – and let’s do a good job at it.

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Lowell Bound – NOW Please!

Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

Broken Budgets Public Transit

You know you’re ready to go back to school after break when the most mentally challenging task throughout your day is organizing your social calendar. I have not gone to class or worked this entire break, yet somehow that has resulted in a decrease in my mental stability.

I am ready to go back to school, get into the swing of things, and leave the town where I am recognized everyone that I go. Going back to your hometown always seems like a good idea, until about a week later. About four weeks later I can definitely say that I am ready to return to Lowell!

 

 

Your Favorite Ice Cream Flavor Directly Correlates to Your Success

Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

No matter how hard I try, I cannot get away from restaurants. I land a job in retail, but I still need to work as a server at night to pay my bills. I am hired as an intern in the field of my major, but 15 hours a week on an hourly wage can’t support my lifestyle, so I find myself applying to a new restaurant in the area to pay for rent.

This time, I find myself applying to Beer Works in Lowell to help me save for a car. This week I had two interviews, and next week I will begin training.

Interviews don’t make me nervous. Sure, I have to prepare for them and I may get anxious a minute for the interviewer enters the room, but I do not lose sleep the night before or gain a pool of sweat in my armpits as I wait.

Going into Beer Works for my interviews, I felt prepared and assumed that the interviews would be a breeze like all of the other interviews I have had for restaurants in the past. Surprisingly, during my second interview with the General Manager of Beer Works Lowell, I was asked some questions that threw me off guard. These included “What is your favorite ice cream?”, “What sort of music do you listen to?”, and “If you could sit down and chat with anyone in the world right now, who would it be?”

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Because I know it matters, my favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip.
alanis.jpgAlanis Morissette is one of my favorite artists. Isn’t she beautiful?Sheryl Sandberg.jpg

Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook, and recently published a book names Lean In. I would love to sit down and pick her brain!

Somehow, I answered these questions and supported my answers with explanations and examples. They made me wonder though, what if the person interviewing me hated mint chocolate chip ice cream? Or, what if he thought that Alanis Morissette was some whiny feminist? Would his personal opinions have a large influence on whether or not I would be hired? Or, was he asking these random questions simply to see how I handled the seemingly unrelated questions?

I know that many employers ask nonchalant questions to learn more about prospective employees. My question is how much weight does the actual answer to the question hold? Or is it merely the way the question is answered that matters?

Sometimes, I think that I am the queen of interviews. When someone asks if I’m nervous before an interview, I shrug my shoulders and ask them why they think I should be. As I grow older, though, I may be growing more worried about my interview performance. Does being nervous help or hinder a prospective employee?

As per usual, contact me with your thoughts through the MSB Facebook page, Twitter (@UMassLowell_MSB) or email me (Thalia_Chodat@student.uml.edu)! With your input, the MSB can make workshops that help us approach these topics regarding interviewing skills.

Is it too late for a New Year’s resolution?

Disclaimer: Anything written in this blog represents the opinions of the author, and no one else. Each blog is written lightly, and is not intended to offend any of the mentioned businesses, locations, students, or staff.

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I am guilty. I am not perfect. I am human. Is it too late for a New Year’s resolution? Because, I need one!

I do this thing where when I love something, I work hard at it. If I hate something though, I don’t always push through and try my best. My grades are a constant reminder of this. Math has always been a weakness of mine and as I continue to study business, the struggle continues. Fortunately, I love studying business so I keep trudging on.

My New Year’s resolution is to stop my habit of taking the easy way out. I need to face the reality that even though I struggle with it, I can do well in my math classes as long as I put in the extra work.

This is where I need your help. I want you to share your New Year’s resolutions with me, whether or not they relate to academics. Then, we can hold each other accountable for them. I welcome you to comment on the Facebook page or email me at my student email (Thalia_chodat@student.uml.edu) and ask me if I am trying harder in my courses that involve math. In return, I will do the same to make sure you are staying on track with your New Year’s resolution.

We can make 2014 an even better year than 2013. Happy New Year!