Week 10 EOC: Where do you see yourself? Future Plan- career?

Where do you see yourself? Future Plan- career?

There are two career paths that interest and excite me. I currently work for Louis Vuitton and I am thrilled to be a part of such a historical and successful company. I currently work in sales but it is my desire to work for the company at a corporate level, preferably as a visual merchandiser or fashion buyer. I have also taken an interest in possibly becoming a trainer as well. A career as a trainer for this company incorporates teaching and fashion which both fields interest me immensely!

I have also been working on a business plan for a luxury denim boutique. This is my ultimate dream and something I would love to do in the future. I understand all the challenges that can come with owning a business, however, it is something I am very passionate about and have put a lot of time into developing the overall concept for. The name of my store is called Blackboard + Chalk, the name was derived from the idea that even though you can write all over a blackboard with chalk, it is not permanent. You can always erase and start again. Blackboard + Chalk is about new beginnings and writing your very own story, and that it is ok to start over.

At present my life is a blank canvas, and I am having to start all over. The day to day challenges are proving to be overwhelming, however, I am pushing through boundaries and making strides in the right direction. I am learning the importance of self-love and making myself a priority. I am learning to not be afraid of the future and to take control of the life I have been blessed with. I leave you with my favorite poem by WILLIAM ERNEST HENLEY:

Invictus 

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul.

Week 9 EOC: The Apartment

In the movie, the apartment there were several instances where sexual harassment and workplace issues were exhibited. Sexual harassment in a work place can occur in three different ways. Quid pro Quo, Hostile Environment Created by Supervisors and Hostile Environment Created by Coworkers or Nonemployees. All three forms of sexual harassment were exhibited. Quid pro quo “the most direct is to prove that rejecting a supervisor’s advances adversely affected what the EEOC calls a “tangible employment action,” such as hiring, firing, promotion, demotion, and/or work assignment” (Dessler, p. 40). C.C Baxter was given promotions based on what he agreed to and what he could provide for his supervisors (his apartment). He was often threatened if he did not give in to their demands. This created a hostile work environment for C.C Baxter because he was constantly trying to coordinate his supervisor’s indiscretions, “hostile environment sexual harassment generally means the intimidation, insults, and ridicule were sufficiently severe to alter the employee’s working conditions” (Dessler, p. 40). The work phones were also utilized heavily in order to coordinate the scheduling of the apartment. Miss Olsen also suffered from a great deal of sexual advancements and actions from employees walking in and out of the elevator as well as from Mr. Sheldrake. However, she never seemed to complain or report what was happening. Had she been proactive in making her concerns known, things could have been avoided. “Remember that courts generally look to whether the harassed employee used the employer’s reporting procedures to file a complaint promptly. If the employer has an effectively communicated complaint procedure, use it and then cooperate in the investigation” (Dessler, p. 41).

Dessler, Gary. Human Resource Management, 15th Edition. Pearson Learning Solutions, 2016. [The Art Institutes].

Week 8: Video Content- 9-5

In the movie “9-5” I found the company Consolidated did not have any kind of formal training in place. Many companies have job training in place that can usually take days, weeks or in some cases months. However, I felt that Judy was often left to her own defenses to learn the job on her own. Formal training involves a sequence of steps best learned step-by-step. This step-by-step process “is called job instruction training (JIT). First, list the job’s required steps (let’s say for using a mechanical paper cutter) each in its proper sequence. Then list a corresponding “key point” (if any) beside each step. The steps in such a job instruction training sheet show trainees what to do, and the key points show how it’s to be done.” This prime example was exhibited when Violet showed Judy how to use the copy machine. The training was rushed, there was not step-by-step instruction, or demonstration. Violet simply assumed that Judy could do it. Another example that Consolidated did not follow the job instruction model was when Violet was attempting to move up in the firm. Violet was a very skilled employee, however, she was not valued by her boss and given lifelong training which provides “employees with continuing learning experiences over their tenure with the firm, with the aim of ensuring they have the opportunity to learn the skills they need to do their jobs and to expand their horizons.”  In another example, Judy was learning some simple functions on a typewriter, in this instance Judy would have benefited from team training which focuses “on technical, interpersonal, and team management issues. In terms of technical training, for instance, management encouraged team employees to learn each other’s jobs, to encourage flexible team assignments.” This would create a more cohesive learning environment that enables other employees to train new ones, empowering them and placing value on tenured and skilled employees. Judy would have also made more friends and would not have felt so alienated when she first arrive

Week 6 EOC: Analysis of Girls

First, the show was quite good in showing some issues that happen inside and even outside the workplace. I first noticed the way in which she resigned from her position at the coffee shop. There was a lack of professionalism from both the employee and the employer. In some cases, this type of informal resignation would be acceptable, however, in most cases this should not be an acceptable was to resign from your job, it can cause significant internal issues and shows other employees that it is acceptable to function in this manner.

 Another issue that really stood out to me was the fact that upon entering her new work place there was really no direction or guidance from her new employer. There seemed to be no type of formal training or setting of expectations. Training is so important “even high-potential employees don’t know what to do and how to do it, they will improvise or do nothing useful at all. Furthermore, by one estimate, about three-fourths of 30-something-aged high achievers begin looking for new positions within a year of starting, often due to dissatisfaction with inadequate training.20 Employers also increasingly capitalize on the fact that training fosters engagement” (Dessler,235).

Further there was a significant amount to company time and resources (i.e. phones) being used for gossip. I felt this was something that was done often and should not be allowed, it causes too many distractions and lack of focus on daily tasks.  This could also be said of the owner of the coffee shop, he seemed to use his company phone often to contact a woman that he was sexually involved with.

Week 7 EOC:

I found this particular topic to be very interesting and dear to my heart. I feel this way because of a quote that I once read from Thomas Moore’s book “Utopia,” it states:

“For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them.” 
― Thomas More, Utopia

I think this exact philosophy can be applied to what is happening to ex-convicts and in our society today. As it stands “nationwide, as many as 60 percent of ex-prisoners are unemployed one year after their release from prison” (PrisonFellowship, 2017). Unfortunately, many ex-convicts lack the basic skills to obtain a or even search for a job, “70 percent of prison inmates function at the low end of the literacy range — making it tough to understand a classified ad, fill out a job application, or write a business letter. With so many challenges stacked against them, re-arrests are common within the first six months of release” (PrisonFellowship,2017). I think it is very sad that with all the resources that could be made available to these individuals the proof is in the numbers and not enough is being done. Education should be provided and basic skills should be taught six months to a year before release. If you treat them like they are animals they will act like animals. If you treat them like human beings they will not only learn to respect the system they with gain a stronger sense of self-worth and ultimately want to do and be better.

Veterans should be afforded the same respect, merely for their service to our country and their sacrifice. They are often left to their own devices and many have experience trauma that hinders their ability to reintegrate into the society they protected. It is our duty at that point to care for them. It is our duty to ensure that they receive proper therapy and necessary training to get a job and support themselves.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3063220.Thomas_More

https://www.prisonfellowship.org/resources/training-resources/reentry-ministry/on-going-ministry/helping-ex-prisoners-find-jobs/  

Week 5 EOC: HR Joke

EOC Wk 4: How do you answer embarrassing questions in an interview?

Interviews can be tough and for some a fairly enjoyable or easy process. However, there are those awkward moments or embarrassing questions that leave you stumped and not knowing exactly how to answer them. The important thing is to always answer the question and not evade it, but also answer the question in a way that does not implicate or make you look bad. For example have you ever done drugs before? This question should be answered like this: "if required I would happily submit to a drug testing and I promise you will be pleased with the results." Another, example would be are you married? An employer may ask this in order to see your time or schedule constraints, you can simply answer this question by saying "my marital status will not interfere with my ability to do my job." Another question would be are you gay? This is probably not a legal question, however, you can make light of the situation by asking "is that a requirement?" Some employers do need to know this based on the fact that they work with clients that gay or bisexual and they need to know that you would be comfortable and would hold no prejudice against the client. In this case answer like this " my sexual orientation will not interfere with my ability to do my job or work with clients that are gay or bisexual." Again, sometimes there is no right answer, rule of thumb is to be honest and be speak with confidence.

EOC Wk3: The Charming Man

There are several types of prejudice that are apparent in our society today for example: gender, appearance, race, religion, and nationality. In the movie "The Charming Man" there were several instances where the main character Lars as well as other characters in the movies showed prejudice against people that were simply different from them. In one instance calling someone a peasant girl, references social status or education. This occurs all the time in our society today, someone that is labeled lower class may be viewed as uneducated or not worth your time. There was also reference to a woman's weight and her appearance, unfortunately we live in a world that views thin and fit as beautiful, however, beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. In the movie, Omid mentioned that he had applied for 50 jobs but was turned down because of his name. We are experiencing this now even more against foreign nationals in the U.S, they are being turned down for jobs because of their nationality. In reference to religion, there was also a joke made against Muslim women "when can you spit in a Muslims woman's face?" the answer was basically anytime, this joke was not only against women but against her religion. Race was also a factor when Pelle would not hire El Hassen due to his race, again this is something that happens all over the world, but even more so in America.

Week 2 EOC: Sweet Charity

In the movie Sweet Charity, Charity goes in for an interview at a corporate office. She did a few things right but there were a few things she did wrong as well. Upon arrival Charity made sure to introduce herself in a positive and upbeat manner, she clearly stated what her intentions were, she smiled and spoke clearly. However, once the interview began to delve into her personal experience and educational background, her confidence went down and she neglected to highlight her experience in customer service. Everyone has a natural skill, however, not all garner the educational background or training to show proof. Charity could have benefited from diversity training and education “the most common starting point for a diversity management effort is usually some type of employee education program” (Dessler, 54). However, Charity did not ask and she did not place value on educating herself, she simply wanted a job.  Charity also attempted to dress and look more professional, although she looked nice, it was simply not the right attire for this particular company.  

Week 1 EOC: Best and Worst Jobs

Having worked retail for most of my professional career thus far, I have experienced a multitude of the best and worst jobs. My worst job was actually the first job I landed when I moved to the United States, I started working for Abercrombie and Fitch which is a retailer that has a strong focus on denim and casual wear. I was hired as a "model" which basically meant that I stood there and folded and refolded clothing. There was really no form of training or customer service involved, I basically had to wear the clothing, look good and occasionally assist a customer in finding a size or getting into the fitting room. The management team did not seem to care about the well being of the employees or in any kind of development, I was basically a live mannequin.

My best job experience was when I worked for Fossil as an Assistant Manager, not only did my store manager take a vested interest in my development but the company did as well. We constantly attended training conferences and on a daily basis I was being challenged by my manager to learn and do more. I felt like she was truly trying to impart whatever information she could to make me a better manager and move up. I believe that a manager is defined by his/her people, if they are seen to be doing well and making progress, then the manger is doing their job. The same applies to the company, if the company takes an interest in developing their people then it creates loyalty and trust. I went on to be a store manager and it then became my job to train and develop and it was truly my favorite part of the job!