How to write a STAR story
http://www.mit.edu/~career/guide/star.html
Assessment for Career Planning
http://utahvalley.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3BZRaDq2D7PHmNn
Pay for Utah jobs
http://jobs.utah.gov/jsp/wi/utalmis/gotoOccwage.do
Occupational Outlook Handbook
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm
UVU Counseling Center
http://www.uvu.edu/acc/
UVU Academic Advisors:
https://uvaps.uvu.edu/pls/prod/SZINFLST.P_DispAdvrLis
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Final Reflection Paper
Maria
Andersen
Final
Reflection Paper
CLSS 2100
12/13/12
I feel that I have been able to sort out my thoughts and
goals throughout this course. I have finally decided that I am going to be
changing my major to something that I have knowledge and already know that I am
good at it. I have found that I really enjoy being in the insurance industry
and being a leader.
With my major, I want to make sure that what I study will
be information and courses that will really help me be the best at what I do. I
haven’t decided entirely yet, but I am looking forward to studying about
business management with a possible Spanish minor. I really like the idea of
being involved in the Hispanic community and help people there.
Having done the self-assessments tests have really helped
me learn more about my passions and what I want to do in the future. I think that the ones I took were a good
reflection on who I am and who I want to become. I have a better understanding
now towards what industry I am leaning towards and what an array of options I
have to do this. I want to learn more about the different companies so I can
make a good decision in what I want to do. I plan to contact some different
places to do an internship and find out more about the different parts of the
industry.
My goal is to graduate in about two to three years. I
want to be able to from there to have already decided what company is best fit
for me and start a career with them. I hope to have longevity with the same
company. I do not want a company that is not financially stable. I hope that
with interning and research I can find what is going to be best in the long
run, and not just in the here and now.
Another goal of mine is to find myself in a management or
owner position where I am leading others. I enjoy helping and coaching people
and I feel that is a strength I have that can benefit a company. I want to be
able to help others succeed and with their success I can succeed as well.
Within all of these career goals I want to be able to
still balance my family life, my personal life and married life. I want to plan
out my career so that it is conducive to that kind of a lifestyle. I also hope
that in the search of this career and the finishing of my education I am able
to find balance along with my passion.
I really
am excited to have found myself and my place in the work place. I hope that
from everything I have learned I will be one step ahead of others looking for
similar positions and I can stand out of the crowd and get a good job from my
hard work and knowledge.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Short Term Goals
Short Term Goals
1.
Finalize
what degree I want to pursue.
a.
Just need to finalize whether to have an Education
degree or just general for Business.
b.
Meet with my future advisor under the major I am going
to pursue.
c.
Do it by end of Spring 13 Semester
2.
Continue
learning about Office management and apply new skills from 7 habits class into
daily routine.
a.
Keep reading 7 habits book and apply one idea daily.
b.
Take continuing education classes. Sign up first of
the year.
c.
Make goals every month with supervisor and check
progress weekly.
3.
Making more
quality time to spend with my husband
a.
Schedule date night every other week.
b.
Start the beginning of year since we will be less busy
then
Revised Action Plan
Personal Action Plan- Need
to constantly update!
Freshman Year of College
·
Completed
Sophomore Year of College
·
Take classes that will help me be more successful as a college
student.
·
Begin to seriously research the different industries I am
interested in being in.
·
Start going to career fairs and asking a lot of questions.
·
Seriously follow advice and apply all new techniques from classes
this semester to be a better person
·
Take time to read books and do online research
about the career I feel I am happy with
·
Make a plan with my husband as he is starting his
career this year to fit my needs as well.
·
Get organized for Fall Semester- Better meal
planning and house hold chores divided up better to make it less stressful for
me
·
Decide by end of semester what exact major/minor to have and enroll
in the proper classes for fall
This is the year that sets up success after
graduation!
·
Decide to find a company to be an agent or continue to grow as a Directing
Manager
This is the most important summer of your life;
don't fool around!
·
Continue to build resume with contacts and Personal references.
·
Finalize the scheduling of last year of college, all credits are
in order and know what is expected to graduate.
·
Get house organized
·
Build a network of people I will need to know in my industry
·
Find agencies to interview with. Research what the income and
benefits are.
·
Finish classes with a high GPA
·
If and when I get a job continue to have contacts
in my network to keep lines open for opportunities
·
Frame my Diploma!!!
·
Decide whether to apply for a Master’s Degree
Program
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Job Shadow
Maria
Andersen
Job Shadow
CLSS 2100
12/01/2012
Job Shadow
CLSS 2100
12/01/2012
1.
I am Job shadowing Pete Mazeika who is an Insurance Agent.
2.
3.
Questions:
What kind of degree
do you have?
-I have an MBA from
the University of Utah
What kind of
problems do you deal with?
-I mainly am here to
help clients be protected in case of a claim. I love to help making sure they
are covered and that I am there to help the claim process and make sure that
they are put back to where they were before the claim like nothing happened
before.
How is the economy
affecting this industry?
-I haven’t noticed
much of a difference. Everyone needs insurance, and this industry with
technology is constantly changing. We do have more and more people constantly
shopping their insurance because it is so easy to get that kind of information
now by just going online.
Do you have any
advice to someone looking into this field?
-I would definitely
recommend considering going into this industry. I love it because I am not
selling something people don’t need. There would most likely always be a
job/position in this kind of a job because of state laws.
What kind of advice
to you have to a student looking into a career doing insurance?
-I would absolutely
make sure that whatever insurance company you decide to do work for them first
as a sales team member so you know the ins and outs of the company you are
working with. That way you can see things like reputation, statistics, customer
satisfactions and other aspects of the business.
If you didn’t do
insurance, what would you have done next?
-I think I would
still be doing insurance, but possibly doing it independently. I did want to go
into something else like accounting or something else financially.
Is this industry growing
in Utah?
-It definitely is.
Because we are a growing state with move-ins and families growing and new home
developments there are such opportunities still for business growth.
Are there any
advancement that you can have in the future?
-Being an agent the
real advancement you have is by growing your book of business. This company
right now has opportunities in going into management but I feel that the best
thing to do is growing your clientele. That alone can create great stability
and also more income.
I think that this
shadow was pretty impressive to see a little more about what happens on a day
to day basis, the phone calls and clients that someone deals with on a daily
basis and also the rewards coming in. I am still undecided that I want to go
into this because it is a business and I would have to have start up revenue in
order to open my doors.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Star Stories
Maria Andersen
Star Stories
CLSS 2100
11/24/2012
1.
Give an example of
what teamwork means to you.
o Describe the situation…
I
feel that Team work is necessary to have in the work place. I have worked in an
office where I had four team members, all with different talents. These talents
pooled together can be an asset as long as used properly.
o What was the task at hand…
Our
boss had a situation where we needed to change our systems in the office to
become more efficient and be able to know what was next in any situation
especially sales. We were lacking in our follow up to close more sales.
o What action did you take….
As
the office manager I was able to assess quickly which team member seems to
close quicker and more frequently on sales. I got us all together to pool ideas
together, gathering from each team member what they do in what felt like their
most successful area they were in.
o Finally, what were the results of
your action…
By
being able to take an overview look at what the team did as a whole, and to
take pieces together and brainstorm we were able to come up with a more
efficient system where everyone would do the same thing. The following month we
had an incredible increase in the closing ratio for our office from 15% of
those quoted up to 30% closed sales.
2.
Give me an example of
a major challenge that you faced, and how you went about addressing the
problem, and how it turned out.
o Describe the situation…
I
had a classmate in high school who did not like me and made things difficult
for me.
o What was the task at hand…
We
were both placed in a leadership position of the group we were involved in and
had to work together to complete the responsibilities of the position.
o What action did you take….
In
an effort to work effectively, I worked hard to avoid situations that would
cause contentions between us. For example, I made sure that all communication
was sent to her even if it did not apply so that she felt involved and valued
in the group.
o Finally, what were the results of
your action…
As
a result of our experiences we were able to successfully complete our
responsibilities and it became much easier to deal with her in future instances.
3.
Describe a past goal
and how you achieved it.
o Describe the situation…
I
was part of a leadership team.
o What was the task at hand…
We
had set a goal of doubling our past years’ performance
o What action did you take….
To
reach our goal, I focused on the basics of our process and looked at ways to
improve our performance to get a smoother constancy in the work process.
o Finally, what were the results of
your action…
We
were successfully able to achieve our goal of doubling our previous performance
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Mock Interview
a.
Who did you interview
with and what is their job title?
I interviewed with the Agency Field Executive for an insurance
company
b.
What was most useful
to you about this experience?
It was nice to know what specific questions and answers this
company would be asking and expecting in an interview for a prospective agent.
c.
What was the most
difficult question you were asked? Why?
The most difficult question was when they asked about a business
plan. Since I haven’t gotten deep into my major I felt like I really didn’t know the answer to this at all.
I felt a little embarrassed and honestly was hard to get out of the question
without saying “I don’t know”. I basically ended up saying that since I was
still looking at my options of different Companies that I haven’t prepared an
exact business plan quite yet.
d.
What advice would you
give to others preparing for an interview?
I think that you really need to make sure you know enough of the
company and industry you are going into along with the position and what is
expected of you. I think if you understand that well it is easier to be able to
answer questions without hesitation and with confidence.
e.
Name at least three
(3) things you learned.
I learned about the different positions on a corporate level and
business owner level there is within the company
I learned about how friendly this person was and how it
reflected on what the Company believed in.
I felt like the interviewer was interested in informing about
the position along with wanting to know more about me.
f.
Name at least three
(3) things that can be improved on for your next interview.
Less pausing between questions or saying “um”
Be more confident about myself, more self-promotion
I needed to be less nervous about the interview. Even though
this was a mock interview I think it is important to go into an interview not
thinking that this is the end of the world. I think that by putting so much
pressure on myself made me say and do things I would not normally do..
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Resume & Cover Letter
March
31, 2012
To
whom it may concern:
I am very interested in applying for the
position of Office Manager for your Agency. I feel I have the experience that
you are looking for. I work well under pressure and am the best candidate to be
an effective leader for your office. I have attached my resume with my
experience.
Thank
you for your consideration,
Maria
Andersen
Maria Andersen
75 S 725 E
#2
Lindon, UT
84042
801-644-9586
|
|
Work
Experience
|
Kohl’s
Department Store July 2011-Present
Sales
Associate/Cashier
State
Farm Insurance-Ray Smith, Agent May 2010- August 2011
Licensed
Staff
· New Sales, upsold of new and current
clients, keeping their needs in mind.
· Customer Service via phone and internet.
Problem Solving Client’s Concerns, Taking Payments, Calling out on past due
bills.
· Bookkeeper of business expenses and payroll
· Light Cleaning duties
|
Accomplishments
|
High
School Graduate 2004
Many
Science and Music Awards
Licensed
in the State of Utah: Property and Casualty, Life and Health (Expires
3-31-2014)
|
Education
|
Currently
Enrolled at
Major
in Secondary Spanish Education
Anticipated
Graduation 2014
|
Skills 10 Years of Customer
Service Experience
Bilingual
Speaking Spanish
Entrepreneur
Oriented
Sunday, November 11, 2012
E-scavenger hunt
L10
–e-Scavenger Hunt
Maria Andersen
e-Scavenger Hunt
CLSS 2100
11/10/12
First explore the Career Development Center website: www.uvu.edu/cdc and
answer the questions below. As you complete this e-Scavenger Hunt you will
find many resources available to assist you as you prepare for your career.
1. List at least one event that is happening this
semester listed in “Upcoming Events”.
Are there any employers interviewing on campus this week? If so who is it and when will they be on
campus?
The next recruiting day will be December
3rd, 2012.
No interviews this week, but BYU
Broadcasting will be on campus on November 15th.
2. List 4 services offered by the Career
Development Center.
Help with Resumes, Help With cover
letters, Mock Interviews, Networking.
3. Look under the “Students” tab for the “Job
Search Engines”. What are 4 sources the
website suggests you to look for job opportunities?
Jobsonwallstreet.com
Artcareer.net
Mymusicjob.com
Autojobs.com
4. Locate the names of 4 counselors and tell what
their specific area is.
Sue Stephenson-College of Humanities and
Social Sciences.
Gary Gardner-School of education and
school of the arts
Jordan Doman- college of technology and
computing and aviation
Dan Felts- College of Science and Health
5. What
services are available to help you prepare for grad school?
Grad school fair
Graduate Exam Preparation center
Community and continuing education
online classes
6. Find
Optimal Resume on the CDC website (homepage).
This is a free service to help students create a basic resume. Create an account and a simple resume with
this tool. Submit the resume you created
with this assignment. (I’m not grading
on the resume you create. I just want
you to know about this tool.)
See attachment
7. Where is the CDC office located? What is the office phone number?
Losee Commons room 409.
Office # is 801-863-6364
The rest of the questions will refer to
the internship website.
Go to the “Students” tab on the CDC website and find “internships in the
drop down list or type www.uvu.edu/internships in
your browser.
8. Who
is the Director of Internship Services? Who is the Internship Coordinator? Where is the Internship Office located?
Marsha Haynes is the Director.
Maren Mather is the Coordinator.
The office is located at the career
center at Losee Commons room 409
9. What
is the process for setting up an internship for credit?
Make an appointment with your Career
Services Counselor - (801) 863-6364.
‡ Meet with your internship coordinator
in your department.
‡ Identify internship sites that match
your skills, interests and goals.
‡ Develop a resume and cover letter and
prepare for interviews.
‡ Schedule interviews with prospective
site supervisors and ensure the experience
provider has completed a Master
Agreement with the Internship Services office
in CSSE.
‡ Discuss your ability
togainacademiccreditfor yourinternshipwithyourDepartment
Internship Coordinator and register for
the internship.
‡ Complete the online internship
orientation.
‡ Complete a Learning Agreement and/or
other required documents with your
Department Internship Coordinator and
obtain the required signatures.
‡ Arrangetomeet
and/orcommunicatewithyourDepartmentInternshipCoordinator
throughout the semester.
‡ Meet with your site supervisor to
discuss and sign your performance evaluation if
required. Return the performance
evaluation to your Internship Department
Coordinator.
‡ Complete the online student evaluation
and any other documents required by your
Department Internship Coordinator.
10. List
two internships found on the “Weekly Hot Internships” list?
Academy
for Child Advocacy and Family Support (ACAFS
Marvellous
Catering
11. List
two internships available in Washington DC and the current deadline for
application.
Senator Orrin Hatch - $1,000 per month.
Deadline February 17, 2012
Republican National Committee March 2,
2012
12. Find
the testimonial page for internships. (http://www.uvu.edu/internships/students/testimonials.html)
View at least one testimonial. Who did
you watch and what did you learn? Look
at the written testimonials. What one
impressed you?
I watched Ana Culp. She liked that the
internship she had helped her out and that the job was excited to have a UVU
student
I read about Jared Walker. I thought
that it was cool that he got such a cool internship for a big company like Real
Salt Lake.
13. What
internship scholarships are available?
General Internship scholarships
Government Internship Scholarships
Non Profit Scholarships
14. Take
a look at the Internship Blog and Facebook page. What suggestions do you have that would make these
more helpful?
I looked at the blog and feel that maybe
posting something at least weekly would be beneficial. The newest thing I found
on there is from September of 2011. More than a year ago.
15. Go
go to the “Have a quick Question” box on the internship home page and ask a
question regarding internships. Write
the question you asked below.
Once you apply for an internship, how
long does it take to find out you got the internship?
Now
you know alot about the Career Development Center and Internship Services. Stop in and get acquainted or email your
questions to cdc@uvu.edu
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)