Reflective Post

Fig. 1. Czapski, Christy. (2012) Important components of ALES204. Retrieved April 13, 2012 from Wordle.net.

Fig. 2. Sima.Picture of wheat and money. Retrieved April 13, 2012 from http://www.featurepics.com/online/Wheat-Money-930589.aspx

I must admit, I was very apprehensive and hesitant about the course when ALES 204 started this semester. I was resistant to Twitter and other social media sites, didn’t think I would learn anything from a 200 level class as a fourth year student, and had no idea how blogs worked. Yet, while I still have many suggestions for improvement, I picked up some very useful skills from the lectures and labs. Although it pained me greatly at the time to start using Twitter, I have come to enjoy it. While I never feel the need to tweet anything except in response to our classes, I do appreciate reading others tweets. Currently, I follow the Western Producer, Canola Watch, Western Canada Wheat Growers Association, and Alberta Barley. These groups tweet the most up to date information on market prices, predictions, and opportunities. As a producer, this allows you to make quick and educated decisions about when to sell your grains and oilseeds, in order to get the best price for your product. I will definitely continue to utilize this resource. In addition, I plan to follow different conferences and special agriculture events that I am interested in, so that I can learn and experience them even if I cannot be present. Fellow classmate Rosie Templeton's introductory blog explains how she was inspired to attend a conference after hearing about it on Twitter. In my future career, I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest creating a twitter account for whatever company I work for, which I would feel comfortable using to advertise, share information, and connect with other industry members. ALES student Daniel Schwenk also explains how businesses can use Twitter to their advantage. Agriculture companies should develop their social media access, in order to appeal to consumers, young farmers, and international markets.

My PowerPoint and presentation skills have developed throughout of this class. Although some of the advice and information seemed straight forward, it proved to be critical. For example, guidelines about keeping PowerPoints simple, only using very contrasting colors such as white on black, and utilizing lots of pictures with small amounts of text, is invaluable to students and someone about to enter the workforce. These ideas were re-enforced by the guest lecturers and TA’s, who either did an excellent job on their slides, or demonstrated how too much creativity can interfere with the audiences ability to read your slides. As I enter the agriculture workforce, I know I will be able to present clear, visually appealing, and engaging presentations to my supervisors and peers. I am also more comfortable with Pecha Kucha’s now, and feel I could model my own professional presentations after them in the future. The Pecha Kucha concepts of being brief and to the point are invaluable in the business world. It was also great to learn how many words I speak per minute, hear myself answering questions on audioboo, and learn about common mistakes made during job applications. Another thing I learned inadvertently from ALES, is to practice your presentation before and ensure it is an appropriate length. Dragging through details in the first half of your slides, then skipping through the next 20 in order to finish on time is unprofessional. Fellow student Kelsie Gilks noticed some of these mistakes in her other courses too. ALES204 has definitely influenced the way I prepared for in class presentations.

Fig. 3. Jester Arts. Orange Guy. Retrieved April 13, 2012 from http://www.imageenvision.com/cliparts/magnifying-glasses

One skill I learned in ALES 204, that wasn’t emphasized on the syllabus, was to be a critical reader. While students use websites such as Wikipedia everyday when they start research, writing articles ourselves demonstrated how unreliable the information can be. My classmate Becky Bohlender does a great job of explaining this in her Wikipedia blog. I was surprised to learn, however, that scientific articles can be unreliable too! Pamela’s lecture about the peer review process was enlightening, and many of the statistics were frightening. Throughout this semester, I have definitely learned to independently analyze everything I read, including published articles, to be sure the science behind them is correct and unbiased. I think this is an important skill for any professional, especially in today's society where we are overwhelmed with information at our fingertips. I realized that when seeking information from any source, the reader should question whether the material is opinion, or factual. For example, scientific blogs are not peer reviewed or acceptable to cite in a paper, and should only be used for inspiration and personal entertainment.

Fig. 4. Facebook (2012) Facebook connections jpg. Retrieved April 13, 2012 from http://www.webpronews.com/murders-organized-using-facebook-2010-08

Although aspects of this class have been frustrating, the skills I learned as a result are valuable. Most importantly, I learned not be be afraid of social media and new technology. Rather than resisting it, a successful professional utilizes it, to educate themselves, connect with industry, and advertise to the public. I feel excited to continue using Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook for personal and professional functions. In addition, I’ve become more interested in some of the other sites we didn’t learn about, such as Pinterest. ALES student Brittany Stewart explains how this site works, and inspired me to check it out. Although I might not have time to continue writing my own blog, I am now much more interested in reading other blogs. One of my favorites is called Veterinarians Behaving Badly- hilarious and sarcastic posts written about real life experiences of vets and their clients. Now that I am graduating, I'm particularly thankful for social media websites. Not only will they help me find a career, but they will allow me to stay in touch with my friends and peers whom I might otherwise never get to see again. The way that the internet connects people is astonishing, and I'm looking forward to reading my friends status updates, hearing about new research ideas at conferences on Twitter, and interacting with potential employers on LinkedIn. Thanks to ALES204, I have been convinced to embrace new technology, rather than avoiding it.

Other blogs I have commented on:
Rosie Templeton
Daniel Schwenk
Kelsie Gilks
Becky Bohlender
Brittany Stewart

Interviews: Tips and Advice

When you are an introvert, kind of shy, and lack public speaking experience like me, interviews are challenging. Whether it is for a summer job, a professional program like Veterinary Medicine, or a new post-grad job you’re hoping will become a career, interviews can be stressful and scary. But they can also be kind of fun. I’ve had a number of interviews over the years, including two vet school interviews (and I’m about to have a third). Looking back on these events, I’ve learned a lot about how to prepare and behave for different scenarios. Whether it is a single individual or a panel interviewing you, or multiple mini interviews used by med schools and UCVM, there is some advice that is helpful for every situation.

Many people are interested in sharing interview advice. Ideas like taking toast masters courses and paying close attention to body language while imitating the interviewer are always good suggestions. From everything I've learned, the advice I’ve found most helpful is to be confident. Confidence will be noticed instantly, and they say first impressions only take seconds to form. Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake (Fig. 1). Speak highly but candidly of yourself, know what you know, and have faith in your abilities and opinions. Be polite and friendly. This demonstrates you have a good working attitude, you can work on a team, you have respect for those in charge, and that you’re genuinely interested in the company/job/school. Actions speak louder than words, so telling an employer you are a team player won’t hold much water if you didn’t shake their hand, stare at your shoes, and never smile. Try to be yourself and let your personality shine through. During some interview questions, such as MMI’s, demonstrating your experiences and background can be challenging. Try to work these details in so that you stand out from the other candidates.

Fig. 1. Unknown author (2007) Handshake, [digital image]. Retrieved April 11, 2012 from TopNews.in: http://www.topnews.in/usa/what-your-handshake-says-about-you-215064

Even if you are absolutely charming, a great public speaker, and present yourself exceptionally, it’s still important to prepare for every interview. Research the company or school you are applying for- know their core values or vision, the basic structure of positions, and some details about their background or research. Be prepared for ethical questions, and know the industry. For example, many MMI questions will test how you would respond in different animal welfare issues, and the interviewers will expect you to know and mention agencies involved in regulating welfare. Practice what you think the interview questions will be. For example, to prepare for vet interviews, you should study the ethical questions in the Canadian Veterinary Journal, published every month online. Talk about your answer to someone who knows the industry. Record your answers on audioboo or another program so that you can listen to your own voice. Did you speak clearly? Too quickly? Did you stumble over words, say “Um” too many times, or ramble on monotonously? By listening to yourself and speaking in front of a mirror, you can start to make changes in the way you present your answers. These suggestions are reflected by my fellow classmate, Chelsea Livingstone. She explains in her blog how she practiced in front of a mirror in order to train herself to slow down when speaking, stop fidgeting, and articulate confidently.

Most importantly, remember that the interviewers want you to do well. They want to find someone who fits their position perfectly, and that could be you! Try to have fun, by enjoying the opportunity to share your experiences, opinions, and skills. Although you’ll probably be nervous when first starting, let yourself relax once the interview process has started, and put yourself at ease. This will help your personality shine, allow you to seem more friendly, and might help you articulate better. Leave the interview feeling like things went well, and even if you don’t get the position, and you’ll have more confidence next time.