World Access Project

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/americas/04/28/cnnheroes.st.denis.wheelchairs/index.html

Richard St. Denis started a non-profit organization that donates wheelchairs to the less fortunate cripples throughout the world. After being invited to speak in Mexico, and seeing the gratitude of one of the girls he donated a wheelchair to, he began to think about how these people were often overlooked and needed someone to look out for them.

Because of this, Denis decided to start a non-profit organization, World Access Project, which donates wheelchairs to the unfortunate across the world, so that they can experience a mobile life.

I think that this program is amazing. It is such a great idea, and it is amazing to hear about others go out of their way to help the less fortunate, all across the world. His story is very inspirational, and just shows how something tragic can lead to something amazing for others.

Importance of Internships

http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/college-internships

As more and more people are going back to college to get degrees, it is becoming harder and harder for the younger generation to compete in the workplace without an adequate amount of experience. One of the best ways to get experience is with an internship. this article discusses the importance of internships and why college students should do at least one throughout their educations.

Casual Friday in the Workplace

Have you ever noticed how casual friday is becoming more and more casual? Before, it was still fairly reserved. It would be a serious "no-no" to get caught in jeans, but now, that is a daily article of clothing, especially for teachers. It is important, especially for teachers, to look professional daily, regardless of whether or not it is "casual friday."

Best Jobs to Get a Raise

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Where-To-Work-If-You-Want-A-usnews-2758953282.html?x=0

According to this article, the field I want to get into, Publishing, is one of the best fields to go into that allows the employee to get a raise pretty frequently. When looking into what fields that attracts you, looking at how much you are paid as well as how many companies are hiring. This article gives me a lot of hope for when I go out into the field to find jobs.

The Importance of Technology in the Modern-day Workforce

Technology has become so impairative to the modern-day citizen, and it is slowly taking over the workforce as well. Registers are now touch-screen, and most of the machines are now smarter than the employees working them.

As the technology advances in the workplace, more and more potential employees are being "left in the dust." Typically, the older the potential employee gets, the harder it is for them to grasp the new technology that is being used in the workplace. This creates a high demand for technology savvy "young" employees, giving the "elder" employee less of a chance to get a job. This void is causing many people to be unemployed, or taking jobs way below the salary they actually deserve. The only viable solution is for employers to stop basing potential employees off of their age, and for those employees to take a few technology classes. Who knows, a $70 class may eventually lead to a job paying triple that amount a day!

Jobs No One Knows About

Over the past several years, there are several new jobs that have recently been created during the technology boom that many people don't know about.

Social Media/Online Community Manager is one of the most popular unknown jobs. Paying roughly $40,000 a year, the job includes updating social media sites such as facebook and twitter and using these sites to create a "buzz" about the business.

Telework Manager or Coordinator is another job that was created during this technology boom. Starting at roughly $30,000 a year, the job includes tasks such as managing telecommuting programs for employers, and resolving any technical issues that may arise.

Educational Consultant is a job that has been created due to the increase in worry surrounding public education. Requring a Bachelors and also recommends a Masters in Education, this job starts at roughly $53,000 a year. These consultants work with families to find out what type of educational environments suit their children best.

These are just three of the many new jobs that have been created over the past few years.

Freelance

Having to juggle college and a busy work schedule is practically impossible for some students. With the recent technological age, many students, and even some adults, are turning to freelance journalism jobs to provide an income to support themselves during the school year.

Different sites such as elance.com and careerbuilder.com offer users different opportunities to get freelance jobs all over and in different fields of writing. From social media posts, to hard news stories and even lesson plans, these websites offer students, and busy adults, the opportunity to get an income without leaving the home and working around their busy schedules.

Work Requires Flexibility

One of the hardest things to get used to is the lack of time when working. Managers will work you a ton one week, and the next week barely work you at all. It's not that they don't like you; they just didn't need you as much that week for one reason or another. Also, managers don't really care if you hate closing; if that's all your availability really allows for, that's what they'll work you.

With my job, I close almost every single day I work, and I've been there for two years. You learn to get used to it.

The one thing that most people hate about having a job while in school is the fact that they begin to not have a social life. However, you get used to not being able to go out every single time your friends go out. Obligations to work do come first for those of us who are serious about having a job. You may not want to make it your lifelong career, but if you work hard enough, a good recommendation will help you get that job you really do want.

The Desensitization of Society

Desensitize is a word that is becoming increasingly popular in society’s vocabulary today. Why? Because today’s icons are becoming more and more disgraceful with their every action. Desensitize is defined by Webster’s Online Dictionary to make indifferent, unaware, or the like.

Once shunned words such as the f-word have become increasingly popular in not only movies, but music as well as the vocabulary of the rich and famous. Society has become indifferent when it comes to such obscenities such as sex scenes and swear words. Even fashion has become desensitized, as girls fashion is become overwhelmed with “sexy” tops and short miniskirts.

Recently, three little girls decided to take a stand against this desensitization of society, and wrote a song in the form of a letter to famous rap star Lil’ Wayne. In this the three little girls discuss how he talks about drugs and alcohol constantly, and how he dehumanizes women in his songs.

They asked whether he treated his daughter like he treats the women in his songs.

This has caused uproar in the rap music industry.

An up-and-coming rapper Chase Million$$$ released a song titled “Letter to Watoto from the Nile,” in which he slams the three girls saying that “there’s just some things you won’t understand because you’re just a child.”

However, children often are the ones who speak the most truth.

Lil Wayne is just one of the many examples of stars who are part of the problem surrounding the desensitization of today’s society.

The desensitization of society is causing major problems for Christians. It is causing Christians to either have to question their morals, or be shunned by those who are desensitized.

Christians are taught that it is a sin to swear, and that by viewing sex scenes, they are also sinning as Christians are taught to be pure. We are taught those sexually explicit scenes are impure. God tells us that our duty as Christians is to keep our bodies and minds pure, so that we may glorify God.

These three little girls may be young, 10, 9, and 5 years of age, but they have better morals and are more mature than rapper Lil Wayne.  These girls speak the truth, and do not deserve to be treated horribly, or to be receiving the hate mail that they are.

I hope that these three little girls are able to prove their point and get Lil Wayne’s attention.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/thatsreallyweek/134432/feb-28-mar-6-lil-waynes-negative-lyrics-prompt-complaint-song-from-little-girls/

Dealing with Superiors

Learning how to talk to your boss is probably the hardest thing to learn as an employee. Bosses' almost always believe they are right, even when they are in fact, wrong. My advice is to approach them with an objective viewpoint, calmly, and only talk about things that are personally effecting YOU as an employee. Managers do not often like being told wrong, so always try to state how you are feeling, and make your accusations seem more like suggestions and questions, that way the boss doesn't feel threatened. They hold the power, and often times, they don't like to have their power questioned by a subordinate.

On-Campus Jobs Vs. Off-Campus Jobs

One of the nicest aspects of going to a four-year university is having the ability to get an on-campus job. However, there are a few drawbacks. First, you tend to get less hours per week. This is good for someone who really just needs a job to pay for the occasional movie or such but not so good for the person who is paying for their entire tuition.

My suggestion for people in the latter group is to stick to an off-campus job. They may be a little bit harder to get but if you have the right personality and have a connection; you will be able to work much more. Most off- campus jobs will work you as much as 32 hours per week.

Also, some on-campus jobs only pay $8 an hour but an off-campus job can pay more. For example, a job at In-N-Out starts at $10 an hour. This is significantly more per hour. An on-campus job also allows you the option to be a part of the work-study program. This is when the state pays half of your pay and the employer pays the other half, making you more marketable to employers on-campus because they are spending less money.

Lastly, some on-campus jobs allow you to work while having the benefit of seeing your friends.

Off-campus jobs do not tolerate visits from friends or employees working on anything other than what you are being paid to do.

Usually these activities can only be accomplished on breaks and lunches.

The Importance of Multi-tasking

As an employee in retail, you learn the importance of being able to multi-task. At the registered you are required to be friendly, ask questions, as well as insure that the customer isn’t using counterfeit payment, something that has been occurring more and more with the current economy. As a child, multi-tasking isn’t something parents instill in you. It is a trait you acquire in school, especially for those who take the dreaded AP classes, or listen to a lecture as well as take notes. Multi-tasking is difficult to learn, but it is well worth the exasperation whether you are a student, teacher or employee.

Grades for Parents: An Innovative or Erroneous Idea?

Grades are a part of the everyday life of a typical student. However, grades are not a part of a parent’s life. A Florida lawmaker thinks that grades should become a part of a parent’s everyday life, or at least while their child is in Kindergarten through Third Grade.

I think that this, in theory, is a good idea. We have all seen those parents who just do not care about their child’s life. These are the same parents who are more concerned about appearance and their own personal happiness. By adding this grading system, this may possibly help increase the amount of time these types of parents spend with their child. School is vital to a child’s survival in the real world. Without a basic understanding of the principles taught in school, there is a very low chance this child will succeed in life.

However, what about the teachers? It is a well-known fact that teachers are not paid enough for the amount of work they put into the job. Would adding this burden increase their pay rate? Or does the state expect them to take this extra responsibility with stride and without complaints? I highly doubt any teacher will be truly thrilled with the idea.

So, in theory, I think that this is a good idea on paper, but is possibly flawed. For more information, check out the original article featured on CNN.com.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/26/florida.grading.parents/index.html?hpt=Sbin

The Importance of Time Management

Throughout my childhood my parents were always emphasizing how important it was for me to be on time. Whether it was to school, softball practice or dinner, we were never late. I didn’t know then, but they were instilling in me important tools I use in my daily life now. Being able to manage a job and school is a difficult task. I am always on the go, and very rarely do I have a significant break to just “stop and smell the roses.” With the skills my parents instill in me at a young age, I have been able to successfully time manage my life. School is a demanding aspect of my life. It requires a small amount of time in the classroom listening to various lectures, but what makes it hard are the countless hours outside of the classroom reading and immersing myself in the information I need to know. My work, however, is the complete opposite. I spend anywhere from 20-30 hours a week working with customers doing easy tasks such as single copies and faxes, to complicated design jobs. My work has been a learning experience, and in some way, has shaped my ideas for where I want to end up 10 years from now. Being able to balance the demands of school and a job are difficult, and sometimes possibly more than I can handle, but I know that without it, I would not be who I am.

Journalism 170 Post: Full Time Student, Part Time Employee

Choosing to go to college is probably one of the best decisions any high school student could make. However, the question of how to pay for college ALWAYS pops up. With me, it was a 7 month long argument with my dad. Of course it ended up with me, here, at CBU, but not without its drawbacks. I am a full time student, and a part time Office Depot Associate, as I have been for the past two years of my life. It has been hard learning to balance school and work, but it has its rewards. Throughout this semester, I will be blogging about my experiences as a full time student and an employee of a large corporation.