Monthly Archives: November 2010

To be honest, I was not too interested in the Panel Discussion plus I had the worst possible seating anyone could ever ask for (Balcony, several rows back, leg room just enough for a toddler).  However, I still managed to catch their main emphasis on identity.   I believe the author has went through a lot in his life and has established a lot of credibility to be talking about a common subject such as identity.

I believe identity has no general definition, and that no other person can give someone an identity other than the person him/herself.  This identity can consist of whatever the person wants to be identified as, whether it be based on ethnicity, looks, beliefs, accomplishments, hobbies, etc.  Everyone’s identities are different from each other, and there is no limit to what someone’s identity is.  It is what it is and you are who you are.

First thing that came to my mind was : “WOW!” There were so many people in that auditorium. After we sat down, I saw the dude. Charles N. Li. I actually expected him to be very old but he looks like he is only 60 and he is in great shape. Listening to the speakers speak, I was so bored I texted my friend from high school and it just so happens he was sitting in the same row as me. He was doing his work for another class and he wasn’t even paying attention at all to the speakers. Each of the speaker had a story to tell they all sound so monotoned.  I did listen to the story by Charles N. Li about pulling stuff out of his ass and it was hysterical. He also told a story about poverty here and it is so different compared to China. Even when you are starving, you get to choose what kind of stuff you get to eat. This “workshop” made me realize the conditions we live in and we should really appreciate everything we have instead of actually wasting everything.

After leaving the room, I felt somewhat educated since most of what that lady said could’ve been google’d. She could’ve just told us to “Please google resume when you get home.” But overall, it was somewhat educational. I learnt about what I should and shouldn’t put on a resume. You can’t google that. The handouts she gave out were also very helpful. I would’ve never knew the difference between a functional format of a resume and chronological format of a resume. She also gave us a handout about my personal pitch and I found that all helpful, but again, it could’ve been google’d. When she shanked that guy in the front, it was hysterical. I couldn’t believe she did something so absurd.

I couldn’t have enjoyed a better day though to be honest. Just sitting there listening to someone else talk instead of actually having to write anything, priceless class right there. And we got out early so that is just a bonus on top of that. And I am writing this Monday morning when our English professor is out so I don’t really remember what to say men! I just want to get this blog over with.

Career Exploration was a good workshop but it was rather dull in terms of all the talking. The resume and all the little technical stuff can really help us in the future. I’d rate the workshop 7/10. And at the attendance sheet, cool story bro!

I have been attending many career exploration sessions at Baruch throughout the semester. Since this session was going to be hosted by an advisor of the Starr Career Development Center, I wanted to pay extra attention. However, in part, because we sat in the back and there was no microphone, I relied more on the media presentation.

I found it useful that the advisor told us how we can research career fields on vault.com and other websites. But, overall, the workshop was repetitive of what I already learned attending other events. Golden Key had a resume workshop session during club hours the previous week and their presentation covered everything. Members of the honor society were able to review our resumes as well at the end of the session. Also, I found it easier to ask them questions and I was able to learn about their experiences. As for the mandatory career exploration workshop, I had hoped that she would address our situation of being first semester freshman pertaining to how we can start finding internships. It would have been useful if she had told us to attend networking events outside of what the Starr center offers.

Recently, there was a human resources event that had an actual human resource director from Friedman LLP answer our questions and elaborate more on what we are all told. For example, in the workshop, the advisor told us to write a thank you letter, but the human resource director, Jeff, told us how to write one and when we should write one. Jeff advised us not to write one if we do not know how to write.

Basically, I was disappointed with the workshop since, by individual research online, I could find out everything that was lectured to us. It should have been more practical. It should have been a smaller setting, not four classes packed into a room that did not have enough seats, so it could have been more comprehensive in a “question and answer” type of format.

The panel discussion was useless. I respect the people who spoke, as individuals, but I was not able to follow any of the discussion points because there were technical difficulties (the microphone’s volume was put on low) and the moderator had distracting mannerisms (he had his hand on his face when the other panelists spoke). Furthermore, the discussion was unrehearsed since some panelists had more time to speak than others and the professor of Black and Hispanic studies repeated the story she told us on convocation day.

On that note, I learn more about identity in my introduction to anthropology course. Being Filipino, I find it hard to identify myself with a particular culture. The Philippines is as diverse as Baruch College. I look like a blend of Spanish and Chinese, but I was born in New York, raised in Australia and Papua New Guinea, and went back to the city when I was seven. While living in Papua New Guinea, I attended an international school full of ex-patriots. By “ex-patriots,” I am referring to people who have left their motherland.  Therefore, when asked, I am hesitant to say that I am Filipino since I do not know the language nor am I familiar with the culture.

I identify myself as an individual who can adapt. I do not want to be defined by culture, race, sex, or religion, but as a thinking being.