Author Archives: sh133471

http://abcnews.go.com/US/stay-home-dads-dad-mom/story?id=16596365#.UCwKVdBSSRg

In the past, a traditional household were women in families are usually the one staying at home taking care of children while the husband works for money. Women were rarely in the work force, and if there were, they would be discriminated against by having lower wages than the male counterpart working the same job. This was common until several decades ago. Women were making an appearance in the work force more frequently and some even climbed their way to the top of the chain of commands.

As women are starting to earn higher paying careers than men, there has been an increase of stay at home fathers. In this article from CBS, it has been reported that the number of stay at home fathers has more than doubled in the United States in the past 10 years. In one scenario, while Erica Howard Potter works as a tax attorney, her husband Jake Howard Potter stays at home and take her of their 2 year old daughter Skylar. Jake is a sculptor and his daily life involves getting fit at home and changing diapers. The couple does not seem to have any problems with this except the wife tends to feel jealousy towards the fun they are having at home.

I feel that choosing to be a stay at home father is a choice. Although some people feel that it is unethical that a women has to work for money, I feel that as long as it’s in the best interest of the family and if theres no conflict between the couples there should be no problem. It is rational to say that whoever earns more money should be the bread winners because at the end of the day, only money will put food on the table. Although some men might feel they are emasculated, they should put their short term interests to the side and look at the bigger picture.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2011-12-15/schools-federal-standards/51949126/1?loc=interstitialskip

Proposed during George W. Bush’s administration during 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act has reformed the United States public education. This act calls upon four pillars that attribute to its success: stronger accountability, more freedom for states and communities, more parental involvement, and utilizing proven teaching methods.

Ever since the program has been enacted, there has been dramatic improvements to the US public education system. The overall standardized test scores have improved over the years and the achievement gap in schools are beginning to close. However, recent stories have been published about the act becoming “defective” and “broken.” In this article from USA today, reports have shown that half of U.S. schools fail federal standards and this also became the largest failure rate  since NCLB was enacted. According to a report from the Center on Education Policy, 43,000 schools or 48% did not make “adequate yearly progress.” The failure rates ranged from a low of 11% in Wisconsin to a high of 89% in Florida. There were also discrepancies with States’ scores: In Georgia, 27% of schools did not meet target marks, while in compared to 81% in Massachusetts and 16% in Kansas. One possible explanation for these discrepancies is that states sometimes administer harder tests or have a large population of immigrants and low income children. It was also said this year states increased the bar for how many children must pass the test and some states have the highest increased this year to avoid sanctions. One solution for the rising failure rates was administering waivers to be exempted from the acts rigorous testing system and the punishment system that enforces the act based on the test scores.

Imagine this scenario: you are walking on the streets and you see a person in front of you wearing a white lab coat. You will most likely automatically assume he is a doctor. The symbolic meaning of a white lab coat is that physicians are very detail oriented and good at paying attention. The study of associating certain clothing on cognitive process is called enclothed cognition.

Studies have shown that if you wear a lab coat that you believe belongs to a doctor, your attentiveness will be increased. There has been many tests to support this theory. In one experiment, 58 undergraduates were randomly assigned to wear a white lab coat or street clothes and tested to notice errors such as the word “red” appears in green. The results showed that those in white lab coats made half as many errors as those who whore street clothes. Along with two other experiments, they have came to a conclusion that you have to wear the coat, see it on your body and feel it on your skin for it to influence psychological processes.

I agree with this article that what we wear definitely affects the way we behave psychologically. I think this in part comes from society perceives those who are more “professional” in the way they dress, are often associated with maturity, integrity and sometimes intelligence. It also affects the way we think about ourselves. In the article, a teacher assistant who wears formal clothing was said to be more intelligent than one who dressed casually. When Dr. Galinsky decided to dress as a pimp, he sort of played that role by “gliding” into the room. I do strongly believe that we interact with others based on their way they dress. If I was talking to a person dressed in business formal attire, my tone of voice and the way I act will be different as opposed to someone dressed in t-shirt and shorts.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-06-04/millennials-lack-of-jobs/55676024/1

In class, we talked briefly about the student loan debt in the United States. With more and more college graduates coming out saddled with debt and the job market not improving, the student loan debt keeps rising. On May 8th, 2012, the student loan debt clock has passed the $1 trillion dollars mark and continuing to rise at an alarming rate.

Stories of the job marketing being very limited and students struggling to pay off their debt and trying to maintain a living is not something uncommon or unheard of today. In this article, we see the story of Megan Silsby (age 22) who earned a biology degree from Virginia Tech. She considers herself as a full time worker, however she does not have a job. While living with her parents, she gets up at 8 a.m. every morning and actively applies to jobs all day. The only motivation factor that keeps her sitting in front of the computer is telling herself that interview will come. Luckily, she is living with her parents so living expenses would not be a problem. However, there are millions of graduates who wear the same shoes as Megan, and some in a less fortunate position. Some graduates may have to take two or more part time jobs to keep the paychecks coming in. There are graduates who have doubts about their degree they have earned. I think with such a limited job market, it is becoming more important to study the job markets and see which department has the best chance of success.

I agree with the author saying, “Some recent graduates say they have landed jobs by starting early, networking, taking multiple internships and breaking through Internet screens with personal connections.” Getting that first internship, whether its unpaid or for credit, is important and will gain a competitive edge. Starting out early and working hard in college will surely make job searching “easier.”

I also agree with Jim Davis who says college should be a place to “attain experience- job shadows, internships- and building networks.” Again, this all comes down to getting an experience that would give you a competitive edge and makes you stand out among other people competing for the same position. This also breaks the vicious cycle of “I need experience to get a job, but I need a job to get experience.”

When we meet new people, we form impressions based on their social groups and from cultural stereotypes about them. It is said that a first impression is formed within seven seconds of meeting a person and it is very hard to remove our first impressions of that person. While interacting with them, we adjust our impressions based on their characteristics such as physical appearance, clothing, verbal and non verbal expressions. Managing our impressions become ever so important when we want to impress someone through networking, meeting someone, or interviewing.

During interviews, we want the interviewer to know we are the best fit for the position and we must try to convince him or her within that 20- 30 minute window given. From the moment you enter the building, you will never know who will be judging you. Whether its the receptionist or one of the employee who came out to greet you, you need to put on your best smile. You want the interviewer(s) to know they are able to work with you.

Another example is networking with professionals or other people within the same field of study as you are. Networking, or speed dating, is essential having small talk for 3-5 minutes and trying to leave a good impression with the other party so he or she can recognize you in the future. They’ll be important people who can aide you in the future. Especially in a business school like Baruch, networking is a vital part of business. Networking sessions are not always formal, but do try to maintain a good level of professionalism as well.

This video shows us what not to do while networking. It is not wrong to boast about your achievements, but be modest and considerate about it. Repeatedly showing off or saying negative remarks doesn’t put on a good impression. Managing your tone of your voice and watching what you say is also a factor of networking. How we say something is just as important, if not more, as what we say.