Interview lessons

I volunteered to be on the policy council for the local Head Start this year. Thursday they called and asked if I would help interview for a position that was open. The council has to approve new hires, so they like a member to help with the hiring process. I found being an interviewer to be very enlightening.

What not to do in an interview....
1. Dress like you're going to the grocery store/laundry mat/city park. Seriously don't wear jeans.

2. Go in with absolutely no knowledge of what the company does. If you don't know what we do, can you really want to work here?

3. Give out personal information about your home life. Seriously the interviewer doesn't need to know unless it is something that may affect your ability to be on the job when needed (seriously ill child/spouse, etc is possibly need to know)

4. When asked why you want the position, state "I just really need a job" At least state why you want this job. Good hours for your family life, enjoyment of aspects of job.

After sitting through some interviews as the interviewer, I have to wonder if I ever looked that clueless in an interview. I'm sure I did, but I know I'll never be unprepared for an interview again.

Media Bias

We all know that media bias occurs, but there are times when it becomes glaringly obvious. I had one of those tonight. I was watching CNN and they were airing a show called Broken Government: Scorched Earth. On this program was a segment about prairie dogs, black-footed ferrets, and Conata Basin. Believe me when I say that I have quite a bit of knowledge about this topic. I work for a Government agency mentioned in the broadcast.

So, knowing the issue and knowing the proposed response by said agency it really ticked me off to hear the news guy state at least twice that the plan was to "exterminate" the prairie dogs in Conata Basin. My dictionary defines exterminate thus: to get rid of by destroying; destroy totally; extirpate: to exterminate an enemy; to exterminate insects. I've read the plan. I've been in detailed discussions of the plan. No where in the plan is there any mention of "extermination" or anything resembling extermination, but thanks to the media, people who haven't even taken the time to read the proposed action will be screaming about things about which they are uninformed.

Thank you for reading my blog. Please leave me a comment.

A Fresh Start

Since I obviously haven't been using this blog, I've been putting some thought into what to do with it. Part of the problem is that I am not currently working on my teaching degree. I decided to get a BA in History with a Minor in Political Science. I went this route because I can get a degree quicker (by a whole year) and with a degree I have a chance of landing a permanent position at my current job. I would still love to be a teacher, but I really LOVE the work I currently do, and can see myself doing it until I'm old and grey.

But, teaching is still on the menu. Since I have to be a student to keep my current job, I have devised a plan. I will get my BA in History, and if I fail to get a permanent position (not an easy thing to do actually) I will continue on and get my Master's in Education.

So back to the direction of the blog. I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter if anyone reads this or not. It's more of a place to note things that have caught my attention and to vent or cheer about events in my life. If you do read this blog...thanks and please comment so I know you're out there.

Thank you,
Nebraska Girl