Archive for January 23, 2010

Jobs?

January 23, 2010 matt School

As discussed before, Northeastern has this wacky Co-op program in which you take classes for 6 months and then work for 6 months.  This gives students the advantage of real-world experience and a killer resume for after graduation at the expense of attending school for an extra year at the benefit of only having to pay tuition for when you are in classes.  (Yes Virginia, that was a run-on sentence.)

This semester signifies the last time I will choose a co-op.  Yup, this is number 3.  The big finale.  Will he get a job or be doomed to live in his parents’ attic alone forever?  Maybe not that dramatic but I’m listening to the Dark Knight soundtrack so give me some slack.

Part of the process of finding a new co-op is to speak with your co-op advisor and discuss your goals, details of what types of jobs fit you, etc.  When I spoke with my advisor, who is a pretty cool dude, he told me there may not be a job fit for my skills and level of abilities.   o.o  -.-

Generally, I avoid smileys and whatnot in my writing but I really wanted to emphasize that point.  No one wants to trust an intern with the responsibilities I’m prepared for.  Going out on a limb here, that sucks!  Lucky for me, part of my goal for this co-op is to find a potential full-time employer.  This could be a six-month training period.

Anyway, being a resourceful guy, my advisor told me he would reach out to some of the college’s contacts and see what was available but not posted.  We also discussed returning to my last co-op/current part-time job.  While this is an option, it really depends on what knowledge I can get out of it and if taking a full-time position is 1. in the cards and 2. in anyway useful in furthering my career.

Getting old is tough.  For any of you not in college yet, find something right now that will keep you thinking like a 5-year old.  You may get a posting on FML or MLIA but it’s totally worth it.  15 minutes of fame on the Internet can last a lifetime.

In closing, I look good in red.  Check it out. -buttdance, buttdance-     (http://www.homestarrunner.com/vcr_hs.html for those who do not know.)

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Spring Semester `10

January 11, 2010 matt School

Today marked the first day of the Spring Semester at Northeastern University.  This looks to be a very interesting semester for me.  One, I have one class on Mon/Thurs.  Two, I’m still working part-time, maybe, on Wednesdays.  Tues/Fri is the day from hell but oh well, it will prove to be interesting.

The new year also did not bring a new 365 Stupidest Things Said so that’s over.  I got a Red Sox calendar and a Car Talk calendar so maybe I’ll get some inspiration from those.

So first class, MGMT 3303 – Building Your Management Skills.  Potential to be an amazing class.  First off, the professor is British.  Second, he called out all the business students for their love of reading off PowerPoint slides.  This is a huge win.  He banned, yes, banned, PowerPoint presentations.  No longer will we read along with the presenter and want to shoot ourselves!

The professor is a shorter, more grey-haired version of Sean Connery from the third (almost called it last) Indiana Jones movie.  He walked back and forth and was soft-spoken, it was designed to keep your attention.  This is typically good but the room is oddly designed so the middle has a taller ceiling so when he wasn’t facing the side I sat on, he was hard to hear.  Simple solution: sit in the middle.

The professor told us, we learn by practice.  He compared it to riding a bike.  You get on, you fall off.  That process provides you with feedback and with that feedback, you learn to avoid falling off.

One of the class goals is to “change the world.”  A noble goal.  We are going to learn how to handle different situations with different types of people.  Save the world, one person at a time.  Sounds ambitious, but fun.

Anywho, I forgot where I was going with this since I got the idea for this entry while walking back from class at 1245, started writing, left to get a replacement phone, bought dorm stuff and food at Target, ate dinner and watched House.  So, 7.5 hours later, I guess this has come to an end.  Probably more tomorrow.

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