Issaquenna Lake

Most Clemson students have never had the opportunity to experience the adventures of Issaqueena Lake. Issaqueena Lake is located a few miles from campus and is official called, Clemson University Experimental Forest. Opportunities that Issaqueena offer include: bike trails, walking/jogging trails, horse trails, swimming, fishing, sight-seeing and more. The coolest thing about the trails are that they are endless and would resemble a spider-web formation from an aerial view. Some trails are more challenging than others but for the most part they are not that difficult. If biking is not your thing than relax near the lake were its tranquil waters will sooth your soul. I would recommend to any student that has a free Saturday to travel out to Issaqueena and experience the heart-pumping ride of your life.

IMPORTANCE of a Cover Letter!

A common misconception is that employers read your cover letter before the resume. Wrong. If the employer likes your resume he or she may then go back and take a look at your cover letter. Cover letters are intended to be specific and should be addressed to a particular person within a company. It's important to be active in your job search and not wait for future employer to "call you." Also, do not rely on posting your resume on websites for this rarely generates any results in the current entry-level job market. Instead, contact different companies on a personal level and deliver your resume and cover letter in person if applicable. Finally, be sure to follow an appropriate template consisting of an address, salutation and three paragraphs.

Interviewing: How to answer/What not to do!

-Interviewing for a job position is the hardest aspect of the hiring process. Interviewing is not only to see if your credentials line up for the job, but if your sociable skills do as well. During the interview process, interviewers will often ask similar questions to everyone. They will also ask very difficult and touchy questions that require competitive answers. Among some of the more difficult questions include: What salary do you require, Where you will be in five years, Why they should hire you, and even the silly questions. I learned that while interviewing, you should remain confident but not boastful. It's also important to remain competitive in the job market by doing research, preparing, and practicing.
-Before getting to the interviews you must first get past the job recruiters. Although this may not seem as difficult as interviewing it is the first step in getting your dream job. With this being so, their are many don'ts when dealing with recruiters. Unusually, it's important to not be over friendly with the recruiter. Even though they are generally warm and helpful themselves, it's important to remain professional. Try to keep physical contact, humor and personal conversations to a minimum. Another important don't, is to not ask for special treatment. If the recruiter thinks you are a good candidate for the job, than he or she will reflect that to the hiring manager.

Future Plans

Ten years from now, I plan to be working for myself and raising my great future family. Upon graduation, I plan on finding a job in the wonderful world of finance, possibly working for a bank or maybe a corporate office. Hopefully after a few years of saving up, which will be difficult, I will be able to branch out and open my own business. I would then maybe like to offer financial planning services to the public. I also plan on doing some type of crazy adventure right out of college. I would enjoy backpacking, maybe a road trip, maybe a treasure hunt, who knows. I also hope to marry the most lucky woman in the world to help raise my children. We will have a big back yard, big wrap-around porch, and maybe a pool. It would also be nice to give back to my community by some type of volunteer activity. But whereever I am in ten years, it will be in God's hands.

Web 2.0.....The Machine is us/ing us.

Seeing as how it took me three times as long as everyone else to create this blog, the video seemed a bit technologically advanced. I think the title is telling us that computers and technology are slowly taking over our lives. Also, the play on word "us/ing" might imply that we are turning into computers ourselves. The fact that we are constantly on the computer, phone, ipod, etc. is proof that much of our lives are dependent upon technology. The argument that "machine's are using us" can also be made because of all the time, money, and effort spent on them. This video effects students who are entering the work force in a positive and negative way. The positive way is that it gives hope for long term employment opportunities for those in the technological world. On the other hand, it might discourage those who are in majors that are threatened by technology takeover. When it says that "we will have to rethink everything," I think it is implying that machines and technology are shaping the future into a sophisticated stream of information making many decisions for us.

Introduction

Hi my name is Mark A. and I am a Finance major at Clemson University. I am originally from South Carolina and have one brother and one sister. Some of my hobbies include playing the guitar, fishing, any thing outdoors, and socializing. My favorite show is The Office followed by Prison Break and Chuck. I'm a very friendly person so feel free to ask me any questions.