Week 2 Assignment
I was sitting across the table from them- completely frozen. My mouth was dry. Sweat had seeped through my blazer. This was it. This was the interview for dream job and I was petrified.
The interview panel was shuffling through a stack of papers- no doubt all concerning me and how I would be measured. The head interviewer waited for this white noise to die down before he welcomed me and said it was time to begin. “Alright Miss Azer, why don’t you start by telling us how your experiences at school have uniquely prepared you for this position.”
My mind started to race- I could talk about the business clubs I had participated in for the last three years, my marketing classes, my sorority- but with a sinking feeling I realized that every person who scored an interview must have done all this stuff too. Then, like a spark, the answer came to me: “In addition to being an active student at the Foster School of Business, I’ve had the privilege in participating in the University of Washington’s Interdisciplinary Honors Program.”
I went on to talk about how Honors has forced me to take classes outside of common business subject matter: Art, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Experiential Learning, Biology, and Film to name a few. Each of these courses pushed me to think about things other than business. Moreover, it taught me to appreciate these ways of thinking and recognize that this experience is replicated across the professional world: “Consider our environment at Boeing,” I said, “We have engineers, lawyers, journalists, industrial designers, researchers, strategists, pilots, communicators, mechanics, operations experts, event planners- the list goes on. All too often I see people seeking to just operate in the field they are most comfortable in- but that doesn’t make our products better. No, good teams that spark innovation are willing to collaborate, consider, and cultivate other areas of knowledge. They are made up of people who feel comfortable leading and following; these people know when to step into the spotlight and when to defer to an expert. They understand the strengths of their teammates and use them to compensate for their weaknesses. Although getting here is uncomfortable and humbling, it always makes the final product better and is something we must do. Honors taught me how to do this here…and everywhere.”
This answer got me the offer.
The interview panel was shuffling through a stack of papers- no doubt all concerning me and how I would be measured. The head interviewer waited for this white noise to die down before he welcomed me and said it was time to begin. “Alright Miss Azer, why don’t you start by telling us how your experiences at school have uniquely prepared you for this position.”
My mind started to race- I could talk about the business clubs I had participated in for the last three years, my marketing classes, my sorority- but with a sinking feeling I realized that every person who scored an interview must have done all this stuff too. Then, like a spark, the answer came to me: “In addition to being an active student at the Foster School of Business, I’ve had the privilege in participating in the University of Washington’s Interdisciplinary Honors Program.”
I went on to talk about how Honors has forced me to take classes outside of common business subject matter: Art, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Experiential Learning, Biology, and Film to name a few. Each of these courses pushed me to think about things other than business. Moreover, it taught me to appreciate these ways of thinking and recognize that this experience is replicated across the professional world: “Consider our environment at Boeing,” I said, “We have engineers, lawyers, journalists, industrial designers, researchers, strategists, pilots, communicators, mechanics, operations experts, event planners- the list goes on. All too often I see people seeking to just operate in the field they are most comfortable in- but that doesn’t make our products better. No, good teams that spark innovation are willing to collaborate, consider, and cultivate other areas of knowledge. They are made up of people who feel comfortable leading and following; these people know when to step into the spotlight and when to defer to an expert. They understand the strengths of their teammates and use them to compensate for their weaknesses. Although getting here is uncomfortable and humbling, it always makes the final product better and is something we must do. Honors taught me how to do this here…and everywhere.”
This answer got me the offer.
Week 3 Assignment
During my sophomore year I got an Instagram account which has fundamentally changed the way I go about my life. Now that I have the ability to quickly capture and share moments through photographs I actively look for beauty, I try to notice the little things, and aim to capture a snippet of time before it becomes a memory. It slows me down, gets my mind off of stress and school, and helps make the little things matter.
This quarter I am taking a class on cloth which has really challenged the way I learn. Typically business classes force you to regurgitate management theories, memorize terms, and find the one right answer to a mathematical problem- this class is the complete opposite. It's been really hard to think abstractly, construct my own theories, and not always know "why" but enjoyable at the same time.
To me, the Honors program is like a library. It's an overwhelming place where a myriad of subjects come together for students to explore. Walking through these shelves you notice that each book is different, they don't match, and you will never be able to read them all.
TAP Excerise
I assume that my viewers will find the navigational layout of my page to be intuitive. I am also operating under the assumption that my audience will understand that the photos and theme of the website represent elements of personal significance. I expect them to follow the order of titles listed in my toolbars (at the top of the page) and not jump around. I am thinking that they will have the stamina to visit every page as well.
I anticipate that my viewers will have the most trouble figuring out the context of the portfolio and it’s requirements. This is not intuitive from the layout of the site, but I plan to address it in my accompanying comments.
I think my biggest challenge right now is making my reflective comments seem confident and valid. I think if I was doing this in spring quarter I would be ale to speak more authoritatively about my experience because everything will be in hindsight. Right now, I still have the majority of my senior year in front of me and am forced to leave this page of my website unfinished.
It's also been interesting to consider my intended audience for my portfolio against the audience that will be present during my final presentation for this class. As a business major, I tend to think of this as a showcasing of my accomplishments that could be leveraged in a job interview for a general business operations position. Traditionally, interviews are Question and Answer format, not necessarily a multimedia approach such as this website. It’s been interesting to try and take my studies and experiences and put them into this format, but still intend for them to be used in a fashion that is valuable to me- in an interview.
I anticipate that my viewers will have the most trouble figuring out the context of the portfolio and it’s requirements. This is not intuitive from the layout of the site, but I plan to address it in my accompanying comments.
I think my biggest challenge right now is making my reflective comments seem confident and valid. I think if I was doing this in spring quarter I would be ale to speak more authoritatively about my experience because everything will be in hindsight. Right now, I still have the majority of my senior year in front of me and am forced to leave this page of my website unfinished.
It's also been interesting to consider my intended audience for my portfolio against the audience that will be present during my final presentation for this class. As a business major, I tend to think of this as a showcasing of my accomplishments that could be leveraged in a job interview for a general business operations position. Traditionally, interviews are Question and Answer format, not necessarily a multimedia approach such as this website. It’s been interesting to try and take my studies and experiences and put them into this format, but still intend for them to be used in a fashion that is valuable to me- in an interview.
Approach to final portfolio presentation
This quarter I have edited the layout of my portfolio site multiple times. I think I have finally got the order down to a logical progression. I plan to follow the format I have set out highlight some key and dynamic learning experiences.
The hope here is that the examples I focus on will show the breadth of learning that took place (both in and out of the classroom). First, I will spend some time on my general learning statement which summarizes how participating in interdisciplinary honors has shaped my experiences. Next, I will share an experience from each year of my undergraduate experience. These examples will showcase materials from honors courses as well as my business courses. Finally, I will wrap up by sharing some of my experiential learning.
The hope here is that the examples I focus on will show the breadth of learning that took place (both in and out of the classroom). First, I will spend some time on my general learning statement which summarizes how participating in interdisciplinary honors has shaped my experiences. Next, I will share an experience from each year of my undergraduate experience. These examples will showcase materials from honors courses as well as my business courses. Finally, I will wrap up by sharing some of my experiential learning.