Career Service Write-Up 2

Hey guys for my second career service write-up, I engaged in a webinar, that teaches how to successfully go through an interview. Interestingly enough, some of the things covered I was already familiar with, however one thing really stuck out to me there are several different types of interviews such as structured, unstructured, panel, group, phone, and skype. So it is always best to prepare using digital footprint, taking the time to actually research and get familiar with the company, you should know the logistics type of business or service that the company provides and of course knowing the interview types. After the interview, it is always best to follow up with a thank-you letter. This leaves a great impression on the interviewers.

Thank you

Dear CORD,

I want to thank you personally for the experience this semester, through this process I appreciate your eagerness to instruct and partner with me. Thank you for your patience with me as I matured as a professional in this context. Although I have tons to learn in conducting qualitative and quantitative research, the assignments you had me work on play an integral part in the process of learning.
I encourage you all to continue the work that you do, as it contributes in many ways to society and I will always recommend colleagues that are interested to partner with you.

Sincerely,

Antwan Davis

Practicality. Area of Interest and Growth

Overall, this semester was an amazing semester. It was full of challenge, growth and development. Coming into my internship I wanted to accomplish three things. 1. I wanted to find a context where I could apply some of the theory and philosophy I have been learning. My internship was with CORD and I definitely was able to do that. I had seen first hand how collaboration is vital to accomplishing objectives and goals. I am very impressed with how CORD is structured and flows, many individuals contribute and work together. 2. I was able to find an area of interest to focus as a graduate. 3. I was also able to grow and develop as a professional. I had first-hand experience into how to manage the rigor of academic life. Watching my supervisors and team members function to meet deadlines caused me to recognize areas of procrastination in my own life and deal with them. For that, I am particularly grateful for.

Career Service

For my Career Service Write, I attended a conference hosted by the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. The Phoenix chapter held a professional career oriented seminar in Phoenix, AZ.

The National Forum for Black Public Administrators is the principal and most progressive organization dedicated to the advancement of black public leadership in local and state governments. NFBPA administrators are on the front line working to solve pressing community and human service issues. In support of these administrators, NFBPA provides training and other professional development programs, research and policy analysis and collegian networking. The capstone of the NFBPA efforts is its annual conference, the FORUM.

It was a very interesting conference, there were public administrators from a few different city and state departments that were present. They held a panel discussion on a variety of different public sectors issues and themes that those interested in public service should be familiar with. It was a very impactful panel discussion as each public administrator spoke on leadership, ethics, and vision and basically what to do and not do while serving in the public sector.

One of the themes of the conference consisted of the administration's primary goals are the four “R’s”;

1.        Remain dedicated to the mission of the organization;

2.        Reclaim non-active members;

3.        Recruit new members to the organization throughout all levels of government; and

4.        Re position the organization to be a more sustainable entity financially and operationally far into the future. 

Nip Tuck!!! - Free Write

Yah, so you all know about this dog I have. His name is Samson and he is part Jack Russel part demon. He is mixed with another breed, but I don't know what it is. Anyway, this dog is OFF THE CHAIN! So, in efforts to curb his insatiable desire to run around, I went and got him got him clipped! I felt bad, I think maybe because I have a set of you know what, and I couldn't imagine that happening to me. Anyway, the vet said its actually more healthier for him.
We'll see how long it takes for him to calm his #ss down, but today his can barely walk, and I am enjoying every minute of it. Lol lol lol

The Mother of Dragons!! - Free Write

Hey all,
So you know by now I try and keep up on particular shows. Some of my favorite shows that I am currently watching are The Americans, Vikings and now...... GAME OF THRONES. Man this is a great show, full of drama, suspense and action. I just watched the season opener and I'm trying to remember all that happened last season. If any of you are familiar of the show, you know that the Mother of Dragons is losing control of her dragons!!! Last season she let them roam free and they killed an innocent child, so she locked them up. Well, this season she went to check on them and they were chained up blowing fire in the dungeon... I'm just wondering how this is going to turn out for the dragons, her and her kingdom.

Organizational Strengths

1.     What are the strengths of your organization? I believe one of the strengths of the organization that I intern for is the fact that everyone on the team, is willing to sacrifice for the common goal. The Center for Organizational Research and Design (CORD) is an organization that has a variety and professors, doctorate and post doctorate individuals all bringing their adeptness to the table in order to conduct relevant research that has implications for many policy areas. One thing that I would change if I were in charge would be the effectiveness of communication. Since my time working with CORD, there has been a few instances where communication wasn't as effective as it could have been. I would organize monthly or quarterly meeting and just emphasize the importance of such communication. Other than that, I think this is an awesome, highly talented organization!!

UFC Babeeeee!

Hey all,
Any UFC fans out there??? I am, I actually love the sport. We got some pretty intense fights coming up in the next couple of months. Lets see.... In May we have Jon Jones facing off against the "Rumble," Anthony Johnson. I am hoping to see Jon Jones get dethroned. I was going against Jones when he fought against Daniel Cromier. And then in July, we have Jose Aldo vs. Conor Mcgregor. This one is really going to be intense. The UFC is touring around the world to promote the fight and every time Aldo and Mcgregor face off, there are mini battles taking place. The two clearly don't like each other.

Who are you all voting for??

My Dog is Part Jack Russel and Part Devil

About a year ago, I purchased a dog for my fiance. The dog was really cool looking as a puppy, well he still is a puppy, but an older version of himself. Anyway, the dog has evolved into something that is literally not of this world. He just has so much energy, it is just ridiculous. He is really smart too. I feel bad because even tho I got it for my fiance, he stays at my house because I have the space, I don't have the time for him that he really needs. He needs to be out chasing tennis balls and Frisbee.

Free Write - Out with Geico in comes State Farm

Hi guys,

Last week my car broke down while driving home from school. This was a very scary experience as the car broke down on the I-10 westbound. Mind you, this was in the middle of rush hour. I was in the middle lane and the car just turned off and wouldn't come back on. I caused a major traffic jam. I had called Geico for assistance and asked them to call the police to help me get out of traffic. Can you believe Geico would not call the police... Their service was very unprofessional. Mind you, I have been with Geico for the past 5 years. Not only was my life in danger, but I did not feel appreciated as a loyal customer. After I managed to get of out of that sticky situation I felt it was time to switch insurance providers and stumbled on to State Farm. The rest is history!

Free Write - CATFISH!!!

Maaaan guys,

I just watched an episode of Catfish.... This is just getting out of control. This last episode had me ask one of the most popular, rhetorical questions of all time... "Who does that?!?!" I am not the one to pass judgement, but people are severely cold-hearted nowadays. I even wonder if some of the Catfishers have serious psychological defects. I also wonder if Nev provides counseling or some type of after care for the victim and Catfisher. I mean, I know they do a follow up chat online to see how they are doing since being on the show, but in my opinion someone in authority should implement some type of after care.

Public Service

Hi All,
As you all know, I am interning for CORD here at ASU. CORD stands for the Center of Organizational Research and Design. The center performs public service by producing qualitative research on a variety of public issues. Facing the public, private and non profit sectors.

This semester CORD is conducting Pro Bono work with the St. Mary's Food Bank. The project will help to determine the magnitude of impact that the food bank has on society. The food bank is looking to measure if the community receiving services are actually benefiting to the point to where they no longer need assistance.

The information gathered will be used to shape policy and structure programs that will be more effective in reducing the issues of  hunger and poverty.

House of Cards!!!

Has anyone seen House of Cards? It is an original series from Netflix. Netflix has really stepped up their streaming content game since the company first happened. I remember when you had the option to rent DVD's from Netflix. Anyway, House of Cards is pretty, pretty good this season. Don't worry, don't worry, I won't be dropping any spoilers, but seriously during our Spring break, try and watch a couple of episodes, but start from season 1, otherwise you will not fully understand the plot.

Happy posting

In the workplace...

Leadership plays a significant role at my internship, I can see this because I work directly under the supervision of someone. The very fact that I report to someone denotes my understanding of leadership. Interestingly enough, the person I listen to also has to follow directions given to them by someone else. My internship provides me a context by which I can apply the theory of leadership and public administration that I am receiving this semester. I would like to point out that I highly emphasize the importance of self-governance. My supervisor displays their leadership by communicating with us, listening to our feedback. They call bi-weekly meetings to ensure that we are on top of our tasks and makes themselves available for any questions. 

Leadership Profile

The title of the job is Director or Deputy Director of any department in government would be ideal for me. I would not mind working in this type of leadership capacity in any context. It could the city of Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa etc. Individuals who function in this capacity have to have the equivalent to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in social work, criminal justice, sociology, education, psychology and/or a degree related to the core functions of this position.  A Master's degree is highly desirable.

I find it very interesting that so many different focuses and disciplines are able to function in this type of capacity. I recently had a chance to sit down (in a group meeting context) with the City Manager of El Mirage – Dr. Spencer Isom. During this meeting Dr. Isom shared his experiences with us. Some of his advice that he shared really made a lot of sense. Working in government requires skill, commitment and more importantly a genuine passion for the work that you do. If you do not have passion that you as a bureaucrat are sure to get burnt out even while fulfilling your job. Some of the trends that he mentioned had to do with the residents of the El Mirage lacking a sense of ‘civic pride.’ I would be interested in this position because I am passionate about leading. I feel, with my competence from being trained and groomed here at ASU will bring me to the cutting edge in terms of possessing the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics to cause change in public sector.

Career Service Write

Hi All,

I have not been able to attend a career service event as of yet. I have plans on attending the next one that will be held by ASU, I believe it is on March 25 at the Downtown campus. It is a bit difficult due to the fact that the hours are typically during the morning which conflict with my work schedule.

I Just Said the 'M' Word... "Mid-terms" - Free Write

Hi Everyone,

Sorry guys I had to say it, I have been dreading this day, but it has finally come... MIDTERMS.
Funny thing is, I'm not that stressed about them. I've been completing my assignments and am current on readings, so in a very weird kinda way I feel a bit prepared for them.
Although I'm in this accelerated mpa program, I am still scheduled to complete my B.S. this Spring. One things that is heavy on my heart is to finish strong! I don't want the age old case of 'senior-itis' to get the best of me.

Are any of you feeling the 'hee-bee-jee-bees' as you face midterms this Spring? How are you coping with this?

Drones!!! - Free Write

Hi All,

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - aka Drones have been of hot topic as of recent. The air crafts are making headlines regarding commercial use here in the US. Companies like Amazon and Dominoes Pizza would like to implement drones in their course of action when it comes to delivering products and services. The problem is that while this activity is so new, there weren't any regulations in place to regulate the conduct. That is until now, I came across the article which states that the FCC will have policy in place to govern the use of drones being used for commercial purposes.
I thought this was interesting because we all will deal with policy to some degree in our professional careers.
I've posted the link to the article below!

http://www.publicceo.com/2015/02/drone-on-drones-faas-proposed-rules-would-allow-for-expanded-use/

"You Gone' Learn Today!" - Free Write

Hi Everyone,


I had an epiphany these last couple of weeks... I actually realized the value in mastering 'time management!' All through my life I've been one of those individuals that loves to procrastinate, mainly because I am able to perform really well under and pressure and dealing with last minute deadlines. I'm sure some of you could relate, but for example, there was one time in my collegiate career where I had a 12 page research paper due and purposely waited until the last 10 hours before it was due. Needless to say, I did receive high grade on the assignment, however, like I said earlier I am seeing the value in managing my time. In my case, value shouldn't be linked and ascribed to height of my achievements, but rather the process that leads up to what is ultimately achieved. I am seeing that there are many benefits to managing my time - its in time management that I can efficiently complete various tasks. I feel it is also healthier on my mind and body, by avoiding the stress that comes along with procrastination.

Just thought I'd share on this free write up. Can you any of you identify with this and more importantly, have you found value in moving away from procrastinative behavior patterns?

A typical day...

Hello everyone,


A typical day at CORD is structured very particularly, I am only working 10 hours a week and so on a typical day I am working 2 hours. The project I am working on has to doth coding data into a excel spreadsheet. The project is regarding the St. Mary's Food Bank and we are looking to see how frequently was the issue of food, hunger, and poverty prioritized in the field of legislation during a set time.

Deadlines...

Hello everyone,

Have some of you noticed how busy this semester is!? OMG, it's like there just isn't enough time in the day to get anything done anymore. Deadlines, deadlines, deadlines seems to be the phrase that characterizes this semester and if I'm going to be successful I have become more acclimated with that phrase.

I am doing a pretty good job managing everything, are you? Anyway, stay strong don't quit, we're almost there!

I'll touch base soon.

Dr. Stritch to the Rescue!!!

Hello everyone,

I was asked by the head director of CORD to be one of the spokesman for the research fair that was set to take place at the San Carlos room in the Post Office on February 3,
The research fail was designed so that all the research centers at Downtown ASU could meet with students and faculty and share what type of projects are currently underway at their centers.

On the day of the fair, I went over early to occupy a spot. Slowly but surely, as other representative arrived I noticed that they had posters, pamphlets and other materials to help convey their project, but I had nothing. I thought to myself, "I need something if we are going to effectively present our organization." I then told the facilitator I would be right back,  I walked calmly out of the building and then ran full sprint up to the fourth floor in the UCENT office (this is where CORD's office is at). I ran into Dr. Stritch, him and I begin to look frantically around the office for material to bring to the fair. Fortunately, I found two posters that some students and myself worked on back in the Spring of 2014. Anyway, we got the posters and took full sprint back to the post office. There I was met by Nicole - the assistant director and we proceeded to 'man the booth' at the fair. It was  a really awesome and productive experience. We met with tons of students and shared knowledge and experience we gained by working at CORD.

Stay tuned, I'll touch base soon!

Sworn to Secrecy at CORD!

Hey there everyone!

As I mentioned during my first blog, I am interning for the Center for Organizational Research and Design, also known as CORD. CORD support, proposes and conducts fundamental research for private, public and hybrid organizations. Some of the projects that are being worked on at the organization are part of national collaborations and have extremely critical implications on a variety of public issues that include educational outcomes, public welfare and STEM mobility and human capital.
Interestingly enough, although CORD is stationed here at ASU, it does not have a formal curriculum or a degree component, but rather a key element of its mission is to use the organization as a training site and resource source for post doctoral, graduates and undergraduates students.

This semester I am working on a Pro Bono project that is being conducted by CORD. The project is seeking to measure the social and economic impact that is provided by the services of the St. Mary's Food Bank. I can't really disclose the particularities of my contribution as I have been sworn to secrecy, but I play a very critical role in this project, so critical that if there is one mistake on my part, the implications could be disastrous!

Stay tuned, more exciting details to follow!

Group1_Intro/Goals

Hello,

My name is Antwan Davis, I am in an accelerated masters program at ASU and am set to complete my undergrad this Spring! I am originally from California, but have lived in Arizona for quite some time.
This is actually the first time I have ever 'blogged,' interestingly enough, its actually a pretty neat interface to communicate on. I am definitely looking forward to this experience. As part of my requirements to graduate, an internship must be completed. I am currently interning with the Center for Organizational Research and Design a.k.a. C.O.R.D. here at ASU.

If I could identify three goals I plan to achieve through this internship it would be:
I am looking to take the philosophy and theory of everything I've learned thus far here at ASU and put it into practice during my internship. Putting theory into practice will help to hone and sharpen my skills in public policy and administration. I understand that I will be exposed to variety of different public issues, so, I am also looking to learn to identify a particular area of interest that I can research extensively as I transition to my graduate program. And lastly, I am looking to continue to grow and develop personally and professionally during my internship. This will happen by keeping an open mind on the different tasks and responsibilities I am given, tapping into the wealth of resource and experience that is available through the faculty.

Thanks for tuning in, I'll touch base soon!!