Week 10 EOC- Job Analysis

The only job that I can speak about, from experience is my current job at Ann Taylor Loft. I have been working for the company for about a year now. I have had nothing but good experiences with this job. I do not see myself leaving this job anytime soon. I can see myself advancing and even making a career out of it. I have learned so much about retail with this job. I love the people I work with and the work that I do. I hope to one day be able to do visuals for Ann Taylor.

 "With the large number of unskilled positions to be filled, employee turnover rates that often approach 100 percent or more per year, a labor pool that grows increasingly diverse, and increasing job complexity, employee training is the key to quality guest service and operational profitability." I think getting the job with Ann Taylor was one of the best things that happened to me. I am very happy with my job and with my co-workers. I get along with them and the customers. I can see myself succeeding with this job and going very far. My overall analysis of the job is that it is very good place to work.

Harassment in the NFL- EOC Week 9

The incident with NFL player Ray Rice and domestic violence has everybody talking. Most people feel that Ray Rice should be punished for his actions. Most people believe that he should lose his job because he is a public figure. Many people, including kids look up to Ray Rice and wear his jerseys. I think Ray Rice is making the NFL look bad because he represents them. The NFL should not tolerate their athletes putting their company in jeopardy. It makes the NFL seem like they are okay with domestic violence. If Ray Rice gets away with it that easily others might think they can too. “We are all the product of our past and have to live with our memories and personality they cannot be erased.”- Jane Hersey

            Ray Rice should have to face the consequences. Since he is a public figure, his consequences are more likely to be worse and I think he should just have to deal with that. He knew what he was doing was wrong, just like everybody else does. The video that got out of the incident showed everything. He has no excuse for his actions. “I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.” -Mahatma Gandhi

            The victim made a statement that Ray Rice should not be punished by losing his job. That should not matter at all because she may be just scared or even paid money to say that. I still think he should be because it may give the NFL a bad reputation. The company should not put their name on the line. “All violence consists in some people forcing others, under threat of suffering or death, to do what they do not want to do.” -Leo Tolstoy

Power Behind the Thrown- EOC week 8

In the movie Nine to Five, three women try to find there spot in the workplace. There were many parts in the movie where steps in job training were not followed. One woman found herself training all of the new people. It was not fair because she would train them and they would get promoted over her. The only reason she was not being promoted was because she was a woman. It was wrong because she was one of the best employees but could never move up. “Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn't love you anymore.” ― Lady Gaga

          Another time where job training was not properly followed was when the new girl was left to make copies alone and she did not really know how to. They should have shown her how to do it before leaving her. I do not think it was right for her to get yelled at by the boss for not knowing how to stop the machine. It was his fault for not making sure she was properly trained.  “The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.” ― Barack Obama

            The sexist boss in this movie could not really do his job right. He made his employees get him food and buy his gifts. He would try to hit on all of the girls. Pretty much everything he did caused everything else to go wrong, especially the training process. “Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Minimum Wage- EOC Week 7

Minimum wage is the lowest wage permitted by law or by a special agreement. In my opinion, minimum wage should be enough for anybody with any situation to live on. Minimum wage should vary because everybody has different things that they have to deal with and pay for. Most people have families and are not just supporting themselves. It is not fair to give a person with two kids the same wage as somebody living alone. “No family gets rich from earning the minimum wage. In fact, the current minimum wage does not even lift a family out of poverty.”  - Jon Corzine

            The fact that it is so hard to find a job in these times, is a huge factor of why minimum wage should be higher. Many adults raising families are finding minimum wage jobs as there only choice to earn an income. Minimum wage was created in a time where these jobs were for teenagers and were not that busy. Now that times have changed, minimum wage should too. “Anyone who's tried to pay a heating bill, fill a prescription, or simply buy groceries knows all too well that the current minimum wage does not cut the mustard.”- Sherrod Brown

            I believe that there should be a more accurate way to measure what a proper income would be for people in all types of situations. Minimum wage is currently not even enough for somebody only supporting themselves. Prices on everything are rising while our pay checks stay the same. The people who make these numbers should take everything into consideration such as location, family, and past employment.  “The minimum wage is not something that you want to stay on as a permanent basis. For example, if you have a minimum wage job, you don't stay there 20 or 30 years. You don't put your children through college working on minimum wage.” – John Raese

Job Analysis and Specifications EOC- Week 6

An ideal job for me would be visual merchandising/image controller. In this job I would have to deal with developing, delivering and communicating visual concepts and strategies to promote brands or products. Working as a visual merchandising designer who works in head office, I would collaborate with other departments to create annual visual strategies and promotions. “Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future” – Robert L. Peters When you walk into a retail store, whatever it is, and if there's a sense of entertainment and excitement and electricity, you wanna be there.
          I would have many responsibilities in this job like, conducting research on current and future trends in design, meeting with business, sales managers and retail managers to discuss sales strategies, identifying and sourcing props, fabrics, hardware and lighting, maintaining a budget and negotiating with suppliers of visual materials, and assembling or dismantling visual displays in windows or in-store. “If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them – Bruce Lee” I believe that I would be good for this type of job because I would try new ways to get the attention of shoppers. My main objective would be to increase sales and buyer attention, capitalizing on the human tendency to ‘window-shop’. Displays are frequently changed to promote new product launches and reflect festive or seasonal themes, such as Christmas, spring or summer. It is important to keep up with what is going on. “People are always going to go shopping. A lot of our effort is just: 'How do we make the retail experience a great one?'” -Philip Green

EOC Week 5- Marijuana in Workplace

The Colorado case deals with marijuana in the workplace because it is now legal there. In this case was a man who had been in a car accident. He was prescribed medical marijuana. The company he worked for gave him a random drug test, which he failed. The company said that employees are not allowed to smoke no matter what. The man argues that it is medicine and never goes to work under the influence. I do not think the company should win this case because he is legally allowed to use marijuana for medical reasons and he never uses it before work. “In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death.” -Francis Young

            “Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care.” -Francis Young I think companies should not be allowed to fire you for having medical marijuana. They have no reason to be concerned if you are not doing it at work. Marijuana can actually benefit its patients a lot. Companies in states where marijuana is legal for medical use, should not be allow to legally do anything to patients with it. It is just like prescription pills; they are not good for you but are used for medical reasons. There should be more laws to protect medical marijuana patients. “Marijuana is quite possibly the finest of intoxicants. It has been scientifically proven, for decades, to be much less harmful to the body than alcohol when used on a regular basis” -Nick Offerman

Physical Attractiveness- Week 4 EOC

        The way look you definitely plays a huge role in getting a job. You have to match the brand and what the employer is looking for. “Attractiveness will get you noticed, intelligence will gain you recognition but being unforgettable is based on your attitude.”  (Calvert Jones)

It is always important to keep up with personal hygiene and dress properly. That can say a lot about who you are because that is something that you control with your appearance. Another thing to consider when looking for a job is piercings and tattoos.  You make the choice about what and where your piercings and tattoos are so that can also say a lot about you. The way you look represents the company and most companies do not want a bad look for their company.

            In my opinion it is not fair to not hire somebody because you do not consider them physically attractive. Only things people are able control, like hygiene should be considered. “An employer can no longer seek out preferred individuals based on non-job-related factors such as age, gender, or physical attractiveness.” (Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry, 103) There are certain things that people cannot control about their appearance like their hair, skin, and body type. I think companies that deny somebody a job because of something they can’t control are unfair and wrong. Good employees are not getting hired because of the way the look all of the time. It can almost be considered discrimination. “Discrimination based on physical appearance may, at first glance, seem almost trivial—a shallow and boorish act committed by one who failed to learn the lessons taught in elementary school about not judging books by their covers. Such discrimination is nonetheless a real phenomenon with significant effects on the lives of those discriminated against.” (Joseph Lesley)

EOC Week 3- This Charming Man

            This Charming Man displays many forms of prejudice in the work place. There were many racist jokes about immigrants and people on welfare. Lars told the phone operator to get back to where she belongs and called her a peasant girl. Ilda said that immigrants are idiots. The biggest prejudice in this story was the fact that many people were denied jobs because of their names.  “The definition of diversity is being revised. It is being defined in the broadest possible way so all employees in an organization are included and so all employees' diversity will be valued because of their contributions to their employer.” (Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry, 16)

            The bar in This Charming Man was owned by a very prejudice man. There was a racist joke made about Muslims in the bar. The bar owner also liked to imply that the bar was only for Danish. That is why we now have laws to protect against discrimination. “Title VII: The specific section of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that outlaws discrimination in employment in any business on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” (Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry, 16) This Charming Man was a great example of how people are discriminated against in the work place because of their race. It is really not fair to deny somebody the right to work because of what they are. “It is unlawful to discriminate against people because of their age, with respect to any term, condition, or privilege of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments, and training.” (Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry, 39) No matter how many laws there are against discrimination, it will still always happen.

EOC Week 2- Sweet Charity

            The movie Sweet Charity is a great example of being stuck at a job that you do not like. The star of the movie, Charity Hope Valentine was an older woman stuck in a job that involved dancing for lonely men. She wanted to get out of the job but did not have skills to do anything else. “Each mistake teaches you something new about yourself. There is no failure, remember, except in no longer trying. It is the courage to continue that counts.” (Chris Bradford, the Way of the Sword)

Charity did a few things right and a few things wrong in her attempt to get out of her horrible job. The first thing she did right was to try. None of the other girls even tried to leave the bad job but they all wanted to. Charity tried her best to dress well and present herself as professional. I think she did a pretty good job for not knowing anything besides dancing. “It's like breathing—once you quit, your flame dies letting total darkness extinguish every last gasp of hope. You can't do that. You must continue taking in even the shallowest of breaths, continue putting forth even the smallest of efforts to sustain your dreams. Don't ever, ever, ever give up.” (Richelle E. Goodrich) Charity could have tried to research a little more to know exactly what to expect when trying to get another job. She should have asked more questions about training for jobs instead of just crying and begging for a job. She also should have never given into the joke at the end. “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”  (Eleanor Roosevelt)

Best and Worst Jobs- Week 1 EOC

The best and worst job for me would have to be the same job. I have only had one job in my life. I started my first job for a woman’s clothing store called Ann Taylor about a year ago. My experience with this company has been pretty good, but with a few rough patches. I have worked with this company for almost a year now and still have not found a reason to leave. In my opinion, the company treats their valued employees very well. “Even the phrase, hospitality, refers to the friendly treatment of one's guests, and this human touch must be provided by the organization's staff members.” (Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry, 6)     

The worst part of this job would have to be dealing with my old manager. She loved to be the one in charge and you could definitely tell. “Regardless of the industry segment in which they work, most employees have the same basic wants and needs. They share the same basic concerns about how they are treated by their employers, which impacts their work performance and length of employment.” (Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry, 7) Many managers do not realize problems human resources are facing because they have never had to deal with their problems. “Top-level managers tend to have longer-term, big-picture responsibilities, managers have more specific departmental-related duties, and supervisors serve as linking pins to connect upper levels of management with entry-level staff members in day-to-day operations.” (Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry, 9)

Every job is bound to have its ups and downs. Every person will face a time when they have to decide to stick with a job or leave. Some bad jobs may be worth it because it may benefit you more. That is something that falls in the hands of the person doing the job.