It is a tough job market - Make this your Job-Blog!

Putting some gas in the wife's car last night and a recent Coker grad pulled into the adjacent pump. The discussion we had is becoming familiar -- though he had a positive spin. He'd seen a job that he would really like and had filled out the forms and is now awaiting an interview... Another student emailed the other day with the news that the advertising agency for whom she has been working the past three years has been losing some business. She has been working her job through computer the past couple of months and now -- she is actively looking for a job in Columbia because the Greenville job is gone. Another student has a job in selling advertising and he is doing pretty well but it is commission and a pending wedding makes him want some more stability. Another student recently completed his masters degree in sports management and has had some interviews but so far no job with a paycheck. THE JOB MARKET IS TOUGH!

There has been some good news. One grad had a job for the summer she really liked and just heard this past week she has been hired on full time by that organization. This past summer another former student graduated with his masters from NC State and is working in Marketing for a major packaging company in their European operation.

All this is to say that when talking with Coker grads (in fact anyone in the work force) the topic is jobs is first or second to arise. This past week a number of my current students had the assignment of turning in a resume that could be used NOW if they were to apply for a job. Getting people thinking about job before they need a job is one of the things we discuss in several of my communication classes. I tell students that finding a job was probably the hardest job I have ever had.

So, let's think about how we can all help one another in this era of few jobs. If you are a former Coker student and looking for a job, send me the link to your resume and may a few lines telling me what kind of job you would like. If you are with an organization that might have a job coming open, write me and I will supply you with some resumes of people who can help your organization solve problems. If you are looking for a job and have some job-seeking advice, use the comments here to share that or send me a public comment in facebook and let's get the discussion started. If you have found a job and can share some of your job-hunting tips, please add them to the blog discussion or to a Facebook discussion.

MY THINKING is that even if only one student gets an interview from this type of informal networking we will have succeeded.

Coker has a new director of Career Services with whom I will also share this information so that we can begin to get some wide distribution. If you know other Coker alumns, let them know of this effort. In a short time we can have a data base of links that can make filling those rare job openings even easier.

If this makes sense to you and you see the blog do what you can to forward to others in your Coker network and lets make this happen.

Puffer

Historical speeches give some real world perpspective

Early in my Coker College public speaking semester we get involved in something called a 'manuscript' speech assignment for which I use the American Rhetoric 100 Greatest Speeches website. I find this a rich site as they provide both the copies of speeches and where it exists, visual and sound copies. The students are to select a two-minute excerpt of the speech to present from the text. The goal is primarily to get in front of the class with a prepared but not memorized presentation. A goal is preparation without have to be creative.

Beyond that this is a rich experience. The past couple of days we heard from Dwight Eisenhower, president of the United States, talking about the minds of men, the hearts of men and the souls of men. Who remembers that president as speech poet. Not many but his words will surprise and mesmerize. While on generals, I heard three different MacArthur talks with my favorite "Duty, Honor, Country." In today's world we forget that in the 1920s birth control was not just an awkward subject, it was an illegal subject that Margaret Sanger took on in public forums. The nation is in some serious discussions today but perspective comes as we listen to Stokley Carmichel, Lyndon Johnson or Malcolm X about the civil rights act.

Listening to the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, Shirley Chisholm and Hilary Clinton about women's rights being human rights shows there is a great deal of experience on which to build solutions to today's serious problems. I do enjoy this exercise.

Icebreaker Assignments keep me coming back

One of the assignments I have been using for a long time in Public Speaking is called the Icebreaker. In this assignment students are asked to share something in their lives that was a turning point. Last night in Mullins the students had Icebreakers and my head is still shaking at the amazing things that have gone on in some of these lives. The class is all female and what role models they must be in their communities.

One person, a U.S. Air Force veteran has a baby son with a rare disease. She presented the circumstances, she presented the trauma, she presented the joys, the heartaches and the challenges as if she had been on the speaker circuit for years.

Her's was wone of nine stories that kept me riveted throughout the class. Amazing stories and amazing ability to share and this sharing often causes a strong bonding in a class that is hard to match in other circumstances. And, while they are providing the Icebreakers I hope they are realizing that it is anecdotes and personal stories that give the speaker credibility with an audience to help expand horizons.

As I told this class in an email today there is a sign on my door that reads: "Tell me a fact and I will learn. Tell me a truth and I may believe. Tell me a story and it will live on in my heart for ages." The source is an Indian Proverb.

Staff Smashes Faculty 8-5 in Softball Clash

In a renewal of the once-a-year faculty/staff softball game the Staff used some clutch hitting in the early innings and gutsy pitching by Dee Pierce to hold off the faculty 8-5 on Sunday afternoon, August 21. Losing pitcher was this blogger. A fun event pulled together by Lisa Potoka, first basewoman for the staff and in charge of Student Leadership activities on campus. Photo in this post shows most of the staff and faculty players, who had enjoyed themselves though felt it was pretty darn hot to be enjoying softball.

Anyone who would like to see photos of the game taken by Haleigh Rogers, a Coker softball player and communication major, may go to this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/dpuffer/20100822#

Casino Night Fun at Coker College

The Student Union team did a great job of arranging a fun night for students this past Saturday. Using an outside vendor, they set up a casino night to give students a chance at winning some prizes with only the investment of their time in having fun. Several faculty members, including Dr. Wyatt, our college president, joined the fun by serving as dealers, croupiers, etc. One lesson that a good number of students learned was how quickly those chips can disappear.

Convocation opens Coker's 2010 Academic Year

Still sweating as I sit here posting about the 2010 opening convocation at Coker College. The faculty sat on the stage tonight in front of the students and showing support behind our Academic Leaders and the Convocation speaker. The lights were just like stage lights are -- HOT. But, I think even though the faculty were all gowned in the Academic Regalia, they (we) survived.

Dr. Joseph Flaherty, a recent winner of the South Carolina Independent Colleges Teaching Award and an assistant professor of biology as well as Chair of the Department of Science and Mathematics at Coker, was the speaker.

His message to our "Academy" was on target as we are in the midst of efforts to Redefine "Ready" for our students, our faculty and our college. Joe's message was primarily to the students as he stressed the value and importance of "learning as much you can learn about as many different things as you can." He underlined the key value of a Coker College education -- the liberal arts, which provide our academic community with the continuous challenge of 'learning how to learn' for our rapidly changing society.

I particularly liked his three major points -- he urged our students: To explore;
To Pursue; and To Care! While Dr. Joe is sometimes a bit soft spoken his message of taking risks came through loud and clear to my ears. I hope our students, first year through fifth year put that admonition into action.

It is an exciting time to be part of the Coker College academic community.

New Professor begins teaching at Coker

Dr. Mark Glantz, who recently received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, began his first day of teaching at Coker College with an Introduction to Mass Communication class on Wednesday, August 18. Mark is the third full-time professor in the department and his presence is going to allow us to strengthen the communication major as he adds expertize in rhetoric and political communication and several other key areas of mass communication. Dr. Lellis and I, and all our communication majors and minors, are excited to have Mark in the Department.

First day of classes was exciting and in the speech class early this morning, we finished the first talk of the semester. As we begin the speech class I make it a point to emphasize the crucial, lifetime importance that enhancing communication skills will have in a student's life.