Career Services #2

Another idea I was very skeptical about are interview seminars- however, as a part of this internship blog I was required to attend the events held by career services. Im skeptical of seminars on interviewing- because I feel like the ability to interview well is something that you just naturally have, its all about your charisma and of course what you have to offer the company. I felt that the seminar didn't really add anything to the information I already had in regards to interviewing well. 

Some of the topics they touched on were communicating effectively, for instance don't over prepare to the point where you are just spewing out facts and not communicating how you really add to what the company already has done and what you could do.

The one concept I definitely did not consider was scheduling. They mentioned when scheduling make sure to be either first or last in the list of interviewers. Being first or last makes you a lot more memorable then those that were in between.

All in all the seminar could be useful to people who are new to interviewing, but I feel like if you have had a few experiences in interviewing these are all things you learn very quickly.

Career Services

So I finally caved and went to one of the career fairs that ASU hosts. The one I attended was at the downtown campus. Although I currently enjoy the position that I am in it never hurts to get a feel for something more. I remember when I first attended ASU, I had the opportunity then to see a career fair in play, however, after one scan of the possible employers I realized that it wasnt something I was interested in.

The one held at the end of March in downtown, was unfortunately not any better and it seems that the Red Cross always seems to be at these career fairs. I had a friend who interned for the Red Cross and didn't have many great things to say. with that in mind it really didnt make me want to approach them and discuss anything. Other than that there wasnt really much else that would be interesting to me that involved my major. I really hope the next career fair has more options.

Dogs Dogs Dogs

So I am planning on moving out of the house I am sharing with two roommates into a place of my own. Currently, the two roommates I live with have a pitbull- and although the dog is actually fairly sweet, you can't help but think of all the crazy stories you hear about pitbulls though. Now that I am working on moving out I am thinking of getting my own dog. When I was younger I had an amazing cockerspaniel and I realized a dog about that size would be perfect. The first dog I thought of was the beagle- they are so adorable, the perfect size, and there is a beagle rescue in Arizona.
I figure if no roommates a dog would be a great companion to have :) So not knowing any other small dog breeds I wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions

Hello Sine Die

It seems that today is the day- Sine Die will finally be happening. Floor started at 10 am only to recess 30 min later for caucus. Yesterday there was a conference committee in regards to SB 1449, short titled recall; primary; general election- the bill basically would reimburse ex- Senate President Pearce for the money he spent during his recall. Should be interesting to see how that bill turns out.
This has to be the strangest Sine Die- I have heard many others say the same thing. Generally, Sine Die runs into the late evening, this is the first Sine Die in at least 14 years that has happened during the day, at least that is what one assistant said.
Without my Senator here Sine Die is fairly easy for me- I just need to keep him posted on the occurrences of the day. Usually during those late night Sine Die's senators are running back and forth between the house, staff is every where updating Senators and preparing them for what may come on floor. Its almost eerily quiet , the calm before the storm. Tomorrow interim will begin and many of the Senators will be working on their campaigns for re-election or for Congress, leaving the Senate quiet this summer.

What today holds...

The days are winding down, the Governor and the Republicans have come to an agreement in regards to the budget so the winding down process has begun. Today we a Committee of the Whole Calendar with the majority of the bills being budget bills. This will give Senators the opportunity to ammend, discuess, and debate these bills before they go to third. Right now its being estimated that we will get everything down by Thursday which will be great- but thats pending everyone agrees, no bills get held up either here or in the House.
So everyday has become like a waiting game- wait to see when floor will begin, wait to see what the schedule for the day will be. Now that we have neared the end - meeting requests have minimized as have my research efforts since most bills are either in the house or have died. I have started planning for my interim and what I can do to keep busy while the Senator is busy campaigning- any ideas?

Sine Die coming soon to a Senate near you

There has been buzz that budget talks are going well and adjournment is near. I remember the first time I heard the words Sine Die- I literally heard it as Sign and Die..I thought what a weird concept. However, Sine Die- the latin word for "without a day," is what the last day of session is referred to. According to wikipedia when it comes to a legislative body- the term sine die means that their mandates have come to an end and they may not meet again. A legislative body ends in this manner so that if they need to be called back they can do so in special session.
My last sine die went until from 8am to 5 am the next day- it was intense, it was fun, it was an experience I will never forget which also makes me wonder what will this sine die be like working upstairs as opposed to in the page office. I will keep you all posted hopefully we will have a better idea of the end in the next couple of days and interim will begin.

SB 1070 back in the picture

Since today SB1070 is going infront of the Supreme Court- I thought we should have a little recap on what it is. SB 1070 which was signed into law in 2010, was found to be one of the most stringent legislative acts against immigration. Part of SB 1070 requires that state law enforcement officers attempt to determine an individual's immigartion status during a "lawful stop, detention or arrest." One complaint many critics of the bill have is that it encourages racial profiling.
In July of 2010 Judge Bolton issued a ruling granting a preliminary injunction that blocked the most controversial aspects of the bill. Now the bill is back infront of the supreme court. I will keep you guys posted on the happenings of it. However, because of SB1070 the governor is in DC- which definitely means things in both Chambers are moving very slowly right now. They are also still working on the budget- this should make for an interesting week...