Thursday, April 26, 2007

More Business Etiquette-The Job Interview

I've received several e-mails and phone calls regarding the topic of my last blog. It seems everyone has a story to tell about rude cell phone behavior - though thankfully most of them occur in grocery stores and airports. I have not yet heard a story about cell phone abuse in an automotive situation.

As the school year draws to a close, I presume many of T2's readers will be in the process of looking for employment, if they are not already working. Here are just a few tips to remember as they go on that first or second, or last interview.

1 - Shake the hand of your interviewer with a firm, but not overly tight grip. Look him or her in the eye when you say hello, nice to meet you. Be sure to smile.

2 - Do not sit down until you are asked to have a seat.

3 - Do not arrive with gum, a cigarette, or chewing tobacco in your mouth. If you smoke, make sure you don't arrive smelling like burning ash.

4 - If you are interviewing for a technician position, you should wear dress slacks and a nice shirt (either a polo shirt or button down for men, or a nice blouse for women). If you are applying for a service, office, or counter position, you should dress a little nicer. Under no circumstances should you apply for a job wearing jeans. Regardless of how informal the position may look, please, don't wear jeans.

5 - Bring a resume and references. They may not ask for either, but it is always good to be prepared.

6 - If you have a cell phone - TURN IT OFF or LEAVE IT IN THE CAR. Trust me on this one. Same for a pager (if anyone still has one of those).

7 - Be sure to bring something to write with.

8 - Speak in complete sentences. Try to refrain from using words like um and like. Also, keep slang out of the conversation.

9 - Be prepared to talk about yourself: your interviewer will want to know a little personal information, a little bit about your education, and a little bit about your goals and aspirations.

10 - Try to be relaxed and open. Be yourself.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Student of the Year - Where Are You?


This is mostly for instructors, but students, feel free to give us your thoughts and comments as well. We are considering launching a Student of the Month recognition program, which will culminate with a Student of the Year Award.

Each month, we would like to recognize an outstanding Student of the Month, as nominated by their instructor. At the end of the year, we would review the winners by month, and determine a Student of the Year. What do you feel the judging criteria should be? On what basis should the instructors make their nominations? (grades, completed work, skills, combination of things)? We look to you to provide us with some guidelines.

We would like to be able to generate some scholarship monies for the Student of the Year, to be awarded in late April, 2008 and published in the May issue of Tomorrow's Technician.

Let us know what you think! Please respond directly to this blog, or e-mail Editor Ed Sunkin, at esunkin@babcox.com

Thank you!

Student of the Year - Where Are You?

This is mostly for instructors, but students, feel free to give us your thoughts and comments as well. We are considering launching a Student of the Month recognition program, which will culminate with a Student of the Year Award.

Each month, we would like to recognize an outstanding Student of the Month, as nominated by their instructor. At the end of the year, we would review the winners by month, and determine a Student of the Year. What do you feel the judging criteria should be? On what basis should the instructors make their nominations? (grades, completed work, skills, combination of things)? We look to you to provide us with some guidelines.

We would like to be able to generate some scholarship monies for the Student of the Year, to be awarded in late April, 2008 and published in the May issue of Tomorrow's Technician.

Let us know what you think!

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Business Etiquette: Is it still being taught in America?

I hate this guy. He is in every airport. He talks loudly. He drives too fast or too slow or keeps his turn signal on too long. Yet, unfortunately, I have to see him every day.

What does this have to do with business etiquette you ask? Plenty, because from my perspective, the cellphone, text messaging, and e-mail are three of the biggest threats to good business etiquette.

Cellphone use: Should cellphones be allowed in class? Should they be allowed in schools, period? How about in a business environment? Let me paint a scenario for you. Please discuss it with your students and get their feedback.

I recently was in my local Target. I turned a corner and came upon two Target employees (I knew they were employees by their red vests and Target name tags.) Both, let me repeat, BOTH were on cellphones, talking. In less than a minute, they were joined by ANOTHER employee, on her cellphone. To your students - is this right or wrong? Is this correct business behavior or is it poor business behavior? If they were the store manager, how would they resolve this?

I've had the unpleasant experience of being waited on by a counterperson, as they talk on their personal cellphone. I hate it. I hate it. I hate it. It makes me feel invisible, and I don't like giving them my money. Usually, I resolve to never shop there again. It is not proper business etiquette, and should not be tolerated. Young people need to be taught that personal behavior while in an employment situation reflects on themselves and their employer. Are young employees still being taught what behavior is right and what behavior is wrong in a work environment?

Then there's text messaging and e-mail. Students should understand that business e-mail should not be treated the same way personal text messaging works. Wrds shud be spld out. LOL and cul8tr are generally taboo. Again, they need to understand that e-mail is a business tool and the way they write represents themselves and the company for which they work. The other important aspect of e-mail is the quick response. Many older people in the business hide behind e-mail and do not respond quickly. Teach your students that a quick, professional response is always better than no response or a late response.

Please discuss some of these topics (and other etiquette issues) with your students and let me know what they think. I am interested in hearing from them.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Technician Shortage - Still?


Here's an interesting take on the never-ending technician shortage discussion I ran across in the AMI Instructor's blog (Automotive Management Institute). If it doesn't come right up, go to April 4, 2007 - Handling Personnel Crises.

I think it's got some good information to share with your peers and students, especially this time of year when the students are thinking about finding a summer job or an entry-level position in their chosen field.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

May Cover - Camaro from Florida

Well. Once again the blog monster has attacked my photos. This Camaro is actually a vibrant ORANGE, so you will have to check out the real cover when the magazine comes out next month. My apologies to Jessica Chamberlain for this lousy image.

Here's the info on the Camaro: Jessica Chamberlain, a student at Inlet Grove High school in Rivera Beach, FL, is the proud owner of this blazing hot 1970.5 Chevrolet Camaro. "The car is a project car my dad started on back when he was 17 years old," Jessica said. "He got me in to racing when I was about four years old. Ever since then, I have been interested in cars."

The Camaro racer features a 454 Big Block V8 engine with a quick shift that throws down 450 hp at 5600 rpm, with torque listed at 500 at 3600 rpm. The car can travel a 1Ž4-mile in 13.7 seconds at a speed of 103 mph. Jessica said she uses 101 octane fuel for the car that¹s contained in a 15 gallon fuel cell. The following are some of the changes, modifications and enhancements that Jessica and her father made to the Camaro. Most of the mods to get the Camaro race ready for an afternoon on the strip include solid lifters with four-bolt mains, forged steel crank and connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons and Mickey Thompson slick tires. To make the car safe for the track, a six-point roll cage was installed and five-point safety harness/racing seats were added.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

The Weak Signals



Later this week The Weak Signals Remote Control club will be hosting the 53rd Annual Remote Control Model Show in Toledo, Ohio. Babcox editors, Ed Sunkin and Andy Markel will be covering it for Tomorrow's Technician. They will be checking out the 1/4 scale working gasoline powered engines. Check our website next week for video of the show.

As an added incentive for these editors, they get to stop at world-famous Tony Packo's for dinner before the drive home. Though Tony Packo's has been around since 1932, they really hit the big time when Corporal Klinger, from the tv show M.A.S.H., talked about it on the show. His character was from Toledo, and he frequently described the delightful Hungarian dishes that Tony Packo's is famous for - including chicken paprikash, stuffed cabbage, chicken soup with dumplings, and of course, their world-renowned hot dogs and chili. For the truly courageous, the Edman recommends their fried pickles and kick-butt chili sauce (do not pour the chili sauce on the pickles). Not to be left out - the Toledo Mudhens were frequently mentioned by Corporal Klinger as well, and his endorsement brought attendance levels to new highs.

That is all.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Springtime Job Hunting

It's April - and that means a couple of timely events are occurring. First of all, if you've earned any kind of money at all in the past year - it's practically tax time. Federal income tax forms have to be postmarked by midnight on Monday, April 16th this year.

Secondly - though most of us have just endured a cold and snowy weekend, it is springtime. And April showers bring May flowers. So we've got allergies to look forward to amidst all the spring warmth and growth. (I say warmth, because I know it's coming back sometime soon!)

Lastly - for many of you - this is the time you start sending out resumes and looking for that summer job, which your parents hope will become the beginning of a well-paid career. Our local paper recently ran an article on best practices for job interviews. To see the article, click on the link, then go to business, personal finance news, and Steps to Prepare for Good Job Interview.

One critical point they made, before you go on your first or last interview or any job interviews in-between, you should ask yourself, "Why should they hire me?" I guarantee your prospective employer will ask that question, so be sure you have a great answer! Think carefully about the value you can offer them.

You can find more information on www.Monster.com.