Interviews and dislikes

After reading the article I am actually jealous of the people who have been through interviews like that. I've always thought the traditional interview process was too rigid and formal. I've also always thought that I am successful in interviews because I can present myself well, rather than being successful because of my skills and abilities. So, a creative process such as the one about playground equipment makes sense. It takes a psychological perspective to interviewing in combination to the face to face perspective.

I, however, do not agree that in all jobs everyone should get along. In creative environments, I've found even in school, people tend to do better when they have someone to compete with. Most of the time a person is not threatened competitively by someone they like. Yes, liking some people is important, but it is human nature to dislike some people. In the situations where it really matters, the dislike is generated from an inner jealousy of their abilities over yours. Annoying people, I do not believe, are a great downfall in the professional world because everyone has had to deal with "that guy" that no one likes their entire lives. This can be overcome by ignoring the problem. Strong dislikes generate competition.

Dual Coding Theory

When thinking about dual coding theory, the most prevalent examples I could come up with all included alcohol ads. One might think of Corona ads, where the beer is associated with the beach and therefore its refreshing taste. I've noticed that many organizations use sexual appeal to sell their product, whether it be targeted to men or women. Those generally targeted to men (Budweiser, Miller, Captain Morgan, etc.) tend to have a more illustrious look, while those to be marketed more toward women I feel have a more elegant look. The ad on the right is for Bailey's Irish Cream, and I think this is targeted to either sex but using the lust and attraction to associate the smooth elegance of the product. Using sex to sell is probably one of the most extreme ways to use dual coding theory, but seeing it that way makes it easier to understand the topic, I think.

Groupwork

I have had a lot of experience with groupwork in my major, so I've learned a lot about how to work out problems. Miscommunications happen inevitably in every group. You just have to work around them and not be afraid to do a little extra to make up for others when they do the wrong thing. You also have to know it is not always their fault, and there was a miscommunication of ideas. The only way to prevent this is to have someone manage all work while it is being done. Unfortunately, in a college environment, schedules just do not line up in a way that everyone can work at the exact same time. So, some precautions for time can be made to make sure that, although miscommunications happen, they are able to be fixed.

My group is very good about being punctual with their work. It makes it easy to spot mistakes quickly, so that the individual that made them can fix them rather than the person who spots them. Plus, my group is good about not letting criticism about mistakes bother them. If that were a problem one person would end up having to do all of the work, and that just does not happen in our group.

Honestly, I am worried about Phase 2. I am skeptical about how this many people all working on the same project will work out. I am confident in my group's ability to try to get the work done. However, I am worried about their technical ability toward creating a Web site. I know I have some experience and can learn these type of things quickly, but I do not know how the others in the group will fair. I suppose we will see.