Week 3 EOC: This Charming Man

In today’s world, discrimination comes in all different forms; gender, religion, race, culture, language, etc. Unfortunately, discrimination finds its way into the work field whether intended or not.

 "Discrimination on the basis of “national origin” is clearly prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964." (Hayes, D. and Ninemeier, J. (2008). Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry. Wiley, pg 68) In the Uncharming Man, the main character, Lars Hansen, was in need of employment. He was out of work for two years and many of the job interviewrs held that against him. That was a form of discrimination. "A policy or action that is perfectly legal must still be applied in a legally coherent (fair) manner, or the courts will simply not support its use." (Hayes, D. and Ninemeier, J. (2008). Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry. Wiley, pg 68). As seen, they were able to get away with this judgment. "Despite some popular misconceptions, employers still enjoy a tremendous amount of freedom (more than in many other economically advanced countries) regarding how they operate their businesses."(Hayes, D. and Ninemeier, J. (2008). Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry. Wiley, pg 68)  

When Lars was set up with a job that finally wanted him, his application was switched with another man’s application that had the same last name. This man’s name was El Hansen and he was from Pakistan and could not speak English so he was enrolled into a Danish language class. Lar realized his application was switched and tried to straighten the matter out but he was continuously tossed around over the phone until he rudely called a receptionist “a damn peasant girl that needs to go back to her country.” In the end, Lar’s information was uncovered and the mix up was apologized for. Despite his problems, he ended up with a good job that his friend worked at. 

Week 1 EOC: Best and Worst Jobs

I’ve had a total of four jobs since I’ve graduated from high school. I’ve worked at Sunglass Hut, Nevada State Bank, Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. Of those four, my favorite is my current job, Nordstrom Rack and my least—Nevada State Bank.

I really enjoy Nordstrom Rack mainly because of the company, overall. I see the way Nordstrom values it’s employees. For example, the pay is higher than most retailers; the benefits are exceptional (especially for a student with no children or spouse), in-house promotions, nice break rooms, encouragement of individuality, numerous opportunities to advance and open-door policies. These characteristics have made this company one that I am proud to say I am apart of. While working at the full-line Nordstrom, I liked the fact that HR was available at most hours of the day and invited employees to speak with them. That was also the same thing the store manager did that I admired. "Regardless of the industry segment in which they work, most employees have the same basic wants and needs." (Human Resources Management in the Hospitality Industry, pg. 7)    

Showing employees that you are their equal (though, not applying to job positions) by leaving opportunity to communicate easily is a huge advantage and creates a sense of comfort. Nordstrom’s way of doing things domino-effect all areas of the company and results in a successful strategy. That means employees are willing to go extra lengths to satisfy the company and do a better job at it. The worst job I ever had was my first job at Nevada State Bank. Immediately, I felt pressured into making goals when I started work. I had to open a certain amount of accounts and sale a certain amount of products to customers when they came in. I also didn’t learn as quickly as I normally did when it came to work. Policies were hard to understand, procedures were confusing, etc. Work was stressful to me. The interview was in the HR office. A group of us had to answer questions individually and sell a product to the people in the room and the interviewers. After the interview, I was offered a job on the spot and accepted it. After that, I never returned to the HR office, nor had to. Overall, Nevada State Bank gave me more experience in the customer service field.

Week 1 EOC: My Voice

Who am I? I am an aspiring artist; one who visualizes, one who analyzes…one who creates. It may come off as a cliché, but Fashion is my passion. Fashion has led me to this feeling to the point that I felt the need to make it a profession. I never noticed how much I was into clothes and accessories and the way people wore them. When I decided to enroll at the Art Institute, I decided to enroll in the Fashion Retail and Merchandising program. I feel that using my creative sense, I could show people new ways to wear the clothes they love the most. Focusing on what the average consumer wants also intrigues me and gave me inspiration to take up this program. With my skills and knowledge, Fashion is the perfect field for me. We all have a specific calling in this world and this happens to be mine. I truly believe that saying: “If you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life.” - Origin Unknown It is so essential because it is true. I don’t want to waste years on a profession I have no genuine interest in. Finding my passion early on in life has been so beneficial to me and has let me be able to plan and map out my goals for the next 10 years. This is my passion, so what’s yours?