Extra Post: May

It's crazy how exactly a week ago I did my Senior Presentation. It feels as if this was something I've been stressing about since Freshman year and finally being done with it is such a relief. I did not have an easy ride at Ipoly. There was definitely times when I questioned whether or not I deserved to be there and whether or not a different school would be a better fit for me. Looking back at it now, all the sleepless nights, the stressful times and the disfunctional groups were defnitely worth it. I feel like Ipoly made me grow as an individual. It showed me that I'm capable of more than I thought I was and that no matter how hard things can get sometimes, everything passes and I can get through it. Not only that, but I had the opportunity to make great friends through the process and whether or not we stay in touch after graduation, I'm going to cherish every moment I was able to spend with them at Ipoly. Wooh, Class of 2015 WE TRULY MADE IT!

Blog 23: Senior Project Reflection

Presentation 

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

-I'm super proud that everyone liked my activities and that everyone was such a great sport throughout my presentation. Definitely encouraged me and made me feel pretty good.


(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
-Having three activities definitely worked for me because two of them were my ice breaker activities and that had me be more comfortable with my audience and just overall give my audience a sense of what I'm talking about. 


(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?

-I forgot to pass out this handbook of paperwork you're most likely going to deal with as an HR Manager as well as an employee but that was the only thing.


(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

-Well My senior project let me create amazing relationships with my mentors as well as some of the employees at Rail Delivery Services. It's nice to see people love you because of your hard work and dedication. Not only that, but if I want to I have a job opening with them for the summer and that is not only going to assure me even more job experience but help for college as well.

Blog 22: Mentorship

Mentorship

Content:

LIA Response to blog:

    Literal

·    Done.

·     Janet Galgani, Rail Delivery Services.

    Interpretive

     -The most important thing I gained from this experience was definitely knowledge as to how things in the workplace work. I got to see first hand the diversity of employees and how things are suppose to run in a business like environment. Not only that, but I got to build great relationships with my mentors and some of their co-workers and although its bittersweet that it's ending I'm glad to had gained knowledge from Janet Galgani and Maria Martinez at Rail Delivery Services.

   Applied

     -For my independent component 1 I helped my mentor, Janet, make insurance binders which contained medical and car insurances. That was very time consuming since they own many many trucks and the car insurances applied to both the employees car and trucks. For my independent component 2 I created a guidebook that had to do with some regulations/training techniques that can be helpful as an HR manager in the workplace. This helped me answer my EQ because I got to apply my research to real life scenarios as well as read lots and lots of books about the matter.

Blog 21: Exit Interview

Exit Interview 

Content:

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?

-What is the best way for a Human Resource Manager to promote the well-being in the workplace?

• The best way for a Human a Resource Manager to promote the well being in the workplace is by leading by example. If employees see you acting in a proper manner in the workplace they will be encouraged to react the same.
• The best way for a Human Resource Manager to promote the well-being in the workplace is by acquiring the correct training/knowledge to well manage employees in the workplace. For example if you have to deal with an altercation that then leads to a court case instead of panicking if you have the right training and knowledge you'll be able to face it in a professional manner.
• The best way for a Human Resource Manager to promote the well-being in the workplace is by having great communication and equal opportunities with all employees. This allows employees to feel well appreciative as well as valued and encourages them to perform even better within the workplace. 

-My best answer is the best way for a Human Resource Manager to promote the well-being in the workplace is by acquiring the correct training/knowledge to well manage employees in the workplace. This is my best answer because through my research and mentorship I've noticed that in order to be successful in this field there's a lot of training you must go through as well as have a more peaceful work environment. 

(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?

-I can honestly say I read a lot more books than articles because I like physical copies of things but through interviewing my mentors and talking to them they made it clear to me that this was my most beneficial answer.

(3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?

-Obviously like many of my senior fellows, making my topic more precise and directing my research to answer certain aspects was definitely one of my challenges but thankfully my mentors were of great assistance and answered many questions that I had about the manner.

(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
-Matlay, H. "Training and human resource issues in small e-businesses: Towards a research agenda". Proquest. 2004. Web. 22 Dec. 2014. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/237076006?accountid=10357/> and Werner, J. M. "Human Resource Development ≠ Human Resource Management: So What Is It?" Human Resource Development Quarterly. 17 June 2014. Web. 22 Dec. 2014. <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy.library.csupomona.edu/doi/10.1002/hrdq.21188/full/> as well as my mentors were my best resources because they helped me understand my topic as well as what direction to go about it.

Extra Post: April

Just yesterday the senior class picked whose presentations they wanted to watch and I can honestly say I'm pretty content with the group of people that were willing to watch me present. Although as the day for my senior presentation gets closer the more nervous/excited I get but at the end I just know it will all be worth it regardless of how many sleepless nights it took me.

Blog 19: Independent Component 2

Independent Component

Content:  
LITERAL
(a)  “I, Gretel Mejia, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”(b) 

1. Charney, Cyril, and Kathy Conway. The Trainer's Tool Kit. New York: AMACOM, 2005. Print.
2. Emerson, Brian, and Ann Loehr. A Manager's Guide to Coaching: Simple and Effective Ways to Get the Best out of Your Employees. New York: AMACOM/American Management Association, 2008. Print.
3. "Resolving Conflict Situations." Resolving Conflict Situations. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.
4. Pritchard, Christopher W. 101 Strategies for Recruiting Success: Where, When, and How to Find the Right People Every Time. New York: American Management Association, 2007. Print.

(c) Done.
(d) I completed a book talking about some training tips/techniques that can be helpful for HR Managers to look over in order to resolve/maintain the business or organization successful.

INTERPRETIVE 

  
These were the books I read in order to get information for my book, I got most of the techniques there and the reason I completed 30 hours is because I actually took the time to evaluate some of their techniques as well as add them to my book. The reason I chose this independent component is because it helped me look more in depth into one of the EQ answers as well as help me out in my senior presentation.

Extra Post: March

This month I sorted out my answers and got a clearer image of what my final presentation perhaps might be. I'm also able to have more precise research and over all feel confident about the whole thing as long as I keep being consistent with mentorship/research. 

Blog 18: Fourth Interview Preparation

Interviews

1. What is the hardest aspect of communicating with employees?
2. Who's harder to communicate with, employees or employers and why?
3. Do all policies refer to all employees?
4. What steps should an organization take to get the most from funds set aside for training?
5. What kind of training does a HRM have to go through in order to work in this field?
6. What are the most problematic aspects of becoming a HRM?
7. How do you think HRM should be seen/respected in the workplace?
8. What would you say was the most important training course you took for becoming a HRM?
9. Do you have any recommendations for anyone that wants to get in the HR field?
10. Would you recommend your job and why?
11. What would you consider as professional in the workplace?
12. What do you think are the most crucial training courses to becoming a successful HRM?
13. What would you consider a successful employee/employer? 
14. What is your best way of communicating with employees/employers?
15. Would you say there is equal opportunities for everyone in your work place and how so?
16. What would you say is something HRM do on a daily basis?
17. What would you say is your hardest responsibility in your job?
18. Do you consider yourself a good HRM and why?
19. If you can change anything about your job what would it be and why?
20. If I wanted to pursue HR what is the number one thing you would have me do in order to be successful in the field and why?

Blog 17: Answer 3

Research 

1. What is the best way for a Human Resource Manager to promote well-being in the workplace?

2. The best way for a Human Resource Manager to promote well-being in the workplace is through  communication/equal opportunities.

3. Details/examples:

• Through communication you can get to know employees better.

          - Employees can let their HRM know what's going on in their work lives in order to be updated on their work status as well as their work performance.

• Equal opportunities allow the workplace to be equally balanced and well managed.

          -Favoritism should never be allowed in the workplace therefore always hire/promote someone simply by their work performance.

• Both communication/equal opportunities allow for a workplace free of discrimination. 

         -Employees will be able to voice their backgrounds and still be treated the           same as everyone else.

4. This answer is not certain and there's still more research that I need to complete but at the moment I'm somewhat confident and just wish my answers all flow nicely. 

Extra Blog: February

I read this book this month and it was of great help. Not only did it help me go more in depth with my senior topic but it helped me come up with ideas for my independent component as well. I also completed my 2 month of mentorship and I couldn't be more happy with it. I very much love my mentors, organizing and just learning more about the subject. Over all, I'm feeling confident about my senior topic/presentation. (▰˘◡˘▰)

Blog 16: Answer 2

Presentation

1.  What is your EQ?

-My EQ is What is the best way for a Human Resource Manager to promote well-being in the workplace?
2.  What is your first answer? 

-The best way for a Human Resource Manager to promote well-being in the workplace is to lead by example. (appropriate, professional and respectful)
3.  What is your second answer? 

-The best way for a Human Resource Manager to promote well-being in the workplace is to be well informed/educated. (ex://go to training's, research laws, etc.) 
4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

• Training→react in situations like employee altercations or substance abuse in the workplace.
• Researching laws→be up to date in the way you treat employees (sexual harassment, etc.)
• Education→work to be a lot easier by knowing what's right and what's wrong

5.  What printed source best supports your answer?

-Human Resource Essentials: Your Guide to Starting and Running the HR Function by Lin Grensing-Pophal.

6.  What other source supports your answer?

-Managing People in a Small Business by John Stredwick.
7.  Tie this together with a  concluding thought.

-I plan to reword/make my answer 2 more precise but I feel like in order to promote well being in the workplace it truly is important to have training interventions and be well educated to manage your employees in an effective manner.

Blog 15: Independent Component 2 Approval

Independent Component 

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

- I have 2 ideas at the moment. I was thinking of 1 watching a lot of videos/reading a lot of books that have to do with the whole training of employees since I do believe that can be one of my answers to my essential question or making a book/documenting all the laws that have to do with employee management since that is also a branch of my senior topic.
2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

- For my first idea I think I can make a log of all the movies/books I came across and just write little descriptions about them and/or for my second one obviously making a book.
3.  Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

- Like I said before for my first idea, I believe that looking up training can help me understand an answer to my essential question whereas my second one can help me go more depth with my topic and explore different branches of it.
4.  Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent Component 2" log

- DONE.

Blog 14: Independent Component 1

Independent Component

Literal:

(A) I, Gretel Mejia, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 23 hours of work.

(B) My mentors Janet Galgani and Maria Martinez helped me complete my independent component.

(C) Done.

(D) I completed a binder of insurances that my mentor needed as well as all the files and labels of 2015 to begin filing. I also made a few packets here and there for some employees.





Interpretive: The significance my project had towards my project was the fact that it gave me an outlook as to what it takes to be an HR Manager. I realized that it's a lot of organizing putting big things together. This binder helped me realize that you must always keep track of your employees as an HR manager to make your life easier. Making the labels/files/packets helped me realize that you must keep your self updated/organized and prepared not only to keep the employees happy but yourself happy as well.

Applied: My component helped me understand the foundation of my project better by allowing me to experience some of the things that HR Managers have to do in order to keep their workplace in order. Like for example there was this time when one of the employees had most of their paperwork missing and it took us a descent week just to figure out what had happened to his file and so on and thanks to this binder we were able to track him and his paperwork down.

Extra Post: January

 

I completed my first month of mentorship this month and I'm quite grateful for that because I very much enjoy doing it. Both of my mentors are very helpful and are providing the resources I need for my senior project. Not only that but I get to do a lot of files/organizing which is something I'm great at doing and get to experience what it's like to work in an office like environment. Since it is a small/family business I also get to witness the way it works in order for it to be successful. Last but not least, I've already become acquaintances with some people in the office and get to walk by this cute parrot named Arthur every time I go in/out of mentorship.  （ミ￣ー￣ミ）

Blog 13: Lesson 2 Reflection

Presentation

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?
-I'm very proud of my board because I worked hard on it and in my opinion I think it came out very nice and pretty. I was also very proud of my prop which was the little booklet/packet because my mentors were nice enough to put it together for me to bring to my presentation.

2. a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE       P          AP       CR       NC

     b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.
-I've always been my hardest critique and I dwell on thins for ages. I had practiced my presentation twice the night before and I went over the speaking time but I guess the change of environment and just nerves made me speak way too fast and forget a lot of the things I was suppose to say so that caused me to drag out my presentation just to simply make time and that's something I was quite disappointed on.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?
-I would honestly say having Aubree as moral support because if she wouldn't have been there I probably wouldn't have made time and just would've been even more nervous.

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?
-I wish there wouldn't have been technical difficulties because we would've stayed in Riva's classroom since I was use to it and just be calm and collected.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?
-So far the books I'm reading talk a lot about Interviews and how you can go right and wrong on that so I'm sure my second answer will have to do with something about that since promoting the well being in the workplace also had to do with hiring the right kinds of people.

Blog 12: Mentorship 10 hours check

Mentorship

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?

-I am currently doing my mentorship at Rail Delivery Services in the city of Fontana.

2.   Who is your contact?

-My contact is Janet Galganis.

3.   How many total hours have you done?

-I have done 16 hours as of Monday of last week with Janet Galganis in Rail Delivery services.

4.   Summarize the 10 hours of service you did.

- So far I have been informed as of what's acceptable to ask/bring in an interview as well as how to act. I've also been honored to watch a few interviews for some open positions Rail Delivery Services is offering. I've also learned how to file paperwork and make copies of important documents that my mentor and her assistant need to document and keep track of. Fortunately, I came in a time when they had a court case and I got to witness a little bit of what my mentor has to do in the human resource management department along side her assistant. 

Blog 11: Holiday Project Update

Research 

1.  What did you do over the break with your senior project?
-During break I started my mentorship in Rail Delivery Services with my mentor Janet. There, I learned a little about how they do pay roll, how to make copies as well as file/organize them and how important it is to document everything that they do.

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why?  What was the source of what you learned?
- Something important that I learned was being informed about the things that are allowed to be asked or even said in a wok place. The reason for that is because not only does it have to do with my senior project but since I'm going to start applying/searching for a job soon it's good to know what's allowed in that environment. 

3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers for your EQ, who would you talk to and why?

- I would definitely talk to my mentor's assistant, Maria, because she helps out a lot in the human resource management part and she's the one that keeps track of all of the files/documents and whatnot.

Blog 7: Independent Component Approval

Independent Component 

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

-For my independent component I plan to make binders as well as packets for my mentor to help her organize her files and important documents precisely. 

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

-I would have to put many documents by trucker number (the number of the employee it belongs to) as well as alphabetical number. Some even have to go in order by date and so on. This means lots of organization skills, hole punching, dividing and PATIENCE!

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

-This will help me understand how important it is for HR managers to be organized and how much they have to keep track and document. This would also show me great skills that I will need for the future. 

Blog 6: Second Interview Preparation

Interviews 

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?

•      My mentor is Janet Galganis and she's self employed but the place where I'm currently mentoring at is one of her customer's business, its called Rail Delivery Services and its located in the city of Fontana.

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

•      What made you go into the human resource world and what can you say is one one of the most difficult things about it?
•       In what ways would you consider your career successful and future driven?
•       Do you have any goals to further your career in the future or do you think maintaining your current position is enough?
•     How would you say being a human resource manager has shaped you into the type of person you are today?
•    Have you always been interested in human resources and what would you say is one of your most memorable experiences about it?

Blog 5: Mentorship and Research Reflection

Research

1. Mentorship question: Describe your experience in how you found your mentorship?

-I had to change mentors because my uncle was not working out so well. Fortunately, Ms. Wonders was willing to help me out and ask around school to see if anyone knew anybody that could help me out. Thankfully, Mr. Rivas had a friend that owns her own businesses and works on a field that interested me very much. I emailed her and explain to her what were my requirements and without hesitation she took me under her wing. 

2. Research question: What has been your most important article you have read so far and why?

- The most important article I have read so far is, "The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results," David Ulrich and because it talks about the challenges that human resource managers face as well as a clear outlook as to what you do in that field and what it is. It also talks about what to look forward to in the future and what their expectations are.

Blog 4: First Interview

Interview 

1. Who do you plan to interview? Why?

• I plan to interview my mentor's assistant, Maria, to have more of an outlook as to what Human Resource Management is really about and what it takes to manage everything my mentor and her do. 

 2. You have to ask 5 questions. What additional questions do you plan to ask? Ask open-ended questions.

• What made you pursue this career out of all the other careers out there?
• What would you say is the most difficult aspect of human resource management?