And Another Thing….

I have been reading a lot lately, but thanks to a new job, I just haven’t had the time to post them. After spending 8-9 hrs a day typing and working on a computer, sometimes I would rather come home and read a book or watch TV then to spend more time on the computer, but not always :-). So I am finally playing catch up!

My best friend in the whole wide world sent me And Another Thing… on CD, which was GREAT, because I could listen to it on the way to and from work. It took me a little longer to finish it but after HOURS and DAYS (maybe a month) I finally finished!!

My friend gave it to me over Thanksgiving while I was home because she knew I would love it. It is the latest (or final…not really sure yet) installment of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy “trilogy” book 6. (hahaha). My mum actually bough me The Complete Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy about 5-6 years ago. She said “You will love it” and I did. I cracked up from the first page to the last! I would call up my best friend and read her quotes and sections of the book and by the time I was done, she had to have it to.

And Another Thing… is written by Eoin Colfer, so when she said here read this, I was a little nervous. Since it wasn’t written by the genius Douglas Adams, I feared it wouldn’t be as good. And to be honest it wasn’t as good, but it wasn’t as bad as I fears. I did crack up as much, but Eoin Colfer worked hard to get into Adams mind and write the characters.

And Another Thing… picks up right where Mostly Harmless ended (HARMLESS, HARMLESS cried Arthur, “well I updated it” “to what” “Mostly Harmless” “MOSTLY HARMLESS”)

Side Note: I love how all of the book titles come from quotes the first book. Mostly Harmless, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish (that one has always cracked me up. I like dolphins)

Anyway, back to the plot – the book starts off with Arthur, Ford, Trillian & Random standing in Club Beta on an alternative Earth which is again about to be destroyed by the Vogon (because it seems the that is all the Vogon strive for in life). However right before this occurs, Zaphod appears (yet again) in the Heart of Gold to rescue them. Since Ford & Arthur had last seen Zaphod, he had somehow separated his two heads, and now Left Brain (or LB) from the Left Head is hooked up to the Heart of Gold, and is for some bizarre reason, rather intelligent.

But before they can make their escape in the heart of Cold, Ford accidentally freezes LB and they are trapped. Lucky for them Wowbagger, and immortal that has traveled around the universe insulting people saves them and takes them to Nano in exchange for Zaphod finding a way to kill. Back in the old days Zaphod had actually taken a colony of Earthlings over to Nano and they had created a new society.

On the way to Nano, Zaphod take off to strike a deal with Thor and Wowbagger falls in love with Trillion. Once on Nano, Zaphod convinces Hillman Hunter to make Thor their new God. Right before Wowbagger and Thor start go throw blows at each other, Wowbagger decided that he doesn’t want to die, because he is in love. But it is too late and the battle was on.

And in the mist of it all the Vogons have hunted Nano down on their mission to destroy all Earthings….

And I will stop there.

Read the book :-)

It is worth it. I give it a 7 out of 10 stars!

"Zaphod Beeblebrox says "YES" to Zaphod Beeblebrox"

Saga of Seven Suns – The Conclusion!

I just finished the final book of Saga of Seven Suns. When you read series books it is always a hit or miss. Or at least for me it is like that. Sometimes they are great and you cannot wait to pick up the next one, or they are horrible and you just feel the obligation to finish it. Sometimes the series just gets old…much like the Anita Blake series did after something like book number 15 or so. Saga of Seven Suns is nothing like that. The series is amazing. It is a scifi series based in the future when the human race has expanded their power into the Spiral Arm which is part of the Milky Way. The human race has since evolved into 3 main groups. The Terran Hanseatic League aka the Hansa, which is run by an evil, manipulative Chairman named Basil Wenceslas, The Roamers who clans of families (gypsies) who roam around the spiral arm and have created their own government, and the Theroc who live on a the plant of Worldtrees and is the home planet of the “green priests” who have the ability to communicate to one another through the trees. I have been reading this series for about 6-7 months and have written a few other blogs about it already. So this blog is not a re-cap of all 7 books, just a review on my conclusion. If you want to learn more about each book in particular feel free to read my other blogs:

Hidden Empire: Saga of Seven Suns

Saga of Seven Suns Book 2 A Forest of Stars

The Saga of Seven Suns Continues

These blogs just look at the first 3-4 books, it was then that I just went through them so quickly and so much was going on that I decided just to wait until I had finished it to continue writing.

First, or Second, not really sure what, I want to say that this series was AMAZING! I couldn’t wait to start reading it again, I wish I could have just wasted a weekend reading cover to cover, but unfortunately I don’t seem to find the “free” days to do that anymore. These books made me laugh, cry, want to scream, you name it. It pulled every emotion that I had. I got angry and happy and sad. The last half of the last book had me sitting on the edge of my seat so to speak. So many twists and turns!
If you enjoy reading, and you like Sci-Fi, this series should be on your list. Heck, even if you are not a big fan of Sci-Fi, you should still read it. If you like love stories, there is a love story in here. If you like war stories, there is a war in here. If you like action, there is action in here. If you like mystery, there is mystery in here. You name it, you can find it!

I have recommended this to all of my friends that are as passionate about reading as I am, to pick this series up. And they will because I recommended The Tale of the Otori (another amazing trilogy!!!) too them and they both loved it.

So overall, I would not only rate on of the books with 8 out of 10 stars, but the whole series!!!

Staying Warm in the Winter...Option 1

I wrote this sample blog for something, but it was never used. My best friend said I should post it because it was good and a great example of my writing skills and that the people were crazy to not use it (she is also bias, because she loves me)! :-) I spent quite a while working on this "post" and I was actually pretty proud of how it turned out. So here it is...my blog about where to go for winter vacation!

With winter in full swing, the thought of spending lazy days lounging on warm beaches or golfing on the green seem like an unreachable dream. With palm trees running along the second largest bay in the western hemisphere, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico has an abundance of attractions & activities that can make a family vacation or a romantic get-a-way a perfect reality.

Whether it is spending the day sightseeing at the crystal beaches and natural rock formations or shopping at the quant downtown boutiques and galleries, Puerto Vallarta is a preferred destination. With the average temperature of 80F, the marina is always bustling with boats and a variety of water activities. Puerto Vallarta is even known for their active night life with a variety of clubs and bars scattered along the bay.

With beautiful beachfront hotels, Puerto Vallarta provides a little bit of everything from beaches to jungles. Nothing is as romantic as watching the sun set from a beautiful pergolas. This historical town provides a more rustic Mexican feel, then many of the larger resorts in Mexico such as Cancun. Strolling along the cobble streets and enjoying the famous lady of Guadalupe church, makes emails and responsibilities a distant memory.

What I Learnt During My Job Hunt & How It May Help You!

I have spent most of 2010 searching for a new job. I decided over Thanksgiving that when I got home, I needed to seriously start looking for a new job. I was very nervous in the beginning, because, let’s face it, the economy out there. But I was dying at my previous job and I needed to get out. It wasn’t that I was over worked, it wasn’t because I didn’t like the people I worked with, and it wasn’t because I didn’t like the company. If fact, I loved the people, the company and the work that I did. I always felt challenged and loved learning new things. I guess, you could say, I didn’t feel financially appreciated, and I didn’t feel that the promises that they made to me were kept. So I start my new job NEXT WEEK, and I am über excited and ready to get to work!

But this blog isn’t about why I put myself back on the market in search of a new job, but a blog about interviewing. Some things I found helpful and common questions that I was asked.

In this blog I hope you find some tips that you may find useful in preparing for on your next interview.

First some helpful tips:

1) Always be prepared – don’t walk into an interview blind. Learn as much as you can about the company and the people you are interviewing with before you go in. Check out their website, look them up on Facebook, see if they have a company blog, or are on twitter. If you know the people you are going to be interviewing with, look them up on LinkedIn or even Google them. Interviews are like a college exam…you study first, you don’t go into the exam blind.
2) Dress to impress – people make first impressions within the first 30 seconds of looking at you. Make sure you look your best. If you are a girl, like me, don’t overdo the makeup, or wear really short skirts or really high heels. Some men are intimidated by a woman that is taller than they are (although they will never admit it) and some women automatically have negative feelings towards a female that is more attractive or has a better body then they do.
3) Limit the amount of time you talk – I get nervous when I interview, like a lot of people do, and I ramble when I am nervous, so for me…limiting the amount of time I talk, is very hard. Everyone who knows me well, knows that I ramble and I don’t even realize I am doing it, so when I go in for an interview, I have to think…very hard…about not rambling. Even if what I am rambling about is relevant, it is just never a good thing to do.
4) Bring a portfolio/resume – although this is not relevant for all jobs, for a lot of jobs it is. If you have samples of work you have done in the past, always bring it with you. Even if they don’t mention it, it makes you look prepared. If you don’t have a portfolio, make sure you have a copy of your resume. AND offer it to them “I brought a copy of my resume just in case you need it” helps you to look organized :-)

Those are just a few easy tips to help you before going in for that nerve racking interview.

Now the interview itself. While I was looking for a new job, I went to something like 6 interviews, and although each company had some unique questions, I found it entertaining that most of them asked a few of the exact same questions, so these are the ones I will share with you.

1) Tell me a little bit about yourself? – this is a very common questions, this was the first question I was asked EVERY time I walked into the interview. Give a short overview of who you are…not a 5 min description, just 3-4 sentences.
2) What is your greatest strength? – this question is great, because it really does give you a chance to really let the interviewer know what you are really good at and where you really excel. Give 3-4 examples of your greatest strengths.
3) What is your greatest weakness? – this question is not a time to actually say what you suck at. This is a chance for you to show a weakness and turn it into a strength.
4) How do you handle stress? - tell them how you overcame a stressful situation. But if you do not do well under stress and this is a high stress job, maybe you should look somewhere else instead of lie, because they will know within a few days of you working at the company if you can’t handle stress, then you have to start looking for a new job and they have to start looking for a new employee.
5) What is an example of a challenge you faced and how did you overcome it? – try to think of a unique challenge that you had to overcome and how you did it. There are always challenges on the job, so you will be able to think of something. If it is your first job interview, use a challenge you faced in college, maybe an essay deadline.
6) Why are you leaving your current job? – be honest, but do not bad mouth your previous employer, no matter how negative your feelings are.
7) What are you passionate about? – if you love to do charity work, or if you love to work out, or if you love to read novels and go to the movies, just be honest. It helps the interviewer get to know you better!
8) Give an example of a time you had to work as a team? – we have all had experiences working in a team situation, be it high school, college, or in the “real world”. Companies just want to make sure that you will be able to work well with others. So any good example will do!
9) If you could redo the past 5 years of your life, what you would do differently? – Personally for me, I always say nothing….because every experience that I have overcome has lead me to where I am today and I love who I am now and where I am and I don’t want to change that! And that one always seems to go over well for me.
10) Describe a difficult work situation or project and how you overcame it? – this is not one of those questions that you can get wrong, just have a situation in your mind when you go in and give a good example. I always use the same one, because it is a good example of how my creativity help to meet an important deadline!
11) Who is your role model? – be honest, my answer, again is always the same. My mum. She accomplished so much in her life, that if I can be half the woman she is…I have achieved great things! And I truly believe this, and you can tell when I talk about it!
12) What interested you about this job? – this is always one that I get asked, and the employer is just trying to see how much you know about the job you are applying for. So just saying how you meet the qualifications that they listed in the job posting and how you can do this and enjoy doing these things, will pretty much cover this question
13) Why should we hire you? – This is just another opportunity for you to promote why you are qualified for this job and for you to let them know what you can bring to the table.
14) What would you contribute to this company? – this questions is almost redundant, again, you just tell them what you can bring to the table.
15) Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? – for me this question is easy, I want to be in a management position (I have always wanted minions) be for others this question is the hardest. Like my best friend, she hates this question! She honestly doesn’t know where she sees herself in 5 years! Here, just tell them what your goals are. Don’t use examples like “going back to school” or “having a family” because both of these could mean that you will leave, leave to go back to school or leave to have a family. Keep your answers goal job oriented like, “I want to grow with a company and continue to develop and grow” or “I see myself growing my skills”

These are some of the questions that I have encountered while I was on the job hunt. Most likely on your next interview you will be asked most of if not all of these questions! Make sure you know how you are going to answer them. Practice with a friend. I practice all the time with my friend, she is the best!

My final note - always get their email address so that you can email them a “Thank you for your time” make it short and to the point, but include that you are interested in the position and look forward to hearing from them in the future.

So good luck to anyone who reads this blog and has an upcoming interview!