My name is Jennifer Garcia. I am a student attending the New York City College of Technology (City Tech). Lately, I have been reflecting on my major which is Marketing Management and Sales. I plan to manage my own business in the field of cosmetology, most likely a hair salon, which will eventually be my minor. This is the best career for me because I am very responsible, can handle the pressure of management very well, and I can be a great leader. In order to succeed in this career, I will need to take a few necessary steps. I will need to learn from my experiences from working retail and learn to handle bigger and more serious responsibilities. . By taking these steps, I will be able to pursue in this major successfully.

According to the City Tech Catalog, Marketing Management and Sales is a career for students who are able to “facilitate the exchange of goods and services in the global marketplace” (City Tech 125). In other words, one in this major would need to handle business coming and going all around the world. In this major, students learn how to be prepared for business opportunities in this highly competitive world and how to obtain a career in professional selling and advertising. After graduating with a degree in Marketing Management and Sales, some career options are “General Foods Corporation, New York Life Insurance Company, TD Bank, New York City Transit Authority, and Sprint” (City Tech 125). Specifically, I would like to learn how to manage a business so that I may one day open my own business.

Being responsible is an important asset to have if I want to succeed in this major. A marketing managers duties can be accomplished by a single member of a team or as a group responsibility. Key responsibilities vary but may include “developing guidelines, making customer focused decisions, and managing budgets” (“The Role of Marketing Manager” 2). Developing guidelines come easy to me because I have always taken the role of a team leader. For example, I help my manager when it comes down to building the staff schedules. Another requirement to become a marketing manager is excellent customer service skills. This is needed to make customer focused decisions. This is a role that I currently take on at my job because I am in charge of placing orders based on what customers look for. One final responsibility is managing budgets. Currently at my job, I am in charge of paying all of my coworkers. This is a duty that I practice already, which prepares me for the future. These are just some of the many responsibilities of being a marketing manager.

Another reason that I feel that this career suits me best is because I do very well under pressure. When dealing with customers at my job, sometimes they tend to get impatient or the store gets very busy at one time. During situations like these, our brains tend to go into “fight or flight” mode. In other words, we either deal with the problem or try to run away from them. I have always been a fighter and at a time like this, I know how to keep calm. I try to help as many people as I can while being able to still divide my attention evenly. Also, I communicate with my customers to let them know it is busy and someone will help them shortly. A lot of people do not do well under pressure which can stress themselves out. Although sometimes work may be a bit stressful, handling the pressure is vital to becoming a successful marketing manager. Also, the key to remaining calm under pressure is trying to concentrate on one problem at a time and trying not to become overwhelmed by too many different situations. William James, leader of the philosophical movement, once said, “The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another” (“William James” 1). This has always stayed in my mind because if we handle things one at a time, we can conquer stressing ourselves out after they have all accumulated. This skill is what distinguishes an employee with manager potential from all the other employees.

Finally, great leadership is essential to creating a successful management. A leader is someone who leads or commands a group of people. I believe that leadership is a natural quality that I carry because there have been several situations where I have had to take control. On many occasions, I had to take on the role of my manager whenever he was unavailable. Also, on group projects at school I am always the facilitator whose responsibilities are “moderates team discussion, keeps the group on task, and distributes work” (“Possible Roles on Teams” 1). Keeping people on task is one of my strong suits because I like when things are done correctly and in order because it prevents bigger mistakes from happening. These habits are shown through the work I do at school as well.
City Tech has prepared me for my career in a few different ways. The overwhelming loads of work that this college gives to the students helps me to manage my time correctly and organize all of my assignments. If I want to pass all of my classes, I need to distribute my time evenly as well as organize and complete my assignments on time. The stress of the immense amount of work from all different classes puts a lot of pressure on students and a lot of them end up dropping out or decide not to hand in all of their assignments. However, City Tech taught me how to handle all this pressure which is vital if I want to pursue in my career as a marketing manager.

I am convinced, through a lot of thought and research, that this is the perfect career for me. I think that I have the assets that this position will require and I can go very far from here. My current retail experience and City Tech have both helped me prepare myself for what I am getting myself into and I am ready for what the future will hold.

Works Cited

New York City College of Technology (City Tech). “Marketing Management and Sales.” New York City College of Technology Catalog 2014-2015. Web. 20 April 2015.

“The Role of the Marketing Manager.” Marketing Manager. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2015.

“William James.” BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2015. 10 May 2015.

Barkley, E.F., Cross, K.P., & Major, C.H. (2005). Collaborative learning techniques. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Introduction

In this project, I reflected on my thoughts and practiced focusing on the future for more effective results. I learned that three simple habits can change the course of your whole future. Healthy eating habits help you to concentrate in class, spacing your time out can help prepare for future assignments, and positive thinking prevents stressful situations. 

Part 1: Thinking in Writing

Based on my day of thoughts, I realized how much I dwell on things of little importance. For example, I lost my metro card in the beginning of the day, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for almost the entire day. Also, I woke up feeling bad about not making it to my neice’s show at school and I beat myself over it the whole day. To be honest, a metro card and a show should be the least of my problems. I also came to n otice that I get hungry a whole lot. About 6 times a day I find myself wondering what I’m going to eat next. I feel like my life lacks excitement and I spend way too much time zoning out into random things like television, iPhone apps such as Instagram, Trivia Crack, Facebook, etc., and food. I need to focus my attention more to things like school and homework, and work. Even at work, I’m thinking about how long until I get to go home and eat! I need a hobby. In conclusion, I’ve decided that I will try to make the most of my days with more positive thinking, using my time more productive and efficiently, and get into healthier eating habits!

Part 2: Thinking Visually (i.e., Represent Your Thoughts as Photos)

http://instagram.com/p/zQ7Ey9wJsl/?modal=true
This is a picture of food. I chose to post this because throughout the day, I tend to constantly think about what I’m going to eat next. A lot of my daily thoughts consist of food.
http://instagram.com/p/zQ7RNlQJs9/?modal=true
This is a photo of my six-year-old niece, Alyssa. I live for this little girl. During my “Day of Thoughts”, I missed one of Alyssa’s shows. I really ruined my whole day to know I let her down.
http://instagram.com/p/zQ7zAuQJt0/?modal=true
This picture is my metro card that didn’t want to swipe. Because of this here metro card, I just missed my train. This caused a ten minute delay in my schedule. Because of this, I missed my second train, causing me to be late to class by 15 minutes. This incident also ruined my day.
http://instagram.com/p/zQ7UMywJtA/?modal=true
I chose to put a picture of my “Brain Rules” book because I’ve come to the conclusion that I spend too much time doing pointless things. I think I need a hobby and to focus on better things such as homework.
http://instagram.com/p/zQ7z6CwJt4/?modal=true
I took a picture of a Michael Kors bag because it’s supposed to represent money. Something I rather focus on is getting money so that I can buy all the materials that I want.
http://instagram.com/p/zQ7HkyQJsq/?modal=true
This last picture is a train coming. I took this picture to show that I want to make it a habit of being on time. It’s a much better view to see a train coming than to see it leaving.

Part 3: Thinking Reflectively (i.e., Reflect on Your Thoughts and Plan Your Future Thoughts in an Essay)

Dear Jennifer,

Right now, you are a full time student at City Tech and are working part time. I know it is kind of hard trying to balance school, work, and your boyfriend, but don’t worry because it will all be worth it in the end. You will eventually become a successfully licensed CPA and have your own business. However, everyone goes through what you are going through right now. In this letter I’ll show you what to focus on to achieve your goals. Right now, you need to concentrate on having a healthier lifestyle, learning how to manage your time better, and filling your mind with positive and productive thoughts. You will see how doing these three things will lead you into having a more positive and prosperous lifestyle.

One thing that I have changed were my eating habits. I was eating a lot of fast food (Burger King, pizza, Chinese food, McDonald’s, etc.) and it really affected me in many ways. One way that it affected me was by not giving me the energy that I needed to be able to stay focused during my classes. I felt tired all the time and I put on a lot of weight, about 20-30 pounds. By eating healthier, I found myself more energized throughout the day. I would concentrate in my classes, I was punctual, and took great notes. I also would get home and still had the energy to do homework, and all my assignments ahead of time. I generally had more energy throughout the day which helped me focus in all my courses. This is important because that brings me to my next point, being prepared.

By being prepared and having better time management life goes smoother. You are going to have to start giving yourself more than enough time to do things. For example, if you know it takes 20 minutes to get to school don’t leave the house 25 minutes before your class starts. Give yourself more than enough time to get there. Also, always make sure you get your 8 hours of sleep or longer. It helps your brain focus more the next day, as well as keeping you alert in school. Stop waiting until last minute to do homework and assignments. When you extend your time, you get to put in more effort and you have more time to go over and check your own work to make sure everything is correct. When you wait until last minute, you rush yourself and end up making careless mistakes. It can add stress to yourself as well. If you space your time out correctly, you can easily avoid putting pressure on yourself. By constantly rushing and living life in the moment, you can stress yourself out which may cause frustration. This brings me to my final point, having a more positive outlook on things.

You have the tendency to focus more on the negative. Instead of making the best out of a bad situation, you concentrate on the negative and let it ruin your day. I learned that one positive thought everyday can have a huge impact. Ways to practice this habit are by always trying to see the good in a problem. Imagine how things could have been worse. Also, think of ways to make the situation better because most problems have solutions. However, if a problem occurs where there is nothing that can be done about it, move on from it. There are going to be times where things happen and you can not change it or fix it, but don’t linger on them. Acknowledge that nothing can be done and walk away from the problem. By practicing these habits you not only are going to save yourself a ton of unnecessary stress, but you will also be having a more positive mindset towards new problems. When you think happier thoughts, your day will be more productive because your mind won’t be distracted by negativity. By having a clear mind, you will also be able to focus on everything that needs to be done. Everything falls into place with each other.

Three things to focus on that will improve yourself for the future are concentrating on having a healthier lifestyle, learning how to manage your time better, and filling your mind with positive and productive thoughts. By eating healthier you will be more energized and alert throughout the day. By managing your time better you will be more prepared and less stressed. When you focus on the positive things in life, your day goes smoother by stressing less on nonsense. It can also clears your mind from negativity which leaves space to focus on things worth paying attention to. I took these steps and it brought me exactly where I needed to be in life. These three steps are the key to success and the faster you start working on the them, the quicker your life will change for the better.

Sincerely yours,
New and Improved, Jennifer