Finally found a mentor!

        After searching high and low for a mentor, I finally found a wonderful person who is willing to help me out through the year. Her name is Amy and she owns a boutique called Maple in the city of Claremont. I previously had a person who I felt would be willing to be my permanent mentor, but the truth is I never locked it in because I wasn't very interested in working with him. My previous "mentor" was in business management, but he managed manufactured houses. I wasn't TOTALLY against the idea of managing houses, but I was sure not jumping over the moon for it. Although he is a great person and professional at what he does, it wasn't the field I wanted to be working in. Stress was kicking in because I was worried I wouldn't find anybody willing to be my mentor and I'd have to be stuck with somebody I didn't exactly want to work with. I want my senior project to be a joyous learning experience, and not a mundane project where I don't enjoy my topic and mentor. 

     When I finally found Amy about a week ago, I felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulder. I was relived to know I didn't have to worry about finding a certain mentor, and I could focus on the bigger aspects of the project. 

      Today I had the opportunity to meet up with Amy to interview her for my second interview. I see how passionate she is about her job and it makes me excited to continue mentoring with her to explore my topic. Business management is definitely something I would like to pursue and it makes it one hundred times better that is in the fashion industry since clothing is one of my biggest passions. I'm excited to learn loads from Amy; she is a very professional and lovely lady that will guide me in this years long project. 

Blog 6: Second Interview Preparation

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

My mentor is Scott Bessire. He works at Bessire and Casenhiser where his dad is the CEO of the company. 

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

• What is the best and worst thing about working in business management?
• How did you figure out this is what you wanted your career to be?
• Do you have to work with others often? If so, is it difficult to do so?
• What have you learned in business management that has benefited you the most?
• How do you diffuse a difficult situation with employees?

Blog 5- Mentorship Reflection

1. Mentorship question: Describe your experience in how you found your mentorship?  If you haven't found one yet, describe your experience so far in the search of a mentor.

I found my mentor through my dad who is in the real estate business. My mentor happens to be a family friend whose dad is the CEO of a manufactured housing company. My mentor works for his dad and is an expert in business management. Although business management is what I'm passionate for, I would like to try and find somebody who does business management perhaps in the clothing business, since this is what I would like to do in the near future. I talked to my house teacher and he said it would be better if I can find somebody in this field, seeing that I want to be as interested as possible in my topic. One of my peers may know somebody, and is currently trying to contact somebody who might be able to help me. From my experience so far, it isn't the easiest thing getting a mentor. Not everybody wants to dedicate their time to help a student out because they are already so consumed with work, but I have hope that I will find somebody in the field I really want. 

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 "Management Be Nimble" by Adam Bryant. The reason is because I feel this article has been the most helpful when talking about what makes a successful business manager. It gives advice on how to properly treat employees and work together as a team rather than staff. Other articles I have read have helped too, but most of the other articles I have read have been interviews, where as this article is written in 1st person from an expert in business. I also enjoy how "Management Be Nimble" is broken up into different sections because it makes it easier to follow along and get the right ideas. Today I picked up a book from the library called "Business Without The Bullsh*t" that I feel will come very much in handy with my senior project. Not only is the title amusing, but it has gotten good reviews which is always a plus!