Never eat more than you can lift." ~Miss Piggy

Never eat more than you can lift." ~Miss Piggy

Blog Date: 1/23/12

Blog Author: Saniya Khan, Accounting and Finance

If you're in business, there will come a time when it becomes necessary to talk work outside the office in the form of a business dinner, breakfast, or lunch. Maybe you're one of the lucky ones who have been making deals since your diaper days about nap time and can't wait to get down to business. But maybe you're a little more on the shy side and the thought of making small talk while eating and remembering to mind your manners and fitting in something about your company is a bit more daunting. Not to worry, your business days don't need to be over just yet. Conversing is an art. Business doesn't need to be uptight and impersonal. And an invitation to share a meal is the perfect way to become more familiar with the other person.

But how? I just recently read Don Gabor's "Talking with Confidence for the Painfully Shy" and I'd like to go through five basic rules of business dining, as adapted from that book:

1. Know your business purpose. Are you discussing a new marketing plan or using this meeting to gather information for a sales presentation? Always keep this purpose in mind.

2. Balance talking with listening. Talking about yourself and sharing the information you have to contribute to the purpose of the meeting is very important. But people like to talk about themselves too, so remember to listen.

3. Know when to have small talk and when to transition into business mode. Often the meal will start out with small talk and, depending on the length of meeting, the focus will eventually shift to your business purpose. But how do you bridge your conversation without sounding forceful or being abrupt? This brings us to the next point.

4. Bridge smoothly from small talk to your business topic. Tactfully changing the focus from everyday musings to the main idea is important. Gracefully steer across several conversations to your business topic by taking key phrases from the conversation and relating them to your own business purpose.

5. Eat and converse at calm rates. Pace yourself moderately regarding your meal and your conversation. Don't speak so fast that no one can understand what you are saying, but don't bore the person to sleep either. You can gauge yourself by eating at the same pace as your dining companion.

Now the basics are covered, but depending on the time of day the meal is chosen to be shared, how conversation should proceed will vary.

The Breakfast Meeting: These power breakfast meetings are shorter than lunching and dining, lasting only around 45 minutes total, so adjust accordingly. Small talk can lead up to ordering and pouring the first cup of coffee. After a couple of minutes, once you are sure your partner is actually awake and alert, shift gears to the business topic you want to discuss, and take it away.

The Business Lunch: Lunch time offers a break from the office and a chance to interact with the rest of the world and will usually last from about an hour to an hour and a half. More time for small talk and socializing is available so take advantage of forming a personal connection. Remembering to bridge the conversation after sufficient family vacations and hot topics have been discussed, you can then proceed to your main topic of conversation.

The Dinner Meet-up: Similar to the lunch meeting, time to socialize is available before food arrives. Creating a relaxed and comfortable environment is important, so avoid topics like politics, sex, and religion. Before narrowing in on your main topic, or if you are done discussing business before the meal ends, inquire about general business practices and the philosophy of your partner and what his "big picture" is for his company and how he goes about managing his people. Gaining this insight can also lead to more in-depth conversations which forms a better rapport.

Now that a nice meal has been shared and business has been taken care of, it's time to part ways. As the recipient of a nice meal, be sure to thank them. But instead of ending the meeting abruptly, opt to letting your meal partner know that you will be sending him a recap of the main points that were discussed and what conclusions had been reached to close the deal. End on some light conversation, and you have just concluded a successful business meal meet-up. And now that you have gained this experience, the next business lunch won't seem as daunting!

Adapted from Don Gabor's Talking with Confidence for the Painfully Shy

The American Dream: Maybe it's all in our Heads

The American Dream: Maybe it's all in our Heads

Blog Date: 11/18/11

Author: Joseph Antony, Accounting/Management Major

Edited by: Louis Lamonte, Accounting/Management Major

For many years, America has been the "place to be" if your dream is to prosper. Many people from many different countries throughout history have come to America seeking freedom, success, and just a better life in general. What many people don't realize is that an integral part of this "American Dream" is the strength of the middle class. The middle class, in many ways, is the reflection of all the values and ideals for which America stands. The typical middle class American has been the envy of the world-- he enjoys (for the most part) freedom, success and prosperity, especially in comparison to the citizens of many other countries. It is arguable that the middle class is what has made America so great; however, many statistics today show that the middle class in America is slowly being squeezed into two broad categories of citizens: the Haves and Have-Nots-- the wealthy, and everyone else.

Take a look at the market for consumer and retail goods. A key player in the retail of goods and services for the middle class has always been Wal-mart. When taking a look Wal-mart's performance in the past few years, we see that they haven't being doing so well. Instead, the companies that have seen the most growth are companies in the luxury end of the market, and companies that are-- for lack of a term-- on the opposite end of that spectrum. Family Dollar stores, which provide relatively cheap goods and products, have seen steady growth in the past few years, while companies such as Ralph Lauren and Tiffany & Co. have also seen significant growth. This demonstrates that during this recessionary time, the wealthy have been spending just as much as before, if not more, while the middle class has not. This growth in the high and low ends of the spectrum of consumer goods can be seen as one example of how the middle class is actually starting to disappear in America. In addition, a report by the Census Bureau states that the percentage of families under the poverty line is now at levels not seen since 1992. On top of that, average household income has fallen to levels not seen since about 1999. Again, this demonstrates the widening economic gap America is facing today.

However, this trend has not gone unnoticed. Clear proof of this is the Occupy Wall Street Movement. This is an indisputable signal that many Americans feel they are not being treated fairly. It is possible to see OWS, at its fundamental level, as an outcry against growing class disparity. I believe, as I am sure many of you do, that this trend is not positive at all. The things that have always made America great are disappearing. If this continues as it has been, we could (in an extreme scenario) see America being transformed into a country where the majority of the population is in poverty while only few are at the top. The standard of living we currently enjoy may severely drop. Though I do not think we will ever reach such a point, I believe it is important for everyone, including policy-makers, academics, and even the typical citizen to reassess the broad implications that this widening economic gap could possibly have on our great country's future.

Occupy THIS!

               In times of economic crisis, people are frustrated, tensions are high and chaos often follows. Over the course of our nations history we have seen numerous economic rebellions. Rebellions such as The Boston Tea Party or Shay’s Rebellion are historical examples of when the economy is down people go to extreme measures for change. The condition for protest is just right as jobs are scarce, the economy is suffering and hope is dwindling. However, I don’t agree with many of the protesters down on Wall Street. Yes, Freedom of Speech is our given right, but when innocent hard working men and women who earn their salaries are being badgered for the amount of money they make and even our own NYPD officers are being attacked, well that’s crossing the line.

              There have been many gut wrenching details released about what some CEO’S of major banks did with the bail out money they received from Federal Reserve, most notably AIG and its complete catastrophe. Those incidents are ample reason for protest but that’s not what most of these protesters are protesting about. They’re complaining about lack of jobs and small wages, which obviously justifies being distraught but don’t complain about what other people are making. Nobody has the right to tell someone that they are making to much money and then have the nerve to go say “live comfortably so we can comfortably live.” The amount of income tax upper middle class people pay is already ridiculously high let alone corporate tax rate. The corporate tax rate is 35%, highest in the world. That is why major corporations are outsourcing to other countries because it is way to expensive to run a business here.

              President Obama and arguably most of the protesters involved in “Occupy Wall Street” believe in “spreading the wealth.” Definitely a good concept but by raising taxes and targeting upper middle class to upper classes families isn’t the proper way to do so. Obama classifies a household making $250k as “rich,” therefore, they should have to pay even more in tax because obviously they are able to right? Wrong. How can a set number define what being “rich” is, it is simply preposterous to even consider such a thing. I believe that the income tax rate should be equal across the board. Just because a person or family makes a certain amount of money per year shouldn’t mean they have to pay a greater tax rate. It is a slap in the face to hard working Americans everywhere who have a high paying job.  America was made on grounds of Capitalism. Work hard, work long, be persistent and you will be successful. Our ancestors came over here to have a better life, they came here because of freedom and because they’re potential was limitless. Now its almost as if were saying ok good you made it to where you want to be, you make this much amount of money now give even more back. WHY? One can say todays society has the mentality that everything should be given to them, that they don’t have to work hard to make a lot of money, no instead we’ll just tax the upper class and they’ll support us. If an individual wants to live a modest life with a modest income that’s fine, but don’t make the individual who wants more for his or herself and for his or her family suffer because they strive for more. Our country was not brought up this way and we are going away from our Capitalistic values.

              Wall Street banks and their employees work extremely hard and they deserve every penny they get. Yes, mistakes were made in the past but we cant blame them for that now. Appropriate actions were taken and ethics is now stressed. We should not be complaining about the money certain people make, rather try and make the money they make, if of course that’s what you want.  Standing on a street heckling innocent bankers on the way to work and abusing police officers is not the answer to solving this economic crisis.  No, I say if you want to change your life, if you want to start making good money, work for it. Society as a whole is becoming more and more lazy and it seems as if we are better at pointing our fingers rather than using them. Besides if your reason for protesting Wall Street is lack of jobs I’m afraid you are at the wrong street. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC is where you should be.


Daniel Soares

Wall Street Warriors?!

I'm sure many of you have read and/or heard the news of the portesters who are protesting on Wall Street.  However, why are they protesting? Are they protesting in the proper manner? These are both questions that have not yet been definitively answered.  And I hope to be able to spread some light on the situation.

Recent polls taken in the past few weeks have questioned protesters why they are occupying Wall Street.  Basically, every individual who was polled stated that they are protesting in response to the decreasing economy.  They blame Wall Street for causing the current economic problems as well as the lack of jobs and are protesting in order to demonstrate their frustration.  They also claim that they stand for the people, especially the unanswered voices of the people.  The views of the protesters can be summed up in the words of Judy Lonning, a former school teacher.  She said, "We [being the protestors] are not willing to keep suffering for Wall Street's sins.  People here are waking up and realizing that we can't just go to the ballot box. We're building a movement to make our leaders listen."  Seems harsh right?  She is claiming that Wall Street is responsible for the economic crisis, and that the people have no voice.  Now is that true? are they valid reasons to protest? or are the protestors overreacting?  The answers to these questions are subjective to the indvidual.  So what do you think?  Are they right? Is what they are standing for legitemate?

In regards to the actual protesting itself, a recent poll's results indicated that American view is torn.  Some say that the protesters are protesting in a non violent manner and expressing their rights as any America.  Howver, several others feel that they are acting foolishly, and are tarnishing the name of America (namely New York) through their "obscene" actions.  Again, this is up to the individual.  What do you think?

Regardless of your personal position, the occupation of Wall Street is an important matter that needs to be taken seriously.  It needs to be addressed, but all we can do for now is wait and watch.   

As of last weekend, the Wall Street Journal had a very interesting article concerning the matter.  It discussed how the protesters won a battle when the cleanup of their encampment was cancelled because of "political pressure."  The article explained how the movement is spreading throughout the U.S. in which "tensions between the police and protesters have escalated in several other U.S. cities, including arrests of some two dozen people in Denver."  Now if that doesn't indicate that this is a serious matter, I don't know what does?  Lastly, the article explained why Bloomberg could not step in and force the people to leave the park so it could be cleaned.  It concluded with a quote from one of the protesters, Tucker Mowatt, a 26 year old electrician from Maine.  He said, "Today it's Bloomberg, tomorrow it's the president and Congress and maybe Wall Street.  It's a step in the right direction." 

As mentioned earlier, all one can do is wait it out.  The occupation of Wall Street and other U.S. cities obviously illustrates the growing concern of Americans with the condition of the economy.  How the leaders of the U.S. (and the world) deal with the rather rapidly increasing unrest, and more importantly, how they deal with the worsening economy is what it ultimately comes down to. 

What's next?.................. Who knows?

Eric Haslbauer

My views on the "Occupy Wall Street Movement"

I think the Occupy Wall Street movement should not surprise anyone. Nor should it surprise anyone that the movement has gained so much popularity and support. If anything, i'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner. From what i can understand, the entire movement is based on anger towards Wall Street, in that many ordinary, every day Americans believe that they were treated unfairly while the top firms and executives on Wall Street had been given a free pass. It's true that a lot of the problems we face today arguably resulted from a dysfunction in the financial sector, but Wall Street isn't the only one to blame for these bad economic times. The government's poor foresight and lack of regulation had just as much a part to play in causing the financial crisis and subsequent recession. There were also many parties and factors involved in causing the recession, but it can be argued that most of the blame should rest on Wall Street. What I have to ask myself is, are these protesters justified in their anger? To a certain extent, their anger is justifiable. The crisis caused by problems in the financial sector and its involvement in the housing markets had cost many Americans their jobs. Even though it was due to the excessively risky practices of these institutions that led to their own downfall, they were not the ones who suffered for it. The government intervened, and saved many of them from bankruptcy, even though some of them like Lehman Brothers did go bankrupt. While the whole situation seemed unfair,  i believe that many of the protesters are just protesting without fully understanding the role Wall Street had played. I think a lot of them are just protesting because they are just angry and need to pick someone to mount this anger against. On that note, i guess Wall Street does make the best candidate. What all of this reflects is this growing separation between the very rich, and the rest of us. As seen in the 2010 poverty report, we can see how the middle class in America is slowly disappearing and being slowly replaced by just a poor and rich class. If things don't get better soon, this class conflict will only increase until eventually something drastic will happen. What that may be, I can't say.    

Joseph Antony

Where Would You Rather Work in NYC or L.I.?

Lately, I was discussing the benefits of working in the city. A lot of students prefer to work in Long Island over the New York City. So I decided why not have a blog about the comparison of working in New York City to Long Island. Now, I was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. and going to the city is always a pleasure for me.

First off, just being in New York City and experiencing it first hand is incredible. New York City offers so much and more. Seeing the lights, the tall buildings, historic landmarks, and people can inspire you to dream BIG. So why wouldn’t someone work in the greatest city in the world? Need more convincing? Well, ok. In the city, you can save a lot on transportation. You wouldn’t need a car to survive. New York has the greatest public transportation system in the world. For an $89 ultimate monthly metro card, you can travel as many times you like for thirty days. There are thousands of different restaurants and eatery to satisfy your craving. Also, there are numerous stores to go shopping right after work all within your workplace! From 5^th avenue to Manhattan Mall and everything in between. The nightlife is always on in the city, never missing a beat. With a variety of bars/clubs that offer after hours specials, who wouldn’t love spending a night out on the town in the city with their friends or co-workers? The diversity in the city is amazing. Meeting new people from all walks of life, allows one to gain a better understanding of different cultures and lifestyle.

Commute Times- drastically improved, based on how far from home you work. Without having to rely on public transportation, you can decide when you leave for work or home. With the rising MTA costs, costs of gas and insurance are not too terrible.

Salaries- You're not going to see a ton of 1/4 million dollar salaries on long island. for the big banks and investment firms, yes you need NYC. But, there's nothing wrong with making 80-100K in your late 20s or early 30s. You can always migrate to the city with a few years under your belt

Flexibility- with your own transportation and a job close to home, you'll gain more time with family and extra activities like exercise, community groups, and special events.

Companies- aside from Canon having a major office on Long Island, as well as many large universities, here is a list of the top 10 long island based businesses:

1	Arrow Electronics (ARW)	Electronic parts distribution	$13,577
2	Cablevision Systems (CVC)	Cable TV	$5,927
3	Henry Schein (HSIC)	Medical & dental supplies	$5,153
4	CA (CA)	Software	$3,886
5	Systemax (SYX)	Computer hardware	$2,345
6	American Home Mortgage (AHM)	Mortgage banking	$2,189
7	Pall (PLL)	Fluid filtration	$2,151
8	NBTY (NTY)	Nutritional supplements	$1,931
9	Griffon (GFF)	Diversified manufacturing	$1,712
10	MSC Industrial Direct (MSM)	Manufacturing tools & supplies	$1,423

The Importance of Internships

How many times have you heard an article begin with "in today's tough economic times...."? Probably ten too many! But, there's a lot of truth in changing your strategy when jobs just are not available. Of late, it's become much easier for new graduates to secure internships (paid and unpaid) than jobs. Sometimes a strong internship can help catapult you into your dream job. And, for the current student, internships are an absolute MUST no matter what state our economy is in. Scholastics are great. A 4.0 will certainly get you second look on a recruiter's desk. But, what seperates the student from the future employee is relevant EXPERIENCE.

First, let's define an intern. An intern is one who works in a position with an emphasis on job training rather than simply employment. Interns can be paid or unpaid and most are within some sort of college affiliation. Internships may be full or part time.

I can give you my success story 1000 times. Throughout my years at Siena College, I engaged in 3 unpaid internships (J-Records, Island 94.3 Radio, and Times Union Media) which all led to job offers either within the those respective organizations or elsewhere. And, while I was waiting for those offers, all of them were huge helps in boosting my resume!

Internships are a great way to "beef up" your resume! Take a look at my friend, Jonathan. A blogger and film guru, he spent some well deserved time off with some serious film industry big wigs in Los Angeles. This unpaid on-site internship may or may not lead to job. But, since Jonathan is a self employed blogger, this may have led to some really great contacts and possible future employment, should he decide to go that route. Just as important, he is doing what he loves while keeping his skills sharpened!

Internships can also lead to landing you the "gig." My former intern, George, was offered full time employment over the summer. And, with the school year underway, he is still able to work with the company, part time, pairing his scholastics with some great on-the-job training. My wonderful fiance, Kristina, also comes from an industry where exceptional interns are usually hired for future employment.

Externships are also a great way to gain employment. Ask my good friend and college roommate who participated in a summer externship in the accounting field. Upon returning to campus his senior year, his externship led to gainful employment, complete with start date, at one of the "Big 4" accounting firms! To clarify, an externship is similar to an internship, but without job duties. It's a way for prospective employees and employers to observe one another through job shadowing and social interaction. Externs benefit by finding out more about the field and staff in that industry. And, employers benefit by learning more about a prospective applicant before making employment decisions.

A few things to remember when starting that internship:

While you deserve to be in that desk, your work is not close to done. Don't just take an internship to jot it down on your resume. Truly take the time to understand that business, your role (or future role), and what you can do to improve that situation. If you're going to sit on Facebook all day, you can do it at home with a cool beverage!

Remember that you have a lot to learn and offer! So, be vocal. Ask your manager/Internship Director if you can take on more responsibilities. If they have nothing to give you, ask if you can traverse some other departments.

Let your boss/manager know about your intentions. If you're looking for further employment, ask them what you can do to help your situation. If they are not hiring, ask if they would consider writing you a recommendation. Always be polite in your requests!

Don't just work, NETWORK. This includes managers, employees, other interns, and even vendors and customers! You're going to meet dozens of people in your field who all know you're looking for employment. Don't take it for granted!

For further information about internships, feel free to drop by Nancy Isreal's office in Casey 103. You can also e-mail her nisreal@molloy.edu.

For help with your resume, you may want to stop by the Career Development Center right at Molloy!