Tag Archive for: Featured

Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education

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These posts summarize the forums that our Living Education-Charlotte students attend each week.

Mr. Michael DeSimone, who serves as the Manager of Broadcast and Digital Media for the Church, delivered a forum message to the Living Education-Charlotte students on the subject of getting a job, sharing three keys to obtaining the job you want. The steps he shared can be critically helpful in obtaining the job you’re working to obtain.

Getting the Interview
Mr. DeSimone began by explaining how to get an interview. Most people simply send out batches of applications to listings they see. This is an ineffective way to ensure an interview, let alone get the job itself. Mr. DeSimone encouraged the students to pray and research companies that they would be interested in working for, rather than listings. Furthermore, don’t wait for an opening to apply to the company – the sky is the limit.

Mr. DeSimone gave specific instructions to help get your resume at the top of the stack rather than discarded. You should send an introductory letter to the company that states your name at least three times to build name recognition. To follow up, you should also send your cover letter and resume. You should also be sure to send it to someone who can make a hiring decision, or to someone who will forward it along to the right person. Finally, follow up with a phone call. Be persistent and don’t settle for voicemail. Instead, try your hardest to follow up directly via call.

Mastering the Interview

Once you’ve gotten the interview, Mr. DeSimone encouraged the students to never wing it. Show up 5-10 minutes early, well-groomed, and dressed appropriately for the situation. Mr. DeSimone advised being dressed a step or two above the level of the work you’d be expected to do. Furthermore, remember to be conservative with fragrance or jewelry.

Mr. DeSimone also encouraged the students to prepare for potential questions and to practice mock interviews beforehand. It’s important to know yourself, and to understand your strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to answer questions about yourself and to be honest with your interviewer.

Negotiating Compensation

If the interviewer recognizes that you can provide value to the company and is intent on hiring you, it’s important to calibrate your enthusiasm before negotiating salary. Don’t discuss pay too early or too late in the game. If your interviewer is set on having you, they will want to retain the prospect of hiring you. That means they’re less likely to go lower on a perceived win-win compensation agreement. Don’t discuss the salary until you know that you have the job in the bag and that you want each other.

These principles are important and useful tools for obtaining an interview, mastering it, and navigating the details of compensation. Mr. DeSimone encouraged the students to pray before pursuing a job, and to be persistent and proactive.

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.

Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education

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These posts summarize the forums that our Living Education-Charlotte students attend each week.

In a recent forum presentation, the Living Education-Charlotte students had the opportunity to listen to a video by the New York Times discussing the state of education today. The principles discussed provided an interesting perspective on educators’ challenges in the modern learning environment.

One idea discussed in the video was the fact that in a changing world, there is increasing uncertainty about what the world will expect from the next generation. This is a difficult thing to gauge on the part of the youth, but it is also difficult for parents and educators who have the responsibility for preparing those youth. In light of a changing world, how should children be educated and what should they be educated toward?

The discussion turned to activities that engage youth and create a dynamic atmosphere that encourages them to learn. It is important to find good metrics by which to measure how motivated and engaged kids are, and try to bring out their best. Part of the discussion also addressed the idea of education as a virtue rather than an instrument. While many people today treat education as a tool that you either have or don’t, having the mindset of an educated person who is intent on learning requires restructuring of your approach to what education really means. Treating the state of being educated as a virtue rather than an instrument by which means are achieved changes the way you approach life.

The video discussed different types of learners and their benefits and challenges. One important recurring theme was that if we don’t know what the future will ask of us, it is difficult to be personally instrumental in preparing for it. This can require a change in our approach, not only personally but societally. The tools we have available such as AI can assist educators, but can also impede learning—as our society has to carefully detangle the complex education scene, our efforts are being compounded by the rapid onset of this new technology. Allowing youth to have rampant overaccess to AI is not only unproductive, it is dangerous. Understanding the challenges that affect the learning environment for our youth is paramount as we strive to help prepare them for what an ever-changing world expects of them.

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.