EOC Week 5

              More and more employers are looking towards Facebook’s 750 million plus users to find new employees.  This new tactic of hiring definitely is threatening the old and traditional job boards that we have come accustomed to in our society.  Although it makes a lot of sense for employers to go about this method simply because they would be saving money on traditional services used to find employees, some people may think that they are going too far, and that it could be considered an invasion of privacy to be going through a person’s Facebook account.  Thus stated in this article from Joe Light of the Wall Street Jounal, “When asked for comment, LinkedIn referred to its chief executive's remarks from last week's conference call to discuss earnings. During the call , CEO Jeff Weiner said users tell the company they want to keep their personal and professional networks separate. Indeed, Jeff Vijungco, vice president of world-wide talent acquisition for Adobe Systems Inc., said that in focus groups, prospective job candidates were sharply averse to being contacted through Facebook for jobs”.  I don’t think that as a potential employee it is good for recruiters to judge me by my personal life, but I also understand why they are doing it.  It’s a line that needs to be balanced I guess.

Week 3 EOC. My Demographics

Being born in 1983, I am what you would consider a part of the Millennium generation. " Call us what you want -- Millennials, Generation Y, Generation We -- it doesn't change the reality that most of us grew up just as one era ended and another began. We're old enough to remember what life was like before high-speed Internet, but young enough to lead the digital revolution. Many years from now, we will bore our grandchildren with stories about ancient things like "dial-up modems" and "books." In the meantime, we're dealing with our shortened attention spans, student debt and smartphone obsession." as said by an article in the Baltimore Sun. http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/bal-pictures-the-millennial-generation-who-are-we-20120626,0,3841596.photogallery   I think is a great statement because it's so true how we can remember a little bit of what times were like before the great communication revolution of cell phones and social media, yet we are here to learn the process of the new and exciting technicological age that is now changing the world and connecting people at a rate much faster than ever experienced.  Im very excited and proud to be a part of this age group because i feel that in our lifetimes we will have encountered a little bit of the best of the old and new.

Week 3 EOC. Making money for good.

There are many new attractive businesses that are on the rise. According to Forbes.com, “In recent years, two new types of corporations have been created to address the goals of making money, attracting private investors and addressing societal concerns:  the benefit corporation and L3C.  A study shows more than $120 billion in potential investments for these socially -minded companies.   The emergence of these corporations serve as alternatives to the traditional C or S Corporation structures.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/evangelinegomez/2012/01/13/the-rise-of-the-charitable-for-profit-entity/

Wal-Mart is a company that turns a profit, while at the same time making money for a charitable purpose. Research done by Forbes.com has stated that “In terms of the sheer size of cash donations, Wal-Mart Stores (nyse: WMT - news - people ), the nation's largest retailer, would be at the top of the list. The Arkansas company gave some $197 million last year in cash ($188 million of it in the U.S. alone). That puts Wal-Mart ahead of Bank of America (nyse: BAC - news - people ), Johnson & Johnson and Altria Group (nyse: MO - news – people.  From the following link, http://www.forbes.com/2005/11/11/charities-corporations-giving-cx_lm_1114charity.html  I think that it is especially good for the giving back that WalMart does for the teachers by giving them money for school supplies which come very needed in this time of economic distress and education system down fall.  According to Drugstorenews.com http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/walmart-gives-back-teacher-rewards-program “Through the Teacher Rewards program, more than 4,600 U.S. Walmart stores, distribution centers and Sam's Club locations are eligible to select one local kindergarten through eighth grade public school and provide $50 reward cards to 20 teachers. Winning teachers can use the funds to purchase essential items for their classrooms such as paper, folders, binders, clipboards, pens, pencils, crayons and markers. Now in its fourth year, Walmart said its program is donating up to $4.5 million to help 90,000 teachers across the country.

Week 2 EOC- Boston Consulting Group- Video Games

  

                The recession is starting to show a decline in Video game sales, an industry that with growing profits until last year was looked upon as untouchable in whatever market we are in.  Once cash cow entertainment consoles such as Microsoft’s X-Box and Nintendo’s Wii seem to be on a sharp downward slope to dog heaven if the numbers are any indication of the future life expectancy for these game systems. According to Digital Trends, “ The intrepid analysts at the NPD Group released their monthly report on the US video game market on Thursday and the outlook for the industry-in-flux isn’t pretty. August video game, console, and accessory sales were down a whopping 20 percent year-on-year, plummeting to just under $517 million from over $647 million during the same period in 2011. http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/digital-manifest-destiny-august-sales-mark-the-continuing-decline-of-video-game-retail/ .

                In my opinion its easy to see that under the Boston Consumer Group format, there are plenty of consoles that have already been banished into life of Dogdom, such as the highly outdated Playstation 1, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo 64. However it is interesting to see how the latest units such as X-Box and PS3 are doing.  It News Africa said, “Global sales of Xbox360 consoles were down from 2.7 million units between 1 January and 31 March to only 1.4 million units sold – a drop of 48%. Another Microsoft product that experienced a dip in sales was the Kinect peripheral for the Xbox, although Microsoft declined to supply numbers”. http://www.itnewsafrica.com/2012/04/global-xbox-sales-on-the-decline/ .  What that article tells me that if you had to describe X-Box and where it fits within the BCG, it would hard to at very best not classify it a dog, or a product leading to be a dog from what was once a dominating cash cow in any market.

                The future of video game sales as said by  Gamespot.com, “The business of making and selling video games is changing. In the last five years, the games industry has gradually moved away from established business practices and towards alternative platforms and delivery channels, from digital distribution and free-to-play to self-publishing and crowd-funding. This shift, once believed to pose a threat to the industry's future, has paved the way for new ideas and technologies to take hold, establishing independent revenue streams and opening up the existing market to a wave of new creators and consumers.” http://www.gamespot.com/features/the-digital-revolution-how-consumers-are-driving-the-future-of-games-retail-6396713/ .

My Customer satisfaction experience!

“Hey man how are you, great to see you again!”. That simple sentence is what keeps me coming back to the Thompson Hotel on the lower east side Manhattan!  I remember the first time I stayed at the Thompson hotel at that location.  The rooms were modern, stylish, and hip.  The service at the hotel was great, it made the $400 plus dollar a night room worth it, but at the same time hey, I was in Manhattan, New York, I shouldn’t be expecting anything less right? I mean I’m sure all the Hotels in that area lived up to the same experience.  Well the Hotel had done enough to gain my business for a return trip the following month, but it was what happened on that return trip that gained them a loyal customer!  On my following visit, I hopped out of my cab, and was greeted by one of the same bell men as the previous trip, and with full enthusiasm he said “ Hey man how are you, good to see you again!”.  I was a gasp that he had actually remembered me from the previous month.  That simple sentence made me feel like I was coming home to the Thompson hotel!  

Week1 EOC, My Voice

As an aspiring photographer in the Las Vegas valley, I’m focusing on learning and studying all the different genres and types of photography possible.  Although I mainly like to focus on a more editorial approach to my work, I am also interested in mastering the ins and outs to the fashion aspect of photography.  I really think that I have a very unique eye to photographical images, and that combined with a unique sense of creativity, I feel like I could provide a captivating, yet different style of images that most people might not be used to. 

I thoroughly enjoy talking to, meeting, and especially learning from other professionals in my field.  The city of Las Vegas is a unique place for this artistic media with an abundance of diverse and interesting subjects that the photography community can use to network and profile their images in order to achieve a competitive foothold in this industry.  I am greatly looking forward to being a sponge to soak up all the knowledge possible, as well as meeting some great people along the way.  If intersected in working with me, or even getting to know my work a little bit better, please feel free to contact me or just ask.