Evan Smith

MBA 660 EET 01

Personal Reflection Essay for Blog

Affect

                The material and information I learned from the Project Management course made me feel stressed, unorganized, awakened, and focused. It was stressful because of the constant barrage of assignments and obligations which, in conjunction with my other very difficult class this block, created a storm of uncertainty and anxiety every week. I felt unorganized because I was never felt fully confident that I knew what deliverables were due or which group I needed to meet with for the next week’s presentation. I felt awakened because I have never been exposed to Project Management and I have never known anyone who was a project manager. After having taken the course, I realize that there are elements of project managing in most day-to-day projects whether they are inside or outside of work. I felt focused because of the amount of attention required for this class. Managing many different groups, readings, blogs, submissions on Canvas, and write-ups made me feel extremely focused throughout the block.

Behavior

                The most significant example of a new or changed behavior I developed in this course would be the use of Prezi.com to create presentations that are different and refreshing from the typical PowerPoint presentation. Another tool that I had set up 8 years ago, but hadn’t used since then, was my personal blog. I originally created the blog as a place where I could write about cars and the automotive industry. This project was a good motivator to find my login and start using the blog again. A new behavior that I also started using this course was a calendar. After the first week of class, I realized that an online calendar would be invaluable during this course. It helped alleviate much of my anxiety about what deliverables were due and when.

Cognition

                My most influential cognitive growth through this course came through reading and presenting the book The Wisdom of Oz. This book forced me to actually put into action things that I had learned or things in life I was going to try to change. I actually used lessons from the book to help me get started on working on my physical health by going jogging and going to a gym. Specifically, I used the portion of the book that instructs readers to act like making a change like your life depends on it. This is one tangible example of using the information in the book to make a change that has actually taken place.

Personal Intro

I, Evan William Smith, was born on March 21, 1983, in Salt Lake City, Utah at St. Mark’s Hospital to Homer and Patricia Smith. I am the middle of 3 boys and a dog named Zoe. My dad has been an Anesthesiologist at St. Mark’s Hospital for 33 years and is nearing his retirement. My mom, Patricia, is a homemaker with many valuable talents and attributes that are rare to find. Both of my brothers currently work in education. My older brother, Colin, works at a Jr. High while getting a Master’s Degree from the University of Utah. My younger brother, Peter, also works at a school despite struggling with a physical handicap that affects his walking.
I began my educational experience at the University of Utah in the Fall of 2001. I initially wanted to become an architect, but after some complicated math and physics courses, I decided it wasn’t for me. My next foray was into Mechanical Engineering, but that didn’t pan out either. I decided to take a few semesters enrolled in only one class while I did some deep soul searching. At the time, one of my best friends was enrolled in the Communications Program at the U of U, and I decided it was time for me to get out of school as soon as possible, so I joined him. I graduated in Spring 2008 with a BS in Mass Comm and a Minor in Business.
My past educational experiences have shown me that when I am on the right path, I am a very dedicated student. When I can see the benefit and the light at the end of the tunnel, I am motivated and focused. When I’m not on a path, I just spin my wheels and don’t get anywhere. I am currently on a path and can see the light, so I am dedicated and motivated to learn.
After graduation, I got my Utah Real Estate License through my Business Minor. For several years, I practiced real estate as a sales agent, but never fully treated it like a career. It ended up becoming more and more of a drag on my psyche. For about a year and a half, I started applying to new jobs but quickly learned that my resume was not very strong and that Real Estate was not a great thing to have on my work experience. After muddling through the job board websites for eternity, I finally stumbled upon a company called Lendio. I interviewed and soon thereafter started working there in Nov 2015. This company has been a godsend for me. In the six months I have been here, I have grown so much and learned so much about myself and the business world. I love my coworkers, I love the work I do, and I love the coaching that is available if you want to improve. This job is like a psychiatry session every single day. People will push you when you need, it. They will reassure you when you need it. And they will poke fun of you when you need it. It is perfect for me.
Something unique about me is that I am absolutely obsessed with cars and the automotive industry. I am usually thinking about cars in the background of anything else I am doing. I can get into very heated conversations about cars with other car nuts. I am also a very passionate dog lover. I have a Wire Fox Terrier who I am obsessed with. Finally, I am a very loyal and dedicated sports fan (Jazz, Utah, Lions, Tigers). I absolutely cannot stand soccer. I have been on a bowling league for 12 years.
My strengths are using technology and other tools to get jobs done the fastest. I usually know an app or website that can make work or projects much simpler and easier. I am also a critical thinker, something that Lendio is instilling in me. I am also very good at using maps and directions to make physical projects more time-effective.
In this class, I expect to learn how to juggle many different projects and timelines at the same time while continuing to grow as a group coworker and leader. I expect to be pushed and I expect to be uncomfortable, especially because my other class this semester is going to be rigorous. I expect to be graded fairly and to enjoy going to class.
I am committed to coming to class every week on time and completing the assignments before the due date. I am committing to making my group happy they chose me to be on their team. I am committed to doing as much of the reading as my time affords me. I am committed to making the class an enjoyable place to be.