Travel Snacks

What kind of snacks do you bring for your plane ride? Even if your ticket says a meal or snack is available, they don't give it to you until at least 30 minutes after take-off. What if you're stuck on the tarmac for 30 minutes or more?

There are several things to take into account when deciding what to bring. Will it make you even more dehydrated than the airplane will? Will it be smelly to the other people on the plane? Will it make it through security?

Once on the airplane, your access to water is limited, so don't bring anything that will make you thirsty. Bars and pubs generally put out bowls of snacks that will make you thirsty so you will order more drinks. Think of the snacks you have seen at the bars and don't bring those. You don't need to make yourself any more thirsty that you already are.

Fruit is a good choice, but be careful not to bring fruit with smells that will annoy the other passengers. There's no need to get your neighbors upset while trapped together in a giant metal container at 30,000 feet. Good choices are apples, grapes and cherries. Avoid bananas and oranges. Not only do they put out odors that some might consider offensive, they leave your fingers sticky and wishing you could rinse them off.

Baby carrots are a good choice. They are bite size, moist and have some fiber. Brocolli would be a bad choice. Too much fiber. The fart sponge you'll be sitting on can only absorb so much.

Forget the applesauce, pudding and Jell-O. The snack size containers you buy in the store exceed the limitations for national security and they will likely be confiscated. Ironically, they will let you bring a frozen ice pack - the kind you leave in your freezer and put in a cooler. Just make sure it's frozen when you take it through security. If it melts, it becomes a liquid that is in a container over 3 ounces and you know what happens to those...

When selecting your snacks at the store, be sure to check the ingredients on the labels. If you're trying to limit your carbohydrate intake, forget about bringing breakfast bars or granola bars. Even the "low-sugar" ones have too many carbs. Mini muffins are a better choice.

If you're travelling with someone, why not make a snack pack for them too? They will probably appreciate the hospitality and have fun opening up their snack pack gift.

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Architectural Portfolios

I recently prepared a "FAQ" page regarding portfolios which architecture students prepare in order to display their work to potential employers. I am including it here as an example of my work and to provide guidance to college students.


Each year, we receive hundreds of job inquiries, some with portfolios and some without. An architectural class at a nearby university surveyed architectural firms, including ours, to discover what is “most admired in portfolio design”. We have assembled them into this FAQ, anticipating that other students may have similar questions.


What size of a portfolio works best?
If you are sending us your portfolio, something that fits in a file folder or hanging file, meaning no larger than 8 ½” x 11”, is preferred. However, if there is only one copy and we are looking at it during an interview, probably 11” x 17” would be the largest size.


Is digital media an asset? Is it ever just passed on?
Two schools of thought: Hard copies are easier to share with other decision makers because we can walk up to them, show it to them, and point out the highlights.
Digital media is easier to pass along in an email especially if it needs to go to several decision makers at the same time, or if those people are unavailable in person. Of course, if it is an animation or fly through, then it makes sense to do it that way. Keep in mind that the person initially receiving the digital media might not have the software needed to view that type of work.


How easy or difficult are loose-leaf pages to deal with in reviewing? Would you recommend binding over loose-leaf?
It depends on how big it is. If it’s more than 5 pages it’s probably better for it to be bound. With fewer pages, we may just staple them together or leave them separate. If your portfolio pages can become separated from your resume and/or cover letter, you should have your name somewhere on the page so we don’t get it mixed up with someone else’s work.


What type of binding works best?
Any kind that allows the book to lay flat when fully opened.


Do you prefer to see just architectural projects or should renderings, sculpture and photography work be included?
All examples of your creative work are helpful for us to see.


How many projects are appropriate?
About five. Choose the top five that represent your strengths and the type of projects you hope to work on. If you are asked to come in for an interview, you can bring additional examples to further explain your work.


Is it better to have a highly designed portfolio with elaborate cover and bindings or overly simple to show off the work?
It depends on what you want us to focus on – your skills in marketing and publishing or your skills in architecture. A simple but elegantly designed portfolio allows us to focus on your architectural work without distraction.


What is an example of a portfolio that stands out in your memory? What made it different? Was its difference good?
We receive hundreds of resumes every year. About half of those include some type of example of their work, usually a digital file such as a pdf or jpg. The portfolios we have received are all unique. Size, color, binding, sequence, text, font, layout – you name it, it’s always different. The positive things that stand out to us are:
Simple cover with your name on the front
Your contact information
Consistent format throughout – both in photo layout and project descriptions.
Gives credit to the team. If you’re including a rendering of a building, be clear about what your role was.


Should a resume be included in the bound portfolio or separate?
Either way is fine. Sometimes having it in both places is helpful in case they get separated.


What is the best advice you can give on portfolio creation?
Know your audience. Know what message you want to get across and stick to that. Use industry standard publishing guidelines. Use your money wisely.


Is it considered impolite to ask that the portfolio be returned?
It’s perfectly acceptable to ask for your portfolio back. We know that you invested time and money to develop it and that you don’t have an endless supply. We can’t always tell, though, if we’ve received your only copy or if it’s one of many. If you want it back, it’s best to let us know up front. Even if you get all the way through the interview process and we don’t make you a job offer, it’s still perfectly acceptable for you to ask for your portfolio back. After all, you’ll probably need it when you interview elsewhere.


The official FAQ can be found here:
http://www.gsc-inc.com/23/Internship.htm

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Funny Headlines

• Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
• Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
• Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
• Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax
• Farmer Bill Dies in House
• British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
• Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
• Miners Refuse to Work after Death
• Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
• War Dims Hope for Peace
• If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
• Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
• Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
• Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
• Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge
• New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
• Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
• Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
• Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy
• Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
• Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
• Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

Source: http://plainlanguage.gov/examples/humor/headlines.cfm

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