Blog Posts

What's Happening in the Hive?

3/9/2018

Written by: Christian Guzman

#Enough: National School Walk Out
Women’s March Sacramento Youth Program and Women’s March Youth Empower is calling for all allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10 a.m. across every time zone on March 14, 2018. This national event is to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweets, thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods. Supporters are encouraged to not only participate on school campus’ but also within the workplace, their home, or simply spreading the word throughout the population around them.

Women's March and their partners will also be holding a rally near the California State Capitol to bring media attention, speakers and messaging to the issue of gun control and lack of legislative efforts to prevent a mass shooting from happening again.

Location: 555 Capitol Mall, Sacramento CA, 95814

Many believe this is a problem in our country that needs to be addressed more seriously. What are some ideas you think could help solve this problem? Let us know in the comments section below!

For more information and possible ways that you can contribute, visit the website:
https://www.womensmarchsac.com/national-school-walkout-sacramento/

Midtown’s Cantina Alley
Trying to spice up your evening? La Cantina gives you an opportunity to live the traditions of Mexico in our beloved California capital. Once you step into the restaurant it feels like you crossed the border. It is filled with artifacts, paintings, and artwork straight from Mexico. Not only does it provide an authentic atmosphere, but it also offers you with the best hand picked tequila, mezcales, craft and draft beers imported from Mexico.

Since its opening in the Summer of 2017, it has won four awards including Best New Restaurant, Best Mexican Restaurant and Most Trendiest Bar and won the 2017 Vegan Chef Challenge.

I highly recommended for casual outings, dinner with the family, or late night munchies. La Cantina offers food during hours many restaurants can’t provide. On the weekends after 11:00pm they serve street dogs and tacos inside their patio.

The decision to go here is easy, choosing what to eat may be the hardest part. Never drink and drive. Lyft and Uber offer a safe alternative way to get home.

My top five recommendations would be: the baja fish taco, the pambazo, ceviche, tingas, and al pastor taco. For cocktails, I strongly suggest the Abuelitas ponche and the Mezcalita.

Location: 2320 Jazz Alley, Sacramento, CA

Hora Panchanga (happy hour): 3 - 5 p.m.

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 3:00pm-10:00pm
Friday 3 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Saturday 12 p.m. -2 a.m.
Sunday 12 p.m-10:00pm
Monday Closed

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The Key to Creating a Perfect Cover Letter

3/7/2018

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Written by: Dillon Byrne, Jordyn Dollarhide, and Mesayla Weaver

It's likely that you did not have a cover letter when you applied for your first job. And why would you? Society has taught us that most minimum wage paying jobs are not formal enough to require a cover letter. But what is a cover letter?

A cover letter is a one-page document that accompanies your resume when you apply for a job. This document is meant to help you introduce yourself to your future employer, and it explains why you would be a good fit for the job. A cover letter is meant to complement a resume by addressing the information your resume cannot cover, as well as further elaboration on the details it enlists. A well-crafted cover letter paired with a well-written resume can offer a more descriptive insight for an employer as to who is applying for the job.

All cover letters should begin with both the contact information for yourself as well as
your future employer. A quick tip: try to only put your phone number, name and email as ways of contact. Only add your address if specifically asked for. Including an address may restrict your options of occupations, and employers might not be interested if you live a good distance away. This is true even if you are interested in relocating.

Next comes the introduction. This is a short paragraph where you tell your future employer who you are and what position you are applying for. This often includes how you heard about the company or the position. It is important to note that you should never start off with “To whom it may concern.” This is informal and it is very common. If you want to stand out and impress your future employer, do some research. Find out on LinkedIn who will be interviewing you, or you can call the company and ask. But this little extra something will show you have drive.

The second paragraph is where you sell yourself. In this section, you’ll describe your skill set and abilities, as well as relevant past job experiences. Use examples from your past occupations and relate them to the qualifications specified for the job. One way to really personalize the cover letter for the employer is to word and reference your skill sets in a way that directly answers the qualifications and skills specified in the job posting. It's important not to oversell yourself, but also don’t sell yourself short. Make it seem like you are truly the best fit for the position.

The third and final paragraph is where you wrap it all up. Tell your future employer that you would love to sit down with them for an interview. Mention that there is more about you that you would like to elaborate on. Add that you will be in contact with them in about a week’s time for a follow-up. And, most importantly, thank them for taking the time to read over your qualifications.

Lastly, don't forget to double check your work. A single grammatical or spelling error will make you appear unprofessional. When you use names, make sure you spell them correctly too.
Below is an example of a cover letter template from thebalance.com:

Your Name
Your Phone Number
Your Email

Date

Name
Title
Organization
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:
I am interested in the author's assistant position at ABC Company, as advertised in XXX. I am currently employed as legislative director for Assemblywoman XXXX, Chairperson of the NYS Assembly. I believe that the skills and experiences I have gained at this position make me an ideal candidate for the job of author’s assistant.

As legislative director, I have developed strong writing and editing skills. For example, one of my main duties is to prepare Assemblywoman XXXX’s personal legislation, which deals with issues related to her position as Senior Member of the NYS Assembly Standing Committee.
This duty requires meticulous writing and editing skills, and an ability to convey complex legal ideas clearly. I have prepared dozens of pieces of legislation and received praise for the clarity of my writing.

I have also gained extensive experience in legal and policy research – fields that you state the author’s assistant must be familiar with. My experience in the NYS Assembly has afforded me the opportunity to become familiar with the consolidated and unconsolidated laws of the State of New York. In particular, through my work with Assemblywoman XXXX, I have become heavily involved in the current welfare and Medicaid reform movement. I am always eager to learn more about state legislation, reading up on these topics on my own time to become more knowledgeable. I would love to bring this passion for policy and law to your company.

I am confident that my experience in the Legislature and my research and writing skills qualify me for consideration. If you would like, I can provide you with current samples of my work. I have also enclosed my resume. I look forward to meeting with you and discussing my qualifications in more detail.

Sincerely,
Signature (hard copy letter)
First Name Last Name

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College Hacks: Top 4 Tips to Help you Study like a Pro

3/5/2018

5 Comments

Written by: Jordan Farley, Ashley Melendez, and Amber Cortland

Let’s be honest. We all want maximum results with minimal effort. In other words, “we all about that hack life.” Lucky for you, we have done the hard work for you and researched the most efficient ways to help you study proactively.

#1 Exercise regularly: Now before you think of a million reasons why there just isn’t enough time in the day for that nonsense, please allow us to make an argument. A research study was conducted by Harvard University and concluded that 120 minutes of moderate intense exercise a week enhanced memory and thinking skills. It has been proven to enlarge the size of the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that involves verbal memory and learning.

In other words, our brain would retain information at a faster rate, meaning we won't have to read the same page 10 times to actually understand it. For those who are still not convinced they have the time to exercise 30 minutes a day let me ask one question. How many episodes did you binge watch on Netflix last week? Give up one episode four days a week and you’ve made up for lost time!

#2 Listen to music: The Mozart Effect, a term coined by Alfred A. Tomatis, is the direct result of his study suggesting that listening to music can refine one’s intelligence. Yes, you read that right… music. We’re guessing you’re a little confused at how this could actually help and not distract you from studying, and while many try to argue this, we are here to explain. Music with calm and relaxing vibes, like film scores, can actually help ease the stress and anxiety of students while they study.

In some situations, students have used music for memorization, by creating a favorable mood which indirectly advances memory structure. Also, background music has been known to enhance focus on a task by giving motivation and again creating a favorable mood. Music can help with endurance during long periods of studying, and we don’t know about you but that is one of the biggest challenges for us while studying.

#3 Download the Flora app: Flora is an app that lets you help the environment, while helping you concentrate. Let's face it, in the modern world of technology there are so many ways we can get distracted with our phones, laptops, and TVs, but flora can help fix that. When you start studying you turn on the app and adjust your time between breaks. While studying you start with a “seed” which grows into a tree if you do not use your phone during the allotted time, but if you do it will kill your tree.

If that doesn't motivate you enough, you can also use money as a motive. Just put down an amount you are willing to lose and if you use your phone, not only does the tree die but you also lose your money. But don’t fret your money is going to a good cause, all the money you lost goes to planting new trees to help our environment. This app can be used alone or with friends in study groups. Also it can be used for more than just studying, but any time you want to enjoy life, technology free.

#4 Use your senses: There have been numerous studies done about how to improve study tips, but we have found three that use the senses: sight, taste and smell. Yes you read that right, taste! The first can incorporate two senses, taste and scent. Have you ever studied numerous hours just to forget it all when it's exam time? If that sounds like you, then try this hack. When you’re studying information, spray a unique or unfamiliar scent and spray it again right before your test! This can also work with taste, while studying chew a weird or different flavor of gum and do it again right as you start your test. This will jog your memory!

Lastly is sight. If you type your notes on your laptop, which is becoming more popular than writing, it has been proven that the font can be important to retaining information. Avoid easy to read fonts, such as arial. These fonts tend to be more easily skimmed over. Instead, use a more challenging font so that you take the time to carefully read the information, and therefore have a better chance of retaining what you read.

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What's Happening in the Hive?

3/5/2018

3 Comments

By: Davina Saenz & Karen Garcia

We don’t know about you but we’re the kind of people who love to eat and love trying new things. Luckily, we live in a city with so many different restaurants and cafes to try! Seriously, have you guys tried venturing off into midtown or even downtown? There are so many cute and yummy eateries around every corner. Here are a couple of cool places you might want to check out.

Tower Cafe
Tower Cafe is an outdoor/indoor international themed restaurant, serving food from a variety of different countries and cultures with vegan and gluten free options. The outdoor patio resembles a tropical rainforest with oak tables buried between many different kinds of shade trees complete with outdoor heaters. Once inside, the walls are decorated with ornaments such as African masks, Dia de los Muertos figurines and statues from India.

There are many different cultural styles of food you can find here, but you cannot leave without trying the french toast! Their award-winning food and pastries have earned them the title of the best brunch spot in Sacramento by KCRA 3 A-list.

Tower cafe also offers a great happy hour menu with special appetizer menu items like Jalisco style empanadas, garlic fries, and Mexican pizza. For drinking it doesn't matter if you are a wine or beer person because they have both! Draft beers are as cheap as 5 bucks. Don't like wine or beer? They also have some fruity margaritas and non-alcoholic versions as well. Just visit anytime Monday - Friday from 3-6 p.m. for this special.

Hours: Sundays - Thursdays 8AM - 10PM Friday - Saturdays 8 AM - 11PM
Location: 1518 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95818

Rick’s Dessert Diner
Hopefully you aren’t too full after dinner and you are looking for something to satisfy your sweet tooth. If that’s the case, then you can head down to Rick’s Dessert Diner located right on J Street in Downtown. Rick’s Dessert Diner is a 1950s themed diner filled with different European and American style desserts. From cakes to ice cream sundaes this diner has 285 different delicious treats. Pair your dessert with a cup a coffee or a glass of wine; they have all that your cravings may desire. If that doesn’t convince you to try it out, how about the fact that they have been voted no. 1 on Sacramento Magazine’s Best Dessert since they opened in 1986?

Hours: Monday: 10 AM - 11 PM
Tuesday through Thursday: 10 AM - 12 AM, Friday and Saturday: 10 AM - 1 AM, Sunday: 12 Noon - 11 PM
Location: 2401 J Street,Sacramento, CA 95816

Although Sacramento may be small, we do have many hidden gems located all over the place. Our job is to help you find them so you can explore all that this amazing city has to offer. Come back next week for new locations!

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Saving Pennies with JCPenney

3/1/2018

2 Comments

Written By: Eric Phomthevy, Johnny Chao & Michelle Mott

First impressions matter; that’s a proven fact. Therefore it’s imperative that all the small things under your control are utilized to make sure you have the right footing going into the workforce. Most of us know that we have to look snazzy for interviews, but just how important is it when it comes to landing a job? Well, let’s take a look at a few examples, both recent and dated.

Kim Zoller, founder and president of Image Dynamics, said that common mistakes amongst candidates are not paying attention to details. Wearing ill-fitting or too-tight of clothes can appear lazy or sloppy. It’s better to choose an outfit that is customary to your industry and take it up a notch. Some of us will be applying for companies that are modern and focused around the individuality of the Millennial generation, in which case a nice, clean-cut suit will surely do the job.

Another example comes from phenomenon studied in the early 1900s by E.L. Thorndike, a psychologist who found that an interviewer decides whether or not you are right for the job within the first 10 seconds of meeting.

In short: dressing to impress matters, but don’t worry, fellow Hornets. We have the know how on just how to dress up for the job you want and price in mind.

Dressing professional can be tricky, but once you learn the basics it’s a five minute routine. For most men, form-fitting clothing is not a top priority. However, men’s professional wear is quite simple.

The first step of any great impression is to have clothes that correctly fit your body. Knowing your body measurements will make finding clothes easier. Having measurements of your neck, chest, waist, and inseam will determine what size dress shirt, coat, pants, tie and belt you should buy. When it comes to men’s wearing a simple fitted dress shirt, slacks and dress shoes work great for any professional event.

Every company and function will have different ideas on a professional dress, so try to find out the appropriate attire either by asking someone within the company or looking at the information provided for the event. If the occasion calls for a vest, blazer or tie always remember to color match shoes to belts, vest to ties, and if wearing a suit, jacket to pants.

For women it can tend to be a little more tricky. We have the problem on our shoulders of balancing classiness… with sexiness. These days it seems it can be a little easier to slip up than anyone thought. A little too much collarbone shown and you can lose a chunk of your (hopefully good) reputation.

I always think the best way to avoid this problem is to play it safe. Something that may not be provocative to you, might be to your employer. Although it’s never about what others think of you, you want to be on good standings because life happens and you never know where you’ll end up. Whether married, single, or somewhere in between, save the sexiness for elsewhere.

When judging whether my outfit for the night is appropriate and fitting I always think about my parents- what would they think if they saw me in this? Would they feel uncomfortable? If both answers are good, you have a green light!

Looking appropriate is important, but feeling confident is a must. That’s why I shop at JCPenney for my professional attire. Their slacks always have elastic belts on the inside which make them so comfortable for me to wear all day- at my internships in the morning and after to school. The blouses that they offer are easy to dress up or dress down as well as the shoes, you’ll have to see for yourself. But the best part? The prices. JCPenney is affordable even for the average college student, and they’re sweetening the deal a little more for Sacramento State Students.

Sacramento State’s Career Center is partnering up with JCPenney to offer Sac state students and Alumni up to 70 percent off on professional wear. This event is on Sunday, March 4th during the hours of 6:30 p.m. -9:30 p.m. Bring your one card to receive 40% off your purchase.

It’s a great opportunity to find your career outfit for the upcoming Career Fair on Tuesday, April 3, 2018.

For more information click here.

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College Hacks: How to Save so You Have More to Spend

2/26/2018

1 Comment

Written By: Mel Vasquez and Mesayla Weaver

Whether you’re a freshman or a senior at Sac State, college will always have its challenges. These may be as simple as finding the right campus hangout spots or as serious as understanding how and what to study for before an exam. Whatever the case may be, an obstacle is an obstacle. That’s why PRSSA is here to present you with a set of college hacks every Monday! No matter what situation you’re in, we have the answers for you to conquer it. This week, we are providing you with a few helpful apps that will help you save a few pennies during your college experience.

1. Groupon is a worldwide e-commerce marketplace connecting subscribers with local markets by offering activities, travel, goods and services. It is meant for collective purchasing by offering discounts/coupons for group deals to consumers.

As a college student, self-care is super important. Between the stresses of school and work, students should take the time to do something relaxing that they can enjoy. Use the Groupon app to find some great deals on an activity you and your friends can enjoy together. Groupon includes deals on yoga sessions, massages and so much more!

2. RetailMeNot is a collection of coupon websites for any retail store. You get the best prices and cash back offers for your favorite shops and retailers - both in store and online. The app includes printable coupons, discount gift cards and online codes for everything from food, fashion, beauty products and car rentals.

This app is so convenient because it is helping you save on spending what you would have spent anyway. Being a shopper is inevitable, but being a smart shopper is a skill! Next time you are browsing the mall, be sure to be browsing your RetailMeNot app for all the latest savings too!

3. Epicurious is one of the best food apps and resources for the homecook with daily kitchen tips, fun cooking and over 30,000 recipes. This money saving app will help you get on a healthier path and stop having to buy take out every day.

As many of us know, buying food on campus can be expensive fairly quick. Epicurious is a great way to get started on meal prepping! Prepare your meals at the beginning of the week so they are ready for you to grab in the mornings before school or work. This is a convenient and affordable way to save money and time in your existing schedules.

4. Shopkick has become the app that rewards you with FREE gift cards for shopping that you already did. Open the Shopkick app while you are at home or at the mall, and you can start earning points by completing daily challenges. Points are called “kicks”. Once you rack up a certain amount of kicks, you can redeem those kicks for gift cards. This app is great for those trying to save a coin.

The great part about this app is that there is no spending necessary. All it takes to earn some kicks is walking into a store. Work in retail? This app is great for you! Download Shopkick and take a lap around the mall on your breaks. You’re getting your steps and your kicks in for the day. You’re welcome!

5. Cartwheel is specifically designed for shopping at Target. However, we have a Target super close to campus so it is likely most of us already so some shopping there anyway! With the Cartwheel app, you can streamline the store with maps and aisle locations and scan item barcodes for prices, reviews and available offers. When you find an item you want to purchase, all you have to do is scan it and add it to your mobile cart. At checkout, the associate will scan your phone and you get your discounts!

Once again, this is a great way to save during your busy schedules. With a little bit of planning you can do a lot of saving!

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Forward>>

What's Happening in the Hive?

The Key to Creating a Perfect Cover Letter

College Hacks: Top 4 Tips to Help you Study like a Pro

What's Happening in the Hive?

Saving Pennies with JCPenney

College Hacks: How to Save so You Have More to Spend

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