Education

Which life lessons stick with you?

When I was 7, I started taking violin lessons from a woman named Mrs. Pollack. She was a no-nonsense instructor who demanded the most of her students, regardless of their age.

From second through eighth grades, I dutifully attended my classes, learning more than just how to pull a bow across the strings. Mrs. Pollack taught me the importance of hard work, sacrifice and perseverance. She taught me to pay attention to the details because, quite simply, they matter.

I’ve taken these lessons with me throughout my life. If I’m going to put my name on something, I’m going to make sure it’s right. Mrs. Pollack’s high expectations of me taught me to have high expectations of myself.

And thanks to her, I still sit up straight in my chair to this very day.

Nikki Sandoval, MBA, Class of 2003
Executive Director, Alumni Association
University of Phoenix
alumni@phoenix.edu

Career tip of the month

In a recent article I read titled “Recruiters Reveal Pet Peeves About Job Seekers” published on Monster.com, one recruiter revealed the more you tailor your resume, the better. “Job seekers hurt their own cause when they don’t focus on specific ways they can help potential employers and instead simply mass distribute their resume,” says DeLynn Senna, executive director, Robert Half International.

Phoenix Focus won the 2012 IABC Phoenix Copper Quill Award of Excellence in the Magazine category.