Communication and Employability in IT

Web Based Communication

2013-05-30T04:19:00.001-07:00

Personal Development Plan

2013-05-30T04:07:00.002-07:00

Attributes Valued By Employers

2013-04-18T04:55:00.000-07:00

Barriers To Effective Communication

2013-04-18T04:54:00.003-07:00

Barriers to Effective Communication

A barrier is something that blocks you from getting to something or somewhere. In terms speaking to an audience, there can be many communication barriers. For example general communication barriers, interpersonal communication barriers or written barriers. These may stop the audience from learning from the speaker. If you are not careful and aware of the diversity of your audience you may offend someone with something you say.

General communication:

Language can be a big barrier in communication as the two people communicating may not speak the same language, for example if you were to speak English to someone who only speaks mandarin, their would be a big barrier in trying to communicate with that person and the conversation would have a lot of difficulty. Language could also be a problem if you were speaking to someone who used a lot of jargon and you couldn’t understand much of what they were trying to say.

The use of technology could be a barrier in general communication as the audience you are speaking to may not be familiar with technology and they may not be confident using computers. Cultural differences may also be a communication barrier to effect communication as if you are talking to someone from a different racial background they may have some misconceptions of things you are saying. For example you could say something that someone else may perceive as being racist. The tone of voice used by a speaker could also be a barrier.

If someone is speaking in a monotone voice and being very droll then there is less chance of the audience listening and taking in any information from them. If you are speaking to an audience you need to be aware of the diversity of that audience. You may be speaking to a range of differently skilled people or people from a wide range of cultural and racial backgrounds. You need to be aware of the diversity of the audience incase you say something that may offend someone who’s listening. For example, you couldn’t give a speech on how all Muslims are terrorists to an audience that had Muslims in it. The age of the audience could also be a barrier as the audience may be too young to understand what you’re talking about, or in the reverse situation, the audience may be too old to understand the jargon or language that you use.

For example if you were talking about advanced computing to an audience of elderly people who didn’t use computers, they may have difficulty in understanding some of the things you say. Distractions could be a big barrier in a classroom situation. You may be trying to listen and learn from a teacher but there could be a lot of noise and talking in the background. This would distract you from what the teacher is talking about. Lack of concentration also causes a barrier in general communication as if you are sitting staring out the window whilst the teacher is talking then you won’t really be taking in anything that the teacher is saying. This could affect your learning and reduce your chance of passing that class.

Asking too many questions will also put a barrier between the audience and the speaker, it is good to ask questions but sometimes asking too many questions will give the speaker less time to get through their actual presentation. It is a good idea to wait until the end before letting the audience question you so they can hear everything you have to say. This may also reduce the amount of questions asked as you might be about to cover the questions they have to ask over the next few minutes of your presentation.

The amount of time allotted to you may also be a barrier in communication as you might not have enough time to cover all the points you want to cover or you might not have enough time left at the end to answer questions from the audience.

Another barrier would be disabilities. For example, if some members of the audience are deaf then they wont be able to hear what you’re saying so you need to make sure you have a highly visible PowerPoint for them to read so they can keep track of the presentation and what you are saying. If an audience member is blind then you need to speak out loud and clearly so they can understand the point of what you are saying.

Interpersonal Communication:

Body language could be a barrier in interpersonal communication. For example if you are trying to talk to someone and they are slouched over and have their head down then it would be very hard to talk to that personal. In a job interview situation your body language is very important as it will give the employer an automatic opinion on what you are like as a person or how you would act in a work place environment.

Background noise could be a barrier in interpersonal communication as you may be working in an office with a lot of other people. For example if you were working for the rainbow light charity and you were on the phone to a client but you couldn’t hear them because you are in a very busy working environment then the background noise of the working environment is acting as a barrier in interpersonal communication. Background noise can include noise from outside, noise from other students, loud voices in the next room, construction work in the building, the phone, noise from equipment r noise from air conditioning. There are ways to reduce this such as using instant messaging instead of talking; this would mean you don’t have to hear the other person talking to you to understand them. Rules and punishments could be used to stop people talking within the classroom. You could close windows and blinds to block the noise coming in from outside. Close the office or classroom doors if there is noise coming from nearby rooms or classrooms.

Negative emotions are a barrier in communication as you could be trying to talk to someone but they may be in a bad mood and they wouldn’t want to listen. For example if while working at the rainbow light charity, you need to ask one of your co-workers to do something, they may not be listening to you or may not want to do what they are asked because of their mood and emotions. Negative emotions could be created by a hostile environment in the work place were the colleagues aren’t getting on well and cannot work well together.

This could also result in a lack of commitment which is also a barrier to interpersonal communication.

Written Communication:

When using written communication there can be barriers in communicating. Formatting could be a big one. For example if a letter is badly laid out and there is different information all over the place then you may not be able to make sense of what the letter is actually about. A document should be structured in a neat order to allow the reader to make sense of it easily. It also helps to format your text by using bold, underlining, italics etc. It is important to keep the layout consistent and use paragraphs and clear headings. Bad grammar can also be a barrier. If the grammar of a text or an email or a letter is too bad then you might not be able to make any sense of it. Spelling and grammar errors make you or your companies seem a lot less professional. Having bad spelling and grammar will have a big negative impact on your ability to communicate via e-mails, letters or text messages.

Language may also be a barrier. For example someone may send you a letter than is written using Chinese symbols that you can’t understand. Or in a reverse situation you might send a non English speaking person a letter written in English that they can’t understand. This can block communication between you two as you are unable to find a common language that you can both understand that you can converse though.

There are many ways to avoid poor structure or poor grammar. You could take more time to proof read documents and correct your mistakes using the spelling and grammar checker on your computer. It may also help to let someone else read your work and let them point out any layout or grammar errors. Having someone else’s point of view will really help you to improve your documents or letters. You could use clear headings and subheadings or you could bullet point the key points of your message. You should lay all your documents out in a neat logical order so people can easily locate and read key information. You could search the internet and find some templates to help you properly structure your documents.

Written Communcation Skills

2013-03-20T18:25:00.003-07:00

Written Communication Skills

What is communication in general?

General communication includes talking, texting, e-mailing, blogging, notice boards etc. Communication is a way of telling someone something, or teaching someone something.

There are many forms of written communication. These include e-mail, blogging, texting etc. Written communication is the process of communicating via type. The official definition of written communication skills is “to communicate using symbols”. Communication is necessary for us to interact with each other and to learn from each other. General communication would be used in the rainbow organisation to talk to clients and to teach them how to use talking books and to take orders from clients. The staff at rainbow communication would use general communication to interact with clients and other staff. They would communicate to give orders to other staff or to ask a colleague to do something.

E-mail

E-mail can be very important in the work place as it is a fast and effective way of communicating with colleagues. E-mail is necessary for colleagues and clients to interact with each other. For example, someone may need to tell you about an up coming meeting so they will send you an e-mail about it. It is important that you use clear, well written English so that the recipient can read and understand the message. It is important to proof read your e-mail before you send it. You could also ask for feedback to be certain that your e-mail is understood. E-mail improves communication between staff and clients as it is a fast and efficient way of getting a message to someone. E-mail could cause problems if it is not used properly, for example if you sign up to web sites using your company e-mail address it will cause the company to receive a lot of spam mail and a lot of annoyance.

Letters

There are a few different types of letters. Acceptance letters for accepting a job, Acknowledgement letters to let someone know that you have received their message, application letters to apply for a job, refusal letters to turn down a job or resignation letters to notify your employer that you are leaving a position. A letter should begin with a brief introduction explaining what it’s about. Then after you have written your message there should be a summary that sums up the letter. Letters are a professional way to communicate with clients, but if they are used frequently, the company’s address could be passed on to mailing lists. Mailing lists would cause the company to receive a lot of unwanted letters. Letters are also not a very fast way of communication as it may take a day or two to reach the intended person, depending on where they live. An employee at the rainbow charity would use a letter if they were writing to a client or if they wanted to send instructions with a product. It is important that you use a clear and easy to read font.

Interpersonal Skills

2013-02-26T01:44:00.002-08:00

Effective Communication

What are interpersonal skills?

Interpersonal skills are the skills you use to interact with the people around you. This could be in a job interview situation, a school situation or a social situation. Interpersonal communication is the process of exchanging information or feelings by using verbal or non-verbal communication. Interpersonal skills are not just about what is said, they are about the language used, the tone of voice, the facial expressions and the gestures and body language.

Why are these important?

These are important as they will shape people’s opinion of you. If you have good interpersonal skills then are more likely to get on with people and your job interviews will go quite well. Interpersonal skills are important within the rainbow light charity as you will be interacting with others on a day to day basis. You need to have good interpersonal skills to work alongside others. For example if a volunteer was going to show a client how to use the talking book, their voice would need to be appropriate for the time. They would need to have a clear voice so they can teach the client how to use the book without them misunderstanding.

Body Language as a Volunteer

If you go for a job interview dressed well and you speak clearly and politely then you are a lot more likely to get the job than you would if you turn up in a tracksuit and mumbled all through the interview. Your body language would also be important as you would not get the job if you were sitting there slouched in the chair and biting your nails or if you were just staring at the wall and not paying attention to the interviewer. You would need to have good eye contact with the interviewer and not be looking out the window otherwise you would give the impression that you are bored and not interested in getting the job. If you sit up straight and make eye contact with the interviewer it gives a good impression and will help you get the job.

Listening Skills as a Volunteer

As a volunteer, your listening skills will be constantly used. You need to be able to listen to your management to heed instructions so you know what you have to do. You also need to be able to help the clients. You will have to listen to things that clients need to be taught and then you will need to show them what they need to know, for example, how to use talking books. If you have bad listening skills then you may lose your job as a result of that. Listening skills in this case are vital and you will need to use them on a daily basis to carry out your work.

Learning Styles

2013-01-24T06:16:00.001-08:00

Introduction to Learning Styles

Learning styles are a way to help improve your quality of learning. By understanding your own personal styles, you can adapt the learning process and techniques you use. This blog was made to help you get a better understand learning styles, as well as providing an easy way to discover your own styles.

Visual

If you use the visual style, you prefer using images, pictures, colors, and maps to organize information and communicate with others. You can easily visualize objects, plans and outcomes in your mind's eye. You also have a good spatial sense, which gives you a good sense of direction. You can easily find your way around using maps, and you rarely get lost. When you walk out of an elevator, you instinctively know which way to turn.

Visual learners would learn by including drawings in their notes to help them remember things, Highlighting important information and replacing words with symbols wherever possible.

Aural

If you use the aural style, you like to work with sound and music. You have a good sense of pitch and rhythm. You typically can sing, play a musical instrument, or identify the sounds of different instruments. Certain music invokes strong emotions. You notice the music playing in the background of movies, TV shows and other media. You often find yourself humming or tapping a song or jingle, or a theme or jingle pops into your head without prompting.

Aural learners would be good at talking and listening exercises and they would study better by recording their notes on an mp3 player and listening to them over and over.

Kinesthetic

Kinesthetic learners would spend a lot of time moving about, they learn better through practical activities and actually going out and doing things. Most kinesthetic learners are into sport and exercise. For example a kinesthetic leaner would rather pull a computer apart and put it back together rather than read a book or notes on how to do it.

Kinesthetic learners would study better through the use of flashcards and role playing.

Social

Social learners prefer to work within groups and classes. They tend to listen to others ideas and motivate people. Social learners work well with in a team and would rather do something with a group than on their own. Social learners should aim to work with others as much as possible.

Social learners would study better in study groups.

Logical

Logical learners like using their brain to work things out and they are usually very good at math. Logical learners are able to do complex equations in their head. They have scientific views on everything and aren’t very religious. Logical learners like to create agendas and to-do lists. They like to play games that involve strategies.

Logical learners study best by making lists and highlighting key points from their notes.

Solitary

Solitary learners are more private and they like do everything on their own. They can concentrate well and focus on a given topic. Solitary learners spend a lot of time thinking about the past. They usually keep a diary or a journal. They hate crowds and like to be isolated. Solitary learners make plans and set goals.

Solitary learners’ study alone using self study and they only use teachers to get information that they can’t find for themselves.

Find your own learning style here!

My learning style is kinesthetic I found this out using this learning styles quiz which you can do too!

http://www.brainboxx.co.uk/a3_aspects/pages/vak_quest.htm

Now that I am aware of what my learning style is I will be able to aid my learning by following the advice given on the site to enhance my study skills so I will be able to learn and progress better than before. Before finding out that I am a kinesthetic learner I tried to study by reading over notes but now I know that I can learn more effectively through practical activities and actually

You can also take this more detailed quiz:

http://www.learning-styles-online.com/inventory/questions.php?cookieset=y

Here's my results!

Now that I know my learning style I can learn using things like flash cards, use role playing and exercise my practical skills as much as possible, knowing my learning style will help me study and learn alot more. The physical learning style was the secret behind the great Russian athletic success in the last few decades, they knew their learning style so they knew exactly how they could train to perform to the best of their ability. The best study technique for a physical learning style is to study using big sheets of paper and bright coloured markers. Physical learners will usually use highlighters alot in their work.

Employee Attributes

2012-12-13T05:58:00.001-08:00

Employee Attributes

An attribute is a quality or feature regarded as a characteristic or part of someone or something. People applying to work at the rainbow charity will need a certain set of job specific skills. They will also need to know how to create talking books and put them on to CDs, this is a job specific skill.

Specific Attributes

Job-related attributes are very specific to a particular organization or role. The need for these attributes may change depending on the functional department and your position. The need for technical knowledge is very personal and job specific.

A job specific attribute would be IT & software skills. The company can’t hire people that aren’t capable of doing the work. For example the applicants need to be able to create audiobooks and instruction booklets on how to use them so if they can’t do that then they aren’t of much use to the company.

Software skills

Applicants to the job may need to have skills in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint to make the blog look good, this is important for getting the blog to perfect for the target audience. Applicants will need to have database making skills.

General Attributes Skills

Planning skills

Organisational skills

Time management

Team working

Verbal skills

Written communication skills

Numeracy

Creativity

Attitudes

People applying to Rainbow would need to be dependable so the manager can trust them to get work done. The manager needs to know that their employees are trustworthy and can be left to do work. If they aren’t dependable then the manager wont be confident in them which may result in the employee losing their job.

People who are hired to work on blogs will need to be confident in what they are talking about so that they can consistently update the blog with useful important information.

They need to be motivated and their work rate needs to be consistent. If they are not motivated and consistent then the standard of the work produced by the company would slip.

Rainbow Volunteers need to have self motivation as there are no wages to motivate them to work. Volunteers need to have suficient time and resources to help them in their role.

Communication Skills

Verbal

Verbal communication consists of speaking clearly, keeping calm and being able to talk effectively with your co-workers. If the employees can remain calm and polite it will benifit the the process of the company. You will use verbal communication when consulting customers or when you are recording your voice for the talking books. If you are speaking in a talking book you need to have a loud, clear, friendly voice which is easy to listen to. This is to keep the customers happy, if they didn’t like listening to the voice in the talking books then they would not want to keep buying the books.

Non-Verbal

Non verbal communicationare things like gestures, body languages or just other ways to generally communicate with someone or something without using your voice. This would be used in the job a lot as you would be required to send a lot of emails or talk to customers via letters etc.