References

04.09.2012

References

Today lecture was about how to do good references in the documents. The purpose of this lesson to be avoiding the bad ways of references and make a good documents.

Someone's piece of work is a referencing.

1. Most students do that, end of the paragraph they put a citation like (John, 2012).

     2.  Citations always be with a . It only apply for the particular sentence only.

     3.  Otherwise you need to put it, "According to John...". This is also valid for the one sentence only.

     4.  Within the first 1/2 lines and last 1/2 lines valid the citation.

     5.  Word to word citation need to intend the paragraphs. This also need to have the literary type.

                   ex: ABCD

                            ABCD

     6.  If you write only within the one . other than that it's all might be your work.

     7.  If you are reference there might be at least one citation.

     8.  If your paragraph is someone's idea that also need to be cited.

     9.  Need to cite line by line. There might be multiple citations in paragraphs.

   10.  Citation need to be in beginning of the sentence or end of the sentence.

Useful Phrases that used in Citations.

1. As started by ABC (2012)
2. According to ABC (2012)
3. As per ABC (2012)
4. As said by ABC (2012)
5. As mentioned by ABC (2012)
6. As told by ABC (2012)
7. As reflected by ABC (2012)
8. As depict by ABC (2012)
9. Based on ABC (2012)
10. Jones (2012) started that
11. Aladdin (2012) mentioned that
12. ABC (2012) described that
13. ABC (2012) identified that
14. Based on the illustration of ABC (2012)
15. Depend on ABC (2012) idea
16. Based on the investigation by
17. As quoted by ABC (2012)
18. As suggested by ABC (2012)
19. As denoted by ABC (2012)
20. Mentioned according to ABC (2012)
21. As pointed by
22. As criticized by
23. In comparison to ABC (2012)
24. As ABC wrote / said by
25. And also
26. ABC (2012) argued by
27. ABC (2012) makes the point that
28. ABC (2012) says that
29. In accordance with the statement mentioned by ABC (2012)
30. As researched by ABC (2012)
31. As indicated by ABC (2012)
32. As justified by ABC (2012)
33. As referring to ABC (2012)
34. As cited by John (2012) in the context
35. With references to the work of ABC (2012)

Golden Rules of Referencing.

1. Do not always stick to one particular phrase to the introducing to a reference. Have mixture or variety of referencing methods like given in above.
2. Do not always caught the phrase "ABC") like copy and paste.
3. Do not catch more than three lines (Direct caughtions).
4. Always use photographs.
5. If you have multiple stations use it proper way.

                  ex: (John, 1999; Peter, 2000; James, 2009).

     6.  Try to avoid anonymous authors.

          - If the year is not there try to find it according to the document.

          - Use 2012C --> It means that circa.

   7.  When you are cited interviews, need to mention that it was a personal communication after the    name of the word.

                 pers.comm.

                 ex: (John, L.E, 2012, pers.comm., 12 May).

Learning gain of the Lecture.

Learnt what are the important things when dong the citations and referencing. Identified the lots of useful phrases that can use in citations.

Personal Opinion.

This is a really important lesson to me. I properly learnt how to do good referencing and citation from this lesson.

Project Management & Development Methodology - Part I

03.09.2012

Project Management & Development Methodology - Part I

This is the topic we discussed today. We discussed what does mean by project and project management.

There can be variety of projects like academic projects, contraction projects and so on.

We discussed what is project and project management among the class. Students were come up with different different meanings. According to that we identified below statements.

Project.

• Projects are come up with different different parties.
• Project is something that has a clear time frame, budget and overall goal (Which you need to achieve).
• Project is not a systematic thing.

Project Management.

• Project management is a systematic thing, it works according to the time period and it always expected outcome.

Stages of Projects.

• Initiation.
• Planning.
• Controlling.
• Completing.

Lets assume that we are organizing a party. Below describe the four stages of the project according to that party.

Initiation.

Initiation defines that what kind of a party we are going to have, what is the budget, venue of the particular party and when it is having.

Planning.

When it comes to the second stage, date will be fixed. Time frame should be the first day until the date of the party. It must be little bit with collaboratively. Need to plan for the below mention things.

• Find a place.
• Define the theme.
• Search sponsors and advertisements outcomes.
• Print tickets.
• Sell tickets.
• Party get merchandise.
• Decorate.
• Need to get a entertainment, food and music.

To arrange these things need to set of the people for the each tasks and divided the budget.

Controlling.

• Someone need to be looking after budget and time frame.
• All your activities will go according to that.
• How to manage new requirements.
• Whether you achieve all these within budget.

Completing.

• While completing the bigger problem in software projects is not identify the preliminary ideas and from the  begging, in the mid time period new requirements will be added.
• So you need to arrive to the win win situation for the both parties.
• Need to navigate with it.

Project scope and feasibility.

Scope.

• Scope defines what you are going to do.
• New requirements adds then need to expand the scope.
• Scope defines what you are deliver as well.
• If you are really define the scope it identify what you does in both start and end points of the project.

Feasibility.

Feasibility checks  whether the project is worth while to perceive. There are five types of feasibility.

1. Technical feasibility.

          ex:  NANO technology established at APIIT.

                - We don't have expertise and items.

                - We can't afford to the tests.

     2.  Operational feasibility.

          - Will this project actually solve the business problems.

          - How it impact to company.

     3.  Economical feasibility.

          - Associated with cost and benefits.

          - Costs divided in tangible costs and intangible costs.

          - Benefits also come up with tangible costs and intangible costs.

          - Cost benefit analysis methods.

                     --> NPV

                     --> IRR

                     --> Pay back analysis.

                     --> Benefit cost ratio.

                     --> ROI - Return of investment.

     4.  Schedule feasibility.

          -  Whether you can finish it within the time period.

     5.  Social feasibility.

          - Government use it.

          - Need to look at whether people like it or not.

Defining Goals and Aims.

Goals need to be SMART.

          - Make aims specific.

          - Make aims measurable.

          - Make aims achievable.

          - Make aims realistic.

          - Make aims with in the given time period.

          - Methodology will describe how you will attempt to achieve the aims design to problem solving.

Project Management.

Project management is disciplined of planning, organizing, managing and controlling resources to achieve project goals.

Aims activities must be completed with the time and budget of the project.

How do you Plan to Manage Your Project.

1. Need to identify what are the activities of your work.

          - Clearly identify the project plan.

          - Check the quality of the work.

          - Have quality assurance in certain intervals.

     2.  Control the project.

          - Use case tools.

                  ex: Used computer aged software engineering case tools.

                               --> Visio.

                               --> Project tracking gannt chart.

                               --> Rational tool.

          - Need to check resources loading. It's based on the payments.

     3.  Make sure that it is finish on time period.

          - Human resources are not be under pressure.

     4.  Need to do a risk assets plan.

          - Don't wait until something happened.

          - Identify what kind of risks that can be uncounted.

          - Use risk mitigation strategies.

          - Identify how are you going to address it.

     5.  Make sure you adapt a methodology.

Learning gain of the Lecture.

Learn about what is project, project management, stages of project management, scope, aims and feasibility of project management.

Personal Opinion.

Interesting lesson to make a good final year project proposal.

Presentation for Interviews - Part II

30.08.2012

Presentation for Interviews - Part II

Today we had a mock interview. Interview conducted by our lecturers Ms. Manesha and Mr. Eranjan, they were the interviewers. Sahan and Cindy were the interviewees. After the interviews lectures got us know what are the things that we must improve before we go to interviews. I'll identify it as given below.

1. Tell your weaknesses but move it to strengths. You can identify to interviewers some good strength, you already done it as weaknesses.

                ex: Perfectionist.

                Quick response. Just say that if you have more time to think then you will tend to give good reflections.

     2.   Justify the strengths. Don't give straight answer. Other wise it will be humble boosting.

• Always select three points in strengths and except the weaknesses. It fine with one  weaknesses, unless interviewer ask from you more.

Definite Questions that ask in the Interviews.

These are the questions that  interviewers are ask from interviewees. Also there are the some relevant answer to those questions.

     1.   Why do you want this job?

         - From asking this question it reflects that the job you are looking at from their company.

         - Response, motivation and enthusiasm towards the job. All of these  highlights the job you are looking for.

     2.   Try to show that you are know about the organization. Point the finger at organization in good way.

     3.   Why are you good candidate for this job?

           - Focus on the best and specific matches.

           - Highly relevant to that particular job.

     4.   What are your strengths?

           - In this questions don't give a direct questions. Prove what you are saying.

     5.   Don't demonstrate weaknesses from your side.

     6.   What would you know about our organization.

           - Specify the answer.

     7.   If they found that you are a good candidate, the interviewers might ask the tricky questions like this.

           How much of salary are you expected from us?

         - Don't give a straight answer, you might say that you like to have a salary which is offer the upper bound of these field or some related to that.

     8.   What is you ambition?

           - Target on a higher position of your job.

           - Go with the this line of work.

     9.   How good you are in problem solving?

           - Listen to the customer complains carefully and handle the situation.

           - You need to be calm and compost person.

   10.   If it is a software kind of job  interviewers might ask a technical questions from the interviewees.

           - Ask interviewer to create a pseudo code, software code for some questions.

Important things before you go to Interview.

1. Need to develop the body language. Don't slosh.
2. Sleep well before you go to interview. Take a good night sleep.
3. Go before the interview place, if you don't know the place.
4. Avoid oily and surgery foods.
5. Polite with everyone.
6. At the end of the interview thank the panel and shake hand.
7. Avoid artificial smiles.
8. Concentrate on 50-60 eye contact.
9. Don't wondering about the building and surroundings.
10. Act naturally but calm.
11. Make your voice well.

Golden Rules of Interview.

• Always listen to the question.
• Always provide evidence to your answers.
• Don't rumple on the same thing.
• Need to avoid 'mm' sound.
• Always come prepared.

Things you do After the Interview.

• Sit some and relax.
• If you are a long traveler eat something.
• Always be contactable. Make sure your mobile will always reachable.

Things You do If you Select for the Job.

• Ask when will be you start the job.
• Ask about the salary or they might ask how much salary you offered.
• Make sure you go through the contract.

Things If You Don't Get the Job.

• It's always learn from your mistakes.
• Take it as a good experience.

Learning gain of the Lecture.

Identify what are the definite questions, golden rules of interviews, things what you do after the interview, if you select the job and things if you don't get the job. 

Personal Opinion.

Get really good information, and practiced how to behave while we are into the interview.

Curriculum Vitae

23.08.2012

Curriculum Vitae

Curriculum Vitae is a main marketing tool to market ourselves. You should try to inform who are you to the organization. Curriculum Vitae is a first step towards to your dream job.

Important Things in Creating Curriculum Vitae.

1. Don't send one generic curriculum vitae and send it to all the organizations. When you are applying for different different job positions you need to change the curriculum vitae according to that positions.

                ex: Quality Assurance.

                      Human Resources.

                      Software Development.

     2.   Identify the objectives of the curriculum vitae.

- It's a selling document.

- Curriculum Vitae will not get you the job.

    3.   'Sell your self and get a interview.'

- It's a influence to job.

     4.   It should highlight your skills.

       ex: Cognitive skills.

            Morton skills.

            Effective skills - Time management and Negotiation.

    5.   When you go to a industry you can say you have these these skills and experiences and achievements.

    6.   Need to be explain where you are, where you would want to be.

Marketing or Advertising the Product is YOU...

1. Curriculum Vitae must sell you to a prospective employer.

    2.   Curriculum Vitae be presented in professionally.

- Need to write to the point.

- Need to express that you are the ideal one to job.

    3.   Attributes found to be professional.

- The right skills.

- Attire.

- Positive thinking and attitude.

- Good behavior.

- Good experience.

- Qualifications.

- Loyalty.

- Punctuality.

- Good communication skills.

- Good education.

- Time management.

- Good coordinating skills.

- Transparency.

- Responsibility.

- Flexibility.

- Patience.

- Honesty.

- Responsiveness.

- Attention to detail.

- Being formal.

- Self motivated.

- Good orientation.

- Non-Judgmental.

- Enthusiastic.

- Methodical.

- Trys to do more with less.

- Learns from mistakes.

- Broad minded.

- Willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

- Trustworthy.

- Works under pressure.

- Has presentation skills.

- Good leadership qualities.

- Good ethics.

- Organized.

- Team player.

- Risk taking.

- Good decision making skills.

- Good negotiation skills.

- Good cognitive skills.

- Reliable.

- Able to multitask.

- Hard working.

- Selfless.

- Teachable.

- Innovative.

- Goal oriented

- Confidence.

- Exceed expectation.

- Ability to prioritise.

- Consistence.

- Credible.

- Planner.

- Collaborative.

- Curious.

- Precise.

- Good listener.

- Humble.

     4.   The way you communicate its aspect to others.

     5.   How can you be attractive from your curriculum vitae.

- Borders.

- Bold.

- Good paper.

- Use templates.

     6.   Web space.

- Student Support Service.

- Newspapers.

- Topjobs.

- Monster Jobs.

Come up with a description what they are looking from you.

What company you are looking for. its based on the advertisement.

Contents of Curriculum Vitae.

1. Personal data.
2. What would you want to achieve in yourself, i.e. career aspirations.
3. Last 5 years achievements.
4. Work as volunteer, internships etc.
5. CIMA, CIM, JAVA,BCS,ISALA, CSSL, Student member.
6. Prizes and scholarships you won.
7. Who really knows to non-relative.

               ex. lecturer teacher.

10 Rules to a Great Curriculum Vitae.

1. Don't play resume roulette.

- Customize it.

- Tailor the curriculum vitae.

    2.   Skip the summary (Puffer, exaggeration).

- Include in the content of the curriculum vitae.

- Your job objective equal the hires job objective.

Career objective.

• Should include your goals.
• Your strengths.
• Where you want to work.
• Career aspirations.

     3.   Sell not tell.

                ex. I am an excellent thinker.

- Need to have some provement.

        ex: Can say you are a member of a Toastmaster.

             Can say pass the cambridge proficiency exam.

             You are a captain of the basket ball team.

- Focus on a factors.

       Need to give evidence to prove.

     4.   Mind your language.

- Don't use jargon words.

- Need to improve cognitive skills.

- Don't use 'I'. Always write curriculum vitae in third person.

         ex: The document could be concludes as ............ during this.

     5.   Don't use anything personal.

- Keep your personal details short.

- Use appropriate terms.

        ex: In your interests if you are a sales re presenter your interest might be travelling.

     6.   Drop the irrelevant affiliations.

     7.   Keep it real.

     8.   Write a cover letter.

     9.   Include a resent photography.

   10.   Don't forget the basics.

Learning gain of the Lecture.

Identify what are the important things in curriculum vitae.

Personal Opinion.

Learn about how to write good curriculum vitae, what are the including of curriculum vitae and ten rules to write good curriculum vitae.

Negotiation

21.08.2012

Negotiation

Negotiation is settle the issue. First of all talk with that person and try to get some agreement. It’s all done in our daily life.

How to do this Methodically.

1. Identify how to negotiate with methodically.

2. How to improve our negation aspects.

Negotiation is a process by which two parties with an interest on the same issue seek to search an agreement this is acceptable to both sides.

Choice.

- Negotiation is a choice.

- It's personal choice depends on each one.

- If there should be a problem that occurs there are many ways to solve it. Negotiation is a choice that depends on a person. It’s a personal choice.

Negotiation Styles

1. Competing

2. Collaborating 

3. Avoidance

4. Compromising  

5. Accommodation

Avoidance.

Ignore or avoid the issues rather than confronting them directly.

Employ strategies such as denying there is an issue, using jokes as a way to deflect conflict, or trying to change the topic.

Exercise: Sherman is so angry at his girlfriend that he throws his Blackberry at the wall, he might want to go for a ride in his car and cool down before he tries to talk to his girlfriend about the problem. 

Competition.

A person trying to resolve issues by controlling or persuading others, in order to achieve his own ends.

Essentially win-lose strategy 

Accommodation.

Essentially communicates to another, “You are right, I agree; let’s forget about it”

An approach that is “other directed” requires individuals to.

Compromise.

It occurs halfway between competition and accommodation. 

Generally perceived as a “give and take” strategy

Compromisers attend to the concerns of others as well as to their own need.  

Collaboration

Both parties agree to a positive settlement to the issue and attend fully to the other’s concerns while not sacrificing or suppressing their own.

The issue not resolved until each side is reasonably satisfied and can support the solution.

A win win strategy. 

Negotiation Skills

1. Search for Interests

Kamal and Suresh are arguing over one remaining orange. Each says he wants it. 

First need for what each party’s need.

Kamal needed the juice to drink.

Suresh need the peel for his artwork.

Try to Understand

Listen to others and encourage them to explain their side first. Then you will be willing to listen to you.

You need to listen to you.

Control Emotions

There are no emotions in negotiation

• Avoid the presumption of evil.

o Have to be optimistic

• Break down bigger issue to smaller ones.

The problem might be a big one but the season maybe is a little one.

Break up the problem in to small parts. Then you will know the actual reason.

• Move away from Blame

Don’t blame the other person. They will never come up with a solution when you blame others. Other party will never come to an agreement. 

• Maintain Integrity

Having the character quality of being honest, reliable and fair.

BATNA

Best alternative to a negotiated settlement. The best consequence of not negotiation.

It depends on the best option you have.

NATNA

Worst alternative to negotiated agreement. The worst consequence of not negotiation.

Learning Gain and Personal Opinion of the Lecture.

Learn about how to handle negotiation with low impact and how to behave in such incidents.

Personal Branding

20.08.2012

Personal Branding

Today we discussed about personal branding.

What is a Brand?

• Lecturer identified that we can see brands everywhere. There are already 20 brands step out of the APIIT.
• Brands have unique attribute on that.
• Sometimes that gives you a little bit of advantage over others.

What is Personal Branding?

• We need to identify that do we have a brand on ourselves.
• When do we go for a interview how to distinguish our self?
• How to communicate that who am I others to me?
• Identify that this is I different from other.

As a example Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Michael Shoemaker are different from one person to other person.

Everyone who is famous are not brand personality.

Creating a brand for ourselves is important.

Brand is a distinguish other from some ones brand.

Attributes of Personal Brand.

• Quality.
• Uniqueness.

Lecturer asked us to identify our personal attributes which can appeal to an organization.

There are two parts that we can identify from the self awareness.

We need to discover what are the weaknesses and strengths.

Identifies which strengths actually appealing to an organization.

Strengths.

• Honesty.
• Communicate well.
• Team player.
• Public speaker.
• Hardworking.
• Getting friendly with companion.

Weaknesses.

• Hot tempered.
• Lazy.
• Time waster.
• Trust people too much.
• Tardiness.
• Robust.
• Work under pressure.

Creating a brand logo for myself.

- It value that you are trying to communicate it through others.

- Because every person is a creation of himself, the image of his own thinking and believing is good.

Which eye you are focusing on a when you are creating a brand.

• Sugar coating.
• Tell who am I.
• Expressing yourself.

How can you Market Yourself?

1. Personality.

- Check weather that you have team building ability.

- Identify the types of personalities.

    2.   Involved with the social associations.

- Professional associations.

• Lions club.
• Rotary club.
• Toast masters.

- Student professional bodies.

• BCS.
• ISAKA.
• CSSL.

These associations provide some sort of advantages.

      ex: ISAKA - Provides students membership then students can review at their journals.

    3.   Some people come up with personal websites.

- Identify what they done.

    4.   How to present yourself.

- What sort of attire yo would prefer.

Learning gain of the Lecture.

Learn about how to brand our self

Personal Opinion.

Identify how do I brand my self.

Critical Evolution

16.08.2012

Critical Evolution

Purpose.

• Critical evolution is a same principle you need to know how do it in critical manner.
• The purpose of writing a critical review is a writing task that asks you to summarize and evaluate a text.

What is Evolution or Judgement?

• Decide the strengths and weaknesses of a text.
• Evaluating requires an understanding of not just the content of the text, but also an understanding of a text’s purpose.

What is Analysis?

• Analyzing requires separating the content and concepts of a text into their main components and then understanding how these interrelate, connect and possibly influence each other.

Lecturer show us the film called The Other and asked us to critically evaluate that film.

Learning gain of the Lecture.

Learn about how to do critical evolution.

Personal Opinion.

Interesting lesson.