Module – 4

Business Writing Skills

4.1 Resume Writing

A resume is a short document used to summarize the job search and qualifications of the prospective employer. The resume includes contact details for the job seeker, work experience, education, and the appropriate skills to support the job application.
 

Your renegotiation is a critical part of today's job application process. Writing a good resume is more important than ever now that online job posts tend to attract hundreds if not thousands of applicants. A refurbished, ready-to-start application will increase your chances of getting an interview while poorly written resumes may be lost at sea of ​​applicants.
 

Resume vs. CV
Sometimes you will see the words go on and the CV is used interchangeably. They are not the same. The resume is a short documentary designed to market your professional skills while the cv contains an informative list of your expertise, of your courses, and other information.
C.V stands for curriculum ("course of life"). CVS are separate by design. Think of them as an encyclopaedia version of your professional life, taking your career history, education, credentials, relationships, publication and professionalism. They can extend well over three or four pages.
In the united states, CV’s are usually limited to professions with general positions where deep expertise is critical, such as academics, science and medicine. These CV’s are filled with extended education categories, work history, internships, gigs talk, teaching appointments, magazine publishing and other information that establishes trust.
Re-use across many industries and very short on just one or two pages. That's because the resume is not intended to capture all the details of your previous experience. Your resume should be designed and updated based on the details of each activity you use. Negative jobs in past jobs can be eliminated to save space and attract more attention to your used and accessible skills.

How to write the resume:

1. Select the resume format and the categories you need

2. Always include contact details, work experience, and education

3. Use traditional topics for high compliance

4. Apply practical skills directly to the job description

5. Replace basic tasks with impactful performance

6. Do not include an old goal statement or reference section

7. Preview and double-check what you wrote

8. Save as docx file (optional) or pdf.
If you think you are done, ask someone else to take care of you. Alternatively, take it to jobscan for a quick answer.

Contents of a Good Resume
At the very least, your start-up should include your contact details, work experience, and education. Additional job summary sections, skills, volunteer work, and additional qualifications can be added when related to the job you work for.
The work ethic here is "worth it." remember that your resume is intended to quickly highlight the reasons why you are well prepared for the job. It is not intended to explain all the tasks you have done. Instead of simply listing your daily obligations from past activities, read the job listing and try to find the answer to each of the requirements listed. This is likely to get the attention of an employer who can only look at your return for a few seconds. It also broadens your application tracking system to apply to algorithms that help companies identify top candidates.
Below you will find out which parts of the restart to include in your start-up and how to adapt to the job you are looking for.
 

Elements of a Resume and Techniques to Write them

Contact information:
The title of your startup should include the following information:

Phone number:
Enter a personal phone number, not a work number. Enter your city, state, and zip code (e.g. “seattle, wa 98104”). This is important as other applicant tracking systems allow employers to filter the candidates based on location. Employers will always start with local selectors first. If you are traveling from somewhere, write down your current location and your future location.

Email address:
Use a valid email address. An email address based around your name is correct, such as jackieromano12@email.com. Your "happy" email address may work well in your life, but the terms "beersnob88" or "biebersuperfan" may not be so clear. Even using a seemingly outdated email client - such as aol or hotmail - can harm your prospects. Consider creating a free gmail account for your search.

Linked Profile url:
If the employer is surprised by your qualifications, they will look at your online profiles. All job seekers should create a strong linkedin profile and include a url in their resume. This will make the life of the employer a little easier and help them to cross-check the claims on your resume.

Work experience:
Part of the work experience is the heart of your resume. Separate this category from a clear, existing topic, such as "work experience," "work experience," or "employment history." this will help guide employers towards your resume and ensure that the applicant tracking system (ats) is well defined.

Under the main heading, list each activity in chronological order. Each function should have its own sub-heading that includes the following information:

For example:

Under each subheading, include responsibilities and measurable outputs that are relevant to the job you are working on. Remember, you don't have to include all the activities that were part of your daily routine. Use your available space to highlight the skills and knowledge requested in the job description. Jobscan helps you decide exactly what skills are requested and whether or not you have highlighted them.

Education:
When you have a few years into your career, your education level may also be reduced under your resume. Unless you're using a profession that places more emphasis on education (such as academics, law, or medicine), most job seekers can escape by simply providing the following information on their resume:

• Agency name

• Stem

• School location

• Years visited
If you have just graduated from college, your education level surpasses your professional experience and includes many details. Skills developed in school are real skills that are important in the professional world. Recent rooms can include appropriate coursework, communities, organizations, and extracurriculars that strengthen their identity.

Activities:
98% of fortune 500 companies use applicant tracking systems (ats) to filter, filter, and enter applicants. Other atss, such as taleo, can automatically add your own content to the job description, allowing employers to focus only on the best "applicants". Employers are also looking at their application site to find keywords, such as "customer service," "accounts available," or "adobe photoshop."

Overloading or coming up as a search result is about adding complex skills and keywords to your resume. A good way to identify key skills in a list and search algorithms is to identify which skills are most prominent in the job description. Aligning these skills to your resume, where applicable, increases your chances of being selected for an interview

Strong skills should apply to all your resume capabilities. Entering the skills category for your startup is not a prerequisite, but it can help you have a natural place to list the essential skills in the job you work for. The dedicated skills section also makes your resume much easier for employers trying to quickly find out if you meet their needs.

If you are using the skills section, remember that the list of skills and keywords is not enough. Add context to these skills to your full potential so employers can believe. This includes factors such as projects you have used in skills, the number of years of experience in a given skill, or the level of your expertise.

Historical and free:
Some restart forms allow space for some optional components. Only use the category of awards or honors in your resume if it makes sense for the job you work for. Active reputations will improve your credibility while poor prizes simply distract you from your best titles. For example, decide to get a monthly career or get a great customer satisfaction rating for your department, but maybe not if you are a kart race expert in your free time.

Volunteer work and study:
The work you do as an active volunteer can add to your qualifications and skill set as all paid experience. Also, the word "works." highlight the volunteer work of your startup that uses the skills that apply to the job you work for. Carefully list voluntary organizations or affiliated organizations, such as political or religious organizations.

 What you can leave from your view:

Including a purpose that you can restart these days can make you appear later. The job summary statement replaced the purpose of today's reboot. Any other information can serve as a cover letter.

While a statement of objectives describes your goals, a concise statement outlines how you can add value to the company.

Instead of simply writing soft skills, find opportunities to show off your interpersonal and behavioural skills. Achievements and measurable results are a great way to do this. For example, instead of saying "hard work," indicate in writing that you have completed x projects that are more than your department average.

Length of your resume:
While a one-page start-up is sometimes considered to be the best, a two-page resume may be required after five or ten years of staffing, especially if all of your experience is relevant to the job you are pursuing. Managers sometimes have three or more pages running.

That said, your resume should not be longer than it should. Short, step-by-step resumes will easily be digested and highlight your most important skills. After writing your resume, try removing the excess fluff and inappropriate content to reduce your page count and draw your attention to your best titles. No matter how many pages you start, try putting your most impressive titles at the top of the first page with a summary or category of skills.

There are several different ways to format your resume. Choosing the right format will make the writing process easier. When choosing a format, consider the function you are using for it. The chronological, compositional, and functional styles of each work serve a specific purpose.

4.2 Interview Skills

A personal or face to face interview is one that employs a standard structured questionnaire (or interview schedule) to ensure that all respondents are asked the same set of questions in the same sequences.

It is a two-way conversation initiated by an interviewer to obtain information from a respondent. The questions, the wording, and their sequence define the structure of the interview, and the interview is conducted face-to-face.

Studies that obtain data by interviewing people are called surveys. If the people interviewed are a representative sample of a larger population, such studies are called sample surveys.

Types of Interviews

Here are seven of the most popular interview types, as well as how to prepare for each of them.

1. Traditional Job Interview

A traditional interview is an in-person style of interview held with the hiring a manager of a company for a position within an organization. Be prepared to answer a wide range of questions about your experience and why you're right for the job. In addition to finding out if you have the right experience for the job, they want to see that you're well-prepared, enthusiastic and a good fit for the team.

Research the company and your potential boss so that when they ask why you want to work there, you'll be able to give a thoughtful, engaging answer. Knowing more about the specific types of work will prepare you when they say, "Do you have any questions for us?"

A traditional interview may be the first in a series of interviews. If the hiring manager is impressed by you, they might invite you back for a panel interview, or to meet one-on-one with other people on the team.

2. Behavioral Interviews

Behavioral interviews focus on getting to know who you are, how you think and how you'll act in certain situations. Behavioral interview questions might be broad ("Tell me about a time when you handled a stressful situation at work"), or they might be specific ("You received an email from a client asking an urgent question, but you're unsure of the answer and your boss is on a plane, away from email. What would you do?").

Before your first job interview, get used to talking through your answers to behavioral questions out loud. You'll be better able to stay calm and create a short and sweet scenario that gives the interviewer a peek into your mind and problem-solving abilities.

3. Video Interview

With the advent of technology, video interviews have become increasingly common (for ex. Skype Interviews). Presentation and preparation are vital for video interviews, as the combination of technology and distance means it's easy for issues to arise.

Before a video interview, you should:

While a range of traditional and behavioral interview questions might arise during a video interview, you might also have to answer more questions about location or work style.

Dress professionally, even if it's a phone interview. You don't want to be caught unprepared, and a sharp outfit can bolster your confidence. Dress as if you were walking into their office for an in-person interview. Check out our complete guide to video interviewing for more information.

4. Panel Interview

Panel interviews are the most common type of interviews. You should always ask with whom you'll be meeting. Therefore, if you're interviewing with a group of people (as in the case of a panel interview), you won't find yourself surprised upon arrival.

it is essential to address everyone in the room during a panel interview. Begin your answers by making eye contact with the person who asked the question and then pulling back your scope to make "soft eye contact" with other members of the group. (Learn more about that technique here.)

5. Case Interview

Prevalent in the fields of management consulting and marketing, a case interview presents a prospective employee with a series of questions or scenarios to answer or solve. Most of the time, these questions center on business cases or markets. It's vital to practice for these interviews, as succeeding in a case interview is all about mastering a way of thinking.

Successful case interview candidates are the ones who prepare in advance. If case interviews are common in your field, you'll know it. If you haven't started practicing yet, now's the time to start.

6. Informational Interview

Informational interviews are usually less formal than traditional interviews and most of the times are conducted before you've even applied. It's a chance for you to ask questions about what entry-level jobs are like in the field, learn about possible career trajectories and discuss other aspects of work life with someone in the profession. You can find opportunities for informational interviews through many informal channels such as your university's career office, a parent's friend or a former mentor.

Even though it's not a job interview, you should dress professionally, ask well-prepared questions and make eye contact while the person you're meeting with answers them. Consider asking them about their career trajectory, as well as advice they might have for someone starting in the field. Remember to be considerate of the person's time and not to ask for a job or a more formal interview. An informational interview is an educational and networking opportunity. If the meeting goes well, they may ask for your resume to pass along to a friend or another connection in the field. Bring a few copies with you, just in case.

7. Telephonic Interview

A telephonic interview is a 30-min interview which is usually conducted by a recruiter or the hiring manager. It's used to decide whether or not you are invited for an onsite interview.

You should have a copy of the job description as well as your resume and cover letter handy, in case you need to reference them during your conversation. You'll want to prepare to answer standard interview questions like "Tell me about yourself" and "Why are you interested in the position?" It is imperative that you prepare some questions to ask the interviewer, in case there's time for that kind of interaction.

If you get a call unexpectedly for a phone screen, it's best to let the interviewer know it's not a good time and set up one that gives you an opportunity to prepare and be in a quiet place where you can focus.

Interview Skills

Preparing for an interview can be a difficult task, but it’s not impossible. With the help of a few basic interview techniques, it should be fairly simple to crack

Visualizing the Interview:

Visualizing the interview is an excellent way of working out what areas one needs to work on. One should imagine as if they were in a interview where the interviewer is looking at their resume for the first time. One should then imagine the most difficult questions that the interviewer could ask them, e.g. “Why weren’t you more proactive at university?” or “Why has it taken you a whole year to find your first graduate job?”

Then one should try answering these questions. It is also helpful to prepare a format for these answers to be used in an actual interview. Also, one should try to imagine the qualities that the interviewer might be looking for in an ideal candidate. And one should ask themselves, how many of those qualities are possessed by them and how can they be shown in an interview.

Self-Reflection and Selling Oneself:

It’s worth making a list of one's values, interests, strengths and weakness with accompanying examples or evidence to back up each one. One needs to sell these attributes to the interviewer and give examples of times when they have been shown in everyday life.

One also needs to think about why they want the job or position and what you have to offer the organization. What would one change or what ideas would one bring to the role? It might also be worth thinking about one's short-term and long-term career goals.

Asking Questions:

One should not be afraid to ask the interviewer to clarify a question. Questions should also be asked by the interviewee during the interview and not just at the end. The key here is to position oneself so it looks that, whilst they are interested and enthusiastic about the job, they have a sense of their own self-worth. However, it is important that this should not seem as arrogance to the interviewer.

Body Language:

Body language is very important. Slouching with one's arms crossed won’t exactly make them look like a model employee. The head should be straight up and the eyes should meet the interviewer’s line of sight at all times. Making eye contact with the interviewer while speaking to them is almost as important as saying the right words during an interview.

Paying attention:

It’s extremely important to keep one's concentration levels up during the interview and to make sure one listens attentively. Interviewers tend to go on long rants about their organizations but the interviewee must never lose focus and always show the interviewer that he is listening attentively by nodding and smiling.

Speaking correctly:

During an interview the most important thing is to choose one's words carefully. The pronunciation, intonation and syntax must all be appropriate and the words should be spoken as clearly as possible. One should be articulate in expressing one's thoughts and opinions but at the same time it is essential to be cautious of others opinion's and feelings and should try not to hurt them.

Whom to Speak to:

In many cases the interview is conducted by more than one person. One needs to make sure they pay attention to all of the different interviewers. So while answering a question, they should all be given proper attention, so as not to exclude anyone. Although, if an interviewer asks a direct question, it’s important to address the answer solely to them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the ten most frequently asked questions in interviews:

Your answers should always come back to how your experiences and education prepared you to succeed in this job. If a potential boss says, "tell me a little about yourself," you can start with some personal details, but don't lose track of the goal.

Figuring out what you have to offer will help you prepare for most interviews. You need to be able to confidently and competently tell your story: Who you are, what you're about, how you got to where you are, what is important to you and how that aligns with that organization."

Some of these questions may seem to have obvious or simple answers, but it's still essential to practice answering them out loud. But don't overdo it. You shouldn't over-rehearse, which can lead to a robotic feel in an interview.

4.3 Technical Presentation

A technical presentation is a formal talk given on a specific set of topics to inform and educate. They may be short or long, include slides or other visual aids, and be done individually or in a group.

Planning and structuring a technical presentation is similar to the process of writing an essay, except the speaker needs to be conscious of a live audience and use spoken language instead of written.

Importance of the Subject of Presentation

The first thing that must be kept in mind while making a technical presentation is the subject. Since content is central to any presentation, your content must be accurate, factual, and well-organized before there comes any kind of ornamentation to the main content. In an ideal world, you would have a thorough knowledge of your subject matter before you start to present, but we all know that doesn't happen every time. Our clients and supervisors give us assignments just outside our comfort zones, or we change jobs and have to learn new product lines, or a new issue comes up that we have to quickly learn, digest, and be able to explain to someone else.

Advances in presentation technology (like PowerPoints and multimedia) has made it easier to get distracted from the main content of the presentation. Many times, people spend hours working on slideshows and various little details in those slideshows when what really matters is the actual message. It's pretty easy to understand how this happens. Research is hard if you're working on a new subject. And if it's a familiar subject, you feel like you know it so well you don't even have to prepare.

However, keep in mind the great and famous presenters who shaped world history: Moses; Jesus; Gandhi; Martin Luther King, Jr.; Abraham Lincoln. What stands out about these speeches are the concepts expressed and the words used to express them. Most of these orators lived in a time before any kind of visual aids were available (except for Moses, who had the stone tablets) a lack of visuals forced speakers to focus on the message.

People will say that we live in an MTV-world, where everyone is so accustomed to bright colours and flashy packaging that they can't pay attention to anything else. But remember that glitz without substance is just like a tin-foil necklace--something to be tossed aside and forgotten at the earliest opportunity.

The Scope of the Presentation

After the subject of a presentation is defined, the second step is defining the scope of the presentation. The scope of a presentation refers to how much of the subject is covered in the presentation or how much detail the presentation will encompass.

Depending upon the objectives of your presentation and the time you have been allotted, the scope of your presentation can be divided into two types:

1) A broad scope with less detail, or

2) A narrow scope allowing for greater detail.

The broader the scope of a presentation, the harder it becomes to go into detail of each specific topic. Similarly of the scope of the presentation is narrow, it allows you to go in depth regarding specific topics. Depth and scope of a presentation to be decided before starting to create the actual presentation, otherwise a lot of time would be wasted.

Depth and scope decide a duration of the presentation, it is essential to have a balance of depth and scope as the audience often tends to find longer presentations tedious and boring. There is a well-known saying that states 'a successful presentation needs a good beginning and a good ending, and these should be as close together as possible'.

This sentiment is truer now than ever before. Most people have more work than they can comfortably deal with in a working week and they do not appreciate having their time wasted unnecessarily. Even a well-structured and well-delivered presentation will be unpopular if the audience feels that it went on too long.

Know Your Purpose

The purpose of a presentation is a key factor in deciding the content and style of a presentation. Depending upon your purpose – to inform, to analyse, or to persuade – you can create a presentation that will elicit your required response from the audience and eliminate possibilities of unexpected output from them.

Below are some key points one must keep in mind while creating a purposeful presentation:

Analysing audience and Locale

We will consider an Engineer as a speaker, you will deliver technical presentations to a wide variety of audiences with different levels of technical knowledge: graduate students, graduates, professors, university administrators, and managers and industry colleagues. Think about what your audience already knows about your topic. If you are not sure how to speak to your audience, imagine discussing your topic with a member of the audience. You could hire different dictionaries and sentence structures to discuss your work with another engineering student rather than defining a marketing student, right? Ideally, you talk to audience members in the field of shared knowledge and lead them to more understanding.

And try to anticipate the feelings of your audience. You should organize your presentation in a different way to a friendly audience than you would a stranger or hostile. Typically, friendly listeners can agree to an instant mention of your main point, followed by supporting information. Doubtful audiences, however, respond positively to the production of shared anxiety, followed by a “delayed thesis,” or the main point (Ramage & Bean, 1995, 164).

Finally, make sure you know what your audience likes the presentations. Does your audience expect or need PowerPoint or other presentation software? Do your audience, like Edward Tufte (2010), despise PowerPoint? Would your audience like other presentation modes, such as showing slides as Web pages (Olivo, 2006)? These types of questions may be difficult to answer for someone with limited knowledge of referrals, but doing the initial research on your audience's expectations will make you a more successful broadcaster/ effective presenter.

A thorough understanding of your audience is important for an effective

presentation. Never overestimate an audience’s knowledge, never

underestimate their intelligence. The following questions regarding the audience should be kept in mind before designing a presentation:

1. Who are they?

2. How many will be there?

3. Why are they coming?

4. What do they know about the subject?

5. Why are they interested in the subject?

6. What is their relationship to you?

These questions will help you determine the perfect strategy to create and present your presentation. Remember your audience can be: friends, colleagues, clients, unknown people or a combination of all of these.

At the start of your presentation make eye contact with your audience. This

will help you to assess whether they are reluctant, hostile, accepting, interested or simply dull.

One should always begin the presentation with a pleasant greeting and a smile.

Even though your audience might be well educated, don’t go for words rarely used in

conversation, rather than impressing you will end up in confusing them.

The more meticulous you are in your choice of words, the greater are the

effects of your oral presentation.

Collecting Materials

After you have identified the main ideas and key concepts you want to incorporate into your presentation, the next step involves converting this information into factual representations such as graphs, models, charts etc.

Manuals, research papers, dissertations, reports, catalogues, news articles etc. obtained from the internet or the local library can prove to be very useful in obtaining information that you would want to include into your presentation.

These supportive materials not only make the presentation more attractive but also make it more informative and interesting. Statistics are often significant with respect to persuasive presentations.

These support materials can be classified into two types viz. verbal and visual material. Verbal material includes examples (instances used to state a point), explanations, statistics (numerical facts), illustrations (short stories, anecdote, personal experiences), testimonies (expert quotes from various fields), comparisons (similarities and differences). Visual material includes graphs, charts, tables, slideshows, models, objects, handouts, photographs etc.

The various sources from which you can obtain materials for you presentation are as follows:

LIBRARY CATALOGS

A key tool you need to familiarize yourself with is the library catalogue. Today’s modern library has replaced the card catalogue system with a computer that can search several databases for the information you are looking for. It will also usually tell you if this resource is available or already signed out by someone. This computerized system is very similar to those used in your large bookstores today. The process is the same. The library electronic catalogue will also allow you to search other libraries if your local library does not have the information you are looking for.

PERIODICALS

Another wonderful resource available to you is the periodical database. This database contains hundreds of thousands of articles and publications from a large variety of journals, magazines, and publications. Much of the recent and past research done within universities is published in a number of journals, each specific to a particular type of industry. When you are looking to find some good published material to reference for your presentation, this is great place to look.

NEWSPAPERS

Your local library will also have a section with several of the various local and national newspapers. They usually have the current paper along with some of the recent and past newspaper publications. On the morning of all my presentations, you can look at some of the local newspapers in your area (or the area you may be speaking at). You will be amazed how many times you will find a timely article related to your presentation. This not only serves as a good visual aid and prop, it also visually adds credibility to the information you read from the publication. When your audience sees you read from a source, they more readily accept that information. If that newspaper happens to be that morning’s newspaper, then you automatically have shown you have used the most current data.

REFERENCE WORKS

Several types of reference works are available. All of these sources have information collected and organized in an easy-to-use and easy-access format. Two of the most popular types of reference work are: Encyclopaedias. Finding just the right quotation for your presentation can add that special flare you are looking for.

THE INTERNET

The amount of information available to you today on the Internet is staggering. You can find the exact information you are looking for with a few clicks of your mouse. The Internet has changed how people do research and has had a big impact on your local library. You are actually able to search your local library’s database online without leaving your house. In fact, you can search libraries from all over the world and then request to have the book or resource sent to your local library, where you can pick it up. There are many Internet tools you can use, such as search engines, online databases, virtual libraries, and even private publications. Like any other resource, you need to verify and validate the information you find; there is a lot of incorrect information online as well. Regardless of which resources you use, the process from here remains the same. You have to select the information to use and then decide how much of it you will include in your presentation. To accomplish this, you need to know how long your presentation will be. The amount you will be able to discuss in a one-hour presentation differs from the amount you will talk about in a full-day workshop or even a 15-minute overview presentation. The level of the detail may be different in each case; however, the format or structure of your presentation should be the same in all cases. Deciding on the format is your next challenge. It is at this point that you need to decide how much material you will use and in what sequence you will present the material you have chosen. How much material you comfortably present will depend on the length of your presentation.

Preparing Outlines

While defining the scope of a technical presentation, it is essential to know what is to be included in the main content and what isn't. One way to achieve this objective is by making a preliminary outline of the key content in the presentation.

This preliminary outline is made up of a number of topics which support the main content of the presentation. The most difficult part of a presentation is to decide what to include and what to exclude from the presentation. Therefore, the main content of the presentation should be supported by 3-5 key points. If more than 5 points are presented the audience might not be able to keep up and might lose interest in the presentation.

To create an outline for a technical presentation:

1. Note down all the topics that are to be covered in the presentation

2. Brainstorm each topic for 10-15 minutes and come up with key points which can be put into a mind map.

3. Do not spend more time on this activity because you will very quickly hit diminishing returns

4. If you remember a certain key point later you can always add it to the list.

Using a mind-map can be very advantageous at the outlining stage of a presentation. Mind maps allow you to make associations, form links and group similar topics together.

To draw a mind map, take a black piece of paper and start the subject of the presentation at the centre. After that think of all the ideas and concepts associated with the subject and start writing it around the central idea. Try to be as inclusive as possible at this stage. Don't try to edit the list down, just write down everything that occurs to you and don't worry about where to begin, it doesn't matter.

A presentation Outline comprises of several stages:

 ● State your purpose and main idea and then use these elements to guide the rest of your

planning.

 ● Organize your major points and sub-points in logical order, expressing each major

point as a single, complete sentence.

 ● Identify major points in the body first, then outline the introduction and close.

 ● Identify transitions between major points or sections, then write these transitions in

full-sentence form.

 ● Prepare your bibliography or source notes; highlight those sources you want to identify

by name during your talk.

 ● Choose a compelling title. It should be brief, action oriented, and focused on how the audience can benefit from the presentation.

 ● Add delivery cues, such as places where you plan to pause for emphasis or use visuals.

 ● Arrange your notes on numbered cards or use the notes capability in your presentation software.

 Most speakers like to prepare both a simple and complex outline that provides them with all the necessary cues and reminders they will require to present their material.

Organising the Content

Most technical presentations have three different sections: Introduction, The Middle, and Conclusion.

Visual Aids

Spoken words are ephemeral: as soon as they come out of our mouth they evaporate into air. Because of this limitation, speeches often need strong visual support – handouts, chalkboards, flip chart, slides, computers, charts, tables, film, etc.

The importance of visual aids:

Guidelines to make effective visuals:

As a graduate, you will usually use PowerPoint in your slide projects, but you should be aware of its limitations. Remember three principles:

Nuances of Delivery

Public speakers, politicians, and professional actors get nervous before they get on stage, why shouldn't you? Ironically, a certain level of 'nervousness' works to your advantage because it keeps you alert and boosts your performance. However, learning to channel that energy takes time and practice. Delivery can make or break a presentation, so start planning it early. Prepare your delivery as follows:

4.4 Guest Lecture

A Guest Lecture is a way of enriching students with the latest updates of the Industries and Technicalities. During a guest lecture, the students are bestowed with knowledge regarding industry needs, latest technical updates, avenues for Higher studies etc.

The role of guest lecturer is a vital one in the education process. In a guest lecture, one is called upon to share their knowledge, expertise and real-life experiences with students. Being exposed to the additional perspectives that a guest lecturer can provide can be very beneficial to the students, but there are limitations, and teaching within someone else’s paper comes with its own issues, often the timeframe is short with only a few sessions available – giving the sense of never really gathering momentum. Often there are large gaps between spells of teaching so it is difficult to remember what worked well from one guest slot to the next.

It is imperative to make sure that everyone involved in the discourse, including the students, share the same expectations for what is to be covered and achieved through the guest lecture.

Design for Guest Lectures

1. When you are planning your guest lecture start with what is expected of you. Find out what the topic is and what the objectives or specific learning outcomes for the lecture are.

2. Familiarize yourself with the content to be covered. Most of the times, you will be called upon to give a guest lecture where you are an expert.

3. Clarify if there are any expectations for assignment/exam marking or setting as a result of guest lecturing.

4. Try to get a sense of who your learners are. This is a key principle of learning design and it will enable you to better meet the needs of your students. When planning your lecture focus on the students and their academic progress.

5. Develop some specific learning outcomes for your lecture. These should be objectives that comprise statements that define the knowledge, capability or skill a student will be able to demonstrate after your lecture. It is beneficial to write learning outcomes in the second person (‘you’) and describe what could be done (‘will be able to...’).

6. Once you know the curriculum/content that your lecture is covering, give consideration to how you might deliver it.

Because you are a guest lecturer, you can probably break with any conventions of providing a lecture that is a didactic delivery of course content to a passive audience. Instead, consider:

7. Even when there is a water-tight case for sticking pretty close to the curriculum, there are ways of doing so which may:

Techniques for Effective Lectures

Below are some useful techniques for giving comprehensive and effective guest lectures:

1. Locate and read supplemental sources. You may procure interesting and useful examples, supporting research, or organizing themes.  Be sure you have clear goals in mind so that you read efficiently for what you need.

2. Prepare a good outline.  A one-page summary will help you ascertain the total coverage and coherence of your initial plan.  Usually, 3-4 major sections (sub-sections for an exhaustive topic) is the right amount for a 50-75-minute lecture.  You may want to share this outline with the professor to get feedback and to check how much flexibility you have when presenting the material.

3. Carefully plan visual aids.  You can use power-point presentations as a well-designed visual aid which should clearly reinforce the main ideas and be coordinated with what you say.  Make sure that all text in the presentation slides is large enough to be seen from the back of the room (usually 18-24 point for transparencies).

4. Plan ways to interact with students.  Try to acquire ongoing feedback on the students' comprehension.  Define beforehand how much interaction, discussion, or practice is appropriate for the goals of the lecture. A good way to achieve this is by being consistent with the class atmosphere established by the professor.  Write out for yourself beforehand at least a few of the questions you plan to ask, to make sure they are clearly worded and answerable.

5. Review your notes thoroughly.  Make sure you feel comfortable and confident in presenting the material.  Many lecturers find it useful to include reminders to themselves in the form of cue cards and bullet notes (e.g., “write student’s responses on this transparency” or “pause for questions”) to make the presentation smooth. Although you might have very good notes from the professor or are familiar with the content, you need to make sure that the level of detail in the notes is satisfactory.

6. Mentally rehearse the lecture at least once.  In this mental rehearsal, check to make sure that the introduction sets clear goals, that there is a logical transition that connects the major sections, that visual aids highlight your main arguments, and that the summary emphasizes the most important points. Researchers have found it helpful to practice in front of a mirror.

7. When planning your next guest session:

Consider referring back to your reflections and the feedback you received from your colleague and students. This serves as a reminder of what worked well last time and what you can work on this time.

Pondering over these reflections and evaluations will show how your teaching has improved over time. They will also provide evidence that might be useful as part of an application for a teaching position or for promotion.

4.5 Professional Ethics

Ethics is defined as a branch of philosophy concerned with the meaning of all aspects of human behaviour. Professional ethics therefore, can be described as principles that govern the behaviour of a person or group in a business environment.

Similar to values, professional ethics provide rules on how an individual should act towards other individuals and institutions in such a professional environment. And unlike values, professional ethics are, more often than not, a defined set of rules, which a particular group of people use. Meaning all those in a particular group will use the same professional ethics, even though their values may be unique to each person.

Professional Ethics and Code of Conduct

The norm system governing and regulating professional behaviour is professional ethics. Certain common principles underlie professional codes and bodies, e.g. Medical and Dental Council, Police Service Code of Conduct, Estate Agents Code of Conduct. Codes may not be exhaustive and may not include all the rules and regulations that apply to every situation. The contents therefore have to be viewed within the framework of company policies, procedures and the requirements of the law.

In our society ethical concerns have escalated in the past few years and have been raised at government level. Organisations have hot lines for employees to anonymously report unethical behaviour. In our field of engineering issues of fairness have been legislated and we have a Code of Conduct in place. The question of ethical practice, however, covers broad ground and encompasses everything we do as professionals and the way we behave towards each other and our clients.

Practising engineers must become aware of their ethical responsibility towards the client as well as being on the lookout for possible areas where ethical concerns could arise.

Professionals need to understand what values are and examine their own value system which determines their interactions. What pitfalls regarding business and professional ethics face Professionals and what standards of integrity do they need to be aware of and adhere to, i.e. what ideals should they strive towards?

Most codes have common fundamental principles which boil down to four universal fundamental principles:

1. Respect for People’s Dignity and Rights

2. Responsible Practice

3. Integrity in Relationships

4. Responsibility

Purpose of Professional Ethics

The purpose of professional ethics and the Code of Conduct is threefold:

- to increase professional and ethical consciousness among engineers and their sense of ethical responsibility;

- to guide engineers in making more informed ethical choices; and

- to help the Engineering profession itself function at the fullness of its potential.

As professionals, engineers commit themselves to supporting and acting in accordance with ethical guidelines covering the following six main areas:

1. Competency

2. Integrity

3. Public Interest

4. Environment

5. Dignity of the Profession

6. Administrative

4.6 Project Management

Project management can be defined as the planning, organizing and managing the effort to accomplish a successful project. A project is a one-time activity that is temporary in nature and has a beginning and an end while producing a specific output and or outcome, for example, a building or a major new computer system. This is in contrast to a programme which is 1) an ongoing process, such as a quality control program, or 2) an activity to manage a number of multiple projects together.

The process of project management includes the development of a project plan, which involves defining and confirming the project goals and objectives, how they will be achieved, identifying tasks and defining and collecting the resources needed, and determining budgets and timelines for completion. It also includes the management of the implementation part of the project plan, along with operating regular 'controls' to ensure that there is accurate and objective information on 'performance' relative to the plan, and the mechanisms to execute recovery actions where necessary.

Projects often follow major phases or stages (with various titles for these), for example: feasibility, definition, planning, implementation, evaluation and realisation.

The fundamental components of project management are:

Project Manager - Roles and Responsibilities

The role of the project manager involves many tasks and responsibilities including:

That is a lot to include in one job description—one that does not actually hold any operational or management responsibility for the team working on the projects. Often, you will find Project Manager in a tough position of trying to make things happen, but without the authority to truly push an issue. In order for that to happen, the Project Manager has to gain the trust and respect of their teams and have the endorsement of senior management.

Project Management Process (Project Management Life Cycle)

There is no single framework for project management. Factors like changing business needs and goals, new or different staff and expertise, evolving or new technology are often among reasons why processes have to change. But what is most important is that an organization or team has a basic framework for how projects operate. As you research project management processes, you will find that most models identify three basic phases (with varying names, tasks, and deliverables) to organize activities:

1. The Initiation Phase

The initiation phase is the first step in of the entire project management life cycle. The goal of this phase is to define the project, develop a business case for it, and get it approved. Below are the functions needed to be performed by the project manager during this stage:

By the end of this phase, the project manager should have a satisfactory understanding of the project purpose, goals, requirements, and risks.

2. Research, Discovery, and Planning Phase

Typically, an organization will perform some level of research to determine the validity of a project. This could be performed in the form of market research, user research, competitive analyses, among many other activities. These are the critical steps in the project that help to define goals and requirements for what needs to be designed or built. This is also when a project team can come together to define how they will work together, and what their execution plan will be, taking all outside factors into consideration.

The planning phase is critical to creating a project roadmap the entire team can follow. This is where all of the details are outlined and goals are defined in order to meet the requirements laid out by the organization.

During this phase, project managers will typically:

3. Execution Phase

Once the project is planned, it’s time to execute. The execution can play out in several different ways, using different processes like waterfall, agile, or variants therein. Essentially what you will find in this phase is time for collaboration, creation, review, and iteration. Teams will partner with stakeholder groups to present work, accept feedback, and complete deliverables that are mutually agreed upon, leading up to a final deliverable. This happens to be the phase that is riddled with change, delays, and sometimes even dispute. For that reason, it happens to be the phase where the PM is most active.

Tasks completed during the Execution Phase include:

 While the project monitoring phase has a different set of requirements, these two phases often occur simultaneously.

4. Testing, measuring, monitoring

After a project has launched, it’s time to make sure it’s tracking well against its goals. In an agile project, a minimum viable product (or MVP) will be launched to gain early feedback to iterate. On waterfall projects, the feature-complete product will be launched and tested. In either case, test results will reveal what is and is not working for users and stakeholders. Teams will take test results and alter—or build on—the product to create something that is closer to those goals. This is natural for agile projects, but not so much for waterfall projects, which would require a new or “Phase 2” project to be added on.

If adjustments to the project plan need to be made due to unforeseen circumstances or a change in direction, they may happen in this phase. During the controlling and monitoring phase, project managers may have to do any of the following:

At the end of this phase, all of the agreed project deliverables should be completed and accepted by the customer.

5. Project Closure

The closing phase is last phase in the project management life cycle. It signals the official end of the project and gives the time to reflect, wrap-up, and organize materials.

Project managers can:

There is no right or wrong way to roll out a process. What is important is that the process matches the values and talent of the organization. It will become quite evident if the process is not a right fit for a team, because people will be unhappy and work will not get done without issues. The best thing you can do when it comes to process is sit down with your team to discuss what will work best and why. Document decisions, roll out a process, and be open to discussing it and changing it when needed.

4.7 Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship can be defined as the process by which individuals or a group of individuals (entrepreneurs) exploit a commercial opportunity, either by bringing a new product or process to the market, or by substantially improving an existing good, service, or method of production. This process is generally organized through a new organization (a start-up company), but may also occur in an established small business that undergoes a significant change in product or strategy (see below on growth).

An entrepreneur is a person who organizes the means of production to engage in entrepreneurship, often under considerable uncertainty and financial risk. Entrepreneurs may partner with other entrepreneurs to jointly found companies (co-founders), or with an existing organization (e.g., corporate or university spin-outs).

Types of Entrepreneurships

Entrepreneurship is the overall process of developing, launching and running a business consisting of many different types of entrepreneurship.

Below are the various types of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs:

Large company entrepreneurship is when a company has a finite amount of life cycles. This type of entrepreneurship is particular to advanced professionals who knows how to sustain innovation. They are often a part of a large team of C-level executives. Large companies promptly create new services and products depending on consumer preferences to meet market demand. Small business entrepreneurship may evolve into large company entrepreneurships when the organization rapidly grows. This can also happen when a large company acquires them. Companies such as Microsoft and Google are instances of this kind of entrepreneurship.

B.    Scalable Start-up Entrepreneurship

In this type of entrepreneurship, the entrepreneurs believe that their company can make a difference in the world. They often acquire their capital from venture capitalists and hire specialized employees. Scalable start-ups look for things that are missing in the market and create solutions for them. They seek rapid expansion and big profit returns. Examples of scalable start-ups are Facebook, Instagram and Uber.

C.   Social Entrepreneurship

This type of entrepreneurship involves an entrepreneur who wants to solve social problems with their products and services. Their main goal is to make the world a better place. They don't work to make big profits or wealth. Most of the time, these kinds of entrepreneurs tend to start as non-profits or companies that dedicate themselves to working toward social good.

D.   Innovative Entrepreneurship

Innovative entrepreneurs are individuals who are constantly trying to come up with new ideas and inventions. They evolve ideas and execute them as business ventures. Innovators tend to be very motivated and passionate people. They find ways to make their products and services unique and stand out from other things on the market. Entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are examples of innovative entrepreneurs.

E.    Hustler Entrepreneurship

Individuals who are willing to work hard and put in constant effort are considered hustler entrepreneurs. They often lack capital in their start-ups and work toward growing a bigger business with hard work. Their aspirations are what motivates them, and they are willing to do what it takes to achieve their goals. They do not give up easily and are willing to experience challenges to get what they want. For example, a hustler entrepreneurship would be willing to cold call many people in order to make one sale.

F.    Imitator Entrepreneurship

Imitator entrepreneurships are entrepreneurs who use others' business ideas as inspiration but work to improve them. They intend to make certain products and services better and more profitable. An imitator is a combination between an innovator and a hustler. They are willing to think of new ideas and work hard, yet they start by imitating others. Individuals who are imitators have a lot of self-confidence and determination. They can learn from others' mistakes when making their own business.

G.  Buyer Entrepreneurship

A buyer entrepreneurship is a type of entrepreneurship where an individual uses their own wealth to fuel their business ventures. They tend to use their fortunes to buy businesses that they think will be successful. They identify and acquire promising and up and coming businesses. Then after the acquisition process is complete, they make management or structural changes they feel are necessary. Their objectives include growth of the businesses they acquire and expansion of their profits. This kind of entrepreneurship involves much less risk compared to other types of entrepreneurship because they are purchasing already well-established companies.

Characteristics/Techniques of Becoming a Successful Entrepreneur

Below are the techniques or characteristics to be adopted to become a successful entrepreneur:

1. Creativity

Becoming an entrepreneur starts with an idea. You need to see opportunities, find innovative ways to do things and bring solutions to the public.

To improve your creativity, develop habits that support the creative system. Think about what makes you feel creative, such as music, meeting people, reading or some other activity. Dedicate a specific part of your day to find inspiration for new solutions. During this part of the day, start by doing what inspires you, then let your mind flow. You can make a list of ideas and select some to pursue.

2. Passion

Passion is what drives entrepreneurs. They usually love what they do, and this helps them invest their time in their projects.

To become a more passionate entrepreneur, focus on the meaning of your work. Remember that you contribute to finding solutions that will help many people. Knowing that your commitment makes an impact may give you the drive you need to continue when doubt settles in or when the business gets difficult. Passion is what keeps you focused on your objective.

3. Motivation

Motivation is the will to accomplish certain things. Entrepreneurs are driven to make their business a success and push themselves.

To increase motivation, you can start by setting small goals. Small goals can help you reach larger ones and encourage you to aim higher. Recognize the work already accomplished and celebrate your results, even minor ones. Also, keep a positive mindset. Turn your mind away from negativity and daily obstacles to focus on what you want to achieve and the positive aspects of your life.

4. Product or service knowledge

Entrepreneurs know what they have to offer and to whom they can sell it. Clearly define the category of products or services you sell and how they provide value to consumers. Also, study your target clients to make sure you answer their needs. This will allow you to improve your offer continuously so you can stay on top of industry trends.

To increase the positive impact of this knowledge, you should continually learn about your market, understand what people need and know the features that differentiate you from competitors. Talk with your clients and use their feedback. With this information, you can adjust your position when necessary.

5. Ability to network

The ability to connect with people and to recognize opportunities for partnership is crucial to successful entrepreneurship. Meeting new people might facilitate access to resources or knowledge that your business needs. It allows you to learn from the success of others, promote your services or goods and meet new clients.

To improve your networking skills, you must try to build genuine relationships. You likely have a business goal in mind, but approach people with the objective of a human connection, just like making new friends. If you meet someone who could benefit another person in your network, connect them. Not only will you help someone, but they will probably remember you and want to return the favor.

6. Self-confidence

Entrepreneurs believe they can achieve their goals. They may have doubt, but they persevere through it. They are ready to invest the necessary work because they are confident they can create something better than what already exists.

Self-confidence is essential because it allows you to feel better and makes it easier to overcome challenges, take risks and be persistent. Therefore, it contributes to your success overall.

To improve your self-confidence, you can use the technique of visualization. Visualize yourself as the person you want to be and visualize your business at a stage you would be proud of. You can also practice affirmation by saying uplifting statements about your accomplishments. These techniques can help to change the way you see yourself positively.

7. Optimism

Entrepreneurs are dreamers with a plan in place: They see the positive side of the situation and always move forward. Optimism supports creativity, so it helps business leaders finding new ideas for their products or services and increases their chances of success.

To develop your optimism, you can consider challenges as opportunities to grow instead of problems that could stop you. Keep the end goal in mind, and don't dwell on past issues.

8. Vision

Entrepreneurs have vision. They see a big picture they wish to accomplish, which fuels their efforts and pushes them to do more. Moreover, vision is what defines the culture and identity of an organization. Not only does it keep entrepreneurs energized, but it allows them to motivate others and keep them working towards the company's success.

To improve your entrepreneurship vision, you can implement a daily action plan. Prioritizing your tasks can keep you from feeling overwhelmed and help you stick to your vision. Also, listen to or read uplifting content to fortify your mind and stay focused on your purpose.

9. Goal mindset

Entrepreneurs are goal oriented. They know what they want to achieve, set a goal and work toward that objective. Determination is vital to overcome possible challenges, and it also inspires trust from the people who work with you.

To become more goal-oriented, you can start by identifying what you want to accomplish and clarifying your vision of the future. Then, set a goal with a timeline to guide your actions. This will allow you to witness your progression and help keep you committed to your goal.

10. Risk-taking

Entrepreneurs are ready to take risks. They plan for the unknown so they can make calculated decisions that are profitable for them and their business.

To increase your risk-taking abilities, you can start considering your journey as a learning process, including the possible failures. You must keep your goal in mind and commit to persevering.

It is essential to take some risks to differentiate from your competition and allow your business to succeed. Once you know how you can manage risk and grow from disappointments, you may become more comfortable with challenging yourself.

11. Persuasiveness

Entrepreneurs know their business and how to talk about it to people. They need to persuade others to believe in their idea.

To improve your persuasion skills, learn about your listeners and adapt to their personality. You can share a story to reach them on an emotional level and show your passion. If people can relate to your story, it creates a connection that can grow into loyalty, which is essential for your business success. Another tip is to share your accomplishments and rely on facts to support your arguments and convince people.

12. Decision-making

Entrepreneurs need to make quick decisions and take action for the success of their business.

To improve your decision-making skills, you can inform yourself to understand better the problems you try to solve. Assess the impact of the decision you need to make, and allow a corresponding amount of time to decide. You can also narrow your options to ease the process of making a decision.

13. Tenacity

Entrepreneurs overcome challenges. They persevere through difficulties and hold on to their goals and dreams.

To improve your tenacity, you can write down your goals and read them every day. You can choose role models and remember great figures of history who had to persevere through failure before they achieved success.

14. Money management

Entrepreneurs need to understand the financial situation of their business. Even if they hire a specialist like an accountant, they are the decision-maker and must know their situation to run the business successfully.

You can improve your basic money management skills by preparing a budget and committing to it and investing available funds rather than spending them. You can also acquire more financial knowledge by taking classes or training programs.

15. Adaptability

When they start a business, entrepreneurs often need to multitask. Flexibility in your schedule, as well as in your thinking, is crucial to continue growing in challenging situations.

To increase your adaptability, you can approach all activities with an open mind and stay ready to change your ways if necessary. Try new methods and welcome new trends to foster your ability to adapt.