Collaboration technologies

Collaboration technologies like Google docs, Facebook, Linkedin, and text and instant messaging are becoming more widely used in our society. These technologies are being used to notify individuals about meetings, social gatherings, and even weddings. With the fast pace society that we live in these forms of communication are beneficial for instant feedback and response to inquiries and problems.

As students are becoming busier there is a need for these alternative communication techniques. With collaboration technologies like Google docs, Facebook, and text and instant messaging students are able to communicate and collaborate on group projects without having to get together. This allows feedback when a portion of the project is finished without having to gather each member of the group. Students are also able to share documents across the internet with each other saving time and resources. The use of these, along with the many other collaboration technologies that are in use in the world, students are able to be more efficient and productive as they work on projects.

Is it who you know, or what you know?

There are many qualified individuals that are able and willing to fulfill job openings. Then why don’t they get the job? When all is said and done getting a job comes down to who you know, not what you know. In my personal experience I didn’t have the qualifications to work in a cabinet mill, but my woodshop teacher recommended me to the owner of a company and without an interview or resume I was given the job. He never once asked me what I knew about woodworking, but went off the recommendation from someone we both knew and hired me on the spot.

Networking is vital in today’s economy. With more and more people getting college educations and degrees in every area of expertise, it is important that people build those relationships with others if they want the upper hand in the job field. You are more likely to purchase an item that you or a close friend have owned in the past, than to just go out and buy it without any prior knowledge. It may satisfy everything that you need it to do, but without that backing from a trusted individual it is a harder decision. This example applies when going into the job field. An employer is more likely to hire someone who has been “tested and proven” than to risk getting a “dud”.

Interview Attire

When going into an interview for a business position people always trying to be the best there is in their field. However, there is more than being book smart or social. Dressing for success tells an employer more about a person’s character than anything they can say or do. Dressing professionally tells employers how you are going to act once you are hired, which should be like a professional. If a person wears clothing that looks like they just came from the farm gives a first impression that can never be taken back. An employer will often look at that and immediately think that the person is not well educated in the field that they are interviewing for and not get the job, even if they are the most qualified for the position.

In a business interview there is a need to be professional in appearance and conduct, but when dressing a person needs to know their audience. If they over dress for an interview it will give the impression that they are going to demand too much money from the company. On the other hand, by under dressing it gives the appearance that a person doesn’t care and they aren’t going to be an asset to company in the future. By learning about the company a person is interviewing with they are able to adjust the way they act and dress to match those they will be speaking with. For most professional business interviews a male should wear a blue or gray conservative suit and tie. Dress and appearance are first things that interviewers notice about the interviewee, and hopefully they see them as a professional.