A Couple of Tips.

Over the past twenty five years, I've had the chance to participate in and plan several presentations. what I'm going to include in today's blog entry are a couple of things that will help out the novice presenter.

1. Too many words on a slide
The simple adage, k.i.s.s., holds true in this case; keep it simple stupid. When presenting, specifically with PowerPoint, novice presenters tend to put every single word on the slide that they intend to say. This makes for a very predictable presentation and often confuses the audience which will spend more time looking at all of the details to every single slide insted of paying attention to what the presenter has to say. If key topics or talking points are highlighted in a simple way, the audience will glance at the slide and continue to liste.
2. Do not read the slides
Again this happens quite often with novice presenters. If a person reads the slides word for word, it makes for a very predictable presentation and lulls the audience into complete boredom. It is best to highlight the key points on the slide and then explain them in greater detail. This way, the presenter is engaging the audience and keeping the attention on him or her. However, one must be extremely careful when taking this approach to stay away from the dreaded "um" monster. When there is more flexibility in a presentation this terrible creature likes to show his ugly head in the breaks and pauses. He has been known to show himself during some presentation over 20 times! Please be careful.

Of course there are many things that we were unable to discuss today that go into an effective presentation. I hope that my two "pointers" will help someone avoid these preventable pitfalls and assist them on his or her way to an effective presentation.

In response to Collaboration Technology

This blog entry is in response to Bryan Mortenson's blog entry about collaboration technology used in the classroom. I thought the entry was well written and explained a lot of the applications
that are currently used when we talk about collaboration technology. Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, are several among an entire sea of social media applications. When they are used for good, they can be powerful tools in allowing team members and classmates to coordinate tasks and complete projects from different locations. The "dark side" to these applications of collaboration technology is that when used irresponsibly, can be the cause of many hours of wasted time that could have been better spent elsewhere. As I write this, I have fallen victim to the grasp of facebook which has enthralled me for the past hour. Have I spent my time wisely on facebook? Yes and no. It is extremely useful in contacting friends and associates, but because I had a little bit of free time on my hands I spent more time "collaborating" than I should have. New technologies have enabled students to collaborate and work more effectively now more than ever, however with the good is also the bad. The bad being the increased amount of distractions that take away from study time.

Who you know or what you know?

In the hunt for a job what is more important, who you know or what you know?
Both areas have their strengths and their weaknesses. When a person relies completely on his or her connections to find a job, he or she may not qualify for any other jobs on the market because of a lack of "know how". Complete reliance on who you know isn't the ideal solution because of this possible result. It is a strong possibility that this person may find a job but with that in mind, he or she probably wouldn't be the best fit for the position.
If a person relies strictly on "know how" to find a job, he or she runs into deeper waters of competition of others who don't have any connections. A person can be brilliant and still not get hired because of the absence of any personal connection and relationships of trust with the employer.
The ideal situation for one who is on the job hunt is to be knowledgeable and well-networked with other professionals. If a person is intelligent about a certain business and knows key players within the industry, it is realistic to say that person will likely find a job in that industry. Conclusion- relying solely on what you know isn't sufficient if those seeking your talent don't even know you're out there.

Collaboration Technology

In today's high-tech world, incredible technologies and tools have recently become available to students and teachers. At times it can be difficult to keep up with all of the products released from companies such as Apple and Microsoft. Often times a newer and better product or version is released shortly after the latest "new thing" forcing many into buyer's remorse.
However, there are many programs that will likely be around for a while. These programs have improved collaboration efforts required by projects and student course work. Google's "gmail" has simplified this process by making a central location for members to communicate. Group members can communicate through email, share and manipulate word documents and spreadsheets, and even plan out schedules. Gmail also enables students to complete and coordinate work even when they are located in different locations.

Proper Attire For An Interview

What is the proper attire for a business interview? In today's world there are hundreds of ways for a job applicant to dress up in preparation to get that new job. It seems as though the traditional suit and tie for men or business suit for women is looked as "old fashioned" as emerging figures such as Lady Gaga become increasingly popular. However, the old adage "you look how you feel" still holds true today and especially so in business. There is room for one to be artistic and express themselves, however if that person ever wants to get a decent job he or she has to look the part. It is an impressive site to see someone, a man or a woman, who is nicely dressed, clean cut, and is confident in his or her demeanor. Interviewers look for these type of individuals because eventually, they will be the face of the company in whatever position they may hold. With this in mind, it is important for men to wear a nice shirt, a conservative tie, slacks, and dress shoes. For women a business suit or depending on the position, a professional looking outfit with a skirt would also be appropriate.

Business Topic- The Apple iPad.

The New Apple iPad is set to be released sometime next month. It is interesting to see the mixed reactions to this new product. The majority of students that I've talked to on the Utah State campus are not interested in purchasing this new "gadget". There are a couple of reasons that explain this lack of enthusiasm for the iPad. It is likely that with this new release, Apple is targeting those who own iPhones, iPods, iMacs, and other apple products. The iPad allows users to read books, check email, surf the internet, and listen to music. Isn't that already available on an iMac and an iPhone? It seems as though Apple has failed to conduct sufficient market research to release a "new" product that doesn't overlap with its own product line.
What do large technology companies do to figure out what their customers want? In the iPad situation, the researchers that work for apple feel that this product won't be as immediately successful as the iPhone or iPad but there is enough demand to justify its production. The researchers may be right but my own research has revealed that purchasing an iPad is comparable to taking the screen off of a laptop and carrying it around along with an iMac laptop and iPhone. It doesn't look like Apple is creating a lot of value to its company, rather it wants to just sell "something" because it has a loyal enough fan base that will buy anything with the Apple name on it.

Is Letter Writing Archaic?

I believe that there is room for traditional letter writing in today's high-tech world. It is obvious that this is the case because letters are still widely used today in business, politics, academics, and even in informal communication between friends and family. When a letter is actually written and sent on paper it usually brings with it a sense of formality.
Typically when acceptance letters are sent to applicants, it is done so in letter format. A simple email does not suffice. A written letter translates into, "I cared enough about your request that I took the time to hand write a letter and send it back to you." Once a letter is received, there is a certain level of privacy between sender and receiver that can't quite be matched by email messages. You are the only on that has read the letter. Why is that? Because you physically broke the seal, opened the envelope, and read the message written on paper. When engaging in online communication, their is always a chance of having a message intercepted or even read by a third party. For these reasons letter writing should be and is still considered an acceptable practice today.