kyle-james21-blog

[kyle-james21-blog]

Do you communicate like a broken telephone?

My telephone seems to always be broken but I am working on getting it fixed! I have to admit that the one area I struggle the most with in life is communication. What is my biggest communication challenge? I have a disability which impacts my ability to communicate effectively. I struggle with organizing my own thoughts which means both verbal and written communication are very difficult for me. I also have a great deal of difficulty with social cues which impacts my ability to pick up on and interpret non-verbal communication. My disability also impacts my ability to listen effectively. I have to really focus and concentrate to avoid distraction. All of this of course has an impact on my confidence which makes public speaking for me even more of a challenge than it is for the average person. I have tried many different strategies over the years to help with one or all of these challenges. When it comes to public speaking or delivering presentations I have to practice, practice, and practice. I practice on my own but I could also practice in front of the mirror or with another person. The better I know the content the easier it is to deliver. I could record myself and re-watch it to see where I need to improve (MindTools, n.d.). I could also start speaking out more when I am around others, just to gain more confidence in my ability to get my ideas across. To help with my listening I make a conscientious effort to maintain eye contact and I am initiating the conversation I try to do so in a quiet environment. Two strategies to help me articulate my thoughts on paper would be to have a scribe or use a graphic organizer (Shub, 2017). These are tactics I have used most of my school life and it has been very helpful. If no one is available I could always speak and record me ideas and then write them down when I play back, or I could use voice to text software and have it do the work for me. Then, once I do have my ideas down I can have someone proof-read for me and identify gaps. In my opinion it is better to communicate sad or bad information orally and ideally face-to-face. This gives you the opportunity to get immediate feedback, both verbal and non-verbal. Bibliography MindTools. (n.d.). Better Public Speaking – Becoming a Confident, Compelling Speaker. Retrieved May 20, 2020 from https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/PublicSpeaking.htm Shub, Toni M. (2017, August 16). Helping Struggling Writers: Five Steps to Getting Thoughts Down on Paper. Retrieved May 20, 2020 from https://www.nationalautismresources.com/blog/helping-struggling-writers-five-steps-to-getting-thoughts-down-on-paper/ Vandersluis, Chris. (2017). Avoiding a bad case of broken telephone [Photograph of two cans with a broken string]. EPM Guidance. Retrieved May 24, 2020 from https://www.epmguidance.com/2017/11/22/avoiding-a-bad-case-of-broken-telephone/

[kyle-james21-blog]

I.T. is IT!

For as long as I can remember I have loved technology. I am intrigued by how things are put together and how they work. I am also a loner and a logical thinker. These qualities and attributes lend well to the field of computer programming. Upon entering college I was set on working in the field of cyber security. My goal was to work for the Federal Government in counter-terrorism. I actually thought there were only a few fields I could work in: security, web-design and software development. However, I now know that there are many more career paths at my disposal so now I am unsure which path I will take. I find computer programming interesting and it excites me. I think it is a great career choice because this work can be done at home which means flexible work hours and the potential for better work/life balance. Starting salary is about $50,000 per year. Technology continues to advance which translates into better job security. My short-term goals include finishing college and exploring my career aspirations so that I can identify next steps upon graduation. While still in school I plan on making some music related applications/programs and some Virtual Studio Technology (VST) Plug-ins. This technology uses “digital signal processing to simulate traditional recording studio software” (“Virtual Studio”, 2020). This will give me some practical programming experience with VSTs which I can put on my resume. My long term goal would be working for the Federal Government as it means there is an opportunity to have a pension. This is a unique offering as the current trend in the corporate world is to move away from defined benefit pensions as a cost cutting measure (Fox Business, 2019). While most of my peers are interested in taking home all of their pay, with as few deductions as possible i.e. taxes, EI and CPP – I am not that way. The choices and decisions I make are rooted in the future impact they will have on me. I save my money so I am prepared for an emergency, I take precautions before I do anything potentially hazardous. I need to know that I will be able to provide for myself and my family. This is what is important to me and what I take pride in. Everyone should be planning for their future. It’s important. Bibliography Henney, Megan. (2019, December 10). Corporate pension plans could become a thing of the past. Retrieved May 20, 2020 from https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/retirement-crisis-pension-plans-going-extinct Virtual Studio Technology. (2020, April 29). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 20, 2020 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Studio_Technology Woodward, John R. and Fayed, Marwan. (2016). [Photograph of computer programming languages]. The Conversation. Retrieved May 24, 2020 from https://theconversation.com/why-everyone-should-have-to-learn-computer-programming-62328

[kyle-james21-blog]

Social Media – For this half or the other half?

According to DataReportal (2020) there are now just under 4 billion social media users worldwide. That is almost 50% of the people on this planet, and I have to admit, I am one of them! I have several social networking accounts, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram - all of which I rarely use. When I first went on Facebook in 2011 it was primarily to play games and I posted or shared very little personal information. There are older posts there that I do not want others to see so my profile picture is one that is totally unrelated to me and my privacy settings are set to high. I also have a YouTube channel and the only content is a couple of old tech demos for games I had developed or worked on. I am conservative so I am cognizant of the information I share and the potential repercussions. I have never wanted others to get the wrong impression of me, and I would never want what I post on social media to negatively impact my opportunity for employment. An article on Business Insider (2014) shares 17 reported cases of individuals who have lost their jobs as a direct consequence to a Facebook posting. I do not intend to be one of them! I take steps to protect my personal information online. As someone who has had experience with the internet from a young age, I know how easy it is to find information on others. I now use social media to keep in touch with family, for some personal projects and my hobbies. As a computer science student I also use GitHub. For GitHub I would like to know more about it so I can make informed decisions about what projects I should be uploading there. I believe that I am naïve when it comes to the powers of social media. I know that once I learn more about LinkedIn, for example, that I will use it and other platforms for networking purposes to build my brand and make connections. Social media has the capability to reach people worldwide, quickly and efficiently (Wharton, 2019). I therefore, believe, that if done properly it can be a powerful marketing tool to help one build their brand and their business.   Bibliography [Photograph of social media brand logos]. (2019). Retrieved May 25, 2020, from https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/changing-position-of-social-media-in-2018-marketers Global Social Media Overview. (2020, April). Retrieved May 21, 2020 from https://datareportal.com/social-media-users The Impact of Social Media. (2019, July 26). Retrieved May 22, 2020 from https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/impact-of-social-media/ Love, Dylan. (2014, July 4). 17 People Who Were Fired For Using Facebook. Retrieved May 24, 2020 from https://www.businessinsider.com/17-people-who-were-fired-for-using-facebook-2014-7