sofieh3ll0r

[sofieh3ll0r]

Little oil  -   https://www.facebook.com/littleoil.s?_rdr=p  -  http://littleoil.tumblr.com  -  https://instagram.com/minayuyu

[sofieh3ll0r]

Mocha708  -  https://twitter.com/mocha708  -  https://ja-jp.facebook.com/people/Mocha-Cotton/100013147182049  -  http://alice-books.com/item/list/all?circle_id=4475  -  http://mocha708.wixsite.com/mocha708  -  https://mocha.booth.pm

[sofieh3ll0r]

BS300 Task 6 - WHY?

Actively full-time working will take up most of my time in the future but what is the reasoning to do what I want to do? First of all, I would like to work to gain real-life experience and experience in a serious working environment in my creative area. From working I can learn life lessons but also practice my skill set and even acquire new skills. I think it is also important to work hierarchically under a boss as this might provide guidance during the first months in a new company. This will help to build confidence in one's work and one will be much more open towards new opportunities. I also want to work because I believe I can learn and draw a lot of motivation from colleagues. Furthermore, I also believe that people will ways make an impact on others through their actions, might they be positive or negate, however one always learns from it. Working might also support the construction of a successful network. I believe that work allows one's life to get a structure that might prevent or minder anxiety, depression, and the feeling of being lost. Obviously, working has also to do with ensuring to be financially stable so that I can provide for my dog, my cat, and myself.

I think I would like to become an entrepreneur once if I have gathered life and business experience. Considering I’m very passionate about the treatment of animals in the wild and SPCAS I could find maybe one day away to entrepreneur ethically in this section with my design skills to make a difference. However, entrepreneurs are also very scary to think about. One must undoubtly work a lot and even if one might give an idea his all, it could still fail. The fear of failure is pretty prominent as one has a lot of responsibility. This might hinder me in taking the necessary steps. Furthermore, entrepreneurship often reminds me of daunting tasks like taxes. 

However, I think all of these fears and daunting ideas will move in the background if someone is passionate about what they are doing.

[sofieh3ll0r]

Business Studies 300 - Week 6

The Golden circle This week's reading was focused on the concept of the golden circle in relation to leadership and business. The golden circle approach allows an alternative perspective of existing assumptions. In regards to leadership and businesses, it allows a unique perspective on how successful businesses have established a certain degree of influence amongst clients and other competitors. In general, the golden circle can through this offers possibilities to improve leadership, corporate culture, hiring, product development as well as sales and marketing.

  In general, companies promote themselves and their products according to a certain structure to their clients. They start with what they sell followed by their interpret ion of how the product differentiates from others. Lastly, a call of action is added:

We make great computers. They’re beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly. Wanna buy one?

The golden circle approach, however, challenges businesses to turn this approach around and focus on the why more so than what. The why allows a sense of emotion and awakens an almost deep connection to the user. Big companies like Apple Inc have been using this approach with full success for years. Here is an example of a golden circle approach:

Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly. And we happen to make great computers. Wanna buy one?

Why does this approach touch the user differently and is generally more successful? Well, it is important to note that people don’t buy a product for what it is but why it has been done. This indicates that a specific product gives life to a cause (the why). This is why Businesses need to push why in the foreground. Knowing the why provides flexibility and innovation amongst a cause. It creates a sense of satisfaction for both the buyer and the seller - Do you know your why?

[sofieh3ll0r]

Business Studies 300 - Task 5

Freelancing

Pro’s of freelancing

Freedom of Clients

Control of Workload

Flexibility

Independence

Exposure

Self-empowerment

An Opportunity To Earn More

Multi-Faceted Exposure

Become A Better Human Being

Flexibility – the main keyword when going solo

Thriving on variety

You choose who to work with

Con’s of freelancing

Understanding financial security

Isolation

Self-decision making

Lack of Benefits

Variable Workloads and Income

Unique Ethical Considerations

24/7 availability

Accountability & Ultimate Responsibility

Lack of Job Security

Administrative Responsibilities

Client Development

Growing Network

Tax Consequences

Sporadic Work & Cash Flow Issues

What would you need to have in place in order to become independent?

I think it is important to have a great deal of commitment, excellent time-management skills, and the necessary knowledge to fulfill a great variety of different tasks from admin to writing to legal and to the creative aspects. Furthermore, I think you need to have a place to stay which ensures productivity and doesn’t allow distractions.

How would this way of working relate to your personality and lifestyle?

I believe I do have good time-management skills and the commitment to be a freelancer. However, I personally tend to overwork and overcommit to a task. I think I would be on the verge of burn-out very quickly. Due to this, I would also neglect my personal life and outside goals which will, in the long run, impact me negatively.

Why would you freelance?

I think as a freelancer you have freedom which is unattainable working in a company. This freedom includes the choice of clients, working-times and overall more creative freedom. I think as a freelancer you can explore your own creative mindset more which will lead to, if done right, to immense personal growth.

Why not?

I’m a creature of habit and enjoy structure, I’m afraid as a freelancer I would struggle to create a structure for myself. This can cause anxiety and performance struggles which will eventually lead to me being in misery. I also grew up having money-struggles, therefore sporadic, unreliable work can cause major anxiety for me.

When would you work as an independent practitioner?

I work now besides being a student as a freelancer for a handful of selected clients. This provides me with a little bit more financial freedom and also allows me to build confidence in my skills besides attending the Creative Academy. I think that the only way to become better at what you are doing is practicing it. I believe if one's employer allows someone to freelance besides work it could lead to great improvement in one's work as inspiration and creativity are more easily attained.

When not?

I would not freelance besides if I just acquired a job as I want to put my full focus on the career ahead of me. Furthermore, I would also not freelance if I feel fulfilled with my working experience and my workplace allows me opportunities for personal growth.

[sofieh3ll0r]

“Talent is not enough - Business secrets for Designers”

Chapter 4: Sample indépendant contractor agreement.

This chapter provided useful although difficult example of what contractor agreements whilst subcontracting with design firms and agencies should include.

1. Services

As a contractor one needs to agree to perform the services described in the contract. However additional tasks may be added or deleted on request of both parties. The contractor is only allowed to perform tasks on request. This is important as every party within the contract needs to know what is expected of them within the work environment

2. Compensation

It is important to agree on the faces compensation the contractor will receive for their services. Also one needs to discuss the additional expenses the service provider could have whilst creating the required design.

3. Intellectual property ownership

As a contractor, it is important to note that the created design will be regarded as commissioned work owned by the company. Therefore the company is allowed to change the work at any point. The contractor most likely will have to provide and support the company whilst the trademarking process.

4. Originality & Noninfringement

The contractor needs to provide original work. Both the employer and the designer need to sign such an agreement. However, it is the designer that is legible for any trouble if the provided work is stolen or imitated from other creatives work

5. Confidentiality

As a contractor one becomes part of a company for a certain time. Therefore the designer is not allowed to share any secrets, problems or unpublished work to anyone outside of the company. The designer is only allowed to state who he is working with but nothing else. After the contract is terminated, the designer is still advised to not disclose any information about the employee and is required to hand back any tangible information.

6. Conflicting obligations

The contractor needs to ensure that he is not working with another firm that could clash with the agreements in one's contract.

7. Term & Termination

The contract and its established rules are active from the first day the contractor works. The contract may be terminated by both sides 10 days before the exit date. If the company terminates the contract, it will have to pay for all working projects up until the date of termination.

8. Assignment

The contractor is not allowed to share their work without the special commission of the employer.

9. Indépendant contractor.

As a contractor one is not regarded as an employee but a consulate. This requires the contractor to pay taxes himself and not the company.

10. Equitable relief

The company is allowed to sue the contractor at any point if the contract is breached

11. Miscellaneous

The contract can only be changed and modified if both parties express their consent. If the contract is partly illegal these parts of the contract will be terminated whilst the rest is still valid. The contract will be valid for any future contractors as well.

[sofieh3ll0r]

Prescribed Reading - Week 4

The Importance of networking

Networking and the ability to build a satisfactory network is an important skill today. 

“Your Network is your net worth”. Porter Gale

Successful Networks allow easier access to possibilities and opportunities in professional and private life. However, most individuals claim to be too busy or too introverted to start the construction of a network. To change these individuals must start to understand what a network is. Networking should be regarded as more as an activity to gain long-term friends.

 One big factor that contributes to successful networking is building a networking group out of people one truly respects and is interesting in. To create such a group, individuals are advised to create a Wishlist of people they would like to connect with. This adds a notion of possible excitement to networking.

Most individuals are not aware of how a lack of a successful can impact one's life negatively. This general lack of awareness can lead to missed opportunities and a lack of focus. To fill this lack, it is advised to engage in networking hotspots and every possible opportunity. 

It does not matter if one attends every networking dinner or just invites as a colleague to coffee - It is only important to start now!

[sofieh3ll0r]

Job 1

https://www.glassdoor.com/Job/munich-junior-ux-ui-designer-jobs-SRCH_IL.0,6_IC4990924_KO7,28.htm

What about this position appeals to you?

First and foremost the style in which the advertisement is written. It creates excitement and wants you to become part of the business immediately. However even more appealing is the company itself which focuses on the creative implementation of AI and data to make people's lives better. Furthermore, the company is situated in Munich, my hometown. 

What about these positions intimidates you?

Obviously, the fact that they would prefer experience in the UX/UI field if possible. I know I am just at the start of my career but knowing that your job “competition” might and will have more experience than you creates a sense of unease. I also find the list of additional helpful skills rather intimidating, even though we learn most of them at the Cape Town Creative Academy, it often still feels like you haven’t because you don’t have too much “real world” experience.

What more would you need to know about this position before you apply? 

Salary

Job-hours (even though I think they would vary from project to project)

Contract period

Is there a possibility of growth within the company?

How does this position relate to your envisioned career trajectory?

Futurice is already an established company, therefore I think it would offer me a great chance of personal and professional growth. I could learn from seniors in my field and also explore how it is to work with bigger clients. Furthermore, I could experience professionalism at its core and adapt these values for future job opportunities. 

Job 2

https://za.linkedin.com/jobs/junior-ux-ui-designer-jobs?currentJobId=1723912252&position=17&pageNum=0

What about this position appeals to you?

I enjoy data visualization and making sense out of a block of data as it satisfies the analytical side of my brain. Furthermore, I enjoy coding and coding or designing for the responsive web a lot. I also think that the inclusion of innovation times and team building activities a strong additional benefit is for any company.

What about these positions intimidates you?

User Interface Design is my weaker link between User Experience and User Interface Design because I often lack the confidence to think outside of the box with my designs. However, I think it is important to be trained in both sections today.

What more would you need to know about this position before you apply? 

Salary

Job-hours 

Contract period

Companies goals, values and ethics

How does this position relate to your envisioned career trajectory?

As earlier mentioned I enjoy working with data and finding ways to visualize it in a creative and clear manner for the user. I also want to widen my coding skills with JavaScript, HTML, and Jquery. I enjoy working in team-environments and want to grow my teamwork skills.

Job 3

https://www.indeed.co.za/Ux-Designer-jobs-in-Cape-Town,-Western-Cape?advn=2503671868195928&vjk=b07ec7b8670575b4

What about this position appeals to you?

This job includes additional skills that could be beneficial as skills that I practice myself like the use of InDesign and digital animation. I think this job could broaden my set of skills and not just User Interface/ User Experience Design.

What about these positions intimidates you?

I think the high list of duties is intimidating at first glance. Especially ensuring the quality of the brand's standard which immediately makes me lose a little bit of confidence in my skills even though it should not.

What more would you need to know about this position before you apply? 

More information about the company

The company's design ethics and values

Salary

Working hours

How does this position relate to your envisioned career trajectory?

I feel familiar with most requirements which makes me excited to grow a more broader set of skills. I personally enjoy to not just simply focus on one category like user-interface but to broaden my set of skills and my creativity.

Interview with Monique Grobler to practice Interview skills

M: Monique

S: Sofie

1. S: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

M: In 5 years from now, I see myself settled within a company I enjoy working for – growing/climbing the ladder becoming the best UI designer I can be. While learning additional skills to evolve my role within the company.

2. M: What are your biggest strengths?

S: My biggest strength is time-management. Since I was 16 I worked part-time in a Tourism Business which learned me to plan ahead of time and plan enough time in order to be able to give each task the necessary time it needs. I learned very early to balance multiple responsibilities and tasks at the same time.

3. S: What are your biggest weaknesses?

M: Some of my biggest weaknesses are 1. Asking for help, 2. Not saying no and 3. Lacking the confidence to take up a task. 

4. M: What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

S: The biggest challenge I had to overcome was gaining enough confidence in my work to feel that I could be a great asset to a company one day.

5. S: What was the most valuable aspect you learned whilst studying?

M: The most valuable aspect of my studies was learning time management as well as meeting deadlines on time.

6. M: What are you currently reading?

S: Currently, I am reading Malcolm Gladwells “Talking to Strangers” which is a fascinating book focusing on what impact pre-made assumptions can have on your day-to-day conversations can have.

7. S: How do you work under pressure? 

M: I work well under pressure, as I am used to taking on additional work while studying full time. This helped me deal with stressful situations and last-minute deadlines.

8. M: How do you work in teams?

S: I enjoy working in a team and in a team environment because I think it is important to gain inspiration and motivation from one another. Multiple eyes on a task normally have a better outcome than just a single pair of eyes.

9. S: What Designers inspire you?

M: Whitney Hess,  a well-known designer but besides being a great designer she has great values as well. She believes empathy builds empires.

10. M: What would make this your dream job?

S: It is important for me to be able to constantly grow and develop in an environment. However not just work skills like working with Sketch or Figma but also social-skills and time-management skills. 

11. S: Describe your personality

M: My personality is best describes as friendly and bubbly, but seriously focused and determined when it comes to working environments and tasks. As I take my work extremely seriously.

12. M: What does your ideal work environment look like?

S: My ideal work-environment includes trust in each other skills and competence. I think it is important to be able to get criticism and also to be able to give criticism in order to help one another grow. 

13. S: What made you apply for this job?

M: I was drawn to the description that was given about the company, I can see myself working in this company and fitting in greatly. I believe I have all the qualities you are seeking within a designer and I also liked that medical aid was included.

14. M: What do you do in your spare time?

S: I enjoy hiking with my friends the most in my spare time. I think it is a great opportunity to recharge whilst having a great company. As a designer you sit most of your time in front of a laptop or a computer, therefore I think it’s important to reconnect with nature in your spare time.

15. S: How would describe yourself in the workspace?

M: Honestly and ambitious. Honestly is one of the attributes I value the most in life – as a colleague, I would appreciate honest feedback or be informed if I do something incorrectly. Ambitious because I believe I am and that helps motivate me and others around us.

16: M: What is the biggest life lesson that you’ve learned?

S: The biggest life lesson I learned is from my mother. She made me realize from a young age that you should always work towards the best possible solution to a problem or work in general. 

17. S: Why do you want to become a Designer?

M: I enjoy what I do, I find it challenging as it is not always black and white and I enjoy figuring out ways to overcome problems by solving them with something aesthetically pleasing.

18. M: If you could change anything in the world what would it be?

S: I personally would change the education system to place a greater focus on the creative. When I was in school creative subjects were neglected and regarded as less important in contrast to other subjects. However, I think especially creating art even if you are not a great artist is essential to the development of children as it can naturally calm one. 

19. S: What are your thoughts on the future of your country?

M: I am trying to remain hopeful for my country as it will forever be ‘home’ to me. But I am not blinded by everything going on around us.

20. M: Do you have any questions about this organization?

S: Can you tell me more about your mission? What are your creative values and ethics? Do you support personal growth and team-building exercises?

21. S: Do you have any additional questions to ask?

M: What are my expected working hours as well as a starting salary?

[sofieh3ll0r]

Prescribed Reading - BS300

A modern-day designer needs a far more complex set of skills besides having the necessary practical skills in software, printing or coding. A designer needs to be practicing the so-called attributes of the mind which include: cultural awareness, communication skills, and integrity. 

One big attribute designers struggle with is time-management. As a designer, it feels like there is never enough time to finish or produce “perfect” work. However, this has mostly nothing to do with the amount of time given but the actual management of the time by the designer. 

Designers often do not take into consideration disturbances that will take up time from the time allocated to work on a specific task. And even if there are no external disturbances, the creative often waits for a break-through moment to gather his ideas. This often takes time and could lead to little to no professionalism in the workspace. 

These problems with time-management are often fuelled by anxiety which is harmful to the creative process. The creative needs to realize that he is the one in control of the time and not the time being in control of the creative. One way of doing this is breaking the workload up into reasonable bits which will make the designer feel in more control. These reasonable chunks should be ordered correctly to ensure unpleasant tasks are done before pleasant ones.

Another skill that creatives need today is balancing research. Research is important as it can support and guide the design thinking process. However, too much logical research can lead the designer down a rabbit hole of losing their own creative freedom. That is why it is important to mix research with imagination and free-thinking.

Closely related to research is design strategies. Strategies can help the designer map out the target market and define a design strategy. However, this can downgrade the creative freedom of a designer and will eventually lead to similar, non-experimental designs. Once again it is important to craft a balance between including strategy and ignoring strategy. Designs without strategy are often not accepted by clients.

Another skill that designers need to practice and not underestimate our presentation skills. Designers need to be able to answer the inevitable questions on why the did what they did. Often ideas get rejected too quickly because they are not presented and understood correctly.

Besides having proper presentation skills, the designer should also practice their writing skills. Written proposals are a must in the design industry. Designers tend to work better with text if they are confident in language and this can only be achieved through constant practice and re-editing. 

[sofieh3ll0r]

One of the companies I would like to intern in is Longbeard Design. Preferably this internship would happen in my November vacation and I would regard it as my Internship needed for graduating at the Cape Town Creative Academy. 

https://www.longbeard.com

I would like to intern at Longbeard because I attended a midweek lecture held by Matthew Sanders, the founder, and CEO of Longbeard Design, and I really enjoyed listening to him describing the ethics of his company. I also felt like I could learn a lot from their practice and it would compliment my personal design development. Considering I’m unsure at the moment if I want to focus on User-Experience or User-Interface, looking at Longbeard Designs work, I think they would cater to both of these aspects.

Another company I would like to possibly intern is Isoflow which is a User-experience and User-Interface agency based in Woodstock. This internship would have to definitely happen in my November vacation period. 

https://www.isoflow.co.za

I would like an intern at Isoflow because they practice both of the aspects I am interested in User-experience and User-Interface. I also recognize most of their web and mobile designs out of personal usage. I feel like interning there would definitely benefit the growth and development in my design career.

In order to prepare for this possible Internship, I definitely need to keep on working on my portfolio and publicize it. I think it would also be beneficial for me to attend gatherings in the User-Experience and User-Interface department because it would not only spark inspiration but also allow me to create connections with professionals in this field. I personally think that my time-management skills are already developed because I’m used to planning my week but I do believe that I could always improve myself. I also work every vacation daily in the tourism industry as a waiter, tour-guide, and receptionist, that is why I think I’m used to working hours and communicating effectively and friendly. Of course, I can still improve these skills as well by forcing myself to be more open towards actual professionals and my college peers. I think as earlier in the term developed I still need to work on my confidence and the confidence in the work I produce. I often tend to step back and redo my work immediately without providing why I did what I did with my design. I am currently busy developing and practicing gaining confidence by asking my peers and my lecturer for constant feedback. Furthermore, I force myself to ask questions when I’m unsure about something. I also want to improve my writing skills because I am from Germany and English is not my home-language but only my third language besides German and French. Writing is an important skill as our lecturer Francois but also the prescribed reading explained considering written proposals are a staple for the design industry. I think good writing skills also enhance the essence of professionalism which is deeply needed to be a good intern. On a different note, I do think it is also important for me to finish my driving lessons to obtain my license because it will be handy in case I need to pick up or deliver certain things during my internship but it also creates a sense of reliance of me in case public transport is not working. Overall I want to improve my practical skills evermore and practice User-experience and designing user-interfaces. However, I do think it also important to open up and practice other skills in a similar field, for example, my animation and illustration skills or coding. I also want to start learning photography and finish the online courses I’m participating in to broaden my field of skills. Lastly, I want to do even more research on my possible internship companies and keep up-to-date with their latest projects and interact with them on social media.

[sofieh3ll0r]

BS300 - Prescribed Reading

The critic versus the strong man

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming”  Theodore Roosevelt

Striving for the ideal or perfection within ourselves is no myth but a daily battle every human has to fight within or outside of his mind. They strive for perfection and are fuelled by one's inner critic. 

The critic is known for overwhelming and wanting to force the individual towards this idea of the ideal by letting the individual firmly believing that perfection can be obtained sooner or later. However deep inside, the critic is well aware that this ideal of the perfect human can never be achieved. 

One big weapon the critic frequently uses is comparison. Individuals tend to compare themselves to others on a daily basis. Thoughts like “I’m not as pretty as her/him”, “I’m not as talented or successful” cloud one's mind daily. It is these thoughts one inner critic plays with that force the individual into a cycle of slavery towards perfection.

The critic manifests through like “you are a fool for even trying” & “You are not good enough” that stop people from starting a journey towards success. 

The biggest enemy of the critic is the strong man. The strong man focuses on the effort put into a project and not its results. The strong man does not believe in perfection but believes in progress and moving towards a goal. He ignores any comparison but strictly focuses on his own journey towards success. 

Moving forward is essential for the strong man. That is why there is and should be no relief into attainting perfection as it does not exist. 

I think it is important to obtain the persona of the strong man because this striving towards perfection is so inherently developed in one's mind that it only causes depression and negative thoughts on a subject that does not even exist. Perfection has never and will never exist, so why wasting precious energy on such a subject?

Critic:

Pessimistic

Believes and strives towards perfection

Overwhelming and forcing

Focuses on the results of becoming the ideal

Compares to other individuals

Enhanced by fear of failure

Strong Man:

Optimistic

Values only effort, struggle, and growth

Does not believe in perfection

Focuses on progress

Does not believe in comparison

Effort before results

Believes in constant improvement

Strong

[sofieh3ll0r]

BS300 - Practicing Openness

Openness is a skill that is very important for one's mental and general health. Openness helps one learn and crave new skills and constant self-development. It’s the ability to rather not judge others for the troubles an individual has but oneself. For this week's task, we were supposed to practice and develop our openness skill by creating rituals from which we might learn and benefit from the unexpected.

Ritual 1: Spend time outside

Studying Interaction Design and working lets me spend time mostly in the inside. Either at the biscuit mill or my own flat. This makes me often feel trapped and uninspired. However, I realized over time that going outside is vital for my mental health. That is why I want to spend daily at least a few minutes outside preferably in a natural environment.

Reflection:

I started the week out by going on a late-night walk at Sea point. When I arrived back home I felt a little bit easier on my mind which helped to find sleep more easily. Throughout the week I forced myself going outside even if it was only for a 10-minute walk to Spar, I made sure, I spent time outside. This task helped me to be more relaxed instead of being constantly tense. This made me overall be more active and awake to spot inspiration, for example, my animation project or finding the motivation to study for contextual studies. I felt more confident in myself and my abilities.

Ritual 2: Making weekly plans

Coming out of a long period of vacation, I stopped planning my weeks roughly ahead because of the amount of free time I had available before. This mentality, however, won’t be beneficial in the long run as already in the first week I remember certain tasks only a day before it was due. In order to return to my organized life my second ritual is going to focus on planning the week ahead roughly so that I can select times to finish my university and work tasks more easily and minimize the chance of forgetting something important.

Reflection:

Even though I only started this planned week this time on a Tuesday, I planned for the following days to come. In the beginning it took a little bit of will power to force myself back into planning my week ahead but after this week I am grateful I did it. My mind felt more at ease knowing that I have selected times beforehand that will ensure that I have completed my work. It also helped me to enjoy my free time without worrying about the tasks ahead. I felt more productive throughout the week and I finished all my tasks before the weekend so I could focus the weekend on planning moving houses.   

[sofieh3ll0r]

BS300 - Prescribed Reading

This week's reading focuses on the generation flux phenomenon which refers to the upcoming trends within our businesses and careers. It is important to note that in today's times' careers are neither steady nor forever. That’s why it is important to be constantly eager to learn new skills as this provides more options moving forward. It is arguably more important to have a variety of different skills as to focus on gaining intense knowledge about one subject. This indicates that companies might prefer foxes over hedgehogs in this current time. However, this does not imply that people should not focus on what they are good at considering as work created with love tends to be more successful. Therefore it is important to strive towards loving work but also towards striving different experiences. This will be beneficial for individuals in the long run as companies employ individuals for an average of only 4.4 years. Furthermore, it is important to note that jobs and careers constantly change, vanish and are newly created. My interaction design lecturer always tends to say that children today are and need to be educated for jobs that don’t even exist yet. That's why it is important to focus on personal accomplishments rather than striving towards a specific job title. This allows colleagues and peers to become excited as it aligns different values to ensure possible future collaboration opportunities. Considering the constant change of the job market it makes only sense for technology to change and improve too. Therefore it is crucial to know and value the basics of technology and how they work. Furthermore, it is important to train one's critical thinking skills which allow the individual to invent, reinvent and adapt one's job daily. It seems like the future of the job market is anything else but boring!

[sofieh3ll0r]

BS300: Personal Goal Setting

I believe the skill I will need to focus the next months on is confidence. I often struggle to see my worth in a working environment. This has nothing to do with not completing my work, rather the complete opposite as I often adapt the helper persona in which I eventually complete most of the work, at least in a group environment. However, the doubts of not being good enough and the everlasting “Someone can do this much better than I” is taking a negative impact on my working performance as a whole as I expect the worst out of my skills and myself.

Confidence in the workplace, however, is a fundamental skill as it can project an aura of competence onto the individual which is then perceived as being good at their job. However, this does not mean that a confident person is automatically competent. People with low self-confidence like myself often forget this and perceive their confident peers as perfect and much more worth than oneself. This just renews and adds to the cycle of lack of self-confidence.

I think it is important to note that someone is not born with self-confidence, it is not a trait we adapt from our surroundings but rather a skill that needs to be built and constantly revisited throughout one's career.

To do so one must first identify one's strengths and weaknesses. I often think I need to be perfect at everything I do however this is impossible as no-one is perfect. I might not be perfect but I need to recognize that I’m unique and that I have skills, traits or a mindset which is unique to me and with which I can bring certain values to my future job.

I can however not realize this unique potential in myself if I don’t challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone and explore new experiences and skills.

I think to build self-confidence I need to evaluate the moments I feel the most confident in myself. This starts already early in the morning with the way I dress. I don’t feel a sense of confidence if I don’t put effort into how I look every morning. This little aspect has an immense impact on how confident I feel throughout the day. I tend to speak more openly and challenging concepts. Furthermore, I feel confident if I’m prepared for the day and the tasks ahead. I feel full of confidence if I know I have completed all the tasks for the next class or if I know most of my presentation out of my head.

Lastly, I think to become more self-confident I need to take time out of my week to acknowledge my achievements. It doesn’t matter if I did a task well or if I just managed to be on time every day of the week. It is often the small things that will make one day a big impact and these small achievements might make a great impact on my self-confidence in the long run.

I believe that self-confidence works in a cycle. If I show enough confidence in myself and my work, I will produce more and better work through which I will be able to communicate with my colleagues. This will eventually lead to me being taken more seriously which might allow me to advance in my career.

If I don’t build enough self-confidence my work will suffer which will have an immediate impact on my sense of self-worth. This will not allow me to grow nor to inspire others and eventually I will be stuck in the same position for a long time until I decide to break free of the cycle.

[sofieh3ll0r]

BS220 | Week 5 

[sofieh3ll0r]

Business Studies 220 - Prescribed Reading - Week 5

This week's reading concentrated on Thomas Kilmanns conflict mode instrument which is designed to identify peoples behaviour during conflict situations. Kilmann differentiates between five conflict-handling modes.

Competing is when an individual focuses on his concerns without considering others. This mode of conflict handling is mainly power orientated which is highly uncooperative and assertive.

The second mode of conflict is accommodating which works as the opposite of competing. The individual here focuses on other concerns instead of his own. This self-sacrifice mode is highly assertive and cooperative.

Avoiding in contrast to the above two means that an individual does not necessarily pursue and focuses on his own and the other person's concerns. This mode is similar to competing for unassertive and noncooperation.

The fourth mode of conflict handling is Joint problem solving which is referred to as the opposite of avoiding. Joint problem-solving means that there is a search for a solution that will satisfy all voiced concerns. Therefore Joint Problem solving is both assertive and cooperative.

Lastly is the mode of conflict called compromising in which a mutually acceptable solution which satisfies both parties to an extent. Compromising is a middle ground that is both assertive and cooperative.

During our class activity, my scores were 3 - Compete 6 - Joint Problem Solving 9 - Compromise 7 - Avoiding 4 - Accommodate

Through this exercise, I learnt that I often avoid conflict. Which is plausible to me as I don’t like conflict and rather avoid it. This however as past experiences show, often convey the feeling that I don’t care to the people around me. This is not true most of the time but my actions portray it that way. In order to work on myself, I need to stop and minimise my fear of conflict because in the end avoiding does not help any party involved and just creates frustration. Instead of avoiding I should rather put more effort into Joint problem solving as this mode tries to accommodate as many concerns as possible which will lead to better relationships privately and in work and less frustration. Furthermore, I think is should minimise further the modes of competing and accommodating to higher both compromising and Joint Problem solving to ensure future growth.

[sofieh3ll0r]

Business Studies | Prescribed reading | Week 4

This weeks reading embraces the concept of non-violent communication or for short NVC which highlights the violence that is often included in cut daily conversations. NVC is a broad term that can be defined as a communication framework that reduces the difference within our conversation. It includes the way we express ourselves empathise and communicate with one another. Therefore NVC could be seen as an entirely different language. Violence here does not indicate physical harm but any display of the power of other examples. This includes creating shame, guilt or I think even pressure. NVC can be described and taken further by considering the following five principles. It is important to remember that language is the tool we create meaning and provide perception. Therefore if you use words like making or turning with a negative connotation, it is easier to lose control and respond to emotionally. Furthermore, it is important to remember that people often don’t attach the feeling or emotion interpreted to their words, in this case, it is important to explore why such feelings occur instead of blaming the other person. Therefore certain incidents that are regarded negatively do only stimulate a feeling but never construct it. Therefore there is a significant gap between stimulus and cause in which the power tie of responding lies entirely in the person. If this is realised fewer conflicts are created and more responsibility is taken. It is also important to realise that people mainly express their needs and feelings which ultimately lead to judgement because desires are not met. NVC sees judgement as or troubled way of actually saying please which create defensiveness. NVC needs to be regarded as a dynamic language which should at no point be static. Normally people have assumptions and pre-made thoughts about people. For example, people often think about other humans as “bad” and therefore only focus on finding the bad within a person. This leads to a vicious cycle which NVC wants to break. NVC focuses on not labelling anyone not even oneself because labelling is eventually static and robs life from its process and progress. Therefore NVC does not use the words good|bad; right|wrong and rather try to articulate the verbally repressed need directly. This expression of needs is very challenging as it can be defined as selfish as taught to us by society and there is an automatic loss to the sense of self. Lastly, it is important to note that NVC does not support the use of punishments or rewards to force behaviour change. NVC wants people to see and understand the benefits that change can bring and not regard is as a punishment for being bad. I think overall NVC is an important tool in today's society in which it is hard to have a conversation without engaging conflict. NVC does not just solve the conflict, it also minimizes it from happening.

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