Ch. 17 Creativity and Visual Design mind map

Ch. 17 Creativity and Visual Design summary

Visual design is the process of generating and structuring messages using drawings, photos, and other graphics. Visual designs can be used effectively in oral presentations, training sessions, web pages, reports, and proposals. Before choosing a visual channel, consider all the information you want to share with your audience. There are several elements to consider when developing a visual message, such as contrast, balance, rhythm, and unity. The grid approach organizes the placement of visual elements on a page within a graphic design. Contrast is the varied level of difference and emphasis among symbols, shapes, colors, and tones. Balance is symmetry; rhythm refers to the positioning of the elements that allows the viewer’s eyes to gaze at certain aspects of the design before others. Unity is the use of visual elements that belong together or are similar. Infographics are graphic images that are informational or explanatory. When designing infographics it is important to determine the size, visibility, and the placement of your visual elements. Quantitive and qualitive are two examples of infographics. Quantitive infographics use numerical or statistical information in condensed visual formats such as tables, charts, and graphs. Qualitive infographics present text or narrative information in visual formats including flow charts, maps, and diagrams. I do have some experience in creating charts and graphs, and it will be of great use when I complete some of the other assignments do.

Ch. 16 Interviewing to Get the Job mind map

Ch. 16 Interviewing to Get the Job summary

An employment interview is the interpersonal communication between a potential employer and a job applicant. Employment interviews often make people nervous, anxious, and intimidated. Preparing for an interview and practicing role playing can make a big difference. One-on-one interviews occur when a single company hiring representative conducts the interview with you alone. Panel interviews occur when various people including managers, supervisors, and colleagues interview you at once. Behavioral interviews rely on actual performance or situation-based questioning and require specific examples of past performances. During an employment interview, there are goals the interviewer will have and there are goals you should have. The interviewer’s goals include gathering information to assess a match between your qualifications and the requirements for the position. They also evaluate your personality, attitude, disposition, and team skills. Your goals are to provide positive and relevant professional and skill-based experience, behave in a polite and professional manner, and determine whether the position will be enjoyable and rewarding. Prior to the interview it is wise to research information on the company. Gather information including the number of employees, company products and services, location of the home office and other branch offices, mission statements, company goals and philosophy. In preparation for the interview you should dress in professional attire, arrive early, and be polite to the receptionists and anyone else in the waiting room. Also bring at least two copies of your resume. Interview question styles include closed questions, open-ended questions, hypothetical questions, loaded questions, and behavioral-based questions. Questions that you will be asked will be based on your professional experiences, teamwork and leadership abilities, weakness and job hopping questions. Always give positive answers and explanations. Follow up with employers by writing thank you letters or placing phone calls. Salary and benefits should be discussed after you are offered the position, and finally when you are offered the position, make sure you get the offer in writing. I have been too many interviews in the past, some went well and some didn’t. The most important thing I learned from those interviews was to come prepared.

Ch. 15 Creating a Career and Designing Resumes mind map

Ch. 15 Creating a Career and Designing Resumes summary

Choosing a career path is one of life’s most important decisions. Before choosing a path you need to take into consideration your needs, skills, qualifications, and values. There are several ways to gain insight about the job market and find a field that interests you; such as visit a campus career center or placement office, searching job listing websites online, networking with professionals in fields that interest you, volunteering, becoming an intern or taking a part time job in the field. Once you have found a position that interests you, you can start assessing your most marketable skills. You can consider you oral and written communication skills; you’re interpersonal interactions, problem solving skills, management and supervision experience, leadership experience and computer literacy. After compiling a list of your skill you can then compare it to the requirements of the position you are interested in. If your skills don’t match, consider pursuing another position. A resume is a written marketing tool that briefly summarizes your skills, abilities, education history and professional experience. The primary purpose of a resume is to get you an interview with a potential employer. Employers will use your resumes to assess your overall professionalism and neatness. A quality resume is neat, well constructed, and error free. Your resume format will depend on your career goals and relevant experience. Some resume formats include chronological, functional, targeted, and integrated formats. In the past I used a combination of chronological and targeted resumes to apply for positions that appealed to me and that I had relevant experience in. A scannable resume is formatted in plain text for electronic scanning systems. A resume should include an identification, your education history, accomplishments, capabilities and professional experience. A cover letter is a brief and persuasive application document that accompanies your resume. Once you have designed a great resume you can begin job hunting. Creating a sold resume is very important, especially in these times when there is so much competition out there. In my past resumes I did use bullets and bold writing which apparently is something you shouldn’t do according to the author. I will redesign my resume following the guidelines of this chapter.