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HUMANITIES – I
CONTENTS – by Aishwary vardhan(KEC, Katihar)

1. Information design and development of document.

2. Organization structure
 Factor affecting
 Strategies
3. Technical Writing.
 Grammar and editing technical writing process
 Forms of discourse
 Writing drafts
 Style and design advantage
 Time estimation
 Stability
4. Self development and assessment, Self assessment
 Personal goal setting
 Career planning
 Perception and attitudes
 Time managing
 Creativity
 Taking notes
 Complex problem solving
5. Communication and Technical Writing
 Public speaking
 GD
 Oral presentation
 Interview
 Personality development
 Writing Report
 Project proposal
 Technical article
 Event report
 Official Letter
6. Ethics business
 Engineering ethics
 Email etiquette
 Telephone etiquette
 Managing time
 Role and Responsibility of engineer
 Work culture in job

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1.
Information Design involves presenting information in an effective and efficient manner. The main task of an
Information Designer is to present information in such a way that the users are easily able to understand it.
Information Design is a multi-dimensional programme that involves different elements which include design,
computer science, visual aesthetics, statistics as well as humanities.

Document design is the process of choosing how to present all of the basic document elements so your
document's message is clear and effective. When a document is well designed, readers understand the
information more quickly and easily. Readers feel more positive about the topic and more accepting of its
message.

factors affecting information and document design:

A list of construction process efficiency indicators was developed and surveyed and was concluded that a high
proportion of their occurrence was due to design and documentation deficiencies.

The five most important factors affecting design and documentation quality as agreed by the experts of the three
professionals groups were:

1. Last minute changes by client

2. Insufficient overall design time

3. Unstable client's requirements

4. Delay of client decision.

5. Consultants tend to copy and modify from their previous works to minimize time and cost.

Based on the responses and analysis of the survey it was concluded that the reduction in the level of design
fees together with limited time available for design works in addition to, instability of the client requirements and
late decisions throughout the design process have caused problems in the design and documentation quality
and these problems have affected the construction industry negatively, there was also a strong negative
relationship among the standard of design and documentation and the price and time submitted for a project. As
the quality of the design and documentation declined, the tender price and time required increased.

It was also indicated that whenever there was a request for information (RFI), variation, cost overrun or contract
dispute, it was due to design and documentation deficiencies more than 40% of the time. also results shows that
owners or developers need to allocate adequate funds and time to the planning and design phases of a project,
in order to maximize construction process efficiency and minimize overall project costs and duration. by reducing
design fees to minimize costs, owners and developers were by their own actions, contributing to the problems,
which lead to inefficiencies in the construction process and increase in overall project costs, time and causing
disputes.

1. Document development life cycle.

Document development life cycle is a complete cycle of documentation. It is structure set of

various steps involved in creating any kind of document to achieve success in the field of
documentation. A technical writer should at least have conceptual knowledge of document
development life cycle.

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Following are the various phase of ddlc.

1. Requirement analysis-Requirement analysis is the first and one of the most important phases of
ddlc in the document development life cycle. In this phase, technical writer analyse the project
requirements tool that will be used in this project and the audience knowledge level analysis of
project enables technical writers to know about the type and use of the technical document.

2. Project designing-This phase includes the content representation and content collection.
Technical writers should make an effort to give as much as knowledge about the technology and
audience from the. Subject Matter express and Internet.

3. Developing the content- in this ddlc face the actual content is scripted on the basis of project
designing and planning. Graphics and illustration are prepared in this phase.

4. Editing or proofreading- In this phase, the document is thoroughly checked. The constancy and
error such as spelling and grammatical error.

5. Publishing- parent authority publishes documents created by tech writers generally. Take
document are published either in hand copies or in digital format. Several publication option can
be used wish on the clients requirement.

6. Maintenance in this phase of backup of the document is taken for the future use. It also include
collection of further updates and modification of the document.

2. Organization structure

What Is an Organizational Structure?

An organizational structure is a system that outlines how certain activities are directed in order to achieve
the goals of an organization. These activities can include rules, roles, and responsibilities.

The organizational structure also determines how information flows between levels within the company. For
example, in a centralized structure, decisions flow from the top down, while in a decentralized structure,
decision-making power is distributed among various levels of the organization.

Having an organizational structure in place allows companies to remain efficient and focused.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 An organizational structure outlines how certain activities are directed to achieve the goals of an
organization.
 Successful organizational structures define each employee's job and how it fits within the overall
system.
 A centralized structure has a defined chain of command, while decentralized structures give almost
every employee receiving a high level of personal agency.
 Types of organizational structures include functional, divisional, flatarchy, and matrix structures.
 Senior leaders should consider a variety of factors before deciding which type of organization is
best for their business, including the business goals, industry, and culture of the company.

Understanding an Organizational Structure

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Businesses of all shapes and sizes use organizational structures heavily. They define a specific hierarchy
within an organization. A successful organizational structure defines each employee's job and how it fits
within the overall system. Put simply, the organizational structure lays out who does what so the company
can meet its objectives.

This structuring provides a company with a visual representation of how it is shaped and how it can best
move forward in achieving its goals. Organizational structures are normally illustrated in some sort of chart
or diagram like a pyramid, where the most powerful members of the organization sit at the top, while those
with the least amount of power are at the bottom.

Not having a formal structure in place may prove difficult for certain organizations. For instance, employees
may have difficulty knowing to whom they should report. That can lead to uncertainty as to who is
responsible for what in the organization.

Having a structure in place can help with efficiency and provide clarity for everyone at every level. That also
means each and every department can be more productive, as they are likely to be more focused on
energy and time.

Types of organization structure:

Functional Structure

Four types of common organizational structures are implemented in the real world. The first and most
common is a functional structure. This is also referred to as a bureaucratic organizational structure and
breaks up a company based on the specialization of its workforce. Most small-to-medium-sized businesses
implement a functional structure. Dividing the firm into departments consisting of marketing, sales, and
operations is the act of using a bureaucratic organizational structure.

Divisional or Multidivisional Structure

The second type is common among large companies with many business units. Called the divisional or
multidivisional structure, a company that uses this method structures its leadership team based on the
products, projects, or subsidiaries they operate. A good example of this structure is Johnson & Johnson.
With thousands of products and lines of business, the company structures itself so each business unit
operates as its own company with its own president.

Flatarchy Structure

Flatarchy, a newer structure, is the third type and is used among many startups. As the name alludes, it
flattens the hierarchy and chain of command and gives its employees a lot of autonomy. Companies that
use this type of structure have a high speed of implementation.

Matrix Structure

The fourth and final organizational structure is a matrix structure. It is also the most confusing and the least
used. This structure matrixes employees across different superiors, divisions, or departments. An employee
working for a matrixed company, for example, may have duties in both sales and customer service.

Benefits of Organizational Structures

Putting an organizational structure in place can be very beneficial to a company. The structure not only
defines a company's hierarchy but also allows the firm to layout the pay structure for its employees. By
putting the organizational structure in place, the firm can decide salary grades and ranges for each position.

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The structure also makes operations more efficient and much more effective. By separating employees and
functions into different departments, the company can perform different operations at once seamlessly.

a very clear organizational structure informs employees how best to get their jobs done. For example, in a
hierarchical organization, employees will have to work harder at buying favor or courting those with
decision-making power. In a decentralized organization, employees must take on more initiative and bring
creative problem solving to the table. This can also help set expectations for how employees can track their
own growth within a company and emphasize a certain set of skills—as well as for potential employees to
gauge if such a company would be a good fit with their own interests and work styles.

Factors Affecting Organization Structure

Organization structure is designed keeping in view the following factors:

1. Strategy:

Strategy determines a course of action to direct various organizational activities. It makes plans to
co-ordinate human and physical resources to work towards a common objective. Strategy is pre-
requisite to organization structure and also follows it. The relationship between strategy and
organization structure is depicted as follows:
2. Technology :

The technology for manufacturing goods and services also affects the organization stricture.
In case of mass production technology, mechanistic organization structure is more appropriate,
while in case of continuous production or small scale production technology, the appropriate from
is organic structure. This is because mass production technologies involve standardization and
specialization of work activities and continuous or unit production technologies require low levels
of standardization and specialization.
3. People:

Organization structure defines work, groups it into departments and appoints people to run those
departments. People at different jobs must possess the skill, knowledge and efficiency to
accomplish the related tasks.
4. Tasks :

Activities performed by people who transform organizational plans into reality are known as tasks.
Various task characteristics are:

(a) Skill variety: It is the extent to which creativity and variety of skills and talents are required to
do a task.
(b) Task identity: Whether to produce a product in whole or in parts determines its task identity.
When a product is produced as a whole, it has greater task identity.
(c) Task significance: The importance of task affecting the well-being or lives of people working
inside and outside the organization determines significance of the task.
(d) Autonomy: Whether or not an individual plans the task on his own determines autonomy of
the task.
It determines the extent to which a person enjoys t freedom of performing various
Job activities and determines the steps or procedures to carry them out

(e) Feedback:

It is the information that people receive about successful completion of their task.

5. Decisions:

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Questions like who makes decisions-top managers or lower level managers, how information flows
in the organization so that decision-making is facilitated, affect the organization structure.

Centralized decision-making powers give rise to mechanistic structures and decentralized decision-
making processed give rise to organic or behavioral structures.

6. Informal organization:

Informal organizations are and outgrowth of formal organizations. Social and cultural values,
religious beliefs and personal likes and dislikes of members which form informal groups cannot be
overlooked by management.

7. Size:

A group known as Aston Group conducted research on firms of different sizes and concluded that
as firms increase in size, the need for job specialization, standardization and decentralization also
increases and organizations are structured accordingly.

8. Environment:

Organization structure cannot ignore the effects of environment. Organizations must adapt to the
environment, respond to incremental opportunities and satisfy various external parties such as
customers, suppliers, layout unions etc.

In case of stable environment where people perform routine and specialized jobs, which do not
change frequently, a closed or mechanistic organization structure is appropriate.

9. Managerial perceptions:

Organizations where top managers perceive their subordinated as active, dynamic and talented
entrepreneurs, prefer organic form of structure, If they hold negative opinion about their
subordinates, they prefer mechanistic organization structure.

Strategies:
“Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long-term. It helps achieve an advantage
for the organization through its configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the
needs of markets and full-fill stakeholder expectations.”

Features of Strategy

 Specialized plan to outperform the competitors.

 Details about how managers must respond to any change in the business environment.
 Redefines direction towards common goals.
 Reflects the concern to effectively mobilize resources.
 Maximizes the organization’s chances to achieve the set objectives

Types of organizational strategies.

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If the company has to achieve success and take itself to the top in the market, there should be proper
strategies in place. This is the reason why most of successful businessmen and women throughout history
has been strategic thinkers. There are 3 types of organizational strategies. The business strategy, the
corporate strategy and the functional strategy.

1. Business strategy.

Business strategy refers to actions and approaches to be followed in a particular line of business and also
concerned with creating competitive advantage in the business unit of organization. The business
strategies are crafted by the management and can be successful in improving the performances and
probabilities of successful. Organization the business strategy defines a specific tactic for each and relative
how much is business unit will deliver this plan tactics. Different strategies can be adopted for different
business units on the basis of valid various tactics business. Strategies can be classified into 3 types, costly
strategy, differential strategy and focused strategy.

a) Cost Leadership Strategy - cost leadership is leading the market by the cost of the product. The firm
aims to manufacture and sell the product at the lowest cost possible. If the competitors are selling the
product price is higher than the form the customer will certainly prefers the product of the form cost leaders.
Safe strategy can be explained with example of Reliance Industries venturing into telecom sector.

b) differential strategy refers to the strategy adopted by a form to be unique. And different in the industry,
the form tries to view the customer by trying to meet their needs by improve Bing name, providing them
different product. The firm select one of the feature of the product that are perceived important by the
customer. These features are then worked upon the innovators or improved to offer the customer the best
version of the product. The firm is avoided for uniqueness with the best friends, for example, Ola and Oyo.

c) Focus strategy.- forms me choose to identify and targ....le for the firm that choose to serve them.

2. Corporate Strategy - Corporate Strategy is hierarchically the Highest strategic plan of the organization
which defines the corporate goals and direction which will be achieved by strategic management. It is the
strategy that determine what buisness a company is in.

a) growth strategy

b) stability strategy

c) Renewal strategy

3. Functional Strategy - The organization can be stuck in neutral while the competition continues to drive
forward. When the functional strategies are finalized, The Higher goals are to be kept in mind so that
everything is well co-ordinate and working toward the same Goal. The Functional strategy define:

* Day to day action needed to deliver corporate and buisness strategies.

* Relationship Needed between buisness units, Department and teams.

* The way of meeting and monitoring functional goals.

IT is the bottom level strategy the ensure co-ordination among various department to work towards a
common goal.

there are various types of functional strategies including

a) marketing

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b) R&D

c) Financial

d) information management

e) HRM

f) Extra

3. What is Written Communication?

Communication is the act of sending, receiving, and sharing information through various forms of media. It
is an important life skill to develop in order to build understanding and comprehension across a significant
range of subjects. Good communicators are able to speak, listen, and write clearly, which is helpful when
interacting with others in the world of business. Written communication is one of the most important
forms of communication that professionals within a workplace or career field should seek to develop.

What is written communication?

Written communication is defined as any type of message that utilizes written words. It is the most
common form of business communication and has become increasingly important throughout the
information age. Written communications can take place traditionally on paper or more modernly on an
electronic device, such as by email or electronic memo. They are an effective method for transferring
information within a business. Written communications are essential to any scenario involving more than
one person. The other main form of communication is oral communication, or messages which are
spoken.

Written Communication Skills

Written communications require a high level of skill in order to be conducted effectively and professionally.
This form of communication is very common in business, so it is important that each employee has an
understanding of written communication and a continual motivation to develop and improve their skills.
Effective written communications should include the following skills:

 Clarity: All written communications should be clear, direct, straightforward, and understandable.
Confusion will be prevented amongst readers if the message makes sense.
 Concision: Written communications should be kept short to avoid repetition and avoid leaving out
necessary information. Conciseness assists in making a message more clear.
 A professional and formal tone: Keeping a courteous tone builds effective rapport and maintains a
polite, respectful, and culturally sensitive dialogue.
 Precision and composition: All facts and dates should be accurate, and all spelling and grammar
should also be correct. Precision builds a professional tone and confirms effective research has
been done.
 Completeness: All necessary information should be included in the written communication

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Additional guidelines which individuals within a business may choose to follow include beginning the
communication by clearly stating their goal, keeping the communication simple, and staying on topic.
Further, the use of an active and authoritative voice to outline goals and other pertinent information may
aim to make the communication as effective as possible. Practice is an equally important activity to help
develop written communication skills, and it is always a good idea to proofread or have a peer scan over
communications to check for any errors.

Types of Written Communication

There are various forms of business communication that may be applied either internally to employees
and business operations or externally to other clients and businesses. Some of the most common types of
written communication are:

1. Commercial business letter

2. Memorandum
3. Notices
4. Agenda
5. Minutes
6. Order
7. Report
8. Policy manuals
9. Business forms
10. Staff bulletin and magazine

Commercial business letter: The letter that contains business related information is called commercial
letter or business letter. Through this letter, businesspersons exchange business related information
among them. Such letters are written to various business firms, business associations, government, banks,
customers, suppliers, employees etc. Business letters are generally aimed at selling goods, obtaining
information or advice, making an inquiry, mollifying the injured feelings of customers, placing orders for
goods, reminding customers for payment of dues etc.

Memorandum: A memorandum is a written message that is typically used in a professional setting.

Commonly abbreviated "memo," these messages are usually brief and are designed to be easily and
quickly understood. Memos can thus communicate important information efficiently in order to make
dynamic and effective changes

Notices: Notice is the legal concept describing a requirement that a party be aware of legal process
affecting their rights, obligations or duties. There are several types of notice: public notice (or legal notice),
actual notice, constructive notice, and implied notice.

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Agenda: An agenda is a list of meeting activities in the order in which they are to be taken up, beginning
with the call to order and ending with adjournment. It usually includes one or more specific items of
business to be acted upon. It may, but is not required to, include specific times for one or more activities.
An agenda may also be called a docket, schedule, or calendar. It may also contain a listing of an order of
business.

Minutes: Minutes, also known as minutes of meeting, protocols or, informally, notes, are the instant written
record of a meeting or hearing

Order: In business or commerce, an order is a stated intention, either spoken or written, to engage in a
commercial transaction for specific products or services. From a buyer's point of view it expresses the intention
to buy and is called a purchase order.

Report: A report is a document that presents information in an organized format for a specific audience and
purpose. Although summaries of reports may be delivered orally, complete reports are almost always in the form
of written documents

Policy Manual: A policy manual is a collection of documents that define an organization's rules, policies
and procedures, and helps staff and management run the business. Policy manuals may be offline, paper
documents and/or virtual documents, which are stored electronically.

Business forms: A policy manual is a collection of documents that define an organization's rules, policies
and procedures, and helps staff and management run the business. Policy manuals may be offline, paper
documents and/or virtual documents, which are stored electronically.

 Quotation form
 Invoices
 Delivery notes
 Statement of account
 Credit notes

Staff bulletins or magazines : A Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) summarizes the views of the Securities and
Exchange Commission's staff regarding how Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are to
be applied. A common result is that the requirements of an SAB are more conservative and/or restrictive than
the GAAP from which they are derived.

Guidelines for Effective Writing Skills

 Use Plain English: Use plain and basic English so that English and non-English speakers can
understand it clearly. Use short, precise words that say exactly what you mean.
 Know your Reader or Audience: The foremost important guideline to effective writing
communication is to know the audience or the reader of the message. Sender should learn as much as
possible about he bases, education, age, skill, status and style of the receiver to create an effective
message. If the sender puts himself in the receiver’s position, he will be able to understand how the
message is likely to be decoded. By writing from the audience’s point of view, sender can help them
understand and accept this message.
 Be Brief: Use short and simple sentences. Because long and complex sentences may create problems
for the people who are not fluent in English. Business Communication
 Use Paragraph Breaks: Long paragraph distracts attentions of the readers and often cause poor
understanding of message. Short paragraph helps the readers to continue the message reading and
understand it clearly. In order to make the paragraph short and simple there must be paragraph breaks.

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 Keep Sentences and Paragraph Shorts: Keep the sentences and paragraphs as short as possible so
that your audience or reader can understand them easily. To attain the goal each paragraph should stick
to one topic and should be limited to eight to ten lines long.
 Avoid Jargons: Simple and easy to understand words should be used. Ambiguous words and jargons
should be avoided and dialect should not be used. Communication language should be used to avoid
linguistic problems.
 Be clear: Be clear about your writing. Rely on specific terms and concrete examples to explain your
points.
 Avoid Trite Words and Phrases: The repetition of same words of phrases irritate the readers and lose
their consistency. So, trite words and jargons must be avoided to make the message more attractive.
 Be Specific: Use specific words instead of general terms. Because general worlds express different
message in different situations and it may confuse the readers. For example, if you say that Mr. Eiham is
a tall man, it may create confusion in the reader’s mind as the word tall does not refers to the exact
height of him. Rather you can say Mr. Elham is 5’ 7” tall.
 Use Active Voice: Active voice is preferred over passive voice because it is short and direct. In written
communication less passive sentences should be used.
 Use Graph and Charts as Aids: Nonverbal Communication tools can be used to augment the verbal
communication. Nonverbal cues like graphs, charts, color etc. can be used to make Written
Communication more vivid and lively.
 Use You Viewpoint: Use “You Viewpoint” instead of “I or We viewpoint”. You should make the readers
understand that how they will be benefited if they act according to the message. It will help you to get
immediate feedback from the receivers.
 Produce Your Writing Appropriately: Produce your writing on quality paper with proper margin so that
it can have a smart look. Low quality paper can poorly produce the writing.
 Use Correct Punctuation: The use of Proper punctuation magnifies your writing. It helps the reader to
take pause in certain places, hence he doesn’t feel tired.
 Avoid Slang and Idioms and Use Common Words: Avoid using slang, idioms, jargon and buzzwords.
Abbreviations, acronyms and unfamiliar product names may confuse the readers. For example, the word
“metropolis” may not be familiar to all but the word city is known to all. So, common words should be
used to make the communication effective.
 Write the Date Appropriately: In international communication, using date properly is an important
matter. DD-MM-YY format is used everywhere now-a-days. So, be careful about date, whatever you wire
in Bangladesh does not matter. Use 29 July 2007 instead of using July 29, 2007, 2007 or 29.07.2007.
 Proofread Carefully: Before reproduction or pointing your writing, you should be sure enough that it is
error free and only proofreading can ensure you about it.
 Avoid Sexist and Racist Words: Sexist and racist communication occurs when sexist and racist words
are used in communication. Words like he, chairman, brotherhood, mankind etc. have been used
traditionally in reference to both men and women.
 Use Terminology or Technical Words Carefully: Terminology or Technical word should be used with
due caution. If you use technical word, you should give footnote as explanation. Remember, you should
always avoid unfamiliar word or term.
 Use Transitional Element: Use transitional words and phrases to help the readers follow your writing.
You can use in addition, first, second, third etc to follow your points of writing.

Technical writing : Technical writing is writing or drafting technical communication used in

technical and occupational fields, such as computer hardware and software, engineering, chemistry,
aeronautics, robotics, finance, medical, consumer electronics, biotechnology, and forestry. Technical
writing encompasses the largest sub-field in technical communication.

Primary Purpose of Technical Writing

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 Every type of writing has a goal. Some forms of writing are geared to telling a story and other forms
are geared to expressing opinions. Technical writing is not intended for either of those purposes.
 The main purpose of technical writing is to provide complex information to readers in a way that
they can understand and apply, even if they don’t have prior knowledge of the topic.
 Technical writing explains how a particular object works or how to complete a task or project.
 It is targeted to readers who are looking for information on a particular topic, such as how to
operate a computer or to provide detailed specifications on a new drug.
 Technical writing must be clear, concise and easy for readers in the target audience to follow,
understand and act upon. These are key components of effective technical writing.

Key Characteristics of Technical Writing

 Technical writing, just as any other form of writing, has certain characteristics which distinguish it
from other types of writing.
 It is very different from writing opinion pieces, essays, prose, non-fiction, or fiction. Technical
documents are written in a business writing style rather than one that is academic or creative in
nature.
 Clear - Technical writing presents information clearly, leaving little to no room for
misunderstanding. It requires the use of clear, concise sentences.
 straightforward - This type of writing is straightforward; it requires relaying information in a way
that is direct and straight to the point, without the use of literary devices.
 precise - The language used in technical writing should be very precise, describing objects and
procedures in an exact manner.
 easily understood - Effective technical writers avoid words that people may not understand and will
avoid an eloquent writing style.
 denotative meanings - This type of writing relies on the denotative meanings of words to ensure
that misunderstandings don’t occur due to differing interpretations based on connotation.
 detailed - Technical writing is very detailed and informative, leaving nothing to the imagination. The
perfect example of technical writing is a textbook. Most textbooks describe the subject matter as
fully as possible.
 very structured - Technical writing is very structured. This type of writing needs to have an obvious
composition that makes it easy for readers to follow along. The audience needs to be able to rely
on technical writing for step-by-step instructions.
 Skimmable - Technical documentation should be designed with Skimmability in mind, so it’s easy
for readers to scan through the full document and easily find information they need. Technical
writers should incorporate meaningful, descriptive headings and include a thorough table of
contents and/or index.
 problem-solving focus - Technical documents should be created with problem solving in mind.
Readers use these documents to learn how to perform certain tasks or gain technical information,
so they should be easy to follow and organized in a way that’s easy to refer back to as questions
come up.

# Objective Of Technical Writing :

Technical writing is important in any institution, business, or organization. It is an ongoing process that
takes place at every hierarchical level. Technical writing has following objectives:

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 To provide clear and organised information.

 to Ease decisionmaking.
 to motivate the employees and raise their morale.
 To give instruction to the subordinates.
 To make request and give suggestions and order.
 To project the image and create goodwill. And his advertisement. Browsers. Templates, magazines,
newsletters, and press releases.
 To communicate with government officials.
 To give concreteness to the rules and regulations to be followed.
 To document information for future use.
 To validate the plans and decision.
 For receiving feedback.

Documents that Use Technical Writing

Many types of documents are written in a technical writing style. Technical writing is found everywhere.

user manuals - Documents that provide instructions, such as user manuals, are a perfect example of
technical writing. When readers open a user manual, their goal is to be informed about the product so they
can use it correctly and as efficiently as possible.

lab reports - Lab reports are another example of technical writing. The main purpose of a lab report is to
explain the occurrences in a lab so that others will be able to gain information.

driving directions - Even driving directions can be considered a type of technical writing. Their goal is to
clearly and efficiently provide instructions on how to go from point A to point B.

Modes of Discourse
The four traditional modes of discourse are narration, description, exposition, and
argument.

Narration is story telling. It involves relating a series of events, usually in a

chronological order. Thus, a simple narrative may begin with "Once upon a time . . .
" and end with "And they lived happily ever after." The events narrated may be
fictional (a made up story) or nonfictional ( the events really occurred). However, we
usually reserve the title "story" for fiction. If the events actually happened, we give
the writing another name such as biography, autobiography, history, after action
report, or newspaper report.

As with any dichotomy, there are some cases that fall in between. For example,
there is a genre called "historical fiction" that may more or less accurately portray an
historical event while making up a story about real or fictional characters involved in

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that event. One well known example is "Gone With the Wind," the story of Scarlet
O'Hara and Rhett Butler during the American Civil War.

At its simplest, description tells what things are like according to the five senses. A
descriptive essay, or a descriptive passage in a story, tells how things look, sound,
feel, taste, and smell. Nouns and adjectives can show what a person, place, or thing
are like in their material aspects. But description often tries to do more than to
enable readers to visualize characters, settings, and actions. It may also try to evoke
a mood or atmosphere, and this is aided by the use of simile and metaphor.

Exposition is the kind of writing that is used to inform. The prefix "Ex-" comes from
Greek through Latin and means "out, or away from." The root of the word comes
from the Latin verb ponere which means "to place." So translated literally, exposition
means "to place out," and, of course, the thing that is placed out for us to see and
understand is information.

The final mode of discourse is argument. The purpose of argument is to convince

through logic. An argument is based on a belief or opinion that the writer holds as
true. The statement of this opinion is called a "thesis." It is usually presented
explicitly near the beginning of the argument. To convince readers that his opinion is
true, the writer must build a case to support the thesis. Building a case requires
presenting reasons for accepting the thesis, and then presenting evidence to
support the reasons. If the reader accepts the reasons and the evidence, then he
should agree with the thesis.

Draft
Many writers find it hard to start writing, and once they do start, after writing a
few sentences, they stop and immediately rewrite these sentences until they
are perfect. This is a type of procrastination but because it involves writing, it's a
hard habit to recognise and then break. Following these 8 steps will help you
complete a content-rich imperfect first draft and avoid the trap of getting side-
tracked by perfectionism.
1. Outline your core topic

If you are writing a paper or report, start by outlining the key problems you seek
to solve with your project. Briefly outline how they will be (or were) solved,
then list the main findings. Develop a broad framework that you can modify and
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add further detail in later drafts. Write a summary of the what, who, how,
where, when, and why?

2. Identify your audience

What you write and how much detail you provide depends upon who you are
writing to, so clearly identify your target audience.

 What is their background?

 Why are they reading your document?
 What do they already know?
 What do they need to know?
 Do you have more than one target audience?

3. Plan with pre-writing

Pre-writing is the thinking, note-taking, outlining, summarising, mind-mapping,
brainstorming and question-asking needed to plan and develop your core topic.
Pre-writing is where you focus on the big picture while writing your first draft
and can include hand-writing and drawing diagrams on a whiteboard or large
piece of paper.
4. Make a mess and clean it up in later
The first draft should be messy, rough and amenable to change, allowing you to
remould your structure with successive drafts. Write bullet points, sentence
fragments, and temporary paragraph headings. Avoid trying to write perfect
sentences and paragraphs (polishing). Don’t worry about being repetitive or
boring.

5. Avoid adding minute details

Adding minute details to a specific sub-topic in a first draft can be a form of

procrastination from writing about your key points. Aim to produce a first draft
that reflects your main ideas without explaining them in minute detail. There is
no point adding too much detail in the first draft as you may change your mind
about what you want to say.

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6. Start writing without engaging your inner critic

Don’t worry if your first draft doesn’t make complete sense. Don’t worry about
the reader in a first draft. Don't worry if you're not completely sure about what
you want to say or what your final conclusions will be. Give yourself time to
develop and improve your thinking as you work through successive drafts

7. Don’t stop to do more research

While writing, don’t stop if you are unsure about a particular fact or if you
realise your need to look something up. Instead try writing reminder notes to
yourself directly in your draft in hard brackets and make time to follow this up
later.

8. Seek appropriate feedback

When you finish your imperfect draft, seek feedback that is appropriate for
what you aimed to achieve. Seek feedback on your key ideas and summary
points that outline your core topic.

Time management :

Time management is the process of effectively organising the available 24 hours to

be able to complete more in less time. Today's world is a fast paced one and smart
work schedule is required to prioritise the activities. Good time management relieves
one of the stress of the work line incomplete. All the material and human resource
can be enhanced with the passage of time or transformed as the time goes on. Yet
the only asset that cannot be changed purchase stored on retrieved is the time.
Whatever the situation we are facing, we cannot stop time. noor can it be speeded
up nothing ca....task that are to be completed within limited time, so to be efficient
student one should manage time just like each of us only gets 24 hours each day.
Time management is very significant in order to achieve the pinnacle of success.

and this is the case with almost ever.... at hand everyday there is dire need every
day, there is dire need of time management.

definition: time management is the analysis of how working hours are spent and
prioritization of task in order to maximise personal efficiency in the workplace.

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Meaning : the term time management should not be misinterpreted as time can be
managed. In fact, time can't be managed by time management. What we mean is
we need to manage ourselves according to time. Time management is actually self
management. The abilities that people need to manage others are same abilities
that are required to manage themselves. The ability to plan. Organise direct and
control one's task.

Significance of time management for students:

students in general have a very chaotic life. We know that some student get high
Marks and some get less marks in the exam. It does not always mean that those
who get less marks are always less capable than others, but usually it is found that
because of mismanagement of time, they score less. Having the time management
skill give the restaurant. Ability to plan ahead and prioritise their upcoming
assignments and vents. This proves to be the important factor in keeping them
organised and avoiding procrastination, and finally leads to academic success.

time management for restaurant generally :

 setting realistic goals.

 Deciding that lines regarding the major assignments.
 Make minor deadlines to meet the major deadline set by the teacher. The
deadline set by the teachers should be attainable otherwise. It will add to the
students stress and make the task difficult to complete.

Importance and benefit of managing time.

 Reduced a stress.
 Meeting deadlines.
 Increased opportunities.
 Realization of set goals.
 Better professional reputation.
 Availability of me time.

Consequences of poor no time management.

 Undue stress.
 Missed deadlines.
 Unachieved goals.
 Inefficient workflow.
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 Poor reputation.
 Unsuccessful social life.
 Procrastinated work.

Types of time from the point of view of management:

 work time.
 Me time.
 Nature time.
 spiritual time.

Approaches of time management.

Empties Jar theory: quite a successful student. Follow this theory and it is quite
simple. Imagine that time is an empty tsar and fill it with rocks, pebbles, sand and
water. Rocks can be assumed assumed as use an important task that need
immediate attention due to their urgency and gradually move on the less time.
Consuming and less important task are pebbles, sand, and water. The students
should manage their routine tasks this way and they will be able to find themselves
within time and with efficiency.

Prioritization: as the crux of time management lies in the prioritization of activities.

Spending time on the right things and not meaninglessly mentoring on things that
come by student who are continuously burdened with assignments, term paper,
class test, internal exam, external exam to such an extent. They are not able to
manage their time properly as it leads to disturbance in their quality life and
desktops. The way to convert their imagination into creativity.

For prioritization, we require to distinguish between important and urgent work. We

can do it with a matrix popularly known as Eisenhower matrix, based on the concept
of prioritization as explained below.

the matrix is divided into 4 quadrant as :

 task that are urgent and important.

 Important but not urgent tasks.
 Urgent, but not important tasks.
 Task that are not urgent and not important.

Note taking:

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the outline : The outline method is one of the best and most popular note taking
method for the college student. It list the student organise they are not in a
structured form and helping them save a lot of time for further reading and editing.
As the name suggests, this method required to structure your notes in a form of
outline by using bullet points to represent different topics and their subtopics.

The mapping method : when the lecture content is intense, the mapping method
works best. East helps the student organise their notes by dividing them into
branches, enabling you to establish relationship between topics.

Cornell note taking method: the strength of the kernel not taking method is the
page layout at the top of the page. The stone should read. Write down the name of
topic of class or seminars together with the date and the subject. Then the page is
divided into 3 parts. A column on the right for taking brief note and column. On the
left for question relating to the notes, Ann and near the bottom of the page there is a
space for brief summaries. The kernel name note taking method discuss the use of
long sentences. It is about short notes and that you write down in the right hand.
Column using recognizable abbreviation and symbols.

Pareto principle : If the student don't use the time properly, then they had to face a
sever shortage of time where every activity become urgent as well as important. A
good way to do time management is used to Pareto principle. Every student no, that
prioritization is the important factor for achieving result in time and this. Principle can
be effectively used. Paris to principle can be used to filter important and urgent
assignment from the rest of the activities. The Pareto principle says that 20% of the
invested time equals to 100% of the result obtained. This means that if we prioritise
20% important. An urgent activities we can improve upon 100% of our results.

Timebank principle.: time assets are the decision and the actions of those
decisions that you make today which would help you save time in the future. For
example, making knows that preparation time during final exams get saved similarly,
time debts are the decision and actions for those distance that you made today,
which would need an additional investment. Of time in the future, for example, in
proper maintenance of notes or carelessly made incorrect assignment. Most of the
time we don't think along these lines, we just pick up an activity and try to complete
within minimum time.

How to manage time?

 Say no to the things or the task that you will not in position to complete on
time.
 Try to complete your most important and demanding tasks.
 Don't Strive for perfection.
 Don't answer the phone just because it is ringing.
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 Manage digital transactions. And distractions.

 Avoid procrastination.
 Avoid doing creative and thinking job in hurry as it will lead to average quality
work.
 Put a time limit on each task.
 Get a smart goals.
 Use eisenhauer matrix. To prioritise time.
 Remember, breaks are acceptable.
 Re clutter and organise yourself.
 User day planner.
 Audit the time used during the day.
 Add a done list to your To Do List.
 Be self motivated.

4. Self development and assessment, Self assessment

Self-Development is a process of consciously improving oneself in various aspects of his or her life. It is the
conscious pursuit of personal growth by improving personal skills, competencies, talents, and knowledge.
However, the key component to self-development is the growth of one’s personal self in order to seek self-
fulfillment and proactively reach your fullest potential.

Self-development and personal growth is a lifelong process which enables you to assess your
abilities, to set goals, and then take action to help you to achieve those goals and to maximize
your potential. The ultimate goal of self-development is to be a self-fulfilled person. That means
living consciously at your full potential and reaching true happiness in your life.

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We divide self-development into three segments:

1. Skill Enhancement
2. Mental Conditioning
3. Habit Creation

Skill Enhancement

Skill enhancement is the development of personal skills, abilities, and competencies. It

encompasses both interpersonal and personal effectiveness skills. Interpersonal skills focuses on
relationships and interactions with others. It includes how to communicate and work with others,
as well as how to lead others. Personal effectiveness centers on skills that can be applied
independent of other people. It includes skills such as goal setting, problem solving, time
management, and stress management.

Mental Conditioning

Mental conditioning is the process of building and strengthening our minds. It allows us to maintain
a positive focus on our goals and objectives through imagery, visualization, and other techniques.
It also allows us to build positive images and feeling about ourselves to increase our self-image,
self-esteem and self-confidence. Mental conditioning techniques encompasses relaxation to help
relieve anxiety and tension to improve performance through better concentration and focus.

Habit Creation

Habit creation is the conscious establishment of behaviors or thoughts in an attempt to improve ourselves.
Habits are those behaviors or tendencies that you do automatically without thinking or consciously
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intending. Our habits usually direct our actions, our reactions, our decision, and even our thoughts. The
creation of positive habits can help you develop a more productive and enriched life.

The Process of Self Development

The process of self-development begins prior to any actual steps in the development of skills, talents, or
competencies. It begins with self-awareness and self-discovery. You first must find out where you are in
order to move on from there. Self-discovery gives you insightful understanding of your personality, values,
tendencies, and beliefs. It also gives you insight into what you want to do or the person you want to
become.

After you discover who you are and where you are headed, you begin the actual steps in the
improvement process by assessing your current skills, talents, and competencies.

Self-assessment is the process of gathering information about one’s own aptitude, skills, competencies,
and talents and critically reviewing the quality of his or her performance and abilities. Self-Assessment is
different from self-awareness and self-discovery in that awareness and discovery is simply a recognition of
something or knowing something exists. Assessment, on the other hand, is determining or measuring an
amount, value, importance, extent, or rate of something.

Elements of Self Development

 Self-concepts and Self-constructs

 Self-concept
 Self-identity
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 Self-image
 Self-confidence
 Building Self-confidence
 Self-efficacy
 Self-esteem

Self Development vs. Self Improvement

we like to differentiate self-development from self-improvement (or self-help). Unlike self-development, self-
improvement usually is used to refer to something you do to improve an aspect of your life in which you are
struggling. Basically, it highlights or emphasizes your weaknesses. For example, self-improvement topics
may include building self-esteem, getting organized. These are all worthy improvements to one’s self, but
the focus is on a person’s weakness not a strength or good quality.

Self-development, on the other hand, focuses on personal growth in all aspects of your life. It targets areas
of both strength and weakness. It does not just focus on areas of weaknesses. Self-development will
address areas of weakness to make them less challenging, but is not the focus. It really focuses on building
your talents and areas that interest you so that you reach your fullest potential and feel self fulfilled. For
example, if you are really good at painting or music, self-development would help you to further develop
that strength.

Self-development includes activities that improve skills, develop talents, build competencies,
enhance quality of life, and ultimately contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations.

Personal Goal Setting

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself
to turn your vision of this future into reality

The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely
what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also
quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.

Why Set Goals?

Top-level athletes, successful businesspeople and achievers in all fields all set goals. Setting
goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation . It focuses your acquisition of
knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the
most of your life.

By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of
those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long
pointless grind. You will also raise your self-confidence , as you recognize your own ability and
competence in achieving the goals that you've set.

Starting to Set Personal Goals

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You set your goals on a number of levels:

 First you create your "big picture" of what you want to do with your life (or over, say, the
next 10 years), and identify the large-scale goals that you want to achieve.
 Then, you break these down into the smaller and smaller targets that you must hit to reach
your lifetime goals.
 Finally, once you have your plan, you start working on it to achieve these goals.

This is why we start the process of setting goals by looking at your lifetime goals. Then, we work
down to the things that you can do in, say, the next five years, then next year, next month, next
week, and today, to start moving towards them.

Step 1: Setting Lifetime Goals

The first step in setting personal goals is to consider what you want to achieve in your lifetime (or
at least, by a significant and distant age in the future). Setting lifetime goals gives you the overall
perspective that shapes all other aspects of your decision making.

 Career – What level do you want to reach in your career, or what do you want to achieve?
 Financial – How much do you want to earn, by what stage? How is this related to your
career goals?
 Education – Is there any knowledge you want to acquire in particular? What information
and skills will you need to have in order to achieve other goals?
 Family – Do you want to be a parent? If so, how are you going to be a good parent? How
do you want to be seen by a partner or by members of your extended family?
 Artistic – Do you want to achieve any artistic goals?
 Attitude – Is any part of your mindset holding you back? Is there any part of the way that
you behave that upsets you? (If so, set a goal to improve your behavior or find a solution to
the problem.)
 Physical – Are there any athletic goals that you want to achieve, or do you want good
health deep into old age? What steps are you going to take to achieve this?
 Pleasure – How do you want to enjoy yourself? (You should ensure that some of your life is
for you!)
 Public Service – Do you want to make the world a better place? If so, how?

Step 2: Setting Smaller Goals

 Once you have set your lifetime goals, set a five-year plan of smaller goals that you need to
complete if you are to reach your lifetime plan.
 Then create a one-year plan, six-month plan, and a one-month plan of progressively
smaller goals that you should reach to achieve your lifetime goals. Each of these should be
based on the previous plan.
 Then create a daily To-Do List of things that you should do today to work towards your
lifetime goals.
 At an early stage, your smaller goals might be to read books and gather information on the
achievement of your higher level goals. This will help you to improve the quality and realism
of your goal setting.

Staying on Course

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Once you've decided on your first set of goals, keep the process going by reviewing and updating
your To-Do List on a daily basis.

Periodically review the longer term plans, and modify them to reflect your changing priorities and
experience. (A good way of doing this is to schedule regular, repeating reviews using a computer-
based diary.)

SMART Goals

A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. While there are
plenty of variants (some of which we've included in parenthesis), SMART usually stands for:

 S – Specific (or Significant).

 M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
 A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
 R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
 T – Time-bound (or Trackable).

For example, instead of having "to sail around the world" as a goal, it's more powerful to use the
SMART goal "To have completed my trip around the world by December 31, 2027." Obviously,
this will only be attainable if a lot of preparation has been completed beforehand!

Achieving Goals

When you've achieved a goal, take the time to enjoy the satisfaction of having done so. Absorb the
implications of the goal achievement, and observe the progress that you've made towards other
goals.

If the goal was a significant one, reward yourself appropriately. All of this helps you build the self-
confidence you deserve.

With the experience of having achieved this goal, review the rest of your goal plans:

 If you achieved the goal too easily, make your next goal harder.
 If the goal took a dispiriting length of time to achieve, make the next goal a little easier.
 If you learned something that would lead you to change other goals, do so.
 If you noticed a deficit in your skills despite achieving the goal, decide whether to set goals
to fix this.

Example Personal Goals

For her New Year's Resolution, Susan has decided to think about what she really wants to do with
her life.

Her lifetime goals are as follows:

 Career – "To be managing editor of the magazine that I work for."

 Artistic – "To keep working on my illustration skills. Ultimately I want to have my own show
in our downtown gallery."
 Physical – "To run a marathon."
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Now that Susan has listed her lifetime goals, she then breaks down each one into smaller, more
manageable goals.

Let's take a closer look at how she might break down her lifetime career goal – becoming
managing editor of her magazine:

 Five-year goal: "Become deputy editor."

 One-year goal: "Volunteer for projects that the current Managing Editor is heading up."
 Six-month goal: "Go back to school and finish my journalism degree."
 One-month goal: "Talk to the current managing editor to determine what skills are needed
to do the job."
 One-week goal: "Book the meeting with the Managing Editor."

As you can see from this example, breaking big goals down into smaller, more manageable goals
makes it far easier to see how the goal will get accomplished.

What Is Career Planning?

Career planning is a process for:

 Identifying what you are good at

 Knowing how your skills, talents, values, and interests translate into possible jobs or
careers
 Matching your skills, etc. to existing jobs or careers
 Matching your career goals to your financial needs
 Matching your career goals to your educational needs
 Making good decisions for yourself
 Finding ways to meet your educational and financial needs on your schedule

It is important to understand how your individual cultural context influences your worldview. Each
of us has an individual worldview composing our attitudes, values, opinions, and beliefs about how
things work in the world. Your Cultural Context surrounds the entire career planning process, and
includes your cultural heritage and life experiences.

The Career Planning Process Itself Has Three Main Components:

Self-exploration is the process of examining your:

 Skills
 Values
 Experience
 Interests
 Education

Occupational Exploration includes activities such as:

 Researching occupational and job profiles

 Conducting informational interviews
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 Attending career and job fairs

 Gathering labor-market information

Educational Planning and Career Planning consists of:

 Decision making
 Goal setting
 Problem solving
 Action planning

Why do career planning?

It is well established that most jobs that pay family-sustaining wages require some post-secondary
education (that is, education beyond the high school level). By taking the time to plan for your
career now, you increase the chances of completing your education and getting the job you want.

What’s the difference between a job and a career?

A job is the occupation that you have at any given point in time. A career refers to your working
life over time, and could include a single job that you stay in for many years, or a series of
successive jobs within the same field. For example, you may decide to become a seventh-grade
math teacher and stay in that job for 20 or 30 years or more, all the while gathering experience
and additional training. In this case, you could say that your job was a math teacher, and that you
also have a career as a math teacher. Or, you may decide simply that you want a career in health
care. You might choose to begin that career as a certified nursing aide and then, with additional
education, become a surgical technologist and then a registered nurse. It’s important to think
about both your short-term and long-term goals.

Planning Your Career and Educational Goals

To guide you through the Career Planning unit and its activities, you can use the Career and
Education Planning Worksheet. After you complete an activity and the worksheet that goes with it,
transfer the key information to this worksheet. As you visit the other pages in this unit, you will
learn more about your skills, occupations that use those skills, and the education needed for those
occupations. After you complete an activity, and the worksheet that goes with it, you will then
transfer key information to your Career and Education Planning Worksheet.

Part of career planning is deciding on which action to take based on the information you collect. By
completing all the worksheets in the Career Planning unit, you will create a Career Plan with
specific action steps to take. Having this plan will better prepare you to know what information you
will need to find in other sections of the website, such as Applying to College and Financial
Planning.

What is Perception?

According to dictionary.com (2012), perception is the ability to recognize, discern, envision, or

understand. In simpler words Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of
sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment. All perception involves
signals in the nervous system, which in turn result from physical or chemical stimulation of the
sense organs.
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According to S. P. Robbins, perception can be defined as “the process by which individuals

organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environments.”

The study, of these perceptual processes, shows that their functioning is affected by three classes
of variables – the objects or events being perceived, the environment in which perception
occurs, and the individual who perceives. Perception includes the 5 senses; touch, sight, taste
smell and sound.

Why perception is Important?

Perception is a subjective, active and creative process through which we assign meaning to
sensory information to understand ourselves and others. It also includes how we respond to the
information.

1. Perception is very important in understanding human behavior because every person

perceives the world and approaches life problems differently.
2. Perception allows us to understand the world and find pattern in others’ behaviour.We can
predict the behavior based on perception. As one person’s perception varies from other
person/s.
3. On the basis of perception we can understand the motivation and need of various people
because people’s perception is conditioned by their motive and needs.
4. Perception is very important in professional life as it helps you in avoiding making errors, in
quickly understanding and adopting to the environment and people at workplace.
5. Perception allows you to have open/flexibility in your ideas as we understand the various
versions of the truth.
6. It is vitally important if we want to get along with others to try to see things from their
perspective or walk in their shoes for a while. If we walk in their shoes we will gain a new
perspective about things and in that understand the other and also can love and help the
other more appropriately.

Thus, for understanding human behavior and improve on interpersonal relationships, it is very
important to understand their perception, that is, how they perceive the different situations.

People’s behavior is based on their perceptions of what reality is, not on reality itself. The world as
it is perceived is the world that is important for understanding human behavior.

How Perception is formed?

 Perception depends not only on the physical stimuli but also on the stimuli’s relation to the
surrounding field and on conditions within the individual.
 what one observes can be substantially different from objective reality. It is the process
through which the information from the outside environment is selected, received,
organized and interpreted to make it meaningful
 Personal characteristics that affect perception include a person’s attitudes, personality,
motives, interests, past experiences, and expectations.
 There are also some situational factors like the time of perceiving others, work settings,
social settings, etc. which influence the perception process.
 Besides these, there are some other factors like perceptual learning which is based on past
experiences or any special training that we get; every one of us learns to emphasize some
sensory inputs and to ignore others.
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 Another factor is the mental set, which refers to preparedness or readiness to receive some
sensory input.
 Such expectancy keeps the individual prepared with good attention and concentration. The
level of knowledge we have may also change the way we perceive his or her behaviors.
 We cannot ignore the role of training in perceiving we can make first impression based on
our perception but still can refrain for making judgment based only on perception.

How we make perception?

In order to fully understand how the perception process works, we have to follow each of the
following steps.

3 stages of perception process are;

 Selection.
 Organization.
 Interpretation.

Selection

The world around us is filled with an infinite number of stimuli that we might attend, but our brains
do not have the resources to pay attention to everything.

Thus, the first step of perception is the decision of what to attend to.

Organization

Once we have chosen to attend to a stimulus in the environment, the choice sets off a series of
reactions in our brain.

Organizing is the second part of the perception process, in which we sort and categorize
information that we perceive based on innate and learned cognitive patterns.

Interpretation

After we have attended to a stimulus, and our brains have received and organized the information,
we interpret it in a way that makes sense using our existing information about the world
Interpretation simply means that we take the information that we have sensed and organized and
turn it into something that we can categorize.

Creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities

that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves
and others.

Taking Notes

OUTLINE NOTES

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You use an outline format to show relationships among pieces of information. You group
information together using indents. The further left the information, the more important it
is. The further right, the more specific the information is.
Outlines are also great because you don’t write in complete sentences. So, overall you’re
writing down fewer words and saving yourself some time. And we all want that, amiright?
If your source – teacher lecture, reading – is well-organized, this is easy to accomplish.
However, if the teacher is giving a “stream of consciousness” lecture, you may have to
rewrite your notes later so they make more sense. Or just use a pencil with a good eraser
VISUAL NOTES
Words, shwords. You don’t need so many stinking words. You think in pictures and want
your notes to reflect that.
Visual notes can come in many forms, from charts to mind maps to sketchnotes. This can be
a more flexible system than an outline. However, if the lecture is unorganized, you may
have to rewrite after class.
CORNELL NOTES
Invented at Cornell University, Cornell notes are set up in a particular way that includes
space for annotation and summary. AVID programs teach and require students to use
Cornell notes because they are one of the BEST systems for taking notes.
Within the notes box, you can actually take notes in any form you would like: outline or
visual. The extra spaces for annotation and a summary are built into your notes – no need
to add them later! This makes Cornell notes particularly useful for both retention of
information and review.

What is complex problem-solving?

Complex problem solving is a series of observations and informed decisions used to

find and implement a solution to a problem. Beyond finding and implementing a
solution, complex problem solving also involves considering future changes to
circumstance, resources and capabilities that may affect the trajectory of the
process and success of the solution. Complex problem solving also involves
considering the impact of the solution on the surrounding environment and
individuals

5. Communication and Technical Writing

The Importance of Public Speaking

If you ask most people, they'll probably say they don't like public speech. They may
even admit to being afraid of it since fear of public speaking is a very common fear. Or
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they may just be shy or introverted. For those reasons, many people avoid speaking in
public if they can. Over the years, public speaking in communication has played a
major role in education, government, and business. Words have the power to inform,
persuade, educate, and even entertain. And the spoken word can be even more
powerful than the written word in the hands of the right speaker. Whether you're a small
business owner, or a student, you'll benefit from improving your public speaking
skills. Some benefits to speaking in public include:

 improves confidence
 better research skills
 stronger deductive skills
 ability to advocate for causes
 and more

Speaking in public is especially important for businesses to market their offers. This
allows them to get their message in front of potential customers. Sales people and
executives are often expected to have good public speaking skills. To learn more about
some of the benefits of speaking in public, review the following article:

What is a group discussion?

A group discussion is a discussion between a group of participants on a given subject. A group

discussion typically forms a part of the selection process used by organisations and educational
institutions. The candidates talk about the given topic to present facts, opinions and conclusions.
Employers use this technique to screen candidates and assess their soft skills.

In a typical group discussion activity, the panellists or moderators will introduce themselves and
give you instructions about the process. The group will then get about 10-15 minutes to think and
prepare about the subject and approximately 30 minutes to discuss it. The time limits can vary
from process to process. Panellists use an evaluation sheet for rating the performance of the
candidates based on a predetermined marking rubric.

What are the types of group discussions?

Group discussions are of the following types:

 Factual group discussions: These group discussions are about practical things and judge
how a candidate processes information and analyses day-to-day topics or socio-economic
issues.

 Opinion-based group discussions: These group discussions test how candidates put
forward their opinions and views. These group discussions are less about facts and more
about opinions.

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 Case study-based group discussions: These group discussions simulate real-life

situations. The panellists give the group the details of a hypothetical situation and then the
group has to resolve the situation together.

 Abstract group discussions: These group discussions are about intangible topics. In these,
the interviewers observe if a candidate can handle the given topic with lateral thinking and
creativity.

Importance of group discussion

Group discussions are important because they help the evaluator:

 To judge whether the candidate is fit for the job

 To test whether the candidate is a good team player

 To assess the candidate's communication skills

 To check whether the candidate is comfortable speaking spontaneously on any subject

 To gauge the candidate's diction and pronunciation

 To evaluate the body language and posture along with general composition and maturity

As a candidate, group discussion is a critical test because you get the chance to stand out among
other candidates and maximise your chances of success in stiff competition.

Which skills are evaluated in group discussion?

In a group discussion, the panellists evaluate the following skills to check the performance of a
candidate:

Subject knowledge

The first thing that employers test is your expertise in the role's subject area. For example, if you
apply for a sales position, the employers expect you to have in-depth knowledge of their products
and sales process.

Creativity/originality

Some jobs require innovative ideas and out-of-the-box solutions. In such cases, the panellists may
employ group activities to check your creativity and originality of ideas in a group.

Voice

Communication skills include tone, volume and pitch control and your style of delivery. This skill is
essential in customer-facing roles and in regular interaction with your peers and seniors.
Employers check for an assertive approach, authoritative voice, clarity in speech and audible tone
in a typical group discussion.
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Body language

In a workplace, your body language speaks volumes about your actions and temperament. So,
during a group discussion, panellists judge your hand gestures and head movements along with
the expressions on your face. They also give high ratings for a professional outlook and a
confident, straight posture.

Fluency

Fluency in speech is a critical skill for sales jobs or customer service roles. Speaking with effective
pauses without stuttering or stammering can captivate an audience and make them listen
carefully. That is why many employers test this ability simultaneously while checking your speech.

Initiative

Taking initiative is a mark of excellent leadership skills. In the beginning, panel members see if you
try to start the conversation and establish its flow. If you are unable to do that, they also check if
you wait for the right moment and take that chance to introduce your idea in a better way.
Supporting your speech with statistics and some famous quotes also imprints a positive image on
the listeners and interviewers.

Leadership

The panellists usually see if you start with your own viewpoint or ask others for their opinions.
Helping others understand the subject matter and considering their perspectives proves your
leadership acumen. Panellists also give bonus points if you can capitalise on other's viewpoints,
adjust the conversation's flow and direct it towards actionable decisions.

Active listening

Active listening is an important skill for managerial positions or customer service roles. In a typical
group, all members try to stress their points to get some limelight. So, employers usually observe
those who listen to their peers without interruption. Letting them speak by giving a response and
mentioning their views when you conclude the discussion shows them that you are an active
listener.

Tips to be successful in a group discussion

Here are a few tips you can follow to be successful in group discussion rounds:

Prepare for different topics

Apart from your own academic qualifications, you should also possess general knowledge. Try to keep
track of some common trending topics. Check on current national and international events by reading

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newspapers regularly. You can also try checking social media, discussing your area of expertise with friends
and referring to journals and articles from the library.

Practice public speaking

Check for live or recorded group discussions online and observe how influential people conduct
themselves. If you have enrolled in any career classes, try to take part in mock group discussions actively.
This will allow you to improve your confidence. Try to rehearse your appearance, speech and presentation
in front of the mirror.

Work on your body language

Be comfortable and pleasant in your demeanour. Avoid artificial gestures or quirky movements,
unnecessary hand expressions and pointing fingers. Moving hands to stress your point, waving your arms
in the air, scrubbing your nose or looking at the ceiling to disagree show odd manners.

Be a good listener

If another candidate is speaking, listen carefully and ask questions to ease the topic's flow. If you need to
contradict someone's viewpoint, ask politely. For example, "Your point is valid, but I wish to add some of
my own observations." If you listen to their speech carefully, you can strike out their points and stress your
opinion more effectively.

Intervene without leaving a bad impression

If you want to interrupt someone, you should have a specific purpose. Wait for the proper time, be polite
and speak in a formal tone. You can say, "Thank you for allowing me to speak," and stress your opinion
with "Let me add my points," "Your point is valid but ..." or "We can also see this from another
angle" sentences. Try to avoid openly disagreeing with other candidates.

Complement the agreeable points

You can support points with merit using sentences such as, "Yes, I also think we can approach this problem
differently." Such actions will leave a positive impact on your quality as a team member. This approach is
helpful because panel members also observe candidates' teamwork, their manner of response to differing
opinions and general courtesy.

Face crucial moments

Sometimes, you may have to take a back foot when someone with a valid objection supersedes you. Or, a
candidate may interrupt and try to talk over you. You should address that person calmly, ask them to cease
the interruption and carry on speaking. The group supervisor will notice your calmness and maturity.

Practice summarisation and conclusion

At the end of a group discussion, you may have to provide some conclusion. Try to summarise the points
and provide a valid outcome or a judgement for the best results.

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What is an oral presentation?

Oral presentations, also known as public speaking or simply presentations, consist of an

individual or group verbally addressing an audience on a particular topic. The aim of this is to
educate, inform, entertain or present an argument. Oral presentations are seen within workplaces,
classrooms and even at social events such as weddings. An oral presentation at university
assesses the presenter’s ability to communicate relevant information effectively in an interesting
and engaging manner.

Group presentations

In some instances, you may be required to present as part of a group to test your ability to work as
a member of a team. Working within a group can sometimes be a challenge or a great success. To
understand how to effectively work in a group, take a look at our Group Work resource.

TIPS

 Divide the topic of your presentation into subtopics, and allocate one to each group
member. Doing this will ensure that the workload is evenly shared and that everyone takes
part in the assessment.
 Rehearse together as a group. Although it may seem easy for each group member to go off
and cover their own section alone, not having regular group meetings or rehearsals will
cause your presentation to appear disjointed.
 Ensure the presentation is consistent by using a consistent style for your visual aids. If the
visual aids your group uses are not consistent in format, colour and font styles, it will be
clear to the marker that you have not been working as a team.
 Use a cloud-based service or platform to create your presentation. Most cloud-based
services and platforms have functions that allow you to work on materials remotely from
one another. Check out our digital presentation resources to learn more.

Planning and presenting an oral presentation

Planning your oral presentation

The most important factors for a successful presentation are: careful planning, lots of practice
and engaging the audience. It's a good idea to watch some professional presentations online to
get a sense of what good speakers do.

 Review the subject outline. Look for all relevant detail that you will need to understand the
requirements of the task, including when it is due, the weight of the assessment, and the
length of time you have to present. Review the assessment criteria. What are you are being
assessed on?

 Analyse the task. Determine the purpose of the presentation. Do you need to answer a
specific question?

 Consider the audience. What are their expectations of your content and delivery?

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 Brainstorm. Map out everything you already know about the topic. Write out any ideas you
can use to interact with the audience, or engage them, and jot down what questions,
explanations and information you want the audience to be provided with.

 Do the research. Find relevant material, take notes, and remember to keep the references
you used.

 Organise your ideas. Create a logical presentation so the information flows well.

 Pay attention to the language you are using. Presentations should be delivered in spoken
or conversational language rather than written language. Spoken language is much easier
for your audience to follow.

Image transcription

1. What do I already know?

2. Plan
3. Practice
4. Present

Interview: Definition, Types of Interview

An interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person through oral responses
to oral inquiries.

An interview is a face-to-face conversation between the interviewer and the interviewee, where the
interviewer seeks replies from the interviewee for choosing a potential human resource.

Definition of Interview

According to Gary Dessler, “Interview is a selection procedure designed to predict future job
performance based on applicants’ oral responses to oral inquiries.”

The interview is the most critical component of the entire selection process.

It serves as the primary means to collect additional information on an applicant. It serves as the
basis for assessing an applicant’s job-related knowledge, skills, and abilities. It is designed to
decide if an individual should be interviewed further, hired, or eliminated from consideration.

Types of Interview

There are several types of the interview;

1. Unstructured (Nondirective) Interview.

2. Structured (Directive) Interview.
3. Situational Interview.
4. Behavioral Interview.
5. Job-related Interview.
6. Stress Interview.
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7. Panel Interview (Board Interview).

8. One-On-One Interview.
9. Mass Interview (Group Interview),
10. Phone Interview

Unstructured (Nondirective) Interview

An unstructured interview is an interview where probing, open-ended questions are asked. It

involves a procedure where different questions may be asked to different applicants.

Structured (Directive) Interview

In structured interviews, the interviewer lists the questions and acceptable responses in
advance and may even rate and score possible answers for appropriateness.

A structured interview typically contains four types of questions.

 Situational questions: Pose a hypothetical job situation to determine what the

applicant would do in that situation.
 Job knowledge questions: Probe the applicant’s job-related knowledge.
 Job-sample simulation questions: Involve situations where an applicant may be
required to perform a sample task from the job.
 Worker requirements questions: Seek to determine the applicant’s willingness to
conform to the job requirements.

Situational Interview

In a situational interview, you ask the candidate what his or her behavior would be in a given
situation. Candidates are interviewed about what actions they would take in various job-related
situations. Situational interviews ask interviewees to describe how they would react to a
hypothetical situation today or tomorrow.

Behavioral Interview

In a behavioral interview, you ask applicants to describe how they reacted to actual situations
in the past.

Candidates are asked what actions they have taken in prior job situations similar to situations
they may encounter on the job. The interviewers are then scored using a scoring guide
constructed by job experts.

This structured interview uses questions designed to probe the candidate’s past behavior in
specific situations. This technique involves asking all interviewees standardized questions
about how they handled past situations similar to situations they may encounter on the job.

Job-related Interview

the interviewer asks applicants questions about relevant past experiences.

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It is a series of job-related questions that focus on relevant past job-related behaviors. The
questions here don’t revolve around hypothetical or actual situations or scenarios.

Instead, the interviewer asks job-related questions such as, “Which courses did you like best
in business school?”

Stress Interview

In a stress interview, the interviewer seeks to make the applicant uncomfortable with
occasionally rude questions. The aim is supposedly to spot sensitive applicants and those with
low or high stress tolerance.

Stress interviews may help unearth hypersensitive applicants who might overreact to mild
criticism with anger and abuse. It intentionally creates anxiety to determine how an applicant
will react to stress on the job.

Panel Interview (Board Interview)

A panel interview, also known as a board interview, is an interview conducted by a team of

interviewers, who interview each candidate and then combine their ratings into a final score.

Here one candidate is interviewed by several representatives of the firm. This technique
entails the job candidate giving oral responses to job-related questions asked by a panel of
interviewers.

Each panel member then rates each interviewee on such dimensions as work history,
motivation, creative thinking, and presentation.

One-On-One Interview

In a one-on-one interview, one interviewer meets one candidate. In a typical employment

interview, the applicant meets one-on-one with an interviewer. As the interview may be a
highly emotional occasion for the applicant, meeting alone with the interviewer is often less
threatening.

Mass Interview (Group Interview)

The mass/group interview is a relatively new technique in the west and almost unknown. It is a
procedure for the discovery of leadership.

In a mass/group interview, a panel interviews several candidates simultaneously. The panel

poses a problem and then watches to see which candidate takes the lead in formulating an
answer.

Phone Interview

Employers do some interviews entirely by These can actually be more accurate than face-to-
face interviews for judging an applicant’s conscientiousness, intelligence, and interpersonal
skills.
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Here, neither party needs to worry about appearance or handshakes, so each can focus on
substantive answers. Or perhaps candidates – somewhat surprised by an unexpected call
from the recruiter – give more spontaneous answers.

WHAT IS PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT?

Personality development is about building your capacities, nurturing your talent, enhancing new
skill sets, working on your weaknesses, and transforming them into strengths.

You, as an individual, have unique skill sets. Your potential is multi-faceted, and investing in
personality development enables you to harness your strengths. Focusing on individual
personality development adds to your capabilities and helps your dreams and aspirations turn into
a reality.

To be a more charismatic person, you have to develop your inner self as well as your outer self.
The importance of personality development is undisputed in personal and professional life.

IMPORTANCE OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Let’s look at the reasons why it is important to develop one’s personality:

 Personality development enables you to discover your qualities

 It empowers you to make the right decisions and to choose wisely
 It builds that one winning quality in you- confidence. Confident people are more equipped to
succeed in the long run
 It assists you in communicating clearly, convincingly, and precisely
 Once you know how to develop personality, you will be seen as a leader by your peers and
colleagues

PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT TIPS

Your personality is not static and unchangeable. You can develop it for the better. Play to your
strengths and work on your weaknesses.

So are you ready to start creating a roadmap to becoming your best version? Here are some tips
for personality development.

1. LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

Come out of your shell and explore the world. A comfort zone is limiting. Staying in the comfort
zone will make one miss out on the opportunity to try new things and discover themselves. The
next time you meet a group of people, try engaging with them more. Introduce yourself to
someone and have a conversation with them. Don’t stay in the corner or play with your phone.
Interact with people.

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2. MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT

Plan your time management strategy and make it stronger day by day. Begin your days right. Every
morning take time out to read something inspirational. Chalk out what you are going to do that
day. Keep in mind your larger goal and select activities accordingly.

3. DEFINE YOUR AREA OF EXCELLENCE

Define what you want to excel in and develop relevant skill sets. Maximize your time, energy, and
resources to achieve the desired result. Say you want to be a video jockey. Seek personality
development tips from a successful VJ and work on your communication skills.

4. BE OPTIMISTIC

Learn to look at the future with positivity. Being optimistic will help you identify opportunities and
work towards them. Optimistic people know how to see failures as setbacks. Even when there are
challenges and setbacks, optimistic people work on finding a solution.

5. EVALUATE YOURSELF

Some people are extremely popular at work. You may wonder what their magic formula is for
being constantly appreciated by their superiors. It’s not magic. They simply focus on following tips
for personality development such as seeking feedback, correcting mistakes, helping people, and
solving problems.

6. NETWORK

One of the best tips for personality development is to network. Networking has been made much
easier by interactive and intelligent social media. So go ahead, create a network of dependable
people who trust you, inspire you, lead you.

7. READ A LOT

Books such as The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by
Stephen Covey, Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach, Inspiring Thoughts by Dr. A P J Abdul
Kalam, contain time-tested personality development tips and lessons.

8. IMPROVE YOUR BODY LANGUAGE

Many people think that communication is simply about what is being said and heard. This is not
true. nonverbal communication through body language and expressions makes a huge impact on
others. Many times people use nonverbal cues without realizing it. However, it is possible to
consciously improve one’s use of body language.

What is a project proposal?

A project proposal is a written document outlining everything stakeholders should know about a
project, including the timeline, budget, objectives, and goals. Your project proposal should

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summarize your project details and sell your idea so stakeholders feel inclined to get involved
in the initiative.

The goal of your project proposal is to:

 Secure external funding

 Allocate company resources to your project
 Gain stakeholder buy-in
 Build momentum and excitement

 Solicited: You’ll send solicited proposals in response to a Request for Proposal (RFP). An
RFP announces a project in detail and asks for bids from qualified teams. Because
you’re competing against other companies for this type of proposal, you must do thorough
research and write persuasively.
 Unsolicited: You’ll send unsolicited proposals without an RFP, meaning no one asked for
your proposal. In this case, you won’t be up against other companies or teams, but you’ll
still need to be persuasive because you have no knowledge of whether the stakeholder
you’re pitching to needs you.

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 Informal: You may have a client send you an informal request for a project proposal, in
which case you can respond with your project pitch. Because this isn’t an official RFP, the
rules are less concrete.
 Renewal: You’ll send renewals to existing clients in hopes that they’ll extend their services
with your organization. In this type of project proposal, the goal is to emphasize past results
your team has produced for the client and persuade them you can produce future results.
 Continuation: You’ll send continuations as a reminder to a stakeholder letting them know
the project is beginning. In this project proposal, you’ll simply provide information about the
project instead of persuading the stakeholder.
 Supplemental: Similar to a continuation proposal, you’ll send a supplemental proposal to a
stakeholder already involved in your project. In this type of proposal, you’re letting the
stakeholder know the project is beginning, while also asking for additional resources. You
should persuade the stakeholder to contribute more to the project in this proposal.

How to write a project proposal ?

These step-by-step instructions apply to most project proposals, regardless of type. You’ll need
to customize your proposal for the intended audience, but this project proposal outline can
serve as a reference to ensure you’re including the key components in your document.

ETHICS BUISNESS
Ethics for Engineers

Preamble
Engineering is an important and learned profession. As members of this profession,
engineers are expected to exhibit the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
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Engineering has a direct and vital impact on the quality of life for all people.
Accordingly, the services provided by engineers require honesty, impartiality,
fairness, and equity, and must be dedicated to the protection of the public health,
safety, and welfare. Engineers must perform under a standard of professional
behaviour that requires adherence to the highest principles of ethical conduct.

I. Fundamental Canons
Engineers, in the fulfilment of their professional duties, shall:

 Hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.

 Perform services only in areas of their competence.
 Issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
 Act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
 Avoid deceptive acts.
 Conduct themselves honorably, responsibly, ethically, and lawfully so as to
enhance the honor, reputation, and usefulness of the profession.

II. Rules of Practice

1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.

1. If engineers' judgment is overruled under circumstances that endanger life or

property, they shall notify their employer or client and such other authority as may be
appropriate
2. Engineers shall approve only those engineering documents that are in conformity
with applicable standards
3. Engineers shall not reveal facts, data, or information without the prior consent of the
client or employer except as authorized or required by law or this Code.

2. Engineers shall perform services only in the areas of their competence.

1. Engineers shall undertake assignments only when qualified by education or

experience in the specific technical fields involved.
2. Engineers shall not affix their signatures to any plans or documents dealing with
subject matter in which they lack competence, nor to any plan or document not
prepared under their direction and control.

3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.
1. Engineers shall be objective and truthful in professional reports, statements, or
testimony. They shall include all relevant and pertinent information in such reports,
statements, or testimony, which should bear the date indicating when it was current.
2. Engineers may express publicly technical opinions that are founded upon knowledge
of the facts and competence in the subject matter.
3. Engineers shall issue no statements, criticisms, or arguments on technical matters
that are inspired or paid for by interested parties, unless they have prefaced their
comments by explicitly identifying the interested parties on whose behalf they are
speaking

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4. Engineers shall act for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees.
1. Engineers shall disclose all known or potential conflicts of interest that could
influence or appear to influence their judgment or the quality of their services.
2. Engineers shall not accept compensation, financial or otherwise, from more than one
party for services on the same project, or for services pertaining to the same project,
unless the circumstances are fully disclosed and agreed to by all interested parties.
3. Engineers shall not solicit or accept a contract from a governmental body on which a
principal or officer of their organization serves as a member.
5. Engineers shall avoid deceptive acts.
1. Engineers shall not falsify their qualifications or permit misrepresentation of their or
their associates' qualifications. They shall not misrepresent or exaggerate their
responsibility in or for the subject matter of prior assignments.
2. They shall not offer or accept any gift or other valuable consideration in order to
secure work. They shall not pay a commission, percentage, or brokerage fee in order
to secure work, except to a bona fide employee or bona fide established commercial
or marketing agencies retained by them.

III. Professional Obligations

1. Engineers shall be guided in all their relations by the highest standards of honesty
and integrity.
1. Engineers shall not accept outside employment to the detriment of their
regular work or interest. Before accepting any outside engineering
employment, they will notify their employers.
2. Engineers shall not promote their own interest at the expense of the dignity
and integrity of the profession.
3. Engineers shall treat all persons with dignity, respect, fairness and without
discrimination.
2. Engineers shall at all times strive to serve the public interest.
1. Engineers are encouraged to participate in civic affairs; career guidance for
youths; and work for the advancement of the safety, health, and well-being of
their community.
2. Engineers shall not complete, sign, or seal plans and/or specifications that are
not in conformity with applicable engineering standards.
3. Engineers shall avoid all conduct or practice that deceives the public.
4. Engineers shall not disclose, without consent, confidential information concerning
the business affairs or technical processes of any present or former client or
employer, or public body on which they serve
5. Engineers shall not be influenced in their professional duties by conflicting interests.
1. Engineers shall not accept financial or other considerations, including free
engineering designs, from material or equipment suppliers for specifying their
product

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2. Engineers shall not accept commissions or allowances, directly or indirectly,

from contractors or other parties dealing with clients or employers of the
engineer in connection with work for which the engineer is responsible.
6. Engineers shall not attempt to obtain employment or advancement or professional
engagements by untruthfully criticizing other engineers, or by other improper or
questionable methods.
1. Engineers shall not request, propose, or accept a commission on a contingent
basis under circumstances in which their judgment may be compromised.
2. Engineers in salaried positions shall accept part-time engineering work only to
the extent consistent with policies of the employer and in accordance with
ethical considerations.
7. Engineers shall not attempt to injure, maliciously or falsely, directly or indirectly, the
professional reputation, prospects, practice, or employment of other engineers.
Engineers who believe others are guilty of unethical or illegal practice shall present
such information to the proper authority for action.
8. Engineers shall accept personal responsibility for their professional activities,
provided, however, that engineers may seek indemnification for services arising out
of their practice for other than gross negligence, where the engineer's interests
cannot otherwise be protected.
9. Engineers shall give credit for engineering work to those to whom credit is due, and
will recognize the proprietary interests of others.

Rules for email etiquette

1. Use a clear, professional subject line
Show your recipient clearly what the email will cover. Many people will decide whether they will open an
email depending on the subject line. For someone who gets hundreds of emails a day, a subject line that
is to the point makes it easier for them to sort through their inbox and decide what communications to
prioritise.
2. Proofread every email you send
Make sure there are no grammatical or professional errors. Have you spelt the recipient’s name
correctly? Are there spelling errors? Are you using simple sentence structures and correct capitalisation
and punctuation? Ignoring these compromises your professionalism and the credibility of your email.
3. Write your email before entering the recipient email address
It is always best practice to write the contents of your email first in case you accidentally send the
message too early.
4. Double check you have the correct recipient
There is nothing worse than sending an email to the wrong Jess or a confidential document to the wrong
client or company.
5. Ensure you CC all relevant recipients
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It is unprofessional to leave out a colleague or client from a relevant email chain. Be mindful of who
should be informed about a given matter and respect that.
6. You don't always have to "reply all"
Think about who needs to read your response; no one wants to read an email chain from 20 people that
has nothing to do with them.
7. Reply to your emails
Most people at some point have felt swamped by the large number of emails they have to sift through.
But replying to an email is good etiquette, especially if the sender is expecting a response.
Acknowledging you received the email but will get back to the sender at a later time is a professional
alternative to ignoring or avoiding certain emails.
8. Include a signature block
If your recipient doesn’t know anything about you, they may be skeptical of the authenticity of your
email. It is professional to include your full name, title, your company and your contact number.
9. Use the appropriate level of formality
For instance, begin with “Dear _____”, use “please” and “thank you” where necessary, and always end
your email with the appropriate phrase, “Kind regards”, “Thank you”, “Sincerely” and so on.
10. Keep emails brief and to the point
No one wants to read an enormous chunk of text. You can always follow up on the matter later or
suggest they give you a call if they have any queries or concerns.

Telephone etiquette

Always Speak Clearly

It is important to speak clearly and slowly. Because the person on the other end of the phone cannot see
your face or body language, it is necessary to convey your message through clear speech.

Do Not Yell

Some people have a tendency to be on the louder side when they speak. If that is the case, it is imperative
that you tone down your voice so that the person on the other end of the line does not feel that they are
being shouted at. Even if it is not your intention, a customer having the impression that you are raising
your voice will not convey a professional image for your company.

Don't Use Slang

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When on the phone, you should never use slang. While it may be normal in everyday conversation, slang
and other poor language conveys a very unprofessional message to the customer. You also never want to
use swear words, regardless of how upset you may be.

Never Eat Or Drink

If you are tasked with answering the phone, whether full time, or as coverage for someone else, it is
important to not eat or drink while on phone duty. Wait for your break to grab a drink or something to eat.
Customers do not want to hear you chomping in their ear.

Always Listen

While it may seem obvious, listen to what the person on the phone is saying. It is often a good idea to
repeat the information back to the customer in the event that you need to take a message. This ensures
that you are taking down the proper message so it can be passed along to the correct coworker.

Use Proper Titles

When speaking to someone on the phone, especially if they are not someone you know, it is important to
use the proper title when addressing the person. For instance, Mrs., Mr., Dr., etc. are appropriate. You
never want to address a caller by their first name unless you have been given permission to do so.

Have Patience

People will often contact a business when they are unhappy about something. It is incredibly important to
have patience and be as helpful as possible when you have an upset customer on the phone. Try your best
to provide them with the appropriate resources to remedy their issue and never, ever act in a rude manner
towards the customer.

Focus on the Task at Hand

Especially for those that work in a busy, fast paced office setting, it can be difficult to keep your
concentration. When speaking to someone on the phone, you need to remain focused on the call as
opposed to what is going on around you

Ask Permission Before Placing a Call on Hold

If you are responsible for answering multiple calls, it will be necessary to place people on hold. Before
placing a customer on hold, you should always politely ask if you may place them on hold. Once a customer
is placed on hold, you should try to answer their call as soon as possible.

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Civil Engineer responsibilities include:

 Managing, designing, developing, creating and maintaining construction projects
 Conducting on-site investigations and analyzing data
 Assessing potential risks, materials and costs
Job brief
We are looking for an innovative Civil Engineer to design, develop and construct a huge
range of projects of the physically and naturally built environment from conception through
to completion. You will have a say in how the world looks like, work in a fast growing
dynamic industry, contribute towards healthy economies and make a lasting positive
impact to society.
Responsibilities
 Manage, design, develop, create and maintain small-scale through to large-scale
construction projects in a safe, timely and sustainable manner
 Conduct on site investigations and analyze data (maps, reports, tests, drawings and
other)
 Carry out technical and feasibility studies and draw up blueprints that satisfy
technical specifications
 Assess potential risks, materials and costs
 Provide advice and resolve creatively any emerging problems/deficiencies
 Oversee and mentor staff and liaise with a variety of stakeholders
 Handle over the resulting structures and services for use
 Monitor progress and compile reports in project status
 Manage budget and purchase equipment/materials
 Comply with guidelines and regulations including permits, safety etc and deliver
technical files and other technical documentation as required.

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