Tag: Soft Skills

Introduction:

1. Attention Getter: (Tell us something that will immediately grab our attention)
   • Steve Jobs, somewhat ironically, once said that “Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.” 
2. Listener Relevance: (Tell us why we should listen to this presentation)
   • That is why I am standing before you today, in the hopes that, together, we can build something great. 
3. Speaker Credibility: (What research/personal experience make you credible on this topic)
   • I know myself, I know my strengths, and I know I can be a valuable asset. 
4. Thesis Statement: (In one sentence, what is the goal of your speech?)
   • [As mentioned in the Listener Relevance, Speaker Credibility, and Preview: I want to prove I am a valuable asset to have on a team.]
5. Preview: (Tell us specifically and concisely, in order, what your main points will be.)
   • To prove that to you, however, I would like to discuss what I’ve done, who I’ve become, and where I’d like to go.  

Transition: (Take us to the first main point)

• In order to explore who I am and what I have done, I would like to focus on two skills I cherish – (A) the ability to work with a variety of people and (B) a keen eye for detail. 

Body:

I. Main Point One: What I’ve Done and Who I’ve Become

Listener Relevance Link: (Tell us how this point connects to us) 

1. When it comes to working with others (L.R.L), I have been both a leader and a team member. I have worked with academics, athletes, and authority figures. I know what it means to work toward a common goal. This is best-reflected through two aspects of my life – politics and sports. 
   1. Student Government 
      1. During high school, I was elected to the Student Government Association three years running, eventually becoming president. I worked on committees with students, teachers, and administrators. I was responsible for events and decisions that would affect large amounts of people – planning dances, running fundraisers, and developing budgets. I had to constantly communicate information, delegate tasks, and, most importantly, listen to everyone involved. 
   2. Sports
      1. When it comes to sports, I have competed in everything from softball and tennis to quiz bowl and basketball. Having been both a player and a captain, I realize that the only way to be successful is to put trust in others. I couldn’t catch every hit or answer every question, I had to know my limits, know the strengths of my teammates, and trust in their abilities. 
2. Pertaining to my eye for detail, 
   1. Avid Reader/Editor/Researcher
      1. I am an avid reader. With that love of reading comes a natural ability to work with content. I have taken many advanced English and History courses that have built on that ability and taught me the importance of editing (grammar/syntax/vocabulary) and research (understanding and verifying background information). 
   2. Proficient in HTML/CSS
      1. I also have experience with design. I am proficient in HTML and CSS having taken Internet Technologies as well as this course. I plan on expanding this skill set next semester with ITEC 3650 and Mobile Web Development. 

Transition: (Take us to the second main point)

• Now that we have discussed where I have been, I would like to discuss where I want to go and what I hope to gain. 

II. Main Point Two: Where I’d Like to Go 

Listener Relevance Link: (Tell us how this point connects to us)

1. First and foremost, I want to use this team experience (L.R.L) to gain real-world experience. 
   1. Working with Clients 
      1. I want to learn how to work with clients – how to communicate and present ideas effectively. 
   2. Marketing Myself to Employers 
      1. I want to know how to market myself to employers – how to project my knowledge and experience in a confident manner. 
2. The second skill I would like to gain is more web-design expertise. 
   1. Javascript and Increased CSS
      1. I want to learn Javascript and increase my CSS and HTML knowledge. 
   2. Design Principles and Increased Efficiency
      1. I want to learn advanced design principles and how to work with a high level of efficiency. 

Transition: (Take us to the conclusion)

• So, to sum everything up, 

Conclusion:

1. Restate Thesis (Restate the main idea of the presentation)
   1. I can be the team member you need –  
2. Main Point Summary (Explicitly review the main points you talked about)
   1. the member who works well with others, who cares about the details, and who wants to keep getting better. 
3. Clincher (Refer back to attention getter)
   1. In the words of Steve Jobs, we can do great things together.

Culture is a collection of ideas shared by a group of people. It is defined by elements such as the heroes they admire, the language they use to communicate, the location in which they settle, the values they hold, and the stories they tell.  Organizational culture is the concept of culture and its collective elements displayed in a business or educational atmosphere. In order to examine organizational culture here, the elements of culture listed above will be applied to the IT Minor class at UALR (ITEC 3610). 

A culture often has a person is holds in high esteem – a hero. This person has beaten the odds and arisen triumphant. In ITEC 3610, an example of a hero might be Thomas Wallace. He graduated from the very first ITEC class and has gone on to become a successful web developer and professor. His story shows the students that hard work, passion, and the skills being taught in class can get them where they want to go. 

In order to share ideas and structure, a culture must have a way to communicate – a language. Language is what a group speaks (English, Spanish, etc.), but it is also how they speak. Do they speak formally or informally with each other? Are there certain rules that must be followed? In ITEC 3610, the language is, for the most part, informal. The students and professors are on a first-name basis and do not use titles such as Dr., Mr., and Ms. They are free to express their opinions and to joke with each other. The main rule is to speak politely. Do not use vulgar language or speak ill of others; the students should always be respectful. 

One element that is often a key factor in defining a culture is the location of a group of people – the physical setting in which the culture develops. Location and setting bring people together who might not have otherwise met or who don’t necessarily have a lot in common. The physical setting for ITEC 3610 is the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and, more specifically, the ITEC 3610 course in the EIT building. This class brings together people of different ages, majors, and backgrounds. What they all have in common, however, is the shared experience of being together in the same class at the same university. They know where things are, how the class schedule runs, and what the rules are.  

Values can be an important link in any culture, including organizational cultures. Values are things a person finds important, things that hold a certain level of significance in their life. Some examples of common values are equality, dependability, and honesty. In ITEC 3610, some core values expressed are creativity, open-mindedness, commitment, and growth. The web design an IT fields are always changing, there is no textbook to follow; a student must be willing to explore content and think outside the box. A student must be open to communicating with classmates so as to be prepared for communicating with clients in a professional setting. A student must be committed to completing assignments, participating in activities, and attending class. Finally, a student must show growth. Growth reveals how much that student has learned and progressed.

The last element to be discussed is the story. Stories add to the shared knowledge of a culture. They express values, fears, beliefs, and ideals. In ITEC 3610, professors often tell stories of former students. They tell of student success stories – those who obtained jobs with the skills they learned. They also tell of obstacles past students have faced and how they overcame them. 

ITEC 3610 might not contain a particularly large number of people, but these people share certain ideas that bring them together into an organizational culture. Organizational cultures contain similar elements to religious, regional, or activity related cultures. They share heroes and stories, a common language and setting, and core values. These elements give an organization personality and help those involved achieve a common goal.