MGB

Goodbye and Goodluck

Deena Farghaly — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:30:11 +0000

As all good things must come to an end, sadly MGB’s time has drawn to a close. We would like to say thank you for visiting our blog and contributing all your thoughts to our journey this semester.

So we bid you farewell and goodluck to you all as you commence the next stage of your professional career.

-The MGB’s
Caitlin R, Caitlin C, Deena, Jess & Paul

Effective Communication

Jessica Johnson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:06:25 +0000

In this weeks lecture we discussed the importance of correct grammar and tone to effectively convey the purpose of the message in professional correspondance.
Kate Fitch was our guest lecturer. She gave a good example where incorrect grammar effected the message conveyed within a title.

The title was supposed to read a panda “eats shoots and leaves” however it was written “eats, shoots and leaves”. The title is meant to imply that a panda eats shoots and leaves as part of its diet.

The second sentence implied that the panda eats at a restaurant then shoots with a shotgun then leaves the restaurant. Simply adding a comma can completely change the meaning of a sentence.

We also discussed the formality involved with producing correspondance and how it does change depending on who you’re addressing. For example a student writing an email to a fellow student may address them informally “hey how are you?”. Where as a student addressing a tutor would be more formal as it is a position of authority and they are more than likely requesting something. This is part of our culture that we treat people with higher authority with more respect than we would addressing one of our peers.

In class we had to create a mock email requesting an informational interview to send to a person working in a position that we are interested in. Some of our group members were read out as an example of a competent email to a person in position of authority.

This is one example:

Subject: Request for an informational interview

Dear ………..

My name is ………… and I am a final year student at Murdoch University studying Marketing and the Media. I am emailing you to request an informational interview regarding your current position as……. . It will entail a short 10 to 15 minute interview about your duties and responsibilities at …….. . The purpose of the interview is to gain knowledge into the life of a professional for an assignment i am currently writing.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards

…………….

As you can see the above example is clear and concise with correct tone. The reader can quickly decipher the meaning of the email. The heading helps the reader to determine that it isn’t mass computer generated spam. Your comments on the above email would be greatly appreciated. Do you think this is a good email?

As potential graduates this is a vital skill for us to acquire and bring to our professional life. The guest speaker mentioned that over 90% of work communication takes place via email. This makes it greatly important for us as graduates to be proficient in writing emails.

Map your degree

Julia Hobson — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:32:50 +0000

A new software tool has been developed for students to use to map the graduate attributes that they will develop throughout their university degree.

go here

Map

and have a go!!

Julia

Assessment Centres

Deena Farghaly — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:38:41 +0000

Hello to our millions of subscribers, the MGB’s are back with our weekly installment and discussion of the topic of assessment centres!

So what is an assessment centre???

This is what its not:

It is not a torture centre
It is not a scary place
It is not a waste of time

So what is it?

It is a useful recruiting place
It is a place to assess a persons suitability and whether they fit the selection criteria
You may have to attend more than one in search for your perfect job

Karly George from Ernst and Young came out to give us some insights on the assessment process. One of the things made really clear is:

PRACTICE

At assessment centres you may have to do a presentation or answer questions.

So who can help you prepare???

Your dog ( it sometimes helps to have someone listen and not make fun or tease you)
Your friends and family ( they can provide useful and honest feedback)

Psychometric Aptitude Tests

These tests may comprise for example a verbal, numerical or personality test.

One of example of the group tests that we participated in was to construct the tallest free standing tower possible that could stand for the longest using only newspaper and sticky tape. WE WON!!! The aim of the exercise wasn’t really to win but assess the process that surrounded the construction. Some points include, who were the leaders, who sat back and said nothing, who were the workers and who provided useful ideas.

So where can you practice for these tests?

The university has a wealth of knowledge and resources where you kind practice tests and information on how to exceed expectations. Here are some tips:

The library has some books and practice tests
The university career centre
Websites (type assessment centre tests in google)

All in all being assertive, punctual and enthusiastic right from the moment you walk into the building. Even though some of the activities are fun don’t forget you are constantly being watched and evaluated. YOU ONLY HAVE ONE CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION!!!

MGB’s 8 hour campaign

Caitlin Clarke — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 02:22:27 +0000

In 1855 the 8 hour campaign was launched in Sydney Australia, it revolved around the idea that a worker was entitled to:

8 hours of work
8 hours of recreation and
8 hours of rest

This was to be accomplished all in a 24 hour period. By 1856 the 8 hour day was achieved by employees in Melbourne where the working week was reduced to 48 hours over a 6 day period. So does this 8 hour campaign still apply to society today? As Murdoch graduates we feel that this ideology is no longer applicable.

How many of us as university students truly feel we work a 48 hour week? A full time load at university in theory should entail 40 hours of contact time and study a week. This leaves only 8 hours left for paid work and leaves no time for recreation. Already we can see that the 48 hour week is one which cannot be easily applied to students and workers today. We find this model more applicable to our lifestyle:

4 hours of paid work
2 hours of unpaid work (house work, work experience, volunteer work, commitments)
1 hour travel
6 hours of university work
8 hours of rest
3 hours of recreation

As graduates we understand that when we enter the workforce we will encounter similar difficulties. With increasing work loads employess feel compleled to start work earlier, use their lunch breaks to complete extra tasks which if then aren’t completed will cause them to stay back at work or take it home. This cuts into time spent on recreation. These extended work periods encroach on time which should be spent on other activities such as sleep and recreation. Lunch breaks are also used to complete other tasks such as heading to the gym and running errands. This blurs of the distinction between work and recreation. A more realisitc model would be:

10 hours of paid work
2 hours of unpaid work (house work, volunteer work, commitments)
1 hour of travel
8 hours of rest
3 hour recreation

Globalisation and professionalism

Deena Farghaly — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:29:25 +0000

Globalisation: “This is the blanket term to describe the processes through which sovereign national states are criss-crossed and undermined by transnational actors with varying prospects of power, orientations, identities and networks” (Beynon, J. 2000)*.

This week we will be discussing professionalism and how it has been influenced through the phenomena of globalisation. As graduates we have come to accept that globalisation is an inevitable element of our future professional careers. In our opinion we believe globalisation allows us the freedoms that were not so accessible in the past. Currently we are able to access information at greater speeds, work is now done via video conferencing and we are able to network globally with ease. The evolution of the Internet has allowed us to complete University Degrees online and create online business transactions.

However with all this in mind globalisation is full of contradictions! We may have greater contact to industry in other countries although this has generated a more competitive market based approach. On the contrary people are having to work longer and more unsociable hours to cater for the global market. Expectations have evolved and are often out of proportion to what they once were.

*Beynon, J. & Dunkerley, D. (2000). General Introduction, Globalisation: The Reader, London: The Athlone Press

http://socialstudies10.blogspot.com/2008/02/cultural-identity-collage.html

Stay tuned for our next captivating and fabulous blog!

Introduction

Caitlin Riley — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:54:37 +0000

Hey we are the Murdoch Graduate Bloggers (MGB’s). As graduate Bloggers we are planning to discuss ethics, professionalism and graduate attributes in regards to our weekly readings. We will endeavour to keep them exciting and informative. Enjoy the journey!!!