Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Course Grading, Job Hunting Tips and Reminders, Reaching for the Stars

Just a few hours ago, Tsz took and passed MO-500 Access, taking his first step toward earning his Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Expert distinction; I am so proud of this young man for pursuing above and beyond what is required for IS101 ^_^

The day after my previous blog post, Androw earned his MO-200 Excel certificate. During class session this past Saturday, Heather and Jan earned their MO-300 PowerPoint certificates becoming the third and fourth MOS Associates from IS101-3003, Spring 2023 while Elijah took and excelled in BQ12 – Microsoft Excel 2019 and Spreadsheet Analysis and BQ13 – Apex of Excel, dethroning the previous highest scores for both bonus quizzes and boosting his overall course grade, well done Elijah!

Students took advantage of open class session to catch-up with their LabSim work and review their capstone assignments with me. Upon successful review of their A6 Spreadsheet Analysis with Trailer and A7 Mail Merge, students will receive their scores. Two days later, Jimena also took on and passed MO-200 Excel, joining Androw.

Of the nine students who are still actively participating, three have completed 95% of the required coursework for IS101 with only threaded discussions & blogging outstanding for the next three weeks.

Earlier during the semester, the opening task of A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume saw students send in their A3 Job Hunt where students sent in their answers to the 13 tips and reminders to the first of second article: 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Your Job Search.

The second article and its 10-minute video were mentioned in my blog post First Highest Score Holder and Artificial Intelligence. As a follow-up to the topic of artificial intelligence, this video from John Oliver was released three weeks after that blog post as ChatGPT from OpenAI shed a huge spotlight on artificial intelligence and academic independence/integrity. Since then, Tsz mentioned that he checked out ChatGPT.

Note: Viewer discretion is advised as the 27 min 52 sec video contains strong languages and John Oliver's brand of humor. If you are under the age of 18 and cannot obtain your parent's permission, let me know and I will give you an alternate assignment in place of watching this video.

Diego and Jimena are slated to present their A5 Slideshow Presentation this coming Saturday. I look forward to meeting Jimena in-person and she meeting her classmates in-person. I wonder who will joining Tsz in reaching for the stars?


Click on the image for a larger/clearer view

Students,

In your comment, please

(A) Choose a unique tip/reminder to share your experience based on it with the world. If another student has used that tip/reminder in his/her comment to this blog post, you will need to choose another. Be sure to list your Tip (include the leading zero) and Reminder (e.g. T04 Polishing your resume, not T4 polishing your resume), have a blank line then share your experience.

and

(B) Share what you have learned and/or thoughts on John Oliver's 27 min 52 sec videoI learned the difference between Narrow AI and General AI. I agree with what Erick Brynjolfsson said about "affected not replaced". I like the AI-generated song on cats with Eminem's voice but I love John Oliver's rap even better! I hope John Oliver's rap was human-generated :-)

6 comments:

  1. (A) A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume: 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Your Job Search - T09 put in the time. It's important to put in time for research when applying for a job this is very beneficial when creating a cover letter and even when it comes down to answering questions. An example for me is when I researched the company I was preparing for an interview. I used my knowledge to switch things around and ask my interviewers questions of my own, in the end I received the job.

    (B) I have a hard time deciding whether AI is good or bad. Thinking about the advances of AI are fascinating but can they possibly overrule us one day? Think about it it's already smarter than us all that's needed is for the AI to build a sense of self-awareness but that sounds impossible. I learned that AI could write English papers for you that's incredible yet bad for our future generations.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A) 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Your Job Search - T03 Many companies use talent-management software to screen resumes.
    Tip 3 actually comes as a surprise, I thought that most companies had HR run through the resumes since most can be discarded at a quick glance, but no they use software. To me this means that you can basically optimize your resume with buzzwords that the software might be coded to approve of, thus increasing your chances of getting that interview.

    B) I think it is pretty wild that people are using ChatGPT for creative based things like art and music. I feel like life experiences and who we grow allow artists to put that into their art. It gives enormous personality that A.I. can't quite replicate. However, I think ChatGPT is great for quickly sourcing information. For example, I asked ChatGPT to find me scholarships that I potentially qualify for. I think A.I. is needed for the future and moving forward. Some things must be automated, that's just the hard truth. I don't think that A.I. should be used for arts.

    ReplyDelete
  3. A) A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume: 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Your Job Search
    T06) In the U.S., 42% of professionals are uncomfortable negotiating salary.
    My tip is know your worth. Research what the average salary for your position along with what your experience is
    and what you can bring to the table. Most companies will gladly underpay you and don't expect a person to
    actually talk about pay. Ask for what you want in the way of pay and compensation. Make sure it is reasonable
    and with confidence and not arrogance. If you don't ask for what you want or need you'll never know and don't
    expect people to do it for you.

    B) I learned probably in the near future, lets say within the three decades or so, certain jobs once held my humans will
    probably be replaced by AI. The job market for humans will me quite narrow and our young kids now will be a little
    less intelligent and creative. This old adage still stands, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

    ReplyDelete
  4. A) A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume: 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Your Job Search - T11 Come to the interview prepared. I would always research the company's mission, values, and review the job description, identify key skills and requirements, and prepare examples and stories that highlight my relevant experience. I would practice common interview questions with myself and I would also prepare questions for the interviewer. I feel like it gives me a competitive edge, and it surely boosts my confidence.

    B) John Oliver's humorous and satirical coverage of technology-related topics, including AI, has provided me with insights into deep learning, emerging programs like ChatGPT, and advancements in fields such as medicine and bioengineering. His coverage also shed light on how automation is transforming the economy, illustrated by examples like textile machines that can now sew and cut, eliminating the need for two workers for a single task. I experienced this firsthand. Machine automation is a prevalent reality in today's world.

    ReplyDelete
  5. (A)T08 Use three different approaches to job seeking

    When I was seeking a summer part-time job in high school, I would send messages on WhatsApp, make direct calls, and even walk around nearby restaurants to see if there were any hiring posters.

    (B)I learn that big company use a software to filter resumes as the first step. My resume should be written in a standard resume template which will be more comprehensible to the software that is reading my resume so that I will not get filtered out.

    ReplyDelete
  6. A) A3 Tailored Cover Letter and Resume: 7 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Your Job Search - T11-Polish Your Resume.
    Emphasizing the importance of resume customization is crucial for job seekers in today's competitive market. A well-polished resume can significantly increase your chances of securing a job, while a poorly crafted one can lead to immediate elimination from the candidate pool. Take the time to tailor your resume to match each job description, highlighting relevant skills and experiences. Remember, a resume serves as your first impression to potential employers, so investing effort into its customization is a wise strategy for ensuring job search success.

    B) "The problem is not that AI is smart, it is that it is dumb in ways we can't always predict." This underscores the need for careful testing, monitoring, and ethical considerations when deploying AI technologies to mitigate potential risks and ensure responsible use.
    I think that holds true for people too.

    ReplyDelete