Tag Archives: Technology
Technology Degree May Guarantee You A Job
A technology degree is a course of study that readies you for a career that involves information. This sort of degree can be very flexible, as it can prepare you to enter a number of fields, including design, healthcare, business, computing, engineering, or telecommunications. Unlike a Bachelor of Science degree, which also prepares you to enter these fields in many cases, a technology background often gives you hands-on experience and practical skills as well as an intellectual understanding of your field.
To make this educational option even more flexible, there is more than one technology degree to choose from. An associate’s degree of certification, for example, can allow you to enter an information technology career in less than two years, in many cases. A bachelor’s degree in system design, communications technology, or web development, to name just a few can give you a great career as a manager, engineer, or designer. An MBA or technology degree combined with a business focus can allow you take on plum management jobs. A doctorate in technology can allow you to pursue an academic teaching career or can prepare you for an upper-level position that involves creating systems.
The popularity of technology degree options is not just popular today because these degrees are so flexible. For a number of years, tech jobs have seemed like a sure bet. Students flocked to take degrees in technology subjects because tech jobs were waiting for graduates and degrees allowed students to take on a number of well-paying and fulfilling careers.
Even today, some students assume that a technology degree is a sure way to get a good career or at least a good job after graduation. While technology degrees remain as flexible and as valuable as ever, though, it is no longer true that they absolutely guarantee a job. Tech jobs are slightly less abundant now and many students pursuing the same career options have created a competitive job marketplace.
Nevertheless, engineers, managers and other professionals with these degrees are still in demand, and will likely always be. Anyone with a true interest in technology courses will still have many options open to them. At the same time, though, the different environment means that students will want to take a slightly different route in order to ensure a good job after completing their schooling.
Students wishing to pursue a technology course of study should, first of all, select a course of study they truly enjoy. This creates a greater chance of career success and ensures that any subsequent career is fulfilling. There is simply no point in preparing for a tech job if that is not what you want. Students will also want to select their degree program carefully. Programs of study that offer practical study and experience as well as challenging instruction are more likely than more basic studies to prepare students for a tough job market. Students may want to take a course of study that prepares them for all working environments. For example, students interested in management may want to hone business and computer skills to make themselves attractive to employers.
Networking with professionals already in the field and starting the job hunt early can mean that graduates with a technology degree may find a wonderful job waiting for them after graduation day. Most schools have career centers that can help with career planning, and local professional associations are a great place to meet professionals. Today’s students cannot afford to assume that a degree alone will guarantee a job. The best employment opportunities will go to those graduates who think ahead and plan for a successful career.
Andy West is a writer for Virginia College. Virginia College offers many Technology Degree programs. Visit Virginia College at http://www.vc.edu/site/department.cfm?deptID=2 to select the Technology Program that is right for you.
How To Manage Technology Projects
As your business grows, you will likely find more ways to use technology to increase production (and hopefully, profits). Making the decision to enhance your technology environment in order to achieve your business objectives is a necessary milestone, but it is equally important to identify the scope and budget of your project before jumping into implementation.
This article explains a phased approach that will help you maximize your budget and provide the greatest results when considering a technology enhancement.
Phase I – Business Need
This initial phase is designed to help you determine if you have answered the “why” questions as it relates to your objectives. You should be able to clearly identify the business benefit (return on investment) for your potential project after completing this phase. Here are the steps that will guide you through this phase:
1. What is the problem/deficiency that needs your investment in time and money to be solved?
2. Does your business challenge absolutely require new or enhanced technology?
a.Do your employees require additional training with existing systems?
b.Can the challenge be solved by changing the workflow or business practices?
3. Once the problem is clearly defined and the solution points to technology improvements, a preliminary budget can be established.
Phase II – Budget & Scope
In Phase I we qualified our potential solution within the realm of technology and now we need to define the scope of the solution. Without defining scope, you will run the risk of your project growing out of control in both time and money. This is the phase where you should spend the time to clearly document the business requirements or “what” will be implemented.
1. Bring all the necessary players together to discuss the objectives of the project.
2. Determine how the problem that was identified in Phase I affects all key players.
3. Discuss how the problem can be solved with technology and be specific as it relates to your current business practices and workflows.
4. Document your findings and discussions.
5. Once the solution has been identified, you can present your documents to your preferred vendor(s) and obtain proposals or quotes.
Phase III – Pilot
Implementing any technology project can be challenging in that technology itself changes so quickly and your employees may have different expectations with the solution. A pilot phase is very effective to “test” the solution and confirm all expectations are met.
1. Once your vendor has been identified, you can request a pilot or trial solution be put into place for limited use to test results.
2. After the pilot solution is implemented, be sure to measure the effectiveness and verify that the problems in phase I are being solved.
Phase IV – Implementation
So now you have confirmed that the pilot is solving some or all the problems identified in phase I, now you are ready to rollout the full solution. It is very important to closely manage your vendor and be sure they are delivering what they promised within their proposal.
1. Create a project plan that consists of key milestones for the implementation of your solution.
A sample plan is shown below:
* Project Kick-off
* Budget review
* Set timelines for remainder of project
* Determine training requirements
* Technology install/enhancement
* Document the changes in your existing workflow
* Create a forum for employees to provide feedback during this process
* Develop a suite of tests that verifies the newly installed technology does not break any existing processes.
* Develop a suite of tests that verifies the newly installed technology meet the expectation of the proposed solution.
* Insure your timelines are being met and budget is not growing.
* Implementation complete
* Begin training
2. After the solution has been installed, consolidate all the documents and training materials in one repository for quick reference.
Phase V – Project Review & Closure
Now that the technology solution has been successfully implemented and everyone has been trained, you will need to setup measures to ensure that the solution is effective.
1. Create an anonymous survey for employees to provide feedback.
a. Survey questions should include: overall project success, training materials and responsibility impact.
2. Develop metrics that can measure the profit and/or efficiency that was achieved as a result of this project. This will help you identify the true return on investment.
3. Continue to refine training.
This phased approach for managing a technology project is meant to be a guide. There are many details within each phase that would be too lengthy to describe here. There are also many books that can assist with successfully managing any type of project, not only technology. Here is a website that is a great reference for project management:
http://www.pmi.org
Mike Echlin is a 20-year technology veteran who has helped many businesses optimize their use of technology. “Technology is an enabler for profits, period.” http://thefloppydisk.blogspot.com
Will Technology Destroy Mankind?
When the world was created, there was no technolgogy but yet MAN survived. MAN walked on barefoot and travelled miles: then MAN starts to realise that it will be much better if someone else do the trekking so he can sit and enjoy the ride. So MAN starts to mount donkeys, from donkeys to horses to camels.
When MAN got to the river. He wondered how on earth is he going to cross it, so he build himself a boat, from boats to ships and he was able to travel through the atlantic.
MAN realised again that the horses and camels are like them, they breathe and they can die. MAN was fed up, he needs something that cannot breath but can move; and so he build a four wheeled machine and named it a CAR. All he has to do was put his legs on the pedal and keep his hands straight on the wheels. It worked, so MAN drived around town in comfort and in style.
As if that wasn’t enough, MAN sat on the mountain and watch the birds flying high in the sky. He envied them, he wished he could be free to fly and soar anywhere he desire. His thinking got the best of him, so he build a flying machine and named it AN AEROPLANE.
MAN got his wish. Yet it wasn’t enough. “It’s time to look beyond your levels”, He thoughts. He wondered and pondered what’s at the other side above the sky. His greed got the best of him and he builds a giant machine and named it SPACESHIP. MAN got crazy and starts to build nuts, from nuts to phones to bombs.
Finally, MAN realised he has tried creating so he decides to rest and enjoy the beauty of his creation. BUT ALAS! It strucks. All his creation began to go crazy at one time.
-His cars began to crash.
-His planes began to drop.
-His ships began to sink.
-His spaceships are disappearing.
-His bombs are exploding against him.
Everything is going bizzare. MAN realised what he has done but it’s too late, so MAN made a quote instead “the worst thing about creating a monster, is that one day it will come against you”
And so MAN lived to enjoy and suffer in the works of his own hands till this day.
Technology is good. It helps man to achieve certain heights but one way or the other technology is destroying man. Man has taken advantage of technology and are now using it against each other. People that invented technology did it for the good of mankind but little did they know it’s going to be the greatest challenge man ever has to face. And if extra measures are not taken, technology might destroy man.
Technology has made man lazy. Man depends on technology to do everything.
-WHEN MAN CREATED TELEPHONES: PEOPLE STOPPED VISITING RELATIVES AND FRIENDS AT HOME, THEY PREFER TO CALL INSTEAD.
-WHEN MAN CREATED TELEVISION: PEOPLE REFUSE TO GO OUT AND VIEW THE NATURE AND IT’S BEAUTY, THEY PREFER TO WATCH IT ON THE BIG SCREEN.
-WHEN MAN CREATED COMPUTER: PEOPLE ALLOWED COMPUTER DO EVERYTHING.
-WHEN MAN CREATED INTERNET: PEOPLE STARTS TO BRING OUT THE WORST IN THEM.
Technology has been been implanted into people’s blood. Man cannot do without technology. If technology is taken away, man will die. Imagine this world now without electricity. Do you think man will survive it? Imagine if the planes, the cars and ships are destroyed? Do you think the world will survive it? The big answer is NO! So technology has come to stay and will stay. That’s our biggest fear.
Too much of technology and scientific blah blah blah is killing the nature.
-Our climates are changing.
-The whether is going bizzare with the likes of hurricane katrina.
-The seas are under attack.
-The earh is undersiege.
No wonder we have countless of Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Volcanoes, you name them.
Different diseases are pouring into the world and into man’s system.
-Death rate has increased by the second.
-People are experiencing usual body pains.
-Cancers are killing more people than death itself…
WHY? Because
-people now breath in gas instead of air.
-People now drink in substances instead of pure water.
-Animals and Plants are dying too.
-The earth is losing it’s grips. WHY?
Because Technology and Science are getting heavier and heavier.
-Do you have any idea how much a single human being weighs? Then multiply it by the total population of the world.. How much?
-How much does a single animal weighs? Muitiply it by the total number of the animal world.. How much? Not to mention the mountains, trees, seas, oceans and each stones and rocks.
-Then how much does a single nuclear weapon weighs? Muitply it by the total nuclear weapon ever built..How much?
Then tell me, how can one single planet EARTH carry all that heaviness? When God created the world to accomodate you and i, the animals and other creation. He didn’t make plans over our excessive technology burdenment.
So don’t be surprised that when the earth finally loses it’s grips. MAN is going to fall so hard on their buttocks and no one might survive to tell the story.
An undergraduate, currently studing co-operative economics and management OND FINALS. A writer and has 3 books to her credit.
The Adverse Effects of Technology
(NOTE) The following is an excerpt of my upcoming book entitled, “MORPHING INTO THE REAL WORLD – THE HANDBOOK FOR ENTERING THE WORK FORCE.”
Today, our society is driven by technology and some would accuse me of being an anti-technologist. Having been actively involved with the Information Technology industry over the last 30 years, I can assure you this is simply not true. I have witnessed many different technological enhancements over the years, but what intriques me most is how it affects us socially. I firmly believe technology is purchased more as a fashion statement as opposed to any practical application. Consequently, we tend to under utilize or abuse the technology thereby costing companies millions of dollars. Instead of “Ready, Aim, Fire,” people tend to, “Fire, Aim, Ready.” In other words, people tend to implement the latest technology before they understand precisely what it is or what business need it serves. To me, this is putting the cart before the horse.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the 20th century and the 21st is how technology has changed the pace of our lives. We now expect to communicate with anyone on the planet in seconds, not days. We expect information at our fingertips. We expect to be up and walking shortly after a hip or knee replacement. Basically, we take a lot for granted. But this frenzied pace has also altered how we conduct business and live our lives. To illustrate, we want to solve problems immediately, and have no patience for long term solutions. Consequently, we tend to attack symptoms as opposed to addressing true problems, and apply Band-Aids to pacify the moment as opposed to tourniquets which are actually needed. We are easily satisfied with solving small problems as opposed to conquering major challenges. Personally, we tend to live for today, as opposed to planning for tomorrow. This mindset concerns me greatly.
What if someone pulled the plug on our technology? Would engineers still know how to draft products? Would we still know how to ship a product or process an order? Would our financial transactions come to a halt? Would business come to a standstill? The answer, unfortunately, is Yes. This highlights the overt dependency we have developed on our technology and is cause for alarm. We are being driven by technology as opposed to the other way around. By unplugging our technology, we are unplugging the human-being. Think I’m wrong? Watch what happens the next time the power goes out at your office or home.
Because of the domination of technology, people have allowed their socialization skills to slip. Small things, such as common courtesy, appearance, and our ability to network with others, have all deteriorated in the workplace. We may be effective in communicating electronically, but we are becoming complete failures in communicating socially. Throughout the book I mention how people act on perceptions, right or wrong. These perceptions are based in large part on our ability to communicate, such as through the messages we transmit verbally or written, our appearance, our body language, and how we treat others. If we cannot communicate effectively in this capacity, no amount of technology will be able to alter the perceptions of our coworkers, our managers, our customers, our vendors, or our friends and family.
To this end, I have introduced a new Bryce’s Law:”As the use of technology increases, social skills decreases.”
Tim Bryce is a writer and management consultant located in Palm Harbor, Florida.
You can find his work on the Internet at:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/timbryce.htm
He can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com
Copyright
Technology and the Human Race
The human race has indeed gone far with technology. From the age when he still used wooden and stone tools to a powerful era of silicon and steel, he ceased to be a helpless prey to a number of predators to become a god among beasts. And now, technology and human way of life have somewhat become inseparable. Everywhere we look, we see its manifestations—from the largest aircraft to the smallest microcomputer chip. Some even cannot do without their gadgets beside them.
Technology has become a beast of burden of our time—doing things we usually do in the past, like an able servant at his master’s side, ready to help him whenever need arises. Man created technology to serve this purpose, so that he can then face the more challenging problems ahead.
But what if this technology, by all means, becomes uncontrollable by human hands? What if this beast of burden eventually becomes a monster? Could this same technology, which has brought us to a state of luxury and civilization, also lead us to our own ruin? From the evolution of military weapons, to the advent of the nuclear age, man is gradually realizing the fact that his little creation would someday take him to the very edges of his capacities.
But despite all this, this fact still holds true: that however powerful it could become, technology is still just one of man’s tools, and will remain as such. It’s still up to is possessor on how he will apply the power he possesses—whether as a tool of progress, or an element of destruction. It may have brought people closer together, but not necessarily on friendly terms. It has brought us times of peace, as well as wars and struggles; it has brought us great prosperities, as well as dismal catastrophes. And now, the environment is being trampled, and people blame technology for it. Countless wars have sprung, they say technology is the culprit; animals are being led to extinction, and they say technology is the one accountable of all. Through technology, we have created and developed new beginnings, at the cost of many end. Yet, technology should never be blamed for all of this, but the wrong use of it.
The effect of technology on our surroundings is the complete reflection of our values. Therefore, we should develop the proper culture so as to effectively administer this technology that we have. We should prove to be worthy of its possession, for technology and corruption is a bad combination.
The article was produced by the writer of Essay-Paper.net. Olivia Hunt is a 4-years experienced freelance writer of Custom Term Paper Writing Service. Contact her to get information about custom essay writing service and custom research paper tips.
