Monthly Archives: August 2023

Top Jobs for College Grads… Guest Speakers Offer Real-World Advice… TikTok Helps Students Focus

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Top Jobs for College Grads

Recent college grads face a tight job market. The list below shows the top 10 positions requiring a college degree as well as their salaries, according to Indeed.com.

  1. Outside Sales Rep ($60,000)
  2. Transportation Coordinator ($47,000)
  3. Quality Auditor ($84,500)
  4. Accounting Coordinator ($52,000)
  5. Tax Preparer ($67,500)
  6. Loan Processor ($55,000)
  7. Retention Specialist ($50,000)
  8. Network Operations Technician ($85,500)
  9. Mental Health Case Worker ($42,000)
  10. Speech Language Pathologist ($60,000)

Gupta, S. (2023, April 11). Top 10 entry-level jobs that are hiring right now. FastCompany. https://fastcompany.com

Guest Speakers Offer a Look Into the Real World

One of the best ways to engage students and foster buy-in to the business communication curriculum is inviting a guest speaker to the classroom.

Students respond to learning about the experiences of successful business practitioners. Likewise, having diverse role models further motivates more students to take their education seriously because they feel seen.

Consider the following pointers when inviting a guest speaker.

  • Prepare students ahead of time. Explain why the individual has something to offer. Ask students to research the speaker’s background/field and have them submit questions for the speaker in advance.
  • Provide the speaker with context. Tell the speaker about your objectives for the talk and the students in the audience. Share how many will attend.
  • Discuss the event afterward. Ask students to reflect on what they learned in written format or in small-group discussions.

Brusini, A. (2023, June 27). Quick tips: Guest speakers in the classroom. The Innovative Instructor Blog. https://www.ii.library.jhu.edu

TikTok Helps Students Focus

Some students have found a new way to break the isolation that has plagued many since the pandemic by using Tiktok to find study-buddies.

It works like this. An individual doing school work—writing a paper, reading, or studying—live streams on Tiktok, often using the hashtag #studywithme. The person’s followers receive a push notification and occasionally make comments. Users say hearing from others helps create a learning community.

One of the goals of the practice is to put pressure on the streamer to work for at least a minimum amount of time. Says one practitioner, “It’s holding me accountable. If I’m going live, I have to lock in for at least 30 minutes because it might take 10 minutes for people to log on to my stream, and if I’m not there once they find it, I’ve wasted their time and mine.”

It turns out the activity has roots in a treatment called “body doubling,” or having a partner watch and keep a person on track. TikTok is taking the place of a human whose very presence encourages the other to complete tasks.

Young, J. (2023, July 13). Students turn to TikTok for study buddies. EdSurge. https://www.edsurge.com

Early Semester Assignment to Build Student Engagement

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Instructors: Students will feel more empowered and engaged if they know about resources and opportunities on their campus. The task below prompts students to research activities that could be vital to their success as academics and citizens.  

In this assignment you will discover ways to enrich your college experience by researching academic and social activities your campus and community provide. For example, if you are having trouble with a course, look into your professor’s office hours, academic counseling, or peer tutoring. Perhaps you are eager to meet new people. To do so, learn about student clubs and recreational activities your campus offers. Many students find volunteer work satisfying as a good way to break into specific fields. Look into service clubs in your area (Kiwanis, Rotary, Big Brothers/Sisters, animal shelters) or other volunteer possibilities that mesh with your values.

Then, as directed by your instructor, create an e-mail, short memo, or table in which you name five activities that interest you. State why you think they will enhance your success, and explain when and where you can attend or participate. Be sure to include specific details tied to your campus/community and how your choices reflect your personal goals.

Sample

MEMORANDUM

 

Date:               September 27, 2023

To:                   Prof. XWZ

From:              Student Name

Subject:          Resources for Success

In response to your request to research five activities our campus provides that will help me attain my academic and social goals, I have determined that the options below represent the best opportunities considering my desire to enter business after I graduate.

  1. Campus Chapter of the American Marketing Association. This student-run group offers networking possibilities, resources, and opportunities for direct experience in the marketing field, which I hope to enter. I’ve signed up to receive notices of upcoming events, which are held on campus.
  2. Community Affairs Board (CAB). This volunteer group offers many activities that benefit the surrounding community. As an animal lover, I am interested in volunteering at one of the animal shelters CAB links with and have signed up for the group’s e-mail newsletters detailing specific animal-related opportunities close to campus.
  3. Public and Mental Health Commission. I was surprised to learn that our school offers free peer counseling to help student better navigate college life. I have already made an appointment because I’m having some issues I’d like to discuss privately.
  4. Adventure Programs. This group takes an overnight trip once per semester. I’ve never been camping and think it would be fun to learn about it. In addition, this activity offers a way to see some of the state that I’ve never been able to visit.
  5. Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS). Our campus offers free tutoring. I definitely need some help in my calculus class. I can drop in or schedule an appointment.

Thank you, Prof. XYZ, for requiring us to research our own campus. I had no idea I could have missed out on so many opportunities.

 

 

Generative AI Writing Tools—Executive Time Saver or Poor Leadership?

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With generative AI entering all aspects of life, many executives are taking advantage of generative writing tools such as Bard and ChatGPT. From earnest e-mails on sensitive topics to bullet points for a slide deck, bosses are using AI to craft their own messages. But is it ethical when the writer doesn’t give credit to the real source or doesn’t even know where the chatbot output is coming from? Is this good business?

This issue has arisen because many executives consider eloquence to be a job requirement, so they are loath to admit cribbing from AI. But the practice has landed some leaders into hot water. Consider the associate dean at Vanderbilt who used AI to compose a reaction to a mass shooting at another campus. When the truth was uncovered, the administrator was put on leave.

Still, some believe that using AI to improve efficiency is fair. One executive wrote his own e-mail that he felt was too long and used ChatGPT to remove redundancies. Others, unsure of their own proficiency in writing, turn to AI to hedge their bets. With a bit of proofreading, the formulaic results AI churns out can make risk-averse executives feel safer about their messages.

It is true that executives have long relied on their deputies to assist them with writing delicate messages and perhaps AI can be seen in the same light. This is especially true for leaders of small companies who may have no assistants to whom they can delegate writing tasks. One such executive says she uses AI to help her get started and to provide examples of formats with which she has no experience.

Other beneficiaries of AI writing tools are executives whose first language is not English. A CEO whose company is based overseas says he takes advantage of computer-aided writing tools but that he inserts his own voice to make sure the messages sound authentic.

Despite these legitimate situations, however, no executive will enjoy hearing employees react to a message by saying it was likely generated by ChatGPT. That criticism suggests the leader is not an independent thinker… or just lazy.

Discussion

  1. What arguments can you make for and against executives’ using AI to write a message or speech without giving attribution to the source?
  2. Can you foresee the impact AI might have on your intended occupation?
  3. When does use of AI writing apps cross the line from being a tool to being a crutch?

Source

Borchers, C. (2023, May 4). The boss has a way with words—or is it AI? The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com