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aggressive

and multi-tasking confrontational

annoying stubborn and

prone to exaggeration

9.2. Work in groups. Find out from your partners whether they agree or disagree with the following statements.

  1. Usually user types classifications are limited to three types.

  2. A favourite topic of ICT professionals is that of end user community.

  3. Application-oriented users live in a WYSIWYG world.

  4. Most application-oriented users may be aware that what they see on the screen is not an entirely accurate representation of what the computer is actually doing.

  5. Goal-oriented users are focused on the goals they want to accomplish and neither understand nor care about the software they use to accomplish those goals.

  6. Hackers are computer-oriented computer users: they have learned how to think like a computer and they understand the processes the computer goes through.

9.3. Work in pairs. Discuss the following issue.

• “By quickly identifying the type of end user, you can anticipate the type of complaint, understand their motives and desires.”

9.4. Work in small groups. Comment on the following.

The third and smallest group of computer users – ironically, the original computer users – is comprised of hackers.

Most experts live in a WYSIWYG world.

9.5. Work in groups of four. Agree or disagree on the quotations the module begins with.

• “If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into committees. That’ll do them in.”

10. SELF-STUDY

10.1. Do some scientific research on one of these themes. Produce a report on a theme and present it in class.

  1. Cloud Computing as Opposed to Hard Drive.

  2. Information Technologies in Human Resources Management (IT in HRM).

  3. E-waste is Becoming a New Global Issue.

  4. Ergonomics is Employed to Fulfill the Two Goals of Health and Productivity.

11. WRITING

11.1. Write an essay on one of the following topics.

  1. The diversity in types of computer users reflects the applications of computers in all spheres of our life.

  2. The type of computer users I belong to.

Module 6. Ict-related jobs

• “There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don’t.”

(Guy Almes)

1. Vocabulary

A. VOCABULARY FOCUS

1.1. Study the following words and word combinations. Consult a specialised ict dictionary, if necessary.

computing support (n)

• maintaining and troubleshooting problems with computers;

data mining (n)

• the automatic extraction of useful, often previously unknown information from large databases or data sets;

edutainment (n)

• a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse; Syn. infotainment;

gotcha (n)

• a glitch in a program or system that makes it work in an unusual way;

helpdesk (n)

• a telephone service for helping users solve problems that occur on computer systems; Syn. helpline;

ICT career (n)

• a profession or occupation chosen as one’s life’s work in ICT: to become certified for ~; study options for ~;

ICT-related (adj)

• connected with the sphere of ICT: ~ jobs;

integrated circuit (n)

• a very small electronic item consisting of an assembly of elements made from a chip of semi conducting material such as crystalline silicon;

IT consulting (n)

• acting in an advisory capacity on professional matters in IT industry or organization;

IT infrastructure (n)

• infrastructure with information network: ~ services;

multi-purpose (adj)

• able to be used for many purposes: ~ devices;

n-tier application (n)

• a model for developers to create a flexible and reusable application: ~ architecture;

spreadsheet (n)

• an accounting or bookkeeping program that displays data in rows and columns on a screen;

techie (n)

• a person who is skilled in the use of technological devices, such as computers;

technologist (n)

• a specialist whose job involves using and developing technology;

teleworking (n)

• the use of home computers, telephones to enable a person to work from home while maintaining contact with colleagues, customers or a central office; Syn. e-working, telecommuting, networking, telelabouring;

troubleshooting (n)

• location of the cause of trouble and removal or treatment of it;

virtualization (n)

• the creation of a virtual, rather than actual, version of something in the area of computing, such as an operating system, a server, a storage device or network resources: ~ solutions; server, desktop ~; ~ management technologies;

virtual private network

• a computer network that uses a public telecommunication infrastructure such as the Internet to provide remote offices or individual users with secure access to their organisation’s network.

1.2. Study the following abbreviations, acronyms and blendings.

CNBC

• Consumer News and Business Channel

edutainment

• formed from education and entertainment

n-tier

• multi-tier

IC

• integrated circuit

IBMers

• computer professionals working for IBM

JD

• Doctor of Law degree

LL.M

• Master of Law degree

VPN

• virtual private network

1.3. Match the words with their definitions.

  1. teleworker

  2. online teacher

  3. network analyst

  4. database administrator

  5. computer operator

  6. desktop publisher

  7. help desk technician

  8. virtualization

  1. a specialist who studies the network requirements and recommends the most suitable type of network;

  2. a person who creates documents with DTP (desktop publishing) software;

  3. a person who can work at home, away from his official workplace thanks to high-speed communications;

  4. a specialist who is in charge of computer data input and processing;

  5. a specialist in e-learning, distance education via the Internet;

  6. creation of virtual environment;

  7. a person who solves technical problems and is in charge of troubleshooting;

  8. a specialist who manages the accuracy and efficiency of database.

1.4. Comment on the meaning of the following word combinations.

• electronic employment

• a fast-paced environment

• data-driven applications

• multiple Windows application models

• object-oriented programming

• simultaneous increase in the inter-country mobility

• to commit to lifelong learning

• to keep pace with technology

• to support one’s IT career goals

• to undertake industry certification

• to use the dynamic programming tools and languages that fuel the Web

• to validate smb’s ability

• unified messaging

B. VOCABULARY USE

1.5. Complete the table with appropriate derivatives.

NOUN

VERB

ADJECTIVE

1.

support

2.

consult

3.

maintained

4.

teleconferencing

5.

helpdesk

6.

virtualized

7.

technologist

8.

relate

1.6. Give En equivalents for these words and word combinations.

1) работа в сфере ИКТ; 2) осуществлять дистанционный доступ к деловой информации с домаш­него компьютера; 3) удаленная работа, электронная занятость; 4) служба технической поддержки, оказывающая помощь клиентам по «горячей линии»; 5) поддерживать, обслуживать; 6) телеконференц-связь; 7) созда­ние искусственной, виртуальной среды; 8) «технарь», «компьютерщик»; 9) «глюк» в программе; то, что системе работает не так, как хотелось бы; 10) интегральная микросхема.

1.7. Translate the following sentences from Ru into En.

  1. Распространение ИКТ влечет за собой глобальные изменения на рынке труда.

  2. Одним из ярких проявлений перемен, связанных с расширением электронной занятости, служит одновременное повышение межстрановой мобильности рабочей силы и рабочих мест.

  3. Создавая информационные и коммуникационные предпосылки передвижений широкого круга работников и будучи непосредственно связанными с формированием чрезвычайно мобильного контингента специалистов в сфере ИКТ, информационные технологии стимулируют международную миграцию рабочей силы.

  4. Расширение услуг, предоставляемых в сфере ИКТ, в процессе телетруда работников, которые находятся за пределами стран расположения заказчиков, способствует активному перемещению специалистов в поиске рабочих мест.

  5. Начать свою карьеру в сфере ИКТ можно по-разному, например, с работы в службе технической поддержки, оказывая помощь клиентам по «горячей линии».

  6. Какую бы карьеру в ИКТ вы не выбрали, вы должны знать, что с окончанием университета ваше образование не заканчивается.

  7. ИКТ – это стремительно развивающаяся сфера, поэтому, если вы хотите сделать успешную карьеру, вам необходимо постоянно пополнять свои знания и быть готовым к образованию через всю жизнь.

  8. Все большую популярность обретают курсы, которые объединяют в себе ИКТ и другие дисциплины, имеющие конкретную практико-ориентированную направленность.

2. Swtch on activities

2.1. Prove that the following skills and methods are most important for an ict specialist. Rank them in order of their importance from 1 to 7.

• awareness of improved communications technology

• data-driven applications

• wireless access

• unified messaging

• object-oriented programming

• virtual private networks

• multiple Windows application models

• n-tier applications / architecture

• teleworking / telecommuting

2.2. Work in pairs. Look at the pictures below and discuss with your partner what these people in computing are. Name their ICT jobs and activities associated with their work. Act out your conversations in class.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

3. READING

BEFORE YOU READ

3.1. You are going to read the text about jobs in the sphere of information and communication technologies. Before you read, discuss the following questions.

  1. What jobs in ICT do you know?

  2. Do most ICT-related jobs combine computer skills with those of any other industry?

  3. Can you name some world-wide known inventors in ICT industry?

WHILE YOU READ

3.2. Read the text and complete the following sentences.

  1. An application programmer is a person who writes application programs – word processors, spreadsheets or database programs –... .

  2. A security specialist is a person who tests the security of networks systems and advises customers to ... .

  3. Most of the devices used in ICT are multi-purpose: mobile phones can be used as ... , printers are also scanners and faxes.

  4. A virtualization administrator is able to plan, deliver, operate, and manage Microsoft Virtualization solutions, including server virtualization, desktop virtualization and ... .

  5. Virtualization solutions include server virtualization, desktop virtualization and ... .

Jobs in ict

I CT Jobs Descriptions. ICT is one of a few careers that allow you to combine your skills with whatever industry sector you feel passionate about and wish to work in. ICT is pervasive and is a critical component across every organisation, every industry. From health, security, mining, retail, education, government and to finance, hospitality, business and management, information technology is the core that keeps the organisation running. The job descriptions here are transportable across any sector.

Most ICT-related jobs have developed to meet the needs to analyse, design, develop, manage or support computer software, hardware or networks. There is a wide variety of jobs in the sphere of ICT.

An application programmer is a person who writes application programs – word processors, spreadsheets or database programs – designed to be for a particular purpose. A systems programmer is a person who specialises in writing systems software that are used to control the basic functions of a computer system.

A security specialist is a person who tests the security of networks systems and advises customers how to introduce and maintain security policies. These policies may be: setting up secure password systems, installing firewalls, keeping out hackers and dealing with viruses. A help-desk troubleshooter works as part of a telephone service that helps users solve problems that occur on computer systems. A Webmaster administers a Web server.

An IT manager manages projects, technology and people. They are responsible for developing and implementing computer software that supports the operations of the business as well as for multiple development projects. They have to take responsibility for budgets and staff. He needs to be responsible, bright, communicative and able to earn the trust of his team.

A systems analyst studies systems, organisation and then decides how to computerize them, i.e. change the system into one controlled by computers. Today most computer-skilled experts work with different types and services of ICT systems. Most of the devices used in ICT are multi-purpose: mobile phones can be used as digital cameras of agendas, printers are also scanners and faxes.

A database administrator is in charge of important databases that span multiple platforms and environments. He is a strong team player who thrives in a fast-paced environment. He builds complex, highly scalable databases that meet business needs and security requirements. He is an expert in optimizing, maintaining and troubleshooting databases but also in designing archival, data distribution and high-availability solutions. Possible job titles are data storage manager, database analyst, database designer.

A virtualization administrator is an ICT professional working with ICT infrastructure services. His success depends on reducing costs, increasing availability and improving agility in a dynamically changing business climate. Virtualization solutions allow his organization to consume ICT services more rapidly and efficiently. As a virtualization administrator he is able to plan, deliver, operate, and manage Microsoft Virtualization solutions, including server virtualization, desktop virtualization and virtualization management technologies. Possible job titles are enterprise administrator, server administrator, systems administrator, network or systems engineer, application virtualization expert and virtualization architect.

A server administrator is in charge of implementing and managing some of the most important technology in your organisation – the servers. He uses extensive monitoring and profiling tools to manage the network and tune systems so they perform at optimal levels. He is an expert in active directory and he has an in-depth understanding of network protocols and file and directory security. Possible job titles are systems administrator, Windows server administrator.

Those who consider starting their IT career by becoming a consumer support technician don’t need any formal work experience, but a company might require that he knows how to install, administer and troubleshoot operating systems in a home network environment that has desktop computers, laptops, and printers. As a consumer support technician, he also handles network, virus, malicious software and hardware support issues. He typically finds this position in small to medium-sized organisations. Possible job titles are first-level or second-level support, help desk, junior administrator.

An enterprise desktop support technician is typically the face of IT for people working in medium-sized organisations or larger enterprises. In his role, he may perform such tasks as deploying and supporting desktop operating systems and applications, identifying the cause and resolution of network and security issues and supporting mobile devices. Depending on the company’s size, he might specialize in one area, such as supporting productivity applications running on Windows client operating systems. Possible job titles are lead desktop support technician, help desk technician, network engineer, senior support staff.

A Web developer is an expert in using the dynamic programming tools and languages that fuel the Web. He might work independently or be part of a team that builds and integrates interactive Web sites, applications and services for both internal and public sites. His role is to make it work, which means developing Web applications and testing them on various browsers, enhancing and modifying them as necessary to ensure the best experience for the user. As a web developer, he might also architect websites, design data-driven applications and find efficient client-server solutions. He must have an in-depth understanding of the software development lifecycle and be able to communicate project status, issues and resolutions.

A Windows client developer knows how to optimize Windows code and track bugs. He also knows how to use Microsoft Visual Studio and the Microsoft.NET framework to design, develop, test and deploy Windows-based applications that run on both corporate servers and desktop computers. His key talents include understanding multiple Windows application models and n-tier applications and knowing how to work with object-oriented programming, algorithms, data structures and multireading. Windows developers have an in-depth understanding of software engineering principles, software life cycles and security principles. Possible job title is a software engineer.

Information Technology Lawyer. The distribution of ICT is creating global changes on the labor market. An information technology attorney is a professional who handles a variety of legal matters related to IT. The attorney gets involved in drafting, negotiating, and interpreting agreements in the areas of software licensing and maintenance, IT consulting, e-commerce, web site hosting and development and telecommunications agreements, as well as handling dispute resolution and assisting with the client’s Internet domain name portfolio. An information technology attorney works with engineering, IT and other business units and ensures that customer information gathered by company is collected, stored and used in compliance with privacy policies and applicable laws.

Duties also include providing high quality, specialised and practical advice in business-to-business and business-to-consumer arrangements and advising on issues like IT outsourcing arrangements, software and hardware supply and implementation agreements. An information technology attorney contracts for web site developers and consultants in relation to on-line projects, provides support and maintains confidentiality and know-how agreements, contracts for Internet service providers and data protection advice. An information technology attorney should have a JD degree or an LL.M degree with admission to the local state bar.

Teleworking. Telework was defined as working at home, away from an employer’s place of business, using information technology at least one day a week. Telework’s gains are attributed to improved communications technology and a decline in technology costs. The spread of current and emerging technologies makes telework even more attractive. Voice over IP (VoIP), unified messaging, greater bandwidth, improvements in online teleconferencing, less expensive wireless access, and virtual private networks (VPN) were all noted as tools that give off-site workers better ways to share the resources of an organization’s internal network.

B ecoming Certified for ICT Careers. There are many study options for ICT careers, although a university degree greatly increases the options available. Courses that combine ICT with another discipline and those that have strong industry contacts or work programs are gaining popularity. However, it is possible to enter the profession by other routes, such as starting out on an IT helpdesk and moving upwards as you undertake industry certification. Whichever path you choose, however, you can be assured that it’s only the beginning. ICT is so fast paced that a successful career demands you keep your skills and knowledge up to date, and commit to lifelong learning. Courses are available at various levels. Microsoft Certification helps improve your resume and helps you differentiate yourself from other students competing for the same IT jobs. It is possible to take advantage of Microsoft Certification exams to support IT career goals and help improve your chances of getting an IT job after graduation.

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP). Earning the Microsoft Certified IT Professional certification helps show employers that you have the comprehensive set of skills necessary to perform these job roles: database administrator or enterprise messaging administrator.

Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA). The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator certification helps validate your ability to manage and troubleshoot network environments in the Windows operating system. It reflects a unique set of skills required to succeed in a variety of job roles, such as server administrator, systems administrator, network administrator, information systems administrator, network operations analyst, network technician, and technical support specialist.

Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST). By earning the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician certification, you help demonstrate to employers that you have the skills required to succeed in job roles such as help desk technician, consumer support technician, customer support representative, computer support specialist, technical support representative, and technical support specialist.

Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD). The Microsoft Certified Application Developer certification meets a distinct industry demand for a certification that helps show that as a developer, you can successfully build, deploy, and maintain Windows and web applications.

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS). The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications are designed to help validate your skills on the features and functionality of key technologies. You can focus on one technology or earn multiple MCTS certifications across several products.

T he Real Rock Stars of Technology. There are people at magazines and Websites whom you see everywhere. “Forbes” makes a business doing them. CNBC released some lists like this. It’s called “Rock Stars of Technology” and listed individuals it credits with being cyber-geniuses.

CNBC’s list consisted of the following techies: Dean Kamen (Segway); Ted Hoff (Intel 4004); Steve Wozniak (Apple); Tim Berners-Lee (www); Vinton Cerf (TCP/IP); Ray Tomlinson (email); Marc Andreessen (browser); Jeff Bezos (Amazon); Elon Musk (PayPal, Tesla); Linus Torvalds (Linux); Vic Hayes (Wi-Fi); Jonathan Abrams and Peter Chin (Friendster); Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim (You Tube); Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney (Atari) and Martin Cooper (cell phone).

The other megastars and serious serial entrepreneurs are Gordon Moore, one of the inventors of the integrated circuit, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Sergey Brin and Larry Page. There is also Jerry Yang (Yahoo), Nathan Myhrvold. Notice the inventor of Ethernet Bob Metcalfe, Larry Ellison, geniuses like Andy Bechtolsheim (Sun Microsystems, Arista, Google, etc.), Linus Torvalds (Linux), Bill Joy (BSD Unix, Sun, etc.) and some IBMers. These lists are about superstar/rock star technologists. The world is loaded with them.

AFTER YOU READ

3.3. Answer the following questions based on the text.

  1. Why an ICT professional can be employed in almost all spheres of economics, politics and social life?

  2. What is required to start one’s professional career as a help-desk troubleshooter?

  3. Can you list advantages and drawbacks of a specialist working with information resources?

  4. What are the professional duties of an it manager? Give the job description.

  5. Why is an enterprise desktop support technician known as a typical face of IT working in medium-sized organisations or large enterprises?

  6. How up-to-date is the profession of an information technology lawyer?

  7. Why do people in computing often telework? Do you know anyone who telecommutes?

  8. Should a person who makes a successful career in ICT commit himself to lifelong learning?

  9. How efficient is Microsoft Certification in competing for ICT jobs? Have you ever tried being certified by Microsoft or any other large ICT company?

  10. Are you happy about the idea of listing cyber-geniuses and crediting them by CNBC or “Forbes”?

  11. Whom of megastar technologists do you personally admire? Why?

  12. What kind of ICT job is to your liking?

3.4. Work in groups. Consider the following issues and report the information you have discussed back to the class.

  1. A Wide Variety of Jobs in the Sphere of ICT.

  2. Information Technology Law.

  3. Teleworking is Becoming More Popular.

  4. Becoming Certified for ICT Careers.

  5. Superstar Technologists are Well-known Round the World.

4. Supplementary reading

4.1. Scan the following texts and choose from the list (a-d) the sentence which best summarises each part (1-2) of the text. There are two extra sentences which you do not need to use.

A Getting Connected to Help One Portray a Positive Online Persona

B Teleworking

C Web 2.0 Job Finder

D The Way Supervisors Perceive Teleworking

Teleworking and Social Networking Sites Designed to Help You Get a Job

1

Telework was defined as working at home, away from an employer’s place of business, using information technology at least one day a week. By that definition, estimates show that roughly 19 million workers currently engage in telework, up from 4 million in 1990. The number is expected to increase sixfold over the next three years. A study by Sage Research reported that 70 percent of U.S. businesses with more than 5,000 employees currently have or plan to have telecommuters and 43 percent of businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees are initiating telecommuting programs.

Telework’s gains are attributed to improved communications technology and a decline in technology costs. The spread of current and emerging technologies makes telework even more attractive. Voice over IP (VoIP), unified messaging, greater bandwidth, improvements in online teleconferencing, less expensive wireless access, and virtual private networks were all noted as tools that give off-site workers better ways to share the resources of an organization’s internal network.

Supervisors hate telework and teleworkers, and they make snide remarks in meetings when someone is not in the meeting, but working from home. It’s a message to middle management that working from home is not good. And missing meetings is not a good thing despite the fact that most meetings are useless. Even if teleworkers are brought in on a conference call, the bosses don’t change this attitude.

Employees are expected to do housework if they work at home. They are likely to get fired if they telework. This is not just because the boss hates it, but everyone else in the company hates the fact that they are doing it in the first place. It ends with: “You would have got the job, but you are never here.” Everyone who studies teleworkers says they do more work than when they are in the office.

2

Social networking sites are dramatically changing the way people stay connected. Not surprisingly, sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace, along with ‘tweets,’ blogs and personal Web pages, are now key components of how job seekers discover exciting new opportunities and how companies find promising new employees.

Based on the expertise of Fortune 500 hiring professionals and recruiters, the Web 2.0 Job Finder shows: how to create, develop and maintain an online presence and brand; how to adopt best practices for getting a job by writing skill-specific resumes, targeting jobs that match your skills and anticipating what a company needs.

Networking is the most effective tool for finding a job and social networking makes the networking effort incredibly more powerful. The ability to create, develop and maintain a social network that boosts a career is one of the biggest challenges for the 21st-century job seeker.

Getting connected is a very important aspect of job hunting and equally important is portraying a positive online persona. The question is then, why have you taken the time to build an online persona? For most of us the answer is to connect.

There are social networking sites that are actually designed to help you find a job. One such site is Plaxo. Plaxo is very similar to LinkedIn, you can sign up, create your profile, put in your contact information and list your social media links – Twitter, Facebook, MySpace.

Jobster would be another highly useful social networking site that more job seekers should pay attention to. Jobster puts you in contact with the people that are looking to hire you. You can actually connect with employers, not recruiters or resume pages. Yes, you can upload your resume; you can showcase links and even upload a video resume if you have one. Jobster allows you to network with the potential employers.

If you are serious about having the professional career you have always dreamed of, then perhaps it’s time you learn the importance of an online presence and the value of social networking sites.

4.2. Read through the texts again and decide if the following sentences are true (t) or false (f).

  1. The number of teleworkers is expected to increase twofold over the next three years.

  2. Telework’s gains are attributed to improved communications technology and a decline in technology costs.

  3. Social networking is the most effective tool for finding a job.

  4. In Jobster those looking for a job can connect with employers, not recruiters or resume pages.

  5. Sites are not that important in portraying a positive online persona.

4.3. Answer the questions about the texts.

  1. What makes teleworking so popular today?

  2. How is improved communications technology used in teleworking?

  3. In what way are social networking sites dramatically changing the way people stay connected?

  4. Why is it necessary to learn the importance of online presence?

  5. Why can we name the ability to create, develop and maintain a social network that boosts a career as one of the biggest challenges for the 21st-century job seeker?

5. MULTIMEDIA FILE

In this section you are going to watch the multimedia file “ICT Services Job Profile” about one of the jobs in the sphere of ICT.

BEFORE YOU WATCH

5.1. Make sure you understand the meaning of the key vocabulary from the multimedia file.

1. service desk (n) – accommodation desk where a customer or a client is served or pays money for the service or purchase;

2. fix (v) – to attach or place smth, repair smth;

3. time frame (n) – the period of time within which certain events are scheduled to occur;

4. smooth (adj) – lacking obstructions or difficulties.

5.2. Look at the pictures below and try to predict what the multimedia file is about.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

5.3. Watch the video and check your predictions.

WHILE YOU WATCH

5.4. Watch the video again and complete the following statements.

  1. The role often requires you to meet ... and you have a certain timeframe to do your work.

  2. Within the ... whether you are a specialist in your own field or move into a non-relative role for you are currently employed.

  3. So it is always something new happening and we have to ..., to sprawl our customers on a day to day basis in a ... environment.

  4. In my job I am able ... to a smooth running.

5.5. Decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).

  1. The problem is coming to the service desk and Jonathon Thompson is going to fix it.

  2. The challenges are not rewarding.

  3. The employers are not flexible and fair.

AFTER YOU WATCH

5.6. Answer the questions based on the information from the multimedia file.

  1. What is Jonathon Thompson?

  2. What company does he work for?

  3. What is his main job role?

  4. How does Jonathon characterise the work of the Council?

  5. Why does Jonathon call his job challenging?

5.7. Express your opinion on the following.

  1. What is the main job role of a support technician?

  2. Do you agree with Jonathon Thompson that fixing someone’s problem makes their day smoother?

  3. Does Jonathon Thompson get job satisfaction?

6. SPECIALIST READING

6.1. Read the specialised text about information management. Do the activities that follow the text.

Information Management and the Profession of it Managers

As information management is vital for today’s businesses, it requires significant investment and critical business processes. Obtaining business value from vast amount of information collected by businesses is no longer only a technological challenge. Effective information management today determines success of virtually every business operation with the proliferation of the information economy and information systems. The choice of decision making tools and information solutions rests with the business, as well as with IT managers.

IT managers today need to be aware of current information analysis methods as well as the latest technology in the information management field to enhance productivity and stay ahead of competitors. Good IT managers are knowledgeable decision makers in the field of information management and analysis.

Although most IT managers think of a database as the main source of information in a business, a significant amount of information is actually unstructured and decentralized. Unstructured data sources include documents, spreadsheets, e-mails, presentations, intranet and web pages. Information is sometimes said to be distributed across different sources and areas of business. Decentralised information is located on employees’ laptops, mobiles, desktops, personal devices spread across departments, local and regional offices.

In many organisations data sources have a tendency to exist separately. Employees of different departments may have developed their ways in keeping track of data, but as this process continues for a significant time, decentralised data may impose some problems. Without an organisation-wide plan and data administration procedures in place business may encounter such problems as: data redundancy – whereas data becomes duplicated and stored at several locations in more than one file; poor data availability – data becomes isolated and available only to the owner of a particular file in a file system; poor data security – data spread across business in various forms and locations reduce the ability of a business to set proper security controls and ensure authorized access to information; error-prone data – when the same data exists at multiple locations it becomes more vulnerable to human errors introduced by different employees and mistakes tend to go unnoticed for longer.

IT managers are to know about strategy and information systems. Traditionally business organisations are divided into three levels. These are operational, management and strategic levels. They exist in nearly all businesses irrespective of their size or sector of operations, although in small companies some levels may converge.

At the operational level decisions are made to ensure smooth running of operational processes and day-to-day business. At this level it is necessary to oversee that resources are used efficiently, inventory is up-to-date, production levels are as planned, etc. Decision making at this level requires information almost entirely internal to the company, although it may be extremely detailed and real-time.

Information for decision making at management level has a typical timeframe ranging from weeks to several month or a year. Middle management usually controls medium term scheduling, forecasting and budgeting operations. These rely on internal as well as occasional external information. For instance, setting the quarterly budget requires the knowledge of current expenditure as well as external pricing information.

Senior management will focus on general, or strategic, issues related to business development in the long term. At this level decisions tend to relate to issues with long term such as restructuring, major financial investments and other strategic undertakings related to company’s future rather than present. Information necessary for decision making at this level is comprehensively gathered not only from the internal sources of the company itself, but also involves external information, such as data related to economic situation or sectors as a whole.

6.2. Find the answers to the questions in the text.

  1. How is information management defined?

  2. What do IT managers today need to be aware of?

  3. What is unstructured and decentralised information?

  4. Can you name most of the channels of business information?

  5. Which problems may an IT manager encounter concerning business information?

  6. What levels are business organisations divided into?

6.3. Match the terms in Table a with their definitions in Table b.

Table A Table B

1

data redundancy

a

e-mail, VoIP, blogs, wikis, HTTP, FTP, IM;

2

static data

b

isolated and available data only to the owner of a particular file in a file system;

3

moving data

c

data duplicated and stored at several locations in more than one file;

4

poor data availability

d

database services, file systems, SAN, DAS, file servers.

7. Translation

7.1. Translate the text from En into Ru.

Ict Professionals and Professional Associations Membership

There exist a number of computer societies, recognised professional association, for those working in Information and Communications Technology seeking to raise the standing of IT professionals and represent their views to government, industry and the community. A member of such societies is the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the ICT sector, committed to ensuring the beneficial use of ICT for all citizens of this or that country. It provides both members and non-members with opportunities for professional education and networking, as well as enabling them to contribute to the development of their profession.

True professionalism demands continuing knowledge and skills development, backed by an underlying commitment to Code of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct and Practice.

The pursuit of excellence, rigour, integrity and honesty inherent in a truly professional approach represent key competitive advantages for those working in Information and Communications Technology while mitigating risk for their employers as an ICT career is dynamic, challenging and yet rewarding.

An ICT professional with professional associations’ membership can acquire an appropriate combination of recognised qualifications and practical experience in ICT. These qualifications and experience have been verified by the societies in accordance with membership eligibility criteria.

8. Rendering

8.1. Render the text about a knowledgeable employee from Ru into En and relate the information given in the text to your personal life experience. Инструменты знаниевого работника

За последние полтора десятилетия возник тип экономики, определяемый как инновационная экономика, в которой постоянный огромный поток приращения инновационных знаний стал новым фактором производства и роста, в значительной степени потеснив значение традиционных факторов. Работников, осуществляющих эти приращения сегодня называют знаниевыми работниками, а новую экономику – экономикой, основанной на знаниях. Материалов про знаниевого работника не много, нет также точного определения кто же такой знаниевый работник. Если задуматься о том, как появился такой термин, как знаниевый работник, вспоминается рисунок, иллюстрирующий эволюцию человека. На этом рисунке эволюционный ряд человеком разумным (homo sapience) не заканчивается, следующим этапом изображен человек, сгорбившись над компьютером – homo computerus. Продолжая этот ряд, можно предположить, что следующей ступенью в развитии должен стать человек, использующий интеллектуальные способности собственного разума вкупе с мощнейшими инструментами (информационными и компьютерными технологиями) для работы и развития в обществе. Таким образом, мы, наконец, добрались до следующей ступени в развитии человека – homo cognitius.

Большинство специалистов признают, что абсолютного перехода к знаниевому социуму в нашем обществе еще не произошло. Нужно знать основные признаки знаниевого работника для того, чтобы уметь четко определять таких людей в толпе только планирующих эволюционный скачок сотрудников, так называемого «офисного планктона».

Первое качество, которым обладает знаниевый работник, – осознание значимости личного интеллектуального капитала, как для своей организации, так и для самого себя. Из первого вытекает второе качество – максимальное использование современных инструментов ИКТ для получения информации и обучения. Именно современные технологии позволили людям получать информацию и обучаться без потери эффективности на работе. Вооружившись инструментами современных ИКТ, знаниевый работник знает, где можно найти справочную информацию, у кого спросить совета в решении, что еще необходимо изучить, чтобы стать экспертов в решаемом вопросе.

Следующим качеством, которым несомненно обладает знаниевый работник, – это осознание себя как единицы современного знаниевого общества. Для знаниевого работника современное общество – это среда, в которой основными каналами передачи информации являются информационные и коммуникационные технологии. Они позволяют учиться постоянно, без отрыва от рабочей практики. Данный подход к профессиональному развитию получил название «Принцип трех L» (Life Long Learning – обучение на протяжении всей жизни). Этому принципу неукоснительно следует знаниевый работник.

9. DISCUSSION

9.1. Work in groups of four students. Complete the ‘vocabulary networkbelow with the types of jobs in ICT. Speak on the most preferable jobs in ICT and the factors which influence their choice. Report back to the class the results of your discussion.

Vocabulary Network

Jobs in ICT

those who deal with security of networks systems

system

analyst IT lawyer security specialist

9.2. Work in groups. Choose any type of the ICT jobs from the text you have read and discuss it. Decide on a spokesperson in your group to present your ideas in class.

  1. Job description

  2. Skills and experience

  3. Typical next position

  4. Training resources

9.3. Work in groups. Find out from your partner whether they agree or disagree with the following statements.

  1. If you wish to work in ICT sector, you have to commit to lifelong learning.

  2. To catch up with new ICT technologies, you have to find out the courses available at various levels.

  3. Courses that combine ICT with another discipline and those that have strong industry contacts or work programs are gaining popularity.

  4. The spread of current and emerging technologies makes teleworking more attractive.

  5. Telework is working at home, away from an employer’s place of business, using information technology at least one day a week.

  6. The real rock stars of technology are people from magazines and on websites whom you see everywhere.

9.4. Work in pairs. Discuss the following issues.

The distribution of ICT is creating global changes on the labour market.

Information technology is the core that keeps the organisation running.

9.5. Work in small groups. Comment on the following.

• “ICT is one of a few careers that allow you to combine your skills with whatever industry sector you feel passionate about.

9.6. Work in groups of four. Agree or disagree on the quotation the module begins with.

• “There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don’t.”

10. PROBLEM-SOLVING

10.1. Work in pairs. Find out from your partner what he or she thinks about the following statements and tell about it to the rest of the class.

  1. Most ICT-related jobs have developed to meet the needs to analyse, design, develop, manage or support computer software, hardware or networks.

  2. There are many study options for ICT careers, although a university degree greatly increases the options available to you.

10.2. Work in pairs. Scan the following list of academic subjects for regular training in information resources management. Find out from your partner what subjects he/she finds most effective to manage information resources. Make use of the following useful phrases. Report your solution back to the class.

Opinion

Approval / Disapproval

I find this discipline innovative / useful / efficient / progressive / effective / practical

So think I / do I.

Neither think I / do I.

Academic Disciplines List

  1. Information Systems Administration and Security Policy

  2. Programming and Software Engineering

  3. Information Systems Hardware-Based Platforms

  4. Computer Architecture

  5. Information Systems Security

  6. Office Administration in Civil Service

  7. Maintenance of Public Administration Information Resources

  8. Integration of the Internet-Based Enterprise Applications

  9. Intellectual Information Systems

  10. Information Support for Governmental Agencies

  11. Information Resources

  12. Information Systems in Public Administration

  13. Information Systems and Technologies in State-Building

  14. Information Technologies for Governing and Management

  15. Information Technologies and Systems

  16. Information Technologies in Marketing

  17. Computer Graphics and Multimedia

  18. Computer Networks and Internet Technologies

  19. Information Systems Management

  20. Worldwide and National Information Resources

  21. Operating Systems

  22. Mathematics for Computing

  23. Information Systems Engineering and Design

  24. Engineering and Maintaining Information Web-Resources

  25. Information Systems Reengineering

  26. Netiquette

  27. Databases

  28. Standards of Systems and Technologies

  29. Systems Theory and Systems Analysis

11. SELF-STUDY

11.1. Do some scientific research on one of these themes. Produce a report on a theme and present it in class.

  1. Online Representation of Political Executives: Blogging, Twittering.

  2. Challenges and Perspectives in Managing Virtual Organisations.

  3. E-Cruitment as a Form of Online Recruitment of Employees.

12. WRITING

12.1. Write an essay on one of the following topics.

  1. Whichever path you choose in ICT careers you can be assured that it’s only the beginning.

  2. ICT is one of a few careers that allow you to combine your skills with whatever industry sector you feel passionate about and wish to work in.