Hazel Woodhall, an enormously capable and determined student, graduated from the Advanced Diploma of Industrial Data Communications, Networking and IT, in the latter part of 2013. She praises the course for filling her knowledge gaps.   In 2008 she joined Alstom UK (a French multinational company which holds interests in the electricity generation and rail transport markets), having garnered significant experience in IT support in a corporate environment. In her new role as IT Project Engineer she was tasked with delivering generator condition monitoring solutions for power stations worldwide.   Hazel felt she had been thrown into a new world – one where the line between information technology (IT) and operation technology (OT) systems was blurring. The IT domain has always been disturbingly  fluid and certainly now, in business critical environments,  IT/OT managers  require the knowledge to remotely monitor and manage physical devices, control systems and IT resources.   Despite her strong IT background she felt the need to find a course which filled her engineering knowledge gaps. She admits that the program did indeed accomplish this. For the EIT this is excellent news. She mentions that the course content “has enabled me to troubleshoot and implement technology that was previously foreign to me”.
Hazel’s remarkable fortitude is well worth mentioning. Apart from her long work hours, which include the rigour of regular travel, she embarked on this course despite already working through a BSc in Information and Communication Technologies. (She completes this qualification in a couple of months). Yet she remains undeterred; she has a Master of Science or an Advanced Diploma in Instrumentation in her sights!
As a college we are indebted to our students for a variety of reasons, but one stands out: We are able to continuously improve all that we do because of their feedback.
The flexibility of our live, online approach to education facilitated Hazel’s studies, as it does to all students who are working full-time and often remotely. Inevitably, however, there are trade-offs.
Hazel mentions a couple which need to be raised here because they can act as a heads-up or early warning for future students:

• Work out, early on in your course, how much time you need to dedicate to your studies, preferably on a weekly basis, to avoid falling behind.
   
• Do not take on too much! As Hazel says, “I would not put myself in the situation of doing two courses simultaneously again!”
   
• You may feel disconnected from the other students in your cohort. Hazel did, and mentions that this was, “a pity as we are all in similar industries”. To ensure you bond with your class and exploit the national and international networking opportunities consider the following advice from our Online Learning Manager, Paul Celenza:  “In my day to day role at EIT I am fortunate to communicate with a range of students who are professionals at many different levels and doing some amazing jobs. The opportunity for our students to network with each other, study together and to share ideas about the latest technologies and work practices are immense.  We have students from all over the world who have a great deal to share and this can be easily achieved through the use of the technologies EIT uses in all programs.  Each course has its own webinar room.  This room is used for the live, interactive webinar sessions that the students regularly attend and during which they get to know each other.  The webinar room is also available for use at any time, day or night, to meet up and chat.  Access to our Learning Management System (Moodle) also provides students with a meeting place for sharing ideas; in the chat rooms and through the forums.
  
  I would encourage all students, from all regions of the world, to be inclusive and interact with each other. You all have much to offer and fantastic experiences to share.  We all have common goals, but different ways of achieving them.  Through your interaction with your classmates you will learn from their experiences and ultimately achieve your own goals”
   
• Feedback from another graduate shows that it is indeed possible, despite studying online, to feel included: “It may be hard to believe of a distance learning course, but I felt a real sense of camaraderie with the other students on the course – I think that the ability to chat in real time with them during the webinars fostered this bond.”

We would like to extend a big thanks to Hazel. Her input was integral to the telling of this tale from one of EIT’s study trenches.

Another student tale; from another part of the world and another field of engineering - and one that will clarify the alliteration used above – words that have been selected very carefully, as you will discover.

Paula Palmer graduated from the EIT’s Advanced Diploma of Applied Electrical Engineering (DEE) in May of last year, 2012. Paula’s cohort of students, DEE04, was shepherded through their eighteen months very ably by Online Learning Coordinator, Holly Adams.

Paula works in Barbados (a sovereign island country east of the Caribbean Sea) for the Barbados Light & Power Co. Ltd. She is an electrical engineer in the Distribution Department. At the time of her course enrollment, she was working in the Substations Section, supervising its maintenance and the construction process of a new building to replace an outdoor substation.

One of Paula’s colleagues recommended the course to her (a fellow engineer with good taste! The EIT is grateful). The course outline in the brochure, however, was the convincer, Paula said, “I realized that it would provide me with knowledge which I would not have necessarily gained while studying at university or in my day to day tasks. I especially liked the fact that most of the modules could be applied in my job in the substations section.”

Here comes the “Steeliness”. Paula’s time management involved discipline and resolve. She attended webinars directly after work – the 5.00pm sessions sometimes necessitating a rather fraught dash to login – and she dedicated weeknights to assignments. This left her weekends free to spend with family.

“Steeliness,” you may scoff, “That is our lot when we choose to study and work!” Yes, but read on. Paula became pregnant while on the course and believed she would have to put the course ‘On Hold” once her son was born (a sensible option one would think). However, apart from missing the odd webinar as a result of travel and work, she missed only one which was pregnancy-related – the day she went into labour. She then determinedly continued with the course, completing it in the allocated eighteen months.

This is where the “Support” comes into play. At one of the recent EIT Graduation Ceremonies, the partners and families of the students were commended for the vital part they play in helping the graduates over the line. Paula would have had her work cut out for her, but an accolade must go to her mum and husband. In Paula’s moving words, “I had strong support from my family. My mother and my husband would take care of my son for the hour needed to attend the weekly sessions and anytime I needed to work on my assignment. It was a bit hard at times but together we made it.”

Paula also employed a quite clever strategy – worthy of consideration for would-be students. She explains, “At the end of each session, I attempted to answer those questions in the assignment which related to the session I had just completed. This effectively gave me a week to complete those questions. I sometimes used my lunch hours too.”

This course offered Paula her first on-line education experience. She found Moodle (an on-line learning management system) handy - uploading assignments as soon as she had completed them and accessing her information at any time, including her grades. The webinar software Paula said, “…reminded her of being in a classroom, except for the inability to see the lecturer and other students. I liked being able to raise my hand and ask a question, answer multiple choice questions, view the slides and drawings or additional writings/notes the lecturer would add on the ‘blackboard’ during the sessions.”

Paula’s comments on the EIT staff are heartening. Her words describe a scenario that is essential to the learning experience of any student, but particularly to those who are studying in a virtual classroom. “My experience with the EIT staff was always a pleasant one. Regardless of my queries or concerns, they always assisted me in a very professional and expedient manner. Whether it related to my inability to attend a session, problems experienced during the online sessions or issues arising with the assignments, I was always satisfied with the outcome.”

And her attitude to the course? Did the hard work pay off? Her words below speak for themselves and bring us to the “Success” bit. “I was exposed to information which I have not yet encountered in my job, but I also gained strength in areas which I am currently involved in. To me, all of the modules taught delivered valuable information, but the most valuable aspect of the course was the knowledge I gained on transformers, circuit breakers, switchgear, power system protection and energy use and efficiency. This knowledge has resulted in me gaining an understanding of a lot of things which I am faced with on a day to day basis including the equipment used”

“My approach to my work has not changed, I still try to approach my duties with safety in mind, but now I would say I am more aware of why I do some of the things I do.”

The last word – Despite her unusually tough trench experience, Paula received the second highest grades in her cohort. Very well done. All of us here at the EIT thank Paula very much for her assistance with this article and wish her everything of the best.
 

Past student Peter Bramall talking about his experiences with EIT studying the Advanced Diploma of Mechanical Engineering Technology. He explains how the program fits nicely around his work and family commitments and how beneficial the degree has proven so far in his professional advancement. Hear for yourself!

Well done to EIT graduate, Steve Schober, from Ergon Energy. Recently Steve sent us a note of thanks - not terribly remarkable on its own, but the words were particularly heart-warming. He expresses a justified pride in himself. Without the confidence of youth and the time available at that stage in life, he still did it! With determination and dedication Steve successfully completed the Advanced Diploma in Electrical Supply Industry (ESI) Power Systems. For a good three years he persevered through the course; alongside his full time work and up against the weight of adult responsibilities.

Thank you Steve for trusting EIT to help you advance your career; we wish you both personal and professional success and contentment. Congratulations on an outstanding achievement.

Read Steve’s experience below.

I recently successfully completed an Advanced Diploma in Electrical Supply Industry (ESI) Power Systems.

The prospect of achieving this qualification was initially quite daunting, having been out of the education system for some time. Prior to undertaking this qualification, I had been involved in the electrical industry for over 20 years and have a wealth of practical knowledge but was limited academically to Certificate 3, or trade studies, which were achieved many years previously. I am employed by Ergon Energy as a Substation Design Paraprofessional Trainee.

The EIT formula worked for me, I was able to work through the modules individually and systematically built my Advanced Diploma one subject at a time. The ability to see runs were being put on the board provided a great sense of achievement. The study materials were a good blend of practical knowledge and theory. I was rotated through several different work groups in order to complete my studies. This experience was immensely beneficial as I was able to learn about other parts of my company’s electrical distribution business that I normally would not be exposed to.

The online system of study was comprehensive and easy to navigate. The combination of Webcasts, Quizzes, Work Based Projects, Direct Observation Checklists and Summative Assessments provided a balanced approach to acquiring knowledge. These tasks were supported by ample reading materials, webcast recordings and slides. The lecturers were experienced in the subjects they taught and provided a practical approach together with a wealth of information.

I found the EIT study schedule suited my lifestyle. The online classroom (Webcasts) were scheduled at convenient times and all the Assessments, Work Based Projects and Direct Observation Checklist due dates were both practical and achievable.

After completing the Advanced Diploma, I was ecstatic with my achievement and felt a great sense of self pride. Thanks to EIT, it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks.



Steve Schober

When EIT launched its inaugural course – the Advanced Diploma of Industrial Automation – we believed fervently that the content was good. The live, Online Learning teaching methodology, however, was very new and it was embarked upon with some trepidation.

In an effort to gather feedback from our initial foray into online education we recently interviewed Osemudiamen (Ose) Usifoh, a graduate from DIA01. Being members of our alumni you will understand that this indicates the very beginning of things – I believe our latest intake of intrepid students, into this particular advanced diploma, is our sixteenth (DIA16). We were pleasantry surprised to find Ose’s story positive, despite the inevitably unpredictable nature of firsts.

As with many of our students Ose was looking for a course which would provide him with some specific skills and professional development in a particular area of engineering. As an electrical engineering graduate he worked as a system integrator with Intech Automation, in Nigeria, and then moved to Total, a petroleum exploration and production company, where he worked in a range of engineering roles. It was his need to provide technical support to their petroleum production plants and development projects which nudged him towards requiring new competencies in automation; resulting in his enrolment with EIT in 2008. And as he says, ‘The rest is history.’

When quizzed about the usefulness of the course his response seemed a little enigmatic. His initial assertion was predictable; that the course provided him with a ‘deeper understanding of the automation profession, thereby improving my competency to deliver quality service to the various kinds of applications where automation is utilised’. But less foreseeable was his belief that the course was responsible for enabling his versatility on the job; allowing him to move into non-automotive roles and facilitating his usefulness to the company in areas not strictly related to automation.

There are a couple of aspects of learning which are daunting and which keep us, the educators, in awe of our students. To embark on and complete a course of study whilst balancing full time work and family is startlingly brave. The ability to do all this online, without the proximity of fellow students and lecturers, is a monumental achievement, showing incredible resolve and determination. Although EIT has embraced live, online teaching in an effort to ameliorate some of these inherent obstacles, when Ose was asked to respond to a question entailing ‘enjoyment’ I was not very hopeful. A tirade was expected, outlining the relentless rigour of the program, including module assignments and deadlines. Astonishingly, he commented instead on the ‘rich study materials’, ‘the in-depth, practical knowledge exhibited by the instructors’ and most hearteningly, ‘the privilege of using an Online Learning platform which is the most advanced that I’ve come across to date’.

It is indeed gratifying to hear from one of our first students after a significant passage of time and to hear his esteem for a program and teaching methodology which was wrought from very earnest intentions and much hard work.

Our deepest gratitude goes to Ose for his generous responses to our questions. We wish him and all our past students everything of the best for 2014 and beyond.

Lyndon B. Johnson, despite his distraction as the 36^th president of the USA, certainly gave some thought to the concept of education – the following is a quote from him:

“At the desk where I sit, I have learned one great truth. The answer for all our national problems – the answer for all the problems of the world – comes to a single word. That word is education”.

"One of our EIT students has had us thinking about the essential pairing of biomedical engineering and sport. Steve Parchert is completing our Advanced Diploma of Applied Electrical Engineering and should have his head down, but instead has his feet up!

As the image below indicates all is not as it seems. Steve is post-op and has logged into his scheduled webinar! Commitment and tenacity are descriptors that come to mind and are well deserved.

"He enjoys a range of sports which have lead to his injuries. Touch football and endurance motorbike riding are the culprits for Steve. Five or six years ago he had his first ACL knee reconstruction. This operation is necessary when the ligament attaching the femur (or thigh bone) to one of the calf bones (the tibia) is torn. At the same time his knee's shock absorbers, the cartilage and menisci, were repaired.

"And he is back again!  

"This time, however, the surgeon had to be a little more inventive. A graft from Steve's hamstring needed to be taken to supplement the twice damaged ACL ligament.    "Amateur or elite involvement in sport and fitness is on the rise and should be championed. With Steve in mind this seems a lame comment (excuse the pun), but studies have clearly illustrated that keeping fit allays a plethora of disease. Because there is no free lunch, however, medicine and engineering have become essential bedfellows. Biomedical engineering and its research are integral to the treatment of sport injuries and, more encouragingly, their prevention.   "Our lives are, however, multi-faceted and this is succinctly reflected in Steve's case. Aside from his sport and his hospital stay with associated injuries, he is busy. He is a dedicated family man and is working in Bundaberg as an Electrical Systems Designer in the power supply industry. And, as mentioned previously, he is studying. His obvious commitment here he explains, is to secure his job and perhaps facilitate a promotion within the company. With this careful juggling of a demanding life, Steve is grateful that EIT's flexible online learning has helped him balance it all.

More than ever engineers cross and re-cross borders to tackle projects. Engineers Without Borders is a not-for-profit organization even named for its international work. It is, however, not alone. Many engineering companies employ teams who, by necessity, become seasonal (and unseasonal) travelers in order to work on assignments around the world.

Allen Doyle, one of EIT’s students and someone whose work has sent him to many countries, is justly proud of his qualification. He describes study as the one area of his life that he had previously been unable to successfully complete; largely because his work demanded that he remain on the road.
 

Photo taken on the FPSO Capixaba located 100km offshore from Vitoria ES Brazil.

His own words reveal why EIT was able to provide him with the necessary platform for success,

“I could attend (the sessions with my  lecturers; the live webcasts) from anywhere in the world; Brazil, Lesotho, South Africa, I even attended a class in the backseat of the car while en route to the Kruger National Park.”

Separate to experience gained on the job, regular professional development and study is critical in all occupations. It has always been considered essential for career advancement, but now the pace at which technology moves and changes has made it also vital for employees who need to remain relevant and technically savvy.

Traditional educational and training approaches and the often overwhelming demands of life are, however, stacked against individuals who plan to up-skill. Fortunately the economics truism of supply and demand has come to the aid of ambitious and/or hard-working individuals. Ironically, the key is technology: An online education platform; offering live, interactive learning.

A cultural shift is required, but the flexibility of a campus-free education has many converts. As Allen states, “There are enough options at EIT to accommodate you, financially or academically”.  
A heart-warming fact is that having achieved the Advanced Diploma of Industrial Automation Allen feels motivated to pursue further study. In his words, “I’m heading off to China in February for a new project; we will commission a Generation 3 FPSO. As soon as we are in a steady operational state I will look into another course to do at EIT.”

The pile of text books for the Vocational Graduate Diploma of Project Management in Industrial Automation is taller than Sammy, this very patient lab!

Just before his final exam Helmut Schütte sent this photograph to his Online Learning coordinator and included the conversation he had had with his wife, “I have filled my head so full, to the extent that I think the info will never get out, it’s too tightly stuffed!”

Why we would use this image as a marketing ploy you may well ask – potential students have probably made a mental note not to embark on the course already!

But then Helmut goes on to comment, “Great experience, recommendable. I have a very high opinion of EIT and all of you, thanks :-)”

If that does not adequately ease any residual anguish, I must add that we no longer offer this particular program!

Instead students spend 12 months on a Graduate Diploma of Engineering (Industrial Automation) and can exit on completion.  Otherwise, having completed this initial year successfully, students have the option of moving into a 12 months masters; the Master of Engineering (Industrial Automation)

Will the pile of books be much reduced? Probably not, but take heart! You will have access to lecturers who are industry savvy and gurus in their fields, great content, flexible learning, and coordinators dedicated to your success. And of course, at the end of the day, you will have achieved one, if not two, great qualifications which will hold you in very good stead.

Our thanks go to Sammy the dog and Helmut for their input here. And from all at EIT we extend our congratulations to Helmut for attaining his qualification. 

(It needs to be added that the information in Helmut’s head did manage to escape, but in a timely fashion and to good purpose – he received an overall grade of 92%!)

Born and raised in a small farming community close to the border of South Africa and Botswana I would have never thought that I will end up living in the city and work in the Chemical Industry. I am married to a beautiful wife and a busy 2 year old son.

After High school I made my way to Johannesburg to start a Career in Aviation. I completed my theoretical training in Aircraft Avionics at Denel centre of Learning and Development (DCLD) after which I started my apprenticeship and later completed my training with a Trade Test at SAAT (South African Airways Technical). I worked in the Aviation industry for almost 6 years and was appointed as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer – Avionics/Instruments when I decided to make a career change to the Industrial sector.

In 2012 I had the opportunity to start a new career in Industrial Instrumentation and grabbed it with both hands. I soon realized that I had a lack of theoretical knowledge for the industry and that is when I started my search for part time studies and found EIT and applied for the Advanced Diploma of Industrial Automation.

Outline your study experience at EIT. Consider, for instance: the content, your lecturers, learning remotely, your Learning Support Officer, the technology used and your interactions with your fellow students. Please include both your study highlights and challenges:

My first impression of EIT was a good one with extremely helpful staff that assisted me with my initial questions. Everything at EIT is well organised and I never felt unsure of what will be happening next. The course content is very relevant and applicable to day-to-day work and I could relate and implement my learning on a daily basis.

Lectures are organised and presented by highly skilled lecturers that have years of experience in the field. I liked the fact that they could give real-world practical examples/problems. We could even ask questions relating to current problems. Being part of a global student group was humbling and made everything interesting. It was particularly enjoyable to meet and work with various nationalities and experienced individuals from all corners of the world on the Module 5 group project.

Being in a technology-driven industry, I found it really enjoyable to make use of the technology EIT used, making it world-class and one-of-a-kind. This contributed to making my studies “easier” than the traditional way of learning.

One of the big positives was being able to spend time with my family, assisting my wife with our son making dinner together and after my wife and son went to bed having a really good EIT class. That to me that was the best about studying with EIT, still being able to spend time with loved ones and completing my studies while they are fast asleep in the next room.

I am overall very pleased and with the education I received from EIT and thankful for all the work that EIT put in behind the scenes.

I look forward to lifelong learning relationship with EIT and IDC Technologies.

Describe how you have applied the EIT program knowledge to your work and if the program has helped you with career advancement:

From the start I was able to apply my learning from EIT in my work place. At the company I work at we do maintenance and small scale projects with guidance of from our Instrument Specialist.

We work on everything related to Automation from valves, control valves, temperatures, pressures, mass flows, mag flows, substation Automation right up to DCS system fault finding and programming. With the benefit of working in most aspects of Automation I was able to relate to most of the readings and lectures and gained important knowledge on why systems work, and are designed the way they are.

Knowledge gained from the lectures enabled me to ask questions with confidence and understand the principles used to design or set-up a system.

When confronted with a new system or concept I can relate back to an EIT lecture and can even go back and refresh my memory on a specific topic to make an informed decision.

EIT’s Advanced Diploma of Industrial Automation has made me a more knowledgeable and confident worker and I will forever benefit from the knowledge gained in those 18 months

What are your training and career goals for the next 5 years?

Currently my short term goal is to apply the knowledge gained with the Advance Diploma and make a positive impact for my employer in my current position as an Instrument Artisan. Hopefully by proving my worth within my department my next goal will be to be appointed as a Technician.

I will also be making use of the EIT value plus option for the entry into 2 complimentary workshops.
My long term goal is to be a competent Professional Control & Instrumentation Engineer (ECSA).

There are currently discussing on the table to introduce a 10th engineering discipline within the ECSA (Engineering Council of South Africa) framework that being Control & Instrumentation.

For me to achieve this goal I will continue my relationship with EIT for further studies.

Whether you like or not – we are all in a feverish state of learning new things. Whether it is to learn how to use a new process at work or how to use the Windows operating system or how to handle a new automated torque wrench – we are all learning. Particularly in engineering there are a ferocious number of new technologies and approaches hitting us almost every day – all which we need to learn if we want to keep up to date in our career.

The tragedy is that most people are learning the wrong way. This gives a short note on how to do it right and save yourself a huge amount of time and get ferociously good results.

And, as you know – if you are good at learning, you will definitely have an advantage in life and business. So it is worth refining one’s techniques to be a top notch engineering learner.

And by the way - these chunks of advice below are all from proven research. Not mumbo jumbo intuitive stuff which is not true.

Bad Learning Techniques to Avoid
Probably the most commonly used technique is that of rereading of text (and cramming) until you believe you can remember a particular segment. This undoubtedly makes you feel familiar with the material and makes you believe you can achieve mastery. Unfortunately, you tend to have difficulty applying this form of learning to a particular situation and also tend to forget this material very quickly.

Intuitively, we tend to believe that massed practice of material again and again is the way to go. However, this also doesn’t stick and you quickly forget it.

A few suggestions below on highly effective techniques.

Highly Effective Techniques

1. Retrieval Practice
Probably the most effective one is retrieval practice. This is where you self-quiz yourself after completing reading a section of text. Don’t look at the text but try and recall it. And the harder it is to recall the material, the greater the benefit for you and the longer you will remember it.

2. Space out your Retrieval Sessions
Allow some time to elapse before self-quizzing yourself on a particular section. The longer the time gap between reading a section of text and self-quizzing yourself, the stronger the longer term memory will be. Naturally, it is harder but worthwhile for longer term recall.

3. Interleave with other Problems and materials
Mix up your study materials. If you are studying a new HVAC system – mix up your study of the mechanical, electrical and control aspects of the problem.

4. Elaboration/Generation/Reflection and Calibration
Other ways to fire up your learning to new heights is the use of Elaboration (finding new meanings or ways of understanding the material); Generation (try and explain a particular piece of material before studying and then comparing what the approach really is); Reflection (pondering on the materials) and Calibration (comparing your real understanding of a situation with what actually occurs).

5. Application and Hands-on

Finally, where possible – try and apply your knowledge to a real situation. After studying how to tune a process control PID loop; actually tune a loop on a real plant and see what happens. See how the material you learned is actually applied to a real situation.

Finally, where possible teach what you have learned to a keen and eager student. Perhaps, your husband or wife. When teaching you will uncover all sorts of problems with what you have learned.

And as someone remarked to me last week: the most powerful form of learning occurs when the student becomes the teacher and the teacher becomes the student.

Thanks to: Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roedinger and Mark A. McDaniel.

Bob Edwards remarked: A little learning is a dangerous thing but a lot of ignorance is just as bad.

Yours in engineering learning,

Steve

When we have a moment to reflect, I suspect we sometimes wonder whether our sign offs on our emails are appropriate or a little bit tired. Perhaps not? Naturally at the end of your email message, you should avoid lengthy quotes, massive corporate logos and a brief signature.

I also wonder about the significance of these overly lengthy legal disclaimers that are often included at the bottom of email messages. Who has ever relied on this and why would you include it (apart from a corporate requirement)?

Some of the sign offs used include:

• Regards – fairly brief and probably the most common (in Australia and the UK)
• Best Regards – somewhat more formal.
• Rgds – I use this but some complain that it is a bit pretentious as it is trying hard to be abbreviated for three additional letters.
• Warm regards – a little over the top. And sometimes used cynically when engaged in a tense email exchange.
• Warmest - I think this too loving. Unless used with someone you are close to, perhaps.
• Best - widely used in North America. Not so common in Australia.
• Best regards - somewhat more formal and common in usage in North America.
• All the best - also fairly common in North America.
• Bests - a bit synthetic. To be avoided.
• Take Care – fairly meaningless. Surely the person you are writing to knows that she should take care and doesn’t need further instructions?
• Thanks so much - I quite enjoy this but some suggest it is a tad over the top in terms of gratitude.
• Thanks -a fairly warm and simple way of ending of an email. An exclamation mark after it (Thanks!) can appear to be a bit pejorative though.
• Many Thanks - a simple expression of gratitude which goes well.
• Thx - A bit too SMS-text like. Unlikely to be too businesslike.
• Thanks for your consideration – a bit too servile. Although, you are probably asking for no action or disinterest. Often used in seeking employment (and expecting a rejection letter).
• Hope this helps - it can appear a little patronizing; but generally it can sound helpful.
• Looking forward – a little too gushing but it does work.
• In haste - when you are in a rush and want to excuse typos.
• Be Well -a bit unusual and irritating for many.
• Peace - grating on many people as it doesn’t appear sincere.
• Yours Truly or Yours sincerely – perhaps good for a letter correspondence but unusual for emails these days.
• Ciao - somewhat too clever and appearing pretentious. Perhaps, you can use it if you are one of the ‘beautiful people’ (communicating to another beautiful person).
• Make it a Great Day! - pretentious and unnecessary. Do you run my entertainment schedule for the day for me?
• Thanking you in anticipation - this doesn’t go down well for some – it effectively means that I want something from you.
• Cheers - works well in a UK-English context but to an American it appears to be related to hitting the pub.
• Peace and Love - perhaps appropriate for your 60s hippy buddies. But I am not so sure it will go down well otherwise.
• Not signed due to electronic transmission - too formal and irrelevant. If you don’t know your email is electronic, you have some serious problems.
• Much appreciated - a warm to neutral safe sign off to people you know.
• TTFN - Tata for Now. Too obscure. No one would have a clue it means this.
• Sent from my iPhone - seemingly pretentious; but what is the significance of this (perhaps the fact that they one of the chosen few who possess an iPhone)?
• No Sign off - only your name or initials. Perhaps too terse unless you know the team well.
• Smiley Faces - avoid unless it is part of your playful team. Unless you are one of the ‘beautiful people’ of course.

For a wonderfully detailed list of sign offs go to: forbes.com

Perhaps, Erica Jong's comment is applicable to the use of unusual email sign offs: If you don't risk anything you risk even more.

What have I left out? Have I irritated anyone?

Yours in engineering learning

Steve  

Today, as engineering professionals, information technology and software skills are generally a key part of our skill set. Whether it is only using Word and spreadsheets, troubleshooting an errant industrial automation system or specifying the requirements for a new PLC and SCADA system – software is a key part of our daily work.

So the question that is often asked is this: What are the skills (and indeed, personality traits) that make you extraordinarily successful in working with software and IT infrastructure?

A few suggestions follow. If you can work on these suggestions; you can surely improve your performance in this much-in demand area. Often these traits are deeply embedded in who you are. So are difficult to immediately change. But as with everything (I know from playing and improving my previously mediocre tennis game) with determination and persistence one can build up a significant skill set.

Adaptability to working in an ill-defined environment
Working in the IT area is surely non-routine. There are constantly changes and challenges and it is a strongly ambiguous environment with a varying stream of demands from deleted files/servers that crash and hackers finding new ways into your critical system. There is no routine and the work load goes in sharp peaks and troughs and you may end up working late at night to keep the plant operating with a fix to the SCADA system software applied late at night.

Rapid Change in Technology
Of all the professions, surely IT has one of the most supercharged, fast moving and changing environments in terms of technology change (mostly, supposedly improvements but as we know - not always). We have rapidly progressed from PCs operating alongside mainframes to network servers, virtualization and now cloud computing. From network systems as varied as floppy disks (before we had networks) to ArcNet, Token Ring, Ethernet. From protocols such as NetBEUI, IPX to TCP/IP. From hubs to routers and switches.

You have to be a sponge in absorbing what is going on and seizing the opportunity to upgrade when it is economically and technically viable. Often the supposed technological change is a mirage and your careful investigation has to show it for it truly is – a waste of time and money and resources. And you have to avoid it.

Adventurous and Eager to Learn
You must thrive on learning new things. It must be a source of satisfaction (perhaps, ‘joy’ would be too much?). Look for new trends and ways of doing things. And watch for the traps for the unwary. Ensure your skills are kept current and avoid the dying areas of technology. Thrive on and build your skills in the new needed areas so that you are constantly in demand as the resident guru. Improving your skills doesn’t mean going on formal courses but keeping in touch with your virtual network of contacts, attending webinars, reading blogs and browsing web sites. All the time, building solid skills in the new developing areas. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to fail in the application of your learning. Try and reinforce your learning with hands-on applications where you confirm your theoretical knowledge with solid hands-on work.

Play as Part of a Team
The days of being an isolated engineering IT professional operating quietly on her own without interacting with others are long since gone. You are part of a glorious (well, not quite – but esteemed, perhaps) team of IT professionals and a key player within the corporate structure. Ensure you understand how you interact with others in the engineering and IT world and how you contribute to the business.

Ethics, Morality and Trust
With your access to the network and servers; you often have access to passwords and critical confidential information (of the operation of the company and of individuals). Ensure you keep the trust at all times.

Enthusiasm and Passion
Always be a ‘can-do’ person and be passionate about what you do. You have enormous power in being familiar with the IT infrastructure so try and assist everyone where possible. It is easy to be negative and to try and get rid of people without helping them. Showing a positive outlook on life in this way, will help your career enormously.

Know your Limits
There are always new developments in the IT area and it is fast expanding area. If you are unsure about the application of a particular technology; it is best to be honest and admit it is outside your skill level. No one can expect you to be ‘all-knowing’. Engaging in installation of IT technology where you are unsure about the final results is a sure-fire path to disaster for your firm and for you.

Don’t be embarrassed to call in the experts in a particular area – whether it is a new way of setting up an industrial firewall or some peculiar way of running your plant infrastructure from the cloud.

Document, Document, Document
There is a ferocious amount of detail in working with the IT area. It is vital as you troubleshoot or conduct a new installation that you document everything that is happening so that you can review it later. Perhaps, to avoid future mistakes or to reset everything to the original state or to act as a record for someone else investigating a similar problem. But to protect you later if awkward questions arise as to why something has happened. It is virtually impossible to commence documenting a complex installation process after the event. (A tiny tip: When documenting in Notepad, press the F5 key to add date and time stamps along the way).

Back Up Always
IT systems are often critical to your overall operation. Ensure that you have everything backed up at all times for the inevitable time that your server crashes. Or your power supply fails. Ensure you have alternative fixes when something does crash. You may have an old ISDN phone system as a back up for your state-of-the-art Voice over IP system. You may have another SCADA server or data communications channel for when there is failure.

Thanks to John Hales from Global Knowledge for a thoughtful dissertation on a related topic.

I like Douglas Adams’ comment (especially relevant to IT systems):  A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof was to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.

Yours in engineering learning,

Steve

Increasingly job interviews are being conducted over the phone and indeed, Skype, as this allows for a reasonably effective version of video conferencing. Skype is a great way to meet up with people far away and it is also convenient and quick, even for a meeting a few blocks across town. However, undertaking a job interview over skype can add its own level of stress and you should take some care.

A few suggestions follow on making it an effective job interview.

Preliminaries
Conduct your interview from a nice quiet spot. Where you won’t have domestic life intruding with barking dogs and washing machines launching into overdrive (and indeed, your mobile phone going off).  Being dressed in a professional way with suit, tie and jacket is always good practice (perhaps, you can still be daring and wear shorts and sandals as the interviewer will not see this?)
The lighting should be good and the surroundings should look professional. You want to project your environment to the interviewer. Ensure your (web)camera is set up to capture you comfortably situated throughout the interview and keep an eye on Skype to check what you are seen as.

The audio should be of high quality and it worth testing this out beforehand. What is enormously irritating for the interviewer are cracks, pops and delays in your speech due to a poor bandwidth connection or problems with your hardware. Naturally, test and test again, your overall set up to ensure there are no last minute glitches which would cause a long delay while you battle to find out why your microphone isn’t working.

Ensure you are prepped for the interview with your notes (and pen) neatly in front of you together with a few easy questions (perhaps also to set the interviewer at ease).

The Actual Interview
During the actual interview, you need to project as someone positive, committed and keenly interested in what is happening. Do not let distractions from a phone or email cause you to lose your concentration. Look directly at the camera when the interviewer is speaking to you. Be cautious about some lack of spontaneity with delays with skype and wait carefully before speaking.
Once the interview is over, send a follow up email providing any documentation requested. Confirm your interest and enthusiasm about the job and wait positively for a secondary interview – this time, generally conducted face-to-face.

Good advice from 'Dame' Edna Everage: Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century.

Yours in engineering learning,

Steve

The New Year has been well and truly launched. Do you stick to your New Year's resolutions? Apparently only 14% of people do - especially in relation to their occupations.
Peter Drucker, the famous management guru, remarked that first of all we need to set our sights higher when it comes to the vision we have for our careers. And then we need to commit to achieving this.

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Ten million British jobs could be taken over by computers and robots over the next 20 years, wiping out more than one in three roles. Thus says The Telegraph newspaper; naturally using inflammatory rhetoric to excite comment.
One can clearly see low-paid repetitive jobs disappearing at a rapid lick. According to the article, jobs for those earning less than £30,000 are at higher risk of being automated by machines or software. Some figures put the job losses as high as 35% of jobs.

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