Career Focus Canada:
A Personal Job Search Guide
4th Edition
Helene Martucci Lamarre & Karen McClughan
Pearson Prentice Hall
ISBN 9780132279918
This is a book that can be a great tool if you are approaching graduation, looking for summer jobs or looking to improve your skills and chances for that co-op job you really want. This new fourth edition that has just been released is geared specifically with the Canadian job market in mind. With a Canadian price tag of nearly $50 you might be asking why you would shell out the big bucks. This book has a number of tools that will make it worth the money and if you get that job you want, the investment will be more than worth your time and money.
This edition has a number of key tools to help you learn and apply what you learn. 'My Focus' is a key section at the end of each chapter on learning to Market Yourself. It also has a companion website at www.pearsoned.ca/lamarre that has a lot of supplemental resources. There are quizzes to test your knowledge, and a collection of web-links and a PowerPoint presentation to help you learn the material from each chapter. It also has a number of supplemental exercises in pdf format to complement the book. There are also plenty of samples and examples in the book for each lesson, resumes, cover letters, networking letters and more.
Written to cover a lot of topics in a brief space, the book is designed to be a tool used quickly and easily. It is not overloaded with too many examples, or too much theory. It presents information in each section and builds upon the knowledge from the previous chapters in a natural way. The book starts with sections on self-assessment and promotion, then moves on to the marking strategies and techniques. Then the major focus is on resumés, references and business communications. Finally, the book has a chapters dedicated to prepping for interviews, what to do and how to interview and what to do after the interview. It has tips and hints on all aspects of interviewing from what to wear to how to answer key questions.
Lamarre and McClughan write in a very fluid and accessible way. They present the information in a clear and concise manner. That, combined with the multitude of examples and brevity of the book, makes it a tool that packs a lot of punch into about a hundred and fifty pages. All in all it is a book that will help you no matter where you are in your career search - now as a student or even later when you are established and looking to transition jobs.
(First Published in Imprint as 'Imprint's Reading 2007-11-16.)
I took a friends (Keith Little) advice about playing with more Unix/Linux deployments. Last week I installed Ubuntu7, Fedora7, and SUSE Desktop on both my home and school computers. Tomorrow at school SUSE Server, and Fedora Core6, then both of them at home next week. I like the 'tour' utility in the SUSE one. All 3 work well in VMWare on my Vista machine at home and on XP at School.
I also have 2003 Server, 2K Server, 2K, XP Corporate, WInME, 98, 95, 3.11 Dam Small Linus and Dos 6 all running under Virtual PC. See this earlier noteUnleashing the Inner Geek about why I am playing with so many OS's.
The fun part about using VMWare and Virtual PC is that you do not have to reboot to switch which operating system you are working in, and with 4Gigs ram, and a terabyte of hard drive space, there is lots of room for 8-16Gig Virtual Hard drives.
I will admit to Tim A. That Mac OSX is not as bad as I thought. I doubt I will ever become converted, but I am getting better at using it, and am looking for an ISO of the OSX Server to play with also.
Alan, a friend has been a long time Linux\Unix user longer than I have know him. I'd be surprised if he doesn't release his own version some day. And Tim F writes a fair bit on his blog about Ubuntu so when I was offered a live disk of it today I grabbed it. And Davenport is just as geeky as me, if not more so so I will tag him in this not also, and see what he has to say about my new found inner geek. (Really just reemerging from the days back at Queen's. Running multiple versions of AutoCad, compressed so they would fit on a 20meg HD and not conflict and using a stacker card and software to double the hard drive size.)
Articles in this Series:
Mac VS PC an It Guys Perspective
Inner Geek - Updated June 2011
Inner Geek - Updated December 2011
Microsoft Windows Vista Guide
Jason W. Eckert
Thompson Course Technology
ISBN 1418837571
There has been a lot of talk about Microsoft Windows Vista on campus and among my friends at this school and from other schools. Most of it is in the negative. People have tried it, hate it, and switch back to XP or Linux\Unix. Or they bought a new computer at Futureshop or Bestbuy and got stuck with Vista and they hate it. I myself have been running it on one of my machines since March and, to be honest, I have had few problems.
When I became aware of a book about Vista written by a University of Waterloo Grad, I wanted to check it out. This book or booklet is a great introduction to Vista. Jason W. Eckert writes in a very fluid and easily accessible manner. Unlike a lot of technical manuals I have read, this one is a pleasure to read. Eckert writes with a great passion for his subject and a desire to instill knowledge in others. In his introduction he is unbiased in his appreciation for both Mac- and Microsoft-based systems. He is a technophile who uses his skills as a wordsmith to draw the reader into the subject.
This book will take a user through a number of steps in installing, setting up and configuring Windows Vista. There are sections on how Vista is different from XP, the steps to install Vista, how to navigate the new interface, customizing Vista and how to maintain and troubleshoot problems with this new operating system. As Eckert states in the introduction to the book, Vista is here to stay, and most new technologies for years to come will be based upon this engine. Therefore, I state it is far better to at least learn how to use this new operating system from a master like Eckert, than to be frustrated by it when you must use it eventually.
There are a few key attributes of this book that make it a great tool for learning how to use Vista. First, Eckert's writing is so readily accessible and understandable. Second he makes extensive comparisons between Vista and XP, at many points in the book, showing us the differences and the similarities. Third is a comprehensive list of key terms, and definitions. Finally there is a set of review questions and hands-on projects at the end of the chapter. These projects will take you through a step-by-step processing of applying what was read about throughout the book.
This book is a great little guide if you already have Vista and want to go deeper with what it can do for you, or if you are thinking about switching over to Vista, it will reveal to you the many differences between XP and Vista. But if you are looking to go even deeper than that, Eckert has a full-length book coming out next year of which this is just the first chapter. This book is written as a tool to help you get going and learning the basics of Vista.
(First Published in Imprint 2007-10-26)
Recently I had the opportunity to write my MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) certification exams. In preparing for them I used a number of different text books by different publishers. I wrote my certification exams for Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Outlook. The three publishers I used for the course work were, Microsoft Press which produces the official MOAC (Microsoft Official Academic Course's), The Illustrated Series by Thompson Learning, and CCI Learning Solutions Inc. Each had strengths and each had weaknesses. All three publishers produced approved books to write the certification exams. My favorite was the Illustrated Series it's features and tools made it easiest to study at my own pace and quickly work
through the programs. I took the programs at two different college, triOS College and Laurel
College, again there were strengths and weaknesses to both schools methods. Over the next few weeks I plan on reviewing some of my books used, and highlighting both their strengths and weaknesses in each system of training. The books I am going to review are as follows:
- Microsoft Office Word 2002 - Illustrated Series Introductory - Jennifer A. Duffy
- Microsoft Excel 2002 - Illustrated Series Introductory - Reding & Wermers
- Microsoft Access 2002 - Illustrated Series Introductory - Lisa Friedrichsen
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2002 - Illustrated Series Introductory - David W. Beskeen
- Microsoft Outlook 2002 - CCI Learning Solutions
- Microsoft Office System 2003 Edition - Microsoft Official Academic Course
These may be a little drier than my reviews of fiction, Christian or specifically Catholic books. But this is what I am spending most of my time currently reading and working on in school. You can read more about my geek training in this post 'Unleashing the Inner Geek'!
(Note: some of you may be familiar with the MOUS Microsoft Office User Specialist it has been replaced with the MOS as of February 2007.)
Articles in this Series:
Unleashing the Inner Geek
MOS Microsoft Office Specialist
Playing with Multi-OS's
Inner Geek - Validated
Inner Geek - On My Way
Inner Geek - Validated February 2008
Inner Geek - Validated September 2008
The Changing face of BRAM
Inner Geek - Updated February 2009
Windows 7 Beta Review
Inner Geek - Updated April 2009
Inner Geek - Updated July 2009
Happy Thanks Giving. This is my third time hosting the carnival and I had such big plans for it. Unfortunately school, and life have taken their toll in the past few weeks (my wife's best friend passed away, and we scanned the pictures and made the powerpoint presentations for the the funeral home and service. School is taking upwards of 6 hours a day work outside the 4 hours a day in class and 2 hours a day labtime.) Mea Culpa Mea Culpa Mea Maxima Culpa, so this weeks Carnival will be short and sweet with not much commentary.
Christine the Soccer Mom at Domestic Vocation has a post called 'Homeschooling, Pudding, and Apologetics' she states about it: in this post, I discuss homeschooling apologetics and apologetics for the Faith and how they are related.
Kevin at HMS Blog writes a reflection on the Mass readings for Sunday 10/7, focusing on their application to the pro-life cause. In his post 'FAITH, LOVE, AND HUMAN LIFE'.
Over at Deep Furrows we have a post 'What is Catholic sensibility?' Fred states Catholic sensibility is not conceptual but sensible.
Heidi at Streams of Mercy writes about a convert reflects on the hymn "Amazing Grace" ... and why Catholics can sing this "Protestant" hymn with gusto! (Well, with as much gusto as Catholics muster when they sing in public...) :-) In her post 'Amazing Grace" ... Is It Really?'
In the post 'Make a Gingerbread House! An Advent Tradition' Heidi at Mommy Monsters Inc. writes about a fun Advent family activity (especially appropriate for St. Nicholas' feast day!
Next in CatholicLand! SWP reflects on his vigil with the 40 Days for Life. in 'Thirst for Righteousness'.
Then onto a visit at Catholic Fire with a post 'BOOK REVIEW: THE HARRY POTTER ALTERNATIVE' My review of FIDELIS' - the first book in a series of seven, written by A.R. Horvath. Similar in nature to the writings of C.S. Lewis and JRR Tolkein, Fidelis bears a Christian theme, includes Scripture passages, and is rich in Christian symbolism. It is a fictitious fantasy and, in many ways, it reminds me of Lord of the Rings.
In a call to 'Help Get Bella into Theaters' Musings from a Catholic Bookstore puts out a call for some grass roots action.
"The Right Way to Die" from the blog just another day of Catholic pondering writes that after a recent family funeral, Sarah finds herself reflecting on death, and in the process shares the anecdote of Grandma Georgia's peaceful dying.
At Play the Dad? No, be the Dad! we have a post 'Call me "The Great White Hunter"!' Matthew states about this post that it is something a little different this week....an experiment.
We Belong to the Lord has a post 'Golden Compass Points the Way to Hell'!
'The Far Green Country' is a post over at Ho Kai Paulos. Using some of Tolkien's words from the end of The Lord of the Rings, I talk about two perspectives on death - that of the person moving on and that of those left behind. We forget, so easily, that the journey doesn't end just because we lose sight of someone ahead of us.Next at The Robinson Go Blog we have 'Reflections on Jeremiah' The Word of God still answers the questions of today.
Jay at Living Catholicism in a post 'How St. Therese' Family Helped Shape Her Unique Spirituality of "The Little Way"!' Explores the role of the family in developing a child's spirituality by looking at the story of St. Therese, the Little Flower.
Jay also has a submission for the Catholic Carnival from Deo Omnis Gloria called 'Ask Your Guardian Angel to Help You Against the Fallen Angels'. We all have a Guardian Angel for a reason! And they can help us defend ourselves from the attacks that demons (who are real) fire against us. Just some thoughts on how our Guardian Angels can help.
Then over at A Catholic Mom climbing the Pillars our final entry is 'The Nightmare of Television.....when is enough, enough'.
A late entry from A Third Way has an entry 'Have you called your Mother today?' Melissa shares her Rosary story and why you may want to find your beads and give Our Lady a call.
Finally while preparing this post I have been
reflection on thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for, a bueatiful wife, a lovely 1 year old daughter, a son due in January. While preparing this book I have rewatched the film Molokai and I wrote a review of it a while ago. It is an amazing film about the life and death of Father Damien the Leper. It will inspire and challange. 'Molokai: The Story of Father Damien.'
So with that I bid you all a blessed and happy 'Canadian' thanksgiving!
(Most of the photo's are from my collection of church photographs. I tried posting the Carnival a half hour early and have had 5 items to add. That Will teach me for being a keener.)
Twisted
Laurie Halse Anderson
Viking Press
ISBN 9780670061013
Laurie Halse Anderson is the author of 5 novels and 3 picture books. Her books have been nominated for numerous awards and many recommendations. Each of her books that I have read has been excellent and this one is no exception. The dust jacket states "Everybody told me to be a man … Nobody told me how." Anderson captures the essence of the journey from a boy to a man.
Tyler Miller had been caught defacing school property, and now he is a hero to some, and an outcast to others, and is trying to find his way in the world. He has done community service all summer at the school, and worked for a landscaping company.
Now he must return to school and face the students and teachers who know what he did and the punishment he received for it. The school year begins badly; at a party he is knocked into a tray of glasses and cuts the feet of the Alpha female of the school, who happens to be the women of his dreams, Bethany Milbury.
Tyler is forced to take Bethany a cake as an apology for the accident. They become friends, and seem to be sort of dating. Then Bethany gets trashed at a party, and Tyler does the right thing. Yet Tyler broke his curfew from the court and that is just the beginning of some serious problems in his life. Unfortunately someone takes advantage of Bethany while she is drunk and most people think it is Tyler because of his reputation.Most people think he did it. The cops keep coming by. He is attacked in school and out of school. He struggles with what to do, how to be a man. Can he learn how to be a man; can he take control of his life that seems completely out of control?
This book does an amazing job of capturing the angst of growing up, of finding your place in the world. It shows clearly the transition from boy to man, and then end of high school and moving on to the rest of life.
Anderson, as a woman, surprised me with he ability to write about becoming a man; her insight and clarity are awesome. This book should become a classic. Much like her earlier novel Speak I believe this book should be on the reading list for every high school or university Children's Literature course.
The book leaves you wanting more. The reader will want to know what happens next. Where is Tyler in a year, 3, 5 or 10? These questions will haunt you after you finish the book.
Anderson's blog is Mad Woman in the Forest.
(First Published in Imprint 2007-09-28 as 'Short Titles With Varied Depths.')
For my review of Speak click here.
Business Communication:
Communicate Effectively In Any Business Environment
Marty Brounstein, Arthur H. Bell & Dayle M. Smith
Wiley
ISBN 9780471790778
This book was just released in the spring of 2007. The authors did extensive research and used the materials in the classroom. This is an excellent resource and would be a good tool on the bookshelf in any office or business, or for any student who has to prepare business reports. Like Work term reports. The book goes through the do's and don'ts of business communication and the new business etiquette in an electronic age.
The Sections of the book are:
Part I: Foundations of Business Communication
Part II: The Writing process
Part III: Letters, Memos, E-Mail, and Other Brief Messages
Part IV: Developing Speaking Skills
Part V: Reports and Proposals
Part VI: Employment Messages
This book is packed full of new features and online support to help make the information more accessible and easily applicable, either in the classroom or in the office. There is a website: www.wiley.com/college/brounstein
It has a pretest and a posttest for each chapter to check your knowledge. You can use the pretest to determine where to focus your effort in the chapter, and the posttest to see how you did. There is also a quiz at the end of each chapter to make sure you have grasped the concepts in that chapter. The book also has some information on new laws regarding emails and the use of them in court and as legal documents.
Some of the other features are an extensive Glossary, and a number of appendices with samples of most of the documents discussed in the book. Also included in each chapter are extensive samples and examples of the different styles commonly used in business documents.
In my experience, most textbooks are not well written, or easily accessible to the student or a person looking to work through it on their own. I have a professor at UW who changed textbooks every term because he could never find one he was satisfied with for more than one term. This book would not fall into that category. It is user-friendly, well organized, comprehensible and useful. This book will be referenced for years to come. If you're writing positive business letters, negative messages or trying to write persuasively, this book will give you examples aplenty and the skills to maximize your business communication. Most of those skills will be transferable into writings reports and essays during your time at UW.
This book will be an asset to you throughout your student career and beyond!
(First Published in Imprint 2007-09-29 as 'Short Titles with Varied Depths.')
Career Focus Canada: 
