Develop Own Effectiveness And Professionalism

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

During my time at Achievement Training I have acquired personal skills and experience. I am still working on some skills as I feel they may be vital in my future career. I need to work on the way I describe situations like when I am trying to explain a fault with a system and/or if the fault has been resolved or not. I sometimes have trouble with communication when I try to explain things, I tend to mix my words up as I feel like I am under a lot of pressure depending on whom it is I am talking to. I have recognised the problem that I need to overcome and the way to resolve this is to relax and take my time when communicating with other people as rushing makes me feel on edge and nervous.

I attained positive feedback when I resolved a profile storage space error in the Royal Building as the profile was over the quota limit of storage space, preventing the learner to save her work. When I completed the job and asked "if anything was needed of me". She said "no", but she did ask me to explain what was causing the profile to go over the limit. I explained the reason of why the profile was going over the quota limit and she said "thank you" for fixing it and she said it was "a quick job, well done".

My personal goals are to be able to communicate effectively and professionally towards other members of staff and other colleagues. I have already met my last goal, which was to gather the confidence to answer phones independently and confidently complete set tasks. To boost my confidence to answer the telephone I participated in an activity that would ensure I would have to answer it. The activity was to take in turns answering phones with the other colleagues. We agreed to answer the phone in a set order no matter who was on the other end of the line. This helped me as even if I didn’t want to I would have had to because nobody would have answered it.

I have been able to effectively plan and manage my own time since I have been here at Achievement Training. On Friday 1st February I came across a fault in the Royal building. A computer was on a boot loop (constant restarting) and it was not even making it past the Microsoft Windows loading screen. I spoke to the tutor in charge at the time which was Jane Williams and I explained what the problem was, I also told her that I had to take it back to the tech room for a format.

I said the computer would be back first thing in the morning on Monday as I picked it up at a late time on Friday as per the SLA (Service Level Agreement) & Priority Agreement we have at Achievement Training.

When I turned up for work early at 08.30AM on the following Monday I then finished the installation of updates before 08:45AM and returned the machine ready to use by 09:00AM as agreed.

I went over to the Royal building to install the PC that I had formatted; one of the students asked me a lot of questions about the computer and what some of the cables are for. As I understood the meaning of equality and diversity taught to me at Achievement Training, the student required additional learning due to disabilities. I explained the answer to the student in a way so that the student could understand. He then asked me what was wrong with the computer, so I again explained as simply as I could and he then understood what I said and re-explained it in his own terms and that made complete sense to me.

I accepted feedback from Jane Williams when I gave back the computer from the format undertaken on Friday 1st February and she asked if it has been completed and I said "yes it is all working fine now and I also installed the printer and it is ready to be used." She then said "oh, well thanks and much appreciated for that, well done." I said "thanks and I am sorry for any inconvenience that may have been caused" and she said "it was no trouble at all and thank you very much." Before I left I did say "if there is anything else that becomes a problem, please phone over and I will resolve it for you."

My job role at Achievement Training is an apprentice IT Technician and I specialise in maintenance and repair for computers and networks. I understand that other members of staff and my colleagues have different job roles & skills. Tim has a different role as he specialises in D.I.Y and maintenance, not just for computers and networking but also around the company such as fittings for lights and doors etc. he is also a part time cleaner when is needed. His Interests in the company are electronics and networking as he prefers to deal with repairs and maintenance for computers etc. Tim’s concerns are that he would rather do more computer repairs than manual handling and/or D.I.Y.

Myself and Tim were moving things around in the basement for the W.E.E (Waste of Electrical Equipment) company to take away and dispose of. As the basement was full with waste and other scrap, we knew it was going to take a lot of time, so we planned out how we are going to be able to do it as quickly and safely as possible. We planned the order of what is going to be taken and what is not going to be taken.

We started organising the basement by separating the metal from the plastic and created another pile which consisted of electronic components. As I was assured that all metal was to be taken, I started piling the electrical equipment next to the metal pile and we also created a waste pile, which included broken chairs, tables and other plastic’s etc. Before we piled the chairs and tables, we separated the metal from the wood on the tables and the metal legs from the chairs. The following day I helped to transfer all the scrap metal and the electronics from the basement to the van that the W.E.E company provided. After we did that myself, Kieran and Tim stayed after working hours to assist the W.E.E company taking the Pepsi Drinks dispenser which took a lot of time and effort as it was heavy. We had to get the machine through the door by the refectory which route is very narrow, so we all contributed ideas and then carried out a plan and managed to get it through the door and into the elevator successfully.

On Monday 28th January 2013, Carl Farley came in to the tech room with a problem about his computer. The problem was Windows update was not configuring and/or installing. It was a system fault to do with Microsoft Windows 7. He then came to the conclusion to format and re-install Microsoft Windows 7 on the machine. I happily agreed to take on the request for a re-installation.

I collected the computer from Carl’s room and brought it back to the tech room. I then set the machine up at my desk with a monitor, keyboard and mouse ensuring all the right cables were plugged in. I turned the computer on and waited for it to load so I could log in as a local administrator. When I logged in, I did a scan on the whole C:\ drive to find any work or documents. The reason for doing this was because I was going to perform a back up of all documents as it is company procedure and it also falls under the Data Protection Act 1998. After I backed up the documents to my memory stick I then re-installed Microsoft Windows 7 as needed to Carl’s configuration. When I completed the re-installation I then copied the backed up files back onto the computer. To finish the computer all I had to do was download and install the Microsoft Windows updates and test to see if they would configure properly during a computer restart. The updates configured correctly after the restart and the machine had no issues. I gave the computer back to Carl in the same day the issue was discovered.

What is the Data Protection Act 1998? The Data Protection Act 1998 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which defines UK law on the processing of data on identifiable living people. It is the main piece of legislation that governs the protection of personal data in the UK. Although the Act itself does not mention privacy, it was enacted to bring UK law into line with the European Directive of 1995 which required Member States to protect people's fundamental rights and freedoms and in particular their right to privacy with respect to the processing of personal data. In practice it provides a way for individuals to control information about themselves. Most of the Act does not apply to domestic use, for example keeping a personal address book. Anyone holding personal data for other purposes is legally obliged to comply with this Act, subject to some exemptions.

I collected this information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Act_1998HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Act_1998".

The Computer Misuse Act is designed to protect computer users against wilful attacks and theft of information. Offences under the act include hacking, unauthorised access to computer systems and purposefully spreading malicious and damaging software (malware), such as viruses. Unauthorised access to modify computers include altering software and data, changing passwords and settings to prevent others accessing the system, interfering with the normal operation of the system to its detriment. The act makes it an offence to access or even attempt to access a computer system without the appropriate authorisation. Therefore, even if a hacker tries to get into a system but is unsuccessful they can be prosecuted using this law. The act also outlaws "hacking" software, such as packet sniffers, that can be used to break into or discover ways to get into systems. Although intention to do wilful damage can not be easily proved, the act makes it an offence for a hacker to access and use a system using another person's user name, including e-mail, chat and other services. The act also covers unauthorised access to different parts of a computer system, therefore, a person may be allowed to access one part of a system but not others, and the accessing of the other parts will be an offence. Note: the downloading or exchange of pirate software is not covered by this act but by other legislation.

The penalties of breaking the CMA range from fines to imprisonment.

I collected this information from http://www.sqa.org.uk/e-learning/ITLaw01CD/page_03.htm#WhatIsComputerMisuse

The professional bodies for IT are:

ACP:

Association of Computer Professionals:

The Association of Computer Professionals (ACP) is an independent, professional examining body, set up in 1984, its Council Members working in both the education and commercial sectors of the computer industry. The Association's principal aim is to set and maintain standards of education, which reflect the constantly changing requirements of the computer industry, both in the United Kingdom and overseas. This is achieved through the provision of course syllabuses and examinations to our carefully vetted training centers around the world, which in turn provide the expert tuition.

BCS:

British Computer Society:

The British Computer Society, is a Professional Body and a learned society that represents those working in Information Technology in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was established in 1957, in 2009 it re-branded as BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT, although this has not yet been reflected in a legal name change.

BASDA:

Business Application Software Developers Association:

BASDA is the Business Application Software Developers' Association, a member-driven not-for-profit organization where members benefit by sharing knowledge and expertise and working effectively as one voice to address strategic issues and evolving legal, political and technical influences that affect the business software industry

BIMA:

British Interactive Multimedia Association:

The British Interactive Media Association or 'BIMA' is an industry body representing the digital industry in the United Kingdom. Formed in 1985, BIMA is a membership organization primarily made up of digital agencies. The organization is run by an elected Executive Committee of 13 Members who are voted in at the AGM.

BWDMA:

British Web Design and Marketing Association:

The BWDMA was established in 1999 initially attracting membership from those involved in Web design. However soon its reach spread to include all those involved in the digital economy. The organization describes itself as a ‘broad church' and invites companies as well as individuals involved in the new media sector to join.

IAP:

Institute of Analysts and Programmers:

The Institution is Britain’s leading professional organization for people who work in the development, installation and testing of business systems and computer software. People join us principally for the prestige and privilege of associating with some of the leading professionals in this sector of the industry. They also appreciate the many practical benefits that IAP membership can provide.

IEEE:

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers:

IEEE Computer Society - The IEEE Computer Society is one of the major international professional bodies for IT:

IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through IEEE's highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities.

IIT:

Institute of IT Training:

The Learning & Performance Institute (LPI) (formally The Institute of IT Training (IITT)) is a self-governing, not-for-profit professional body for training professionals. It was established in 1995 and since then has grown on an annual basis. In February 2010 the Institute completed a management buyout from membership and research organization, the National Computing Centre and is now a self-governing body.

I.N.T.E.L.L.E.C.T:

Information Technology Telecommunications and Electronics Association:

Intellect is the leading trade association which serves to represent its members in the UK technology industry. We are formed by our 800 SME and multinational member companies and exist solely for their benefit. Intellect was formed in May 2002. We are the merger of many trade associations in the sector - some of whose roots date back to the 1930s.

ISPA:

Internet Service Providers Association:

ISPA UK was established in 1995 and promotes competition, self-regulation and the development of the Internet industry. As a trade association, membership is voluntary but the companies who choose to become members of ISPA agree to abide by the ISPA UK Code. ISPA members' allegiance to the Code means that consumers can view the ISPA UK logo as a mark of commitment to good business practice.

Quality management system (QMS) is generally what idolises an organizational structure. A company’s Quality Management system would consist of the organizational structure, responsibilities, data management, processes such as payments, customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, product quality maintenance and sustainability.

Standards for system development are a set of standards to account for system development. The standards include organisations such as the ISO (International Organisational Standardization), ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and the ITU (International Telecommunication Union). These standards were created to be used to structure, plan and control the process of system development.

Types of conflicts which can arise for IT professionals can be knowledge of computers or even networking. These can become a conflict because one person may think they know more than the other about the subjects. This could cause a lot of aggravation between the IT professionals but they could also arise by sharing the information to one another and using the knowledge to an advantage towards work.

The impact on an IT organisation of legislation regarding financial transactions involve transactions being logged, invoices are checked and filed accordingly. All Staff must keep financial payslips for at least ten years due to the H&M Revenue and Customs legislation. This will allow HMRC to keep track of whether or not you are being paid correctly such as the right sum and to make sure your tax is going accordingly.

Health and Safety is the most talked about topic in any company as it has the most importance towards human health and money. Health and Safety applies to me in the biggest way as I am dealing with electronic equipment all the time. Therefore I am at risk of electrocution and also the risk of others around me being electrocuted.

Privacy, Confidentiality and Security applies to my job role when I am fixing a computer. When Carl gave me his computer to format I took into account all three of these things. I did not share any of the information about his computer to anybody other than Kenny which Carl knew about, nobody knew about the existing documents on the machine other than Carl himself and to maintain security of the machine I locked it after I left it at all times and nobody could come into the tech room to steal it as the door is always locked.

Copyright applies to any form of work that is recorded in some way for example musical CD’s, dramatic work such as films or even sound recordings. The reason these things tend to be copyrighted is to protect them from unauthorised access or modifications of some sort and allows the author of the work to take legal action against infringement or plagiarism. Intellectual property rights refers to creative work which can be claimed as an asset or physical property, for example a recipe that you created is yours and nobody else has it. Intellectual Property rights fall into four main categories that consist of copyright, trademarks, deign rights and patents.

The aims and objectives of Achievement Training are to help inspire teenagers or even adults to get into the world of working to have a better lifestyle and future.

The organisational brand or image of Achievement Training represents a private training and learning organization which in partnership with City College Plymouth. It can be promoted further by advertising the organisation on the television and banners on busses.

Achievement Training’s structure refers as a limited trademark for learning and success. The roles and responsibilities of Achievement Training consists of helping learners to gain extra qualifications such as maths and English re-takes or a diploma towards a new career choice. The responsibilities are to allow the learner to pass all the qualifications undertaken and guidance towards the future with help and support.

Potential improvements to organisational effectiveness have been identified lately as there has been new installs of Evacuation Chairs. This allows the company to ensure more safety towards disabled students as they will be able to escape if a fire in the building had occurred.