Today, I learned about recruiters. I learned about the difference between traditional recruiters and specialty recruiters. Traditional recruiters focus on a specific niche that they are experts in, ranging from healthcare to education. Specialty recruiters, on the other hand, focus on very specialized fields and positions. On the unit covering recruiter and talent acquisition, I learned about the fundamentals of being a recruiter, job requirements for becoming a recruiter, how to recruit and source talent, recruiter softwares, and specialty recruiters and their significance. For recruiting, I learned the hiring process and resume, cover letter, online identity, and phone interviews being important aspects of how to recruit. For recruiter software, I learned that companies often use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to find and recruit potential candidates, since this task can be very tedious and time consuming.
Today, I learned about Quality Assurance. I learned about Quality Assurance testers and QA technicians and how they work by testing software for businesses or companies. Their job is to ensure that the software and sometimes hardware, works the way that the client expects it to. The most important material I learned today was the 6 types of tests under website and content testing. This includes, link checking, W3C validation, responsive testing, compatibility testing, usability testing, and accessibility testing. I really enjoyed this part of the unit lesson because not only did I get to practice and get my hands on some of the extension tools and websites to scan and check certain medium-sized websites, but it made me understand what the process was like when it comes to validating websites, checking the state and condition of their links, and understanding if the website had strong security, was compatible, was accessible for those that are disabled, and its usability. It’s important that every website meets the standards of these testings, as it is easy to overlook the vulnerabilities that the site owners may not be aware of.
Today, I learned about analytics and measuring success as a product manager. I learned that as a product manager, it is important that one is able to actively track and measure the success of their product using product-market fit, key performance indicators (KPIs), and analytics. Based on the articles, I learned the fundamentals of product market fit and how to achieve it. I learned about product-market fit and how it can impact the success of a business. I learned about the concept of key performance indicators and how they are used by product managers, such as churn rate, monthly revenue, and customer satisfaction score. I also learned how product managers use analytics to improve and track their products. It is significant that product managers have a data analyst alongside while working on the product because data analysts determine the current state and condition of the product, therefore offering feedback and improving the product immensely.
Today, I learned about being a Product Manager. I learned what a product manager does, and they are responsible for guiding a product from idea to launch. This role involves gathering feedback, choosing which features to develop and then guiding the team to execute them. I learned the basics of what a product manager does as well as the abilities and techniques that good product managers use to make themselves stand out. I also learned about the daily roles of a product manager, getting user and customer feed work to improve functionality and conditions, product planning, product development, analytics and measuring success, communication and storytelling, and employment. These elements all have significant relevance with the duties and traits of becoming a product manager.
Today I learned how to get hired as a web developer. I learned from several videos in this unit on getting the first job as a web developer, creating a job-ready portfolio as a junior web developer, and understanding how the technology hiring process works. I also learned about coding websites and this intrigues me the most. In the aspect of coding websites, I learned about the most common front-end and back-end languages used for web development, such as JavaScript, PHP, Java, Node.js and Python. JavaScript is the front-end language that is parsed by all modern browsers. For the back-end languages, such as JavaScript, PHP, Java, Python, and Node.js are used for programming, projects, and more. As a person who is interested in pursuing a career in the tech field, I want to learn coding and master the fundamentals so it prepares me for what's to come when applying for tech jobs.
Today, I learned about SQL and NoSQL. I learned that SQL, known as Structured Query Language, is the interface language that is used to interact with most relational-databases in a universal aspect. NoSQL, also known as non-relational databases, does not universally use the same language the way relational-databases use SQL. It’s interesting to know that the learning curve for the fundamentals of relational databases is much more difficult than NoSQL databases. The reason for that is that SQL knowledge is largely transferrable between relational databases, and it takes learning the general principles of SQL to easily understand the transition between relational databases, so some time and effort is required for studying. SQL can be verbalized as sequel and NoSQL as no sequel.
Today, I learned about databases. I learned that databases are used to store data from a particular website. Databases are commonly used for dynamic data, meaning when a user submits a form and the form data needs to be stored and saved somewhere. Databases can be categorized from both relational and non-relational databases. These two categories are based on how data is internally stored and structured-relational data and non-relational data. The differences are that relational data “normalize” data by splitting data into the smallest possible chunks and links the normalized chunks together by creating keys that define relations. For non-relational databases, on the other hand, are denormalized data, also known as data lumps of each block of relevant content into a single monolithic record. Since e-commerce website have relevance with relational databases, it’s implementation of different tables caters to customers, orders, items, and order-items on their website. It’s interesting to know that SlQL and NoSQL are interface languages that are relevant to relational databases.
Today, I learned about web development roles. I learned about the wide variety of many different job-roles for people with web development skills or has the passion or desire to work in this specific career field. There are exactly ten web development roles that I learned based on the videos I watched in this unit. I learned about the differences between a front-end developer and a back-end developer. I learned the differences between a web designer and a web developer. There are eight other significant roles that I’ve learned that correlates with web development, such as a web architect, a data architect, a system administrator, a quality assurance (QA) engineer, a release manager, a product manager, a project manager, and a chief technical officer (CTO). It’s amazing to see the wide variety of roles that are ties back to web development roles and skills, and it goes to show that those with these skills are not limited to just one specific role, as there are many to choose from, and one can do the research to understand which role suits them best.
Today, I learned about reconditioning items to sell at a profit. I learned today about the aspect of flipping cars, where you would buy damaged vehicles for cheap, repairing them, and then reselling them at a profit. One must have a driver’s license as a requirement for flipping cars. It is important to know that for the resale strategy of flipping cars, you must be skilled and have knowledge in both mechanical assessment and auto repair from a financial standpoint, or you will lose a great deal of money. Flipping cars comes with huge liability, where a bad purchase of a car with a great deal of issues with functionality may be extremely costly. There are two great videos that show how you can effectively and strategically flip cars at a great resale value, where you can net a lot of profit from the used and damaged cars you purchased for cheap. One video shows how one can flip a $300 car purchase to a $2000 profit in 24 hours, whereas the second video shows how you can flip a cheap BMW M6 for over $8000 in profit.
Today, I learned about Instagram as a platform and the unique tips in increasing following. The YouTube video published by Alex Tooby demonstrates several important steps towards Instagram growth, and the ways in which one can increase the amount of followers they want for their page. The first step is determining who their ideal follower is by optimizing their headline, depending on the niche of their profile, and the target interest group the user is focusing on attracting. The individual should also engage with highly specific content and people, which can be done by filtering hashtags in the tags section of Instagram, and knowing what words and hashtags to utilize for engagement. Additionally, the user should take advantage of IG story by engaging their followers with polls, quizzes, and brief Q&A sessions. The second tip is to be honest and concise. Being untruthful can steer your followers away from you.
Today, I learned about online modeling. It’s interesting to know about modeling as the role of promoting, displaying and advertising commercial products like clothing or posing in photography. Modeling is generally an in-person role, but one can perform remotely by shooting their own photos and videos. Although modeling may sound intriguing, it is a highly competitive field, and if you’re seeking solely remote positions for modeling work, it will make your chances of obtaining work much more difficult. I learned about modeling scams and the precautions to take when seeking modeling agencies, schools, and programs, as it’s important to do your own research about their offers. Many scam agencies will attempt to take your money by making flattering promises to take advantage of a person, but they won’t get you any paying work. A reputable modeling agency never asks for a person to pay for photography or portfolio submissions, so one must be wary of how to identify fraudulent modeling or acting agencies.
Today, I learned about how to sell art on social media. There are important things to know if the individual wishes to use multiple platforms to promote and sell their products and services. It’s significant to ensure that the pricing is the same on every platform, as consumers can freely check your prices from other websites, and may feel cheated if they notice different price listings across different platforms. The second important thing to know is organization and maintaining your own inventory spreadsheet so you understand what artworks are being listed on each site, avoiding duplicate listings of the same artwork or overselling inventory. I’ve learned how to find corporate clients and getting an artwork seen and recognized and I’ve come to an understanding of the different strategies of promoting and selling artwork across different social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and other platforms, since each platform is socially structured differently, whether it’s a picture, video, or blog, and you have to think creatively in implementing a strategy in promoting your artwork an garnering as much attention as possible.
Today, I learned about Data Entry and the essential skills needed to be developed in order to excel at the field. It is important to practice and develop typing skills of at least 30 words per minute, since a large portion of data entry work involves typing. Not only does a data entry worker have to type with the speed of at least 30 WPM, but also have the ability to type accurately and efficiently, avoiding as much inaccurate typing as possible. Because data entry involves a lot of work done on a computer, the individual has to be sure that they are comfortable with using a computer, as well as having the knowledge of how to navigate on a computer. Data entry workers are also tasked with printing and scanning, so it is important to note that the individual should spend some time practicing office equipment such as printers and scanners. This field may seem as if the worker is working from behind the scenes, but data entry also requires customer interaction, so one should learn to use a professional tone talking to customers and understanding how to write draft emails to customers.
Today, I learned about Buildfire. It allows you to build and publish and app. You can customize your design with the tools and elements from the feature and design tabs. On the website, it has tabs such as dashboard, design, add media, Home Screen, features, commerce, notifications, users, analytics, and settings. Some of videos are a tutorial to learn how to navigate the website as well as tabs. The website features a design and features tab where you have stock images that have already been uploaded for your choosing. Under the features tab, in the text box, you are able to insert text, inset embedded links, as well as URL links. It is suggested you promote your app through traditional marketing such as print advertisements, catalogs, brochures, and even emails. You can use social media but don’t rely on it exclusively. Not all businesses will reap benefits. Explain to your users why they should download your app and implement a speech that keeps them engaged.
I also learned about writing the first Flutter App, where the tutorials teaches you how to set up a Flutter environment. It shows a step-by-step guide on how to create the starter Flutter app, using an external package, adding a stateful widget, and creating an infinite scrolling ListView.
Today, I learned about Music Production. I learned about the different types of careers within the music industry, as well as the responsibilities of becoming a music producer. I learned about mashups, which refers to the mashing two song tracks into one. These days, social media is vastly influential and resourceful. Musicians no longer have to have millions of fans in order to be very profitable, since social media has enabled fans to make fandoms and large groups, allowing talented musicians to earn a good amount of income from even smaller groups of fans. Starting a label may be tough and scary to begin with, but it does help the individual network better, it legitimizes their music, and it lends credibility to their music. Music producers are responsible for managing project budgets and rearranging compositions or suggesting lyric changes. I’ve learned that recording engineers, those who work with music producers to bring technical capabilities to a music project, are some of the highest paying careers for someone interested in the music industry.
Today, I learned about monetizing apps. The video that interests me most today was the video that demonstrates how game apps like Pokemon Go, a free-to-download app, are designed to make money. Within the system of the app, it is free-to-play, but a premium or virtual currency is set up within the game for users to have the option of spending money digitally, by credit card, on virtual currency. For example, a user in Pokemon Go can use a credit card purchase what is known as Poke coins in the app. Their strategy is to implement a plan where users use credit cards, a digital form of payment, to purchase instead of physical cash on hand. People who spend money with cash on hand have more awareness to how much they are spending, how much money they’re losing, and it sets them back from wanting to purchase more in the future to retain their budget or savings.
Today, I learned about iOS and Android Development. More specifically, I learned about its respective platforms and the basics of upstarting an app created reliably for both of the smartwatches. For the Apple Watch and iOS applications, watchOS is the respective platform required to program in support for. Without an iOS device in hand for testing, it is possible to test using a software iOS emulator. SwiftUI is the most common language used for developing iOS apps and iOS apps are typically developed using the IDE known as Xcode.
For the Android smartwatch, without an actual Android device on hand, you can test using a software Android emulator. Wear OS is the respective Android platform for the program to support the functionality of one’s Android app to work on Android-based smartwatches. Java and Kotlin are the most common languages currently used for Android app programming.
Today, I learned about customer service. More specifically, I learned about how to properly write customer correspondence messages, be effective and professional when interacting with customers in live sessions, writing a customer support email, and the types of remote customer service jobs. What I found interesting is the statistics and report of how it is suggested to say “no” or declining a request in a formal tone to the customer, as it is encouraged to use the formal tone over a casual tone, since it may throw off the customer in a way.
I also learned about technical writers and how their task is to write documentation, technical information and converting them into easy-to-read content, and helps people accomplish something without roadblocks and barriers. They help other business partners voice what’s best for their product and them, and that is all done through documentation. The video on technical writers at Google intrigues me the most in the section of videos and articles because Google is a very successful corporation that staffs a large number of employers ranging from a broad spectrum of career fields in expertise, and technical writing is one of them. It’s interesting to see what Google technical writers are responsible for doing everyday at their office on a day-to-day basis.
Today, I learned about blogging as another form of the writing unit in this course. I learned that blogging is written content on a website and the term comes from the combination of the words “web” and “log”. For those who are passionate about writing, being blogger allows a person to express their thoughts and unique written style to their audience. Blogs can be used for a variety of purposes, such as for personal journals discussing about their hobbies and interests, expressing themselves creatively, implementing a plan to teach or coach others, selling products, and promoting and advertising brands who reach out. If the individual is passionate about being a blogger and considering this path to be their full-time career, they can find ways to earn stable income by putting ads on their blog, promoting products in their articles, work on affiliate marketing by selling other people’s products, and selling their own digital products and services.
Today, I learned about copyrighting in the writing unit section of the course. Many tend to confuse the terms copywriting and copyrighting. Copyrighting deals with copyright laws, whereas copywriting is the art of crafting words for the sole purpose of conversion. Good copywriting convinces people to take action, whether it’s clicking and viewing a link, or buying something being promoted or advertised. It’s viewed in a variety of marketing materials, such as sales pages, emails, websites, promotional videos, advertising campaigns, and more. I learned that copywriting needs to grab attention supported by a strong headline. Good copywriting needs a purpose for the audience and consumers, catering to their necessities and “why” they should seek their product. Communication is a vital aspect in this situation and copywriters have to be crystal clear about the description and features of the advertised product. Most importantly, you should have a significant call to action and be sure to have a couple repetition to those words. You can work alone as a freelance writer on for yourself, or choose to work for an adversing agency and work with a team on writing your copy.
Eric Benari’s video on writing powerful pitch letters is also very resourceful and interesting. He teaches students and viewers on how to structure our letters whether it’s a physical letter or by digital email. He explains concisely about the choice of words and sentences to use and not to use when writing letters and emails to businesses. Some words, such as “to whom it may concern” may turn people away since it doesn’t specify who the email or letter concerns to.
Today, I learned about negotiating businesses in terms of buy and sell products. The video that really interested me in today’s activities was GaryVee’s YouTube video where he negotiates with sellers in each garage sales that he comes across. His ability to bargain with sellers and walk away when both the buyer and the seller cannot come to terms with the cost of a product is a great example of negotiating power and tactic. GaryVee is strategic in understanding what and what not to buy in garage sales, depending on the cost, and reselling them for greater profit. He does this with much of the mugs that he buys from garage sales, along with other products that he’s interested in purchasing, and it’s a great way to gain profit from his initial purchase. That’s one of the perks of buying and reselling. This is great for those who are passionate about flipping products and dedicated to earning a good amount of income on a weekly or monthly basis.
Today, I learned web development and the steps it takes to begin learning the basic fundamentals that are required to understand the broad concept. Although I knew getting started with web development was already difficult, I had no prior knowledge of where to start and how to start. And of course, the first steps are already complicated. In order to get a better understanding of this concept later down the road, the individual would have to put in hours and hours of work and learning in Computer Science. It’s pretty much the stepping stone towards learning broad concepts of web development later on, such as HTML, CSS, building micro-projects, learning how to code, JavaScript, Git, Github, Command Line, and so much more. I enjoy using computers, and have been using technological devices from smartphones to PCs and laptops for years, so I know I would have to challenge and push myself to experience the complexities of web development and coding by starting with learning the basics that others steer away from and skip towards their way to burning out.
Today, I learned about negotiating power and how to maximize your money when discussing business with your employment company. Eric makes a good point about utilizing negotiating tactics upon being hired and putting yourself at an advantage in getting the satisfied amount of pay for your job position. He stresses the importance of having the confidence to walk away from deals that you feel dissatisfied with. It comes down to the weak negotiating abilities from the negotiator. Of course, this is not limited to just negotiating your salary, but also for buying and selling services. If you are not content with the asking price or selling price, simply walk away and the result may come your way in a negotiating sense. However, his negotiating video is most helpful to me personally when it comes to being hired and discussing my salary or pay.
Today, I learned about making connections, as well as building influential networks and understanding the strategies of making powerful contacts. One of the vital tips that Eric provided in his video is collecting business cards. To initiate a conversation, you have to know what to say and how to slowly shift into a business conversation or camaraderie. Eric expresses the significance of which person to talk to.
The life of a remote worker video is one of the more interesting things I’ve watched and learned throughout much of today’s work. I learned, from the person in the video, Mike Gutman, what a day in the life of a remote worker was like. He gave very helpful tips on onboarding as a remote worker, building rapport with remote colleagues, how to maximize your productivity while working from home, and how to excel as a remote worker in general. Since I dream of working remotely, this video was extremely insightful from start to finish. This will give me better preparation for the future when I apply for future remote job positions.
Today, I learned about the biggest social media applications and platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, WeChat, and more. If one is passionate about social media and creating a theme page or social niche of their passion that aims at targeting a specific interest group, they should, by all means, invest their time and effort into the platform. These social media applications are also a great way to earn income whether it’s becoming an influencer, an affiliated marketer, or taking sponsorships. A social media user who wishes to use gain a large following on their social media page may have the desire to promote a product or service of their own, so as long it is reasonable and proves that it can help individuals in a particular way. Social media in this generation and in today’s world is huge part of our lives and it’s made life convenient and efficient. Digital payment options are growing, and it’s helping to ease the old traditional ways of physically getting things done. These courses give so much insightful details and information to passionate social media users on how to grow their page and ways in which they can make this their form of job in earning income, and there are multiple ways they can do so, but it begins with garnering attention and following.
For much of today, I focused mainly on the material regarding time management. Many workers in the workforce face burnouts and lack of motivation to continue working and give the best of their abilities in their jobs because they fail to maximize the efficiency of their time and schedule. Workers tend to procrastinate and slack off during their work schedule, delaying tasks and assignments that have deadlines. In this unit, I learned a great deal about the significance of time management. From these videos and articles, I learned that it is essential to manage and plan out your schedule and prioritize the tasks that should be completed first. It is important to complete assigned work that have deadlines or due dates. I learned that it is resourceful in implementing a form of to-do list so one can understand what they should prioritize doing on a certain day, leaving the rest of the day without having to worry about completing unfinished tasks and having some leisure after work. I’ve learned that multi-tasking kills productivity and can lower one’s IQ. Periodically switching between multiple tasks prolongs the time that it takes to finish these tasks. It is better to focus on completing one specific task, then moving on to the next. Although technology is extremely helpful in some ways in today’s world and it’s become one of the biggest booms and advancements, having technological devices beside you is one of many distractions that hinders you from giving your best performance. It promotes multi-tasking and procrastination and it’s ideal to limit screen time while you’re responsible for performing work.
Today, I’ve learned so much about remote learning. I love the way the system for Techie Youth is formatted. The abundance of videos are interesting to watch because they offer encouragement and motivation to give our best efforts in the program, along with many useful advices and tips about remote work. I’ve learned that remote work, a dream of my own, is a significantly democratized form of work setting that offers the individual the flexibility to set their own hours and have their own freedom without supervision. More importantly, remote work takes away the traditional work setting in requiring a worker to commute to work. None of those hours of having to wake up early and rush to our nearest transportation or personal vehicle just to get to work.
I came across the Data Entry section and there are 9 practice tests to choose from. I did not realize that the tests were that difficult. Letter typing seems easy to me, but typing tests involving numbers is the truly the tough test. It's given me a different perspective on data entry and the practice tests made me realize that it's much more complicated than it is normal.