Week 15- Artificial Intelligence Impact on Business Jobs

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most talked about subjects in the job field today. Automation will happen in many fields, but the impact that it will have on jobs is still being determined. In the business field, automation is critical as the more money a company can save, the better for the company’s bottom line.

In his article titled Artificial Intelligence Impact on Business Jobs, Professor of Information Technology and Services Todd Kelsey discusses the future outlook of jobs in the business field when it comes to artificial intelligence and automation. In Kelsey’s opinion, the automation is not an “if” question, but rather a “when” it will happen. His suggestion to all readers and business job seekers alike is to get more informed about AI and its effect on your job field.

The four main career areas that Kelsey observes are: Accounting/Finance, Business Analytics/Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Human Resources/Management. Of these careers, Kelsey believes that the one with the best outlook is Business Analytics/Marketing and the worst outlook is Accounting/Financing. Kelsey also preaches the continued push of entrepreneurship to the younger career seekers so more jobs can be created in the future.

AI and automation are on their way and they are going to have a lasting effect on the job market. This is shown in the business field, where the future job market is largely affected by these new technologies. For more information on the effect of these new technologies, read Kelsey’s article or check out the BBC Job Automation Calculator (suggested multiple times in the Kelsey article). Study up and get prepared for the future of the job market.

Week 15- Surfing the Tsunami Introduction

AI is playing an increasingly bigger role in our society today. With many things becoming more automated, it is no surprise that businesses are looking to become more automated too. This dedication to automation is pushing companies to act fast and with that it will cause many to lose their jobs. You don’t want that to happen to you.

In the introduction of his book entitled Surfing the Tsunami, Professor of Information Technology and Services Todd Kelsey looks into the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and how it may affect future job markets. His view is to not give up hope about your job, but to adapt to what the future of jobs will be like.

To do this, he chooses three different strategies a person may use. The first is to adapt to AI. This means to do research about the subject and figure out what is happening in your career concerning AI. Where are things going? How does your job play into AI?

The second strategy that he suggests to employ is the adopt strategy. This is learning how to manage AI and how to use it to your benefit. This is sort of like the “get with the times” strategy to catch up before it catches you.

The final and best strategy according to Kelsey is the adept strategy. Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like, becoming adept with AI. This means learning the basics of AI such as learning coding or how to work with related data. This strategy is to immerse yourself in the change that is coming so you can be best prepared before the change occurs.

Based on his introduction, it appears that Kelsey believes the change is inevitable. It is in your best interest not only to understand AI in the workforce, but how it WILL affect you in your work. It is highly recommended that you read the introduction and the book that will follow because it is better to be prepared and be wrong than to not prepare and be left behind.  

Week 14- What Color is Your Parachute Chapter 12

Sometimes when the job search seems like it is an impossible task and you will never find a job, an idea creeps into your head. Why should I work for someone else? I know what I am doing and I should be able to be my own boss. This thought turns into the idea of starting your own business. Although this idea may seem risky to some, it could be an advantageous one to others.

In the book What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles, the author discusses the idea of starting your own business. During the chapter, Bolles details three different people who successfully grew their own business. For these stories, there are four common themes that the author points out:

1. These people didn’t need a whole lot of money to launch their own business
2. They did have to do research, sometimes plenty of it, to make it work.
3. All three of them used the Internet to make their product, service, or expertise, known.
4. None of them went down the traditional paths that people used to go down. (Bolles 259)

These reasons help to show how small business owners can be successful in modern world of business. Things such as the internet become more prevalent in the modern world than they have ten years ago or even five years ago. If you want a successful business in the modern world, make sure that you know what you are doing, do plenty of research and use the internet to make your business better known.

Week 14- Professor Jones’ IMC Campaign and Social Media

For my promotional strategy class taught by Benedictine University Business Professor Dr. Nona Jones, we were assigned to create an integrated marketing communications campaign also known as an IMC campaign. This campaign combined the multitude of different communications needed to successfully launch a business or a product. This semester long project took many different parts of business and smashed it into one large concept, including social media.

For my IMC, I created the company Cyclone Watches. The concept of Cyclone Watches was a watch manufacturer that produced watches that ran on solar power and were created with 100% recycled materials. For the social media campaigns, I created a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram page.

The purposes of these pages were to connect to my target markets of millennials and young professionals by attracting them to my company. This went with my IMC campaign’s goal of creating more brand awareness among the two groups.

I also married consumer promotions with my social media pages by creating an Instagram contest. The contest, which was designed to promote environmentalism, had the customers post a picture using a hashtag for the opportunity to win a free watch.

For these reasons, social media played a key role in the design and goals for the Cyclone Watches’ IMC campaign.  

Week 13- What Color is Your Parachute Chapter 11

Deciding what career you want can be an intimidating task, especially when it comes to selecting your first career or making your first career change. However, with these decisions come some pitfalls and mistakes, the goal is to be best prepared to avoid these problems. In the book What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles, he gives the reader eight warnings for future career decisions.

The eight decisions are listed below followed by a quick summary of what the author described:

1. Talk to people already working in the field that you find interesting- The more research you do, the better understanding you will have of what the job entails and how it works for somebody in the industry.
2. If you are changing careers, don’t change everything- Even though your work life may change, it is important to keep other parts consistent to avoid stress and keep you on the right path
3. Focus on yourself instead of the job market itself- This will give you more passion and excitement when you go to work
4. The best career for you is the one that makes you happiest and most fulfilled- This uses your favorite skills, favorite subjects, preferred working conditions and working for the preferred salary to achieve your goals.
5. Put time into your choice- The more time and thought you give the better the decision will be for you
6. It is ok to make a mistake if you are young- Most people will have at least three careers and at least eight jobs.
7. Choosing and finding a career in a new field should be a fun task- Don’t let reality get in the way, go out and have fun finding the career you want to have .
8. If you are graduating high school, don’t choose a college degree just because you think it will get you will get a job- It won’t. No degree will guarantee job placement.

This advice will hopefully be able to to help you not have any fear in your first career choice or your first career change,

Week 13- Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Digital Marketing

The holiday season started as it always does, with families celebrating Thanksgiving with each other, giving thanks for all that they are given and will receive. Then comes the business side of the season. Black Friday has come synonymous with the consumerism, in many ways embodying the idea with people rushing to stores to get a holiday deal. If that was not enough, it appears that Cyber Monday may start becoming the best holiday way to shop.

With all the attention being drawn to the holiday shopping season, businesses understand that being ahead of the curve is critical for them to get the most consumers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This has increased the digital ads that have surrounded the companies as more are trying not only to get their customers in the doors on Friday, but for them to use their website on Monday.

Using things such as click advertisements, social media promotions and banner ads, businesses are using the internet to grab more consumer's attention. Social media is filled with updates on the door-busting holiday deals and when the Black Friday season officially starts. The more the consumer knows about the season, the more likely they will come to the business on one of these "holidays". Social media truly plays a significant role in the holiday shopping season.

The deals have begun to flow and the advertisements have become more digitized, giving more information than drawing in the eye. With coupons and deals, the marketing does not have to be the most creative as the ad’s deals will draw in the customer over the advertisements design. In a world where it seems simpler is better, the same goes for digital advertisements during the holiday sales season.