2013年9月22日

10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly

http://m.chronicle.com/article/10-Tips-on-How-to-Write-Less/124268

10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly

By Michael C. Munger September 06, 2010
Brian Taylor
Most academics, including administrators, spend much of our time writing. But we aren't as good at it as we should be. I have never understood why our trade values, but rarely teaches, nonfiction writing.
In my nearly 30 years at universities, I have seen a lot of very talented people fail because they couldn't, or didn't, write. And some much less talented people (I see one in the mirror every morning) have done OK because they learned how to write.
It starts in graduate school. There is a real transformation, approaching an inversion, as people switch from taking courses to writing. Many of the graduate students who were stars in the classroom during the first two years—the people everyone admired and looked up to—suddenly aren't so stellar anymore. And a few of the marginal students—the ones who didn't care that much about pleasing the professors by reading every page of every assignment—are suddenly sending their own papers off to journals, getting published, and transforming themselves into professional scholars.
The difference is not complicated. It's writing.
Rachel Toor and other writers on these pages have talked about how hard it is to write well, and of course that's true. Fortunately, the standards of writing in most disciplines are so low that you don't need to write well. What I have tried to produce below are 10 tips on scholarly nonfiction writing that might help people write less badly.
1. Writing is an exercise. You get better and faster with practice. If you were going to run a marathon a year from now, would you wait for months and then run 26 miles cold? No, you would build up slowly, running most days. You might start on the flats and work up to more demanding and difficult terrain. To become a writer, write. Don't wait for that book manuscript or that monster external-review report to work on your writing.
2. Set goals based on output, not input. "I will work for three hours" is a delusion; "I will type three double-spaced pages" is a goal. After you write three pages, do something else. Prepare for class, teach, go to meetings, whatever. If later in the day you feel like writing some more, great. But if you don't, then at least you wrote something.
3. Find a voice; don't just "get published." James Buchanan won a Nobel in economics in 1986. One of the questions he asks job candidates is: "What are you writing that will be read 10 years from now? What about 100 years from now?" Someone once asked me that question, and it is pretty intimidating. And embarrassing, because most of us don't think that way. We focus on "getting published" as if it had nothing to do with writing about ideas or arguments. Paradoxically, if all you are trying to do is "get published," you may not publish very much. It's easier to write when you're interested in what you're writing about.
4. Give yourself time. Many smart people tell themselves pathetic lies like, "I do my best work at the last minute." Look: It's not true. No one works better under pressure. Sure, you are a smart person. But if you are writing about a profound problem, why would you think that you can make an important contribution off the top of your head in the middle of the night just before the conference?
Writers sit at their desks for hours, wrestling with ideas. They ask questions, talk with other smart people over drinks or dinner, go on long walks. And then write a whole bunch more. Don't worry that what you write is not very good and isn't immediately usable. You get ideas when you write; you don't just write down ideas.
The articles and books that will be read decades from now were written by men and women sitting at a desk and forcing themselves to translate profound ideas into words and then to let those words lead them to even more ideas. Writing can be magic, if you give yourself time, because you can produce in the mind of some other person, distant from you in space or even time, an image of the ideas that exist in only your mind at this one instant.
5. Everyone's unwritten work is brilliant. And the more unwritten it is, the more brilliant it is. We have all met those glib, intimidating graduate students or faculty members. They are at their most dangerous holding a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, in some bar or at an office party. They have all the answers. They can tell you just what they will write about, and how great it will be.
Years pass, and they still have the same pat, 200-word answer to "What are you working on?" It never changes, because they are not actually working on anything, except that one little act.
You, on the other hand, actually are working on something, and it keeps evolving. You don't like the section you just finished, and you are not sure what will happen next. When someone asks, "What are you working on?," you stumble, because it is hard to explain. The smug guy with the beer and the cigarette? He's a poseur and never actually writes anything. So he can practice his pat little answer endlessly, through hundreds of beers and thousands of cigarettes. Don't be fooled: You are the winner here. When you are actually writing, and working as hard as you should be if you want to succeed, you will feel inadequate, stupid, and tired. If you don't feel like that, then you aren't working hard enough.
6. Pick a puzzle. Portray, or even conceive, of your work as an answer to a puzzle. There are many interesting types of puzzles:
  • "X and Y start with same assumptions but reach opposing conclusions. How?"
  • "Here are three problems that all seem different. Surprisingly, all are the same problem, in disguise. I'll tell you why."
  • "Theory predicts [something]. But we observe [something else]. Is the theory wrong, or is there some other factor we have left out?"
Don't stick too closely to those formulas, but they are helpful in presenting your work to an audience, whether that audience is composed of listeners at a lecture or readers of an article.
7. Write, then squeeze the other things in. Put your writing ahead of your other work. I happen to be a "morning person," so I write early in the day. Then I spend the rest of my day teaching, having meetings, or doing paperwork. You may be a "night person" or something in between. Just make sure you get in the habit of reserving your most productive time for writing. Don't do it as an afterthought or tell yourself you will write when you get a big block of time. Squeeze the other things in; the writing comes first.
8. Not all of your thoughts are profound. Many people get frustrated because they can't get an analytical purchase on the big questions that interest them. Then they don't write at all. So start small. The wonderful thing is that you may find that you have traveled quite a long way up a mountain, just by keeping your head down and putting one writing foot ahead of the other for a long time. It is hard to refine your questions, define your terms precisely, or know just how your argument will work until you have actually written it all down.
9. Your most profound thoughts are often wrong. Or, at least, they are not completely correct. Precision in asking your question, or posing your puzzle, will not come easily if the question is hard.
I always laugh to myself when new graduate students think they know what they want to work on and what they will write about for their dissertations. Nearly all of the best scholars are profoundly changed by their experiences in doing research and writing about it. They learn by doing, and sometimes what they learn is that they were wrong.
10. Edit your work, over and over. Have other people look at it. One of the great advantages of academe is that we are mostly all in this together, and we all know the terrors of that blinking cursor on a blank background. Exchange papers with peers or a mentor, and when you are sick of your own writing, reciprocate by reading their work. You need to get over a fear of criticism or rejection. Nobody's first drafts are good. The difference between a successful scholar and a failure need not be better writing. It is often more editing.
If you have trouble writing, then you just haven't written enough. Writing lots of pages has always been pretty easy for me. I could never get a job being only a writer, though, because I still don't write well. But by thinking about these tips, and trying to follow them myself, I have gotten to the point where I can make writing work for me and my career.
Michael C. Munger is chairman of political science at Duke University, a position he has held since 2000.
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2013年9月17日

The Habits Of Supremely Happy People

from :http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/16/happiness-habits-of-exuberant-human-beings_n_3909772.html

Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, theorizes that while 60 percent of happiness is determined by our genetics and environment, the remaining 40 percent is up to us.
In his 2004 Ted Talk, Seligman describes three different kinds of happy lives: The pleasant life, in which you fill your life with as many pleasures as you can, the life of engagement, where you find a life in your work, parenting, love and leisure and the meaningful life, which "consists of knowing what your highest strengths are, and using them to belong to and in the service of something larger than you are."
After exploring what accounts for ultimate satisfaction, Seligman says he was surprised. The pursuit of pleasure, research determined, has hardly any contribution to a lasting fulfillment. Instead, pleasure is "the whipped cream and the cherry" that adds a certain sweetness to satisfactory lives founded by the simultaneous pursuit of meaning and engagement.
And while it might sound like a big feat to to tackle great concepts like meaning and engagement (pleasure sounded much more doable), happy people have habits you can introduce into your everyday life that may add to the bigger picture of bliss. Joyful folk have certain inclinations that add to their pursuit of meaning -- and motivate them along the way.

They surround themselves with other happy people.
cosby show
Joy is contagious. Researchers of the Framingham Hear Study who investigated the spread of happiness over 20 years found that those who are surrounded by happy people “are more likely to become happy in the future.” This is reason enough to dump the Debbie Downers and spend more time with uplifting people.
They smile when they mean it.
Even if you’re not feeling so chipper, cultivating a happy thought -- and then smiling about it -- could up your happiness levels and make you more productive, according to a study published in the Academy of Management Journal. It’s important to be genuine with your grin: The study revealed that faking a smile while experiencing negative emotions could actually worsen your mood.
They cultivate resilience.
penny heads up
According to psychologist Peter Kramer, resilience, not happiness, is the opposite of depression: Happy people know how to bounce back from failure. Resilience is like a padding for the inevitable hardship human beings are bound to face. As the Japanese proverb goes, “Fall seven times and stand up eight.”
They try to be happy.
Yep -- it’s as simple as it sounds: just trying to be happy can boost your emotional well-being, according to two studies recently published in The Journal of Positive Psychology. Those who actively tried to feel happier in the studies reported the highest level of positive moods, making a case for thinking yourself happy.
They are mindful of the good.
It’s important to celebrate great, hard-earned accomplishments, but happy people give attention to their smaller victories, too. “When we take time to notice the things that go right -- it means we’re getting a lot of little rewards throughout the day,” Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D. told The Huffington Post in May. “That can help with our moods.” And, as Frank Ghinassi, Ph.D. explains, being mindful of the things that do go your way (even something as simple as the barista getting your coffee order right) can make you feel a greater sense of accomplishment throughout the day.
They appreciate simple pleasures.

A meticulously swirled ice cream cone. An boundlessly waggy dog. Happy people take the time to appreciate these easy-to-come-by pleasures. Finding meaning in the little things, and practicing gratitude for all that you do have is associated with a sense of overall gladness.
They devote some of their time to giving.
Even though there are only 24 hours in a day, positive people fill some of that time doing good for others, which in return, does some good for the do-gooders themselves. A long-term research project called Americans’ Changing Lives found a bevy of benefits associated with altruism: “Volunteer work was good for both mental and physical health. People of all ages who volunteered were happier and experienced better physical health and less depression,” reported Peggy Thoits, the leader of one of the studies.
Givers also experience what researchers call “the helper’s high,” a euphoric state experienced by those engaged in charitable acts. “This is probably a literal “high,” similar to a drug-induced high,” writes Christine L. Carter, Ph.D. “The act of making a financial donation triggers the reward center in our brains that is responsible for dopamine-mediated euphoria.”
They let themselves lose track of time. (And sometimes they can’t help it.)
doodling
When you’re immersed in an activity that is simultaneously challenging, invigorating and meaningful, you experience a joyful state called “flow.” Happy people seek this sensation of getting “caught up” or “carried away,” which diminishes self-consciousness and promotes the feelings associated with success. As explained by Pursuit-of-happiness.org, “In order for a Flow state to occur, you must see the activity as voluntary, enjoyable (intrinsically motivating), and it must require skill and be challenging (but not too challenging) with clear goals towards success.”
They nix the small talk for deeper conversation.
Nothing wrong with shootin' the you-know-what every now and then, but sitting down to talk about what makes you tick is a prime practice for feeling good about life. A study published in Psychological Science found that those who take part in more substantive conversation and less trivial chit chat experienced more feelings of satisfaction.
"I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings," is one of the top five regrets of the dying -- a sentiment that hints at the fact that people wish they'd spent less time talking about the weather and more time delving into what it is that makes their heart swell.
They spend money on other people.
monty hall
Maybe money does buy happiness. A study published in Science found that spending money on other people has a more direct impact on happiness than spending money on oneself.
They make a point to listen.
"When you listen you open up your ability to take in more knowledge versus blocking the world with your words or your distracting thoughts," writes David Mezzapelle, author of Contagious Optimism. "You are also demonstrating confidence and respect for others. Knowledge and confidence is proof that you are secure and positive with yourself thus radiating positive energy." Good listening is a skill that strengthens relationships and leads to more satisfying experiences. A good listener may walk away from a conversation feeling as if their presence served a purpose, an experience that is closely connected with increased well-being.
They uphold in-person connections.
It’s quick and convenient to text, FaceTime and tweet at your buddies. But spending the money on a flight to see your favorite person across the country has weight when it comes to your well-being. "There's a deep need to have a sense of belonging that comes with having personal interactions with friends," says John Cacioppo, Ph.D., the director of the Center of Cognitive and Social Neuroscience at the University of Chicago. Social media, while it keeps us in touch, doesn't allow us to physically touch, which harvests the warm-and-fuzzies and even decreases feelings of anxiety.
They look on the bright side.

Optimism touts plenty of health benefits, including less stress, a better tolerance for pain and, as HuffPost Healthy Living recently reported, longevity among those with heart disease. When you choose to see the silver lining, you're also choosing health and happiness.
Seligman summed up perhaps the greatest characteristic of the optimist in one of his most acclaimed books, Learned Optimism:
The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events will last a long time, will undermine everything they do, and are their own fault. The optimists, who are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world, think about misfortune in the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this one case. The optimists believe defeat is not their fault: Circumstances, bad luck, or other people brought it about. Such people are unfazed by defeat. Confronted by a bad situation, they perceive it as a challenge and try harder.
They value a good mixtape.
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Music is powerful. So powerful, in fact, that it could match up to the anxiety-reducing effects of massage therapy. Over a three month period, researchers from the Group Health Research Institute found that patients who simply listened to music had the same decreased anxiety symptoms as those who got 10 hour-long massages. Choosing the right tunes could be an important factor, however, as a happy or sad song can also affect the way we perceive the world. In one experiment where researchers asked subjects to identify happy or sad faces while listening to music, the participants were more likely to see the faces that matched the "mood" of the music. Click here for a few of our favorite mood-boosting jams.

They unplug.
Whether by meditating, taking a few deep breaths away from the screen or deliberately disconnecting from electronics, unplugging from our hyper-connected world has proven advantages when it comes to happiness. Talking on your cell could increase your blood pressure and raise your stress levels, while uninterrupted screen time has been linked to depression and fatigue. Technology isn't going away, but partaking in some kind of a digital detox gives your brain the opportunity to recharge and recover, which -- bonus -- could increase your resilience.
They get spiritual.
sun salutation
Studies point to a link between religious and spiritual practice and mirth. For one, happiness habits like expressing gratitude, compassion and charity are generally promoted in most spiritual conventions. And, asking the big questions helps to give our lives context and meaning. A 2009 study found that children who felt their lives had a purpose (which was promoted by a spiritual connection) were happier.
Spirituality offers what the 20th-century sociologist Emilie Durkheim referred to as "sacred time," which is a built-in, unplugging ritual that elicits moments of reflection and calm. As Ellen L. Idler, Ph.D., writes in "The Psychological and Physical Benefits of Spiritual/Religious Practices,":
The experience of sacred time provides a time apart from the “profane time” that we live most of our lives in. A daily period of meditation, a weekly practice of lighting Sabbath candles, or attending worship services, or an annual retreat in an isolated, quiet place of solitude all of these are examples of setting time apart from the rush of our everyday lives. Periods of rest and respite from work and the demands of daily life serve to reduce stress, a fundamental cause of chronic diseases that is still the primary causes of death in Western society. Transcendent spiritual and religious experiences have a positive, healing, restorative effect, especially if they are “built in,” so to speak, to one’s daily, weekly, seasonal, and annual cycles of living

They make exercise a priority.
A wise, albeit fictional Harvard Law School student once said, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy." Exercise has been shown to ease symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, thanks to the the various brain chemicals that are released that amplify feelings of happiness and relaxation. Plus, working out makes us appreciate our bodies more. One study published in the Journal of Health Psychology found that exercise improved how people felt about their bodies -- even if they didn’t lose weight or achieve noticeable improvements.
They go outside.
Want to feel alive? Just a 20-minute dose of fresh air promotes a sense of vitality, according to several studies published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. "Nature is fuel for the soul, " says Richard Ryan, Ph.D, the lead author of the studies. "Often when we feel depleted we reach for a cup of coffee, but research suggests a better way to get energized is to connect with nature." And while most of us like our coffee hot, we may prefer our serving of the great outdoors at a more lukewarm temperature: A study on weather and individual happiness unveiled 57 degrees to be the optimal temperature for optimal happiness.
They spend some time on the pillow.
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Waking up on the wrong side of the bed isn't just a myth. When you're running low on zzs, you're prone to experience lack of clarity, bad moods and poor judgment. "A good night's sleep can really help a moody person decrease their anxiety," Dr. Raymonde Jean, director of sleep medicine and associate director of critical care at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center told Health.com. "You get more emotional stability with good sleep."
They LOL.
You've heard it before: Laughter is the best medicine. In the case of The Blues, this may hold some truth. A good, old-fashioned chuckle releases happy brain chemicals that, other than providing the exuberant buzz we seek, make humans better equipped to tolerate both pain and stress.
And you might be able to get away with counting a joke-swapping session as a workout (maybe). "The body's response to repetitive laughter is similar to the effect of repetitive exercise," explained Dr. Lee Berk, the lead researcher of a 2010 study focused on laughter's effects on the body. The same study found that some of the benefits associated with working out, like a healthy immune system, controlled appetite and improved cholesterol can also be achieved through laughter.

They walk the walk.

Ever notice your joyful friends have a certain spring in the step? It's all about the stride, according to research conducted by Sara Snodgrass, a psychologist from Florida Atlantic University.
In the experiment, Snodgrass asked participants to take a three-minute walk. Half of the walkers were told to take long strides while swinging their arms and holding their heads high. These walkers reported feeling happier after the stroll than the other group, who took short, shuffled steps as they watched their feet.
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2013年8月27日

葉丙成：修課如遊戲？台大電機這麼教！

from: http://pcyeh.blog.ntu.edu.tw/2013/01/10/%E4%BF%AE%E8%AA%B2%E5%A6%82%E9%81%8A%E6%88%B2%EF%BC%9F%E8%87%BA%E5%A4%A7%E9%9B%BB%E6%A9%9F%E9%80%99%E9%BA%BC%E6%95%99%EF%BC%81/

恩師的啟蒙

記得在二十三年前，我是建中小高一。剛開學時，聽說教我們數學的是邱顯義老師。在當時數學課本還是由國立編譯館的委員們編的。委員多是大學教授，邱老師是當中極少數的高中老師。能被如此名師教到，大家在第一堂數學課前都極其興奮、殷殷期待。
終於，第一堂數學課了。理著平頭不苟言笑的邱老師一進教室，同學都靜下來了。大家超想知道這位名師會怎麼教我們。沒想到老師的第一句話，就把我們都嚇到了。老師說：「我，不講課的。」大家都以為老師在開玩笑。莫非不苟言笑的他是冷面笑匠？老師又說了：「我不講課，上課只讓你們問問題。你們今天回去念第一章頭兩節。」
小高一們依然認為老師在開玩笑，臉上都是嬉笑的表情。但是隔天第二次上課，老師一上台就問：「大家對於這兩節有什麼問題？」想當然耳，沒人舉手。老師就這麼站在台上不講話，整整一節課。下課前老師又指定我們回家念的進度。第三次上課時，老師再次要大家問問題，依然沒人舉手。老師這時大概也受不了，就說：「你們都沒問題，那就換我問。問了答不出來的，就站到下課。」他開始一個個點名問，每個人都答不出來罰站了一整節課。這堂課之後，大家發現這傢伙是玩真的！為了不想被罰站，回家莫不好好念，上課踴躍發問。我是其中最積極發問的，也因此得到老師很多的指導跟啟發。
過了一兩個月開家長會，我母親回家說家長會砲聲隆隆。每位爸媽都在痛罵怎麼會有老師不教課的？到底在搞什麼？不過邱老師依然堅守自己原則，沒有一絲改變。說也奇怪，班上的數學段考成績都是全校第一、第二。後來這位不教課的老師，非常受我們的愛戴。老師在我們高二的時候退休，我提議訂製大型匾額送給老師。在老師最後一堂課，我跟同學把「杏壇清流」的大匾額抬出來送給老師。老師當時紅著眼眶的硬漢形象，至今歷歷在目。
困惑與蛻變
十二年後，我在密西根大學念博士當助教，開始了我的教學生涯。隨著之後在密大擔任講師、回台大電機系教書，時間匆匆的就過了十年。在這十年當中，我的教書理念所追求的是「把課講述的很清楚，讓學生聽得很有趣。」我一直在這樣的路上前進，在教學上也得到相當的快樂，在2010年也僥倖的拿到了教學傑出獎。但我常問自己，教書十年之後，我在教學上是否該有新的追求？
得獎後沒多久某天在上課的時候，我依然使盡渾身解數。大多數的同學都認真聽，可是還是有人打瞌睡。這給我很大的刺激。我回去一直想著，如果老師把課講的清楚有趣，可是還是有人不想聽。作為一個老師，是該安慰自己總是有人沒動機學習，笑笑就算了；還是該想辦法來改變這樣的狀況？
這個問題，讓我輾轉整夜難眠，忽而想起高中時的邱老師。老師當時也不講課，不苟言笑也不有趣，可是為什麼他讓我們那麼懷念？為什麼他能讓我們很多人都有學習的動機？想到高中恩師，心裡逐漸清楚接下來我該追求的是什麼。在教書十年之後，我的新理念，是要讓每位學生都能有學習動機！
設計與實踐
新的教學理念成形之後，這時候剛好開始要準備下個學期要教的電機系必修課「機率與統計」。該如何讓學生有學習動機呢？看著電視一堆XX online的線上遊戲廣告，我突然有了一個念頭：如果我把課程變成線上遊戲，那學生是不是就會比較有學習動機？現今的年輕世代，國外稱之為「數位世代」。這個世代的年輕人，遊戲已經變成是每個人生活的一部分。如果我能把課程跟遊戲結合的話，那他們應會更有學習動機。有了這個想法之後，我開始打造我們的線上遊戲網站。這當中多虧了我的研究生姜哲雄的幫忙，因此我取了我們兩人英文名字的首字母，將之命名為：BJ-Online！
BJ-Online 的遊戲，主要是建構在課程作業之上。有很多台大同學，習慣每學期修很多學分。在同時間應付很多課程時，學習方法往往會走偏（我曾針對這部份寫過一篇文章「回想我過去不堪回首的學習方式」，請參閱：http://goo.gl/C85CJ ）。很多時候，作業不見得有時間好好寫。同學常會看作業的式子，再去比對是課本哪邊出來的，然後就只片段的看那部分後寫作業。另外也會有人參考坊間賣的習題解答。為了改變這些流弊，我的設計是：「我不出作業，讓學生自己出作業！」
上課的時候我教同學該怎麼設計題目。我教他們怎麼從課本中找到重要的元素後，如何將他們結合成一個好題目，再用文字把這些元素隱藏其中成為一個好的應用問題（題外話：很多台大學生很會證明，但是不大會處理應用題。因此我認為要讓大家多做應用題，以後做研究才能真正解決問題）。在教會他們出題之後，我把學生分成三人一組。每次教完一章後，就給大家三天的時間出題目。之後每組上傳自己設計的題目跟解答到BJ-Online。 為了避免出題組的題目或答案有瑕疵，我們的系統會在每組上傳自己設計的題目跟答案時，即時挑選其他三個組來review題目跟答案的正確性。唯有三組都accept的題目才能放上線，有任何一組reject的話，出題組都應該回去針對缺失revise題目後再上傳。這樣的設計，讓有瑕疵的題目數量，大幅減少。
出完題目之後，我們有一週的時間讓各組去攻破別人的題目。我們的系統會即時的讓大家看到各組攻破哪些組的戰況，如圖一所示。當同學看到別組陸陸續續攻破很多組題目時，他們就會有迫切感要趕快開始做作業。攻破越多題目，分數就會越高。在我們的地圖上就會跑的越快，領先別人越多，如圖二所示。
給學生出題，最大的困難在於老師跟助教怎麼批改這些學生設計的題目？我們設計了一個方式可以讓老師和助教們很輕鬆的處理批改的工作。每次當某組同學攻破一題並完成上傳答案的時候，BJ-Online系統會給他們看出題組的答案，看完後批改自己對或錯。另外系統也會即時通知出題組來批改對或錯。當攻題組跟出題組都覺得攻題組的答案是對的，或是都覺得是錯的時候，這時批改結果是沒有爭議的。只有在攻題組自覺是對而出題組認為是錯的時候，助教才需要出來仲裁爭議。依據過往的經驗，每次作業出現需要仲裁的情況相當少。因此批改的工作是相當的輕鬆的。
但是這樣的遊戲，最怕的是同學之間互相交換各組答案作弊。這該怎麼防止呢？我苦思許久，設計了一個算分的方法：每一題一千分，由解對的各組平分。我在上課的時候，跟同學說：「老師教你們怎麼作弊！」。我告訴他們，以第一組同學為例，他們可以拿他們解出來的三題，去跟第二組交換另外其他三題的答案。拿到第二組所解出的三題之後，第一組可以再拿第二組辛苦解出的那三題，分別去跟第三組、第四組、…去交換收集其他題目的答案。結果到最後，第一組拿了第二組解出來的那三題，去跟別人交易到了所有的題目答案。可是第二組他們辛苦解出來的那三題，卻因為很多組都有答案，而嚴重貶值。同學聽我說了，眼睛都睜大了！最後我問他們一句：「你們，真的都能相信你們的同學嗎？」

圖1：BJ-Online 即時戰報
圖2：BJ-Online 成績地圖
以賽局理論來說，這樣的遊戲只有兩個穩態，大家都不作弊跟大家都作弊。不過因為我刻意的告訴他們這樣的作弊方法。在大家都知道別人也知道可以這樣作弊的時候，大家反而會因為不敢相信別人而不敢作弊了。透過這樣的恐怖平衡，我們的賽局，就落在大家不作弊的穩態上！作弊的問題，就此解決了！
除了作業算分的特殊設計外，我們為了獎勵大家設計好的題目，我們系統還有投票功能讓大家票選設計最好的題目。故意刁難人的題目通常都不會受到青睞。被票選最高票的組，會得到數百分的獎勵。而投給設計最好的題目的這些組，也有樂透彩的方式讓他們得到額外的加分，獎勵他們對於題目的「好品味」。另外上課抽問也可透過BJ-Online隨機選組的功能來選人回答問題（這想法源自資工系林守德教授上課抽問同學的設計），答對的人也可以得到BJ-Online的獎勵分數。我還記得第一年用BJ-Online上課抽問同學時，有同學因為我按的太快，本來選到他們又跳過了變別組。他們因為沒被抽問到而跟我抱怨。居然有同學跟我抱怨上課抽問沒抽到他們！我聽了真是太高興了！
成果與分享
透過這個遊戲，學生的學習動機提昇了。除了遊戲本身的趣味性跟競爭性之外，傳統課程老師出題、批改的權力下放給學生，也是讓他們會提昇動機的主要原因之一。這跟現在素人節目「American Idols」、「星光大道」走紅的的原因是一樣的。以學生為主體的學習，會讓他們更有興趣與動機，這也就是我常說的「素人教學」。
另外因為分組的關係，同組的同學如果有人擺爛會影響整組的戰績。因此，同學們會互相提攜。也因此在使用了這個系統後，考試成績很明顯的標準差變小了，平均成績也提昇了。同學對於題目的品味也提昇了。圖三是我們林鼎棋、魏振宇、黃俊衡三位同學設計的題目。一個機率的題目可以把蘇格拉底跟柏拉圖對愛情的看法入題，這是多麼的令人驚艷！
另外其他同學設計的題目也都是超級有趣。每次作業出題期限到的時候（通常是半夜三點），我半夜在床上檢閱同學上傳的題目，動不動就狂笑不止。被我吵醒的太太，常常覺得我半夜不睡亂笑一通像個瘋子。這點流弊倒是我當初沒想過的。經過兩年，我們已經累積了兩百多題的經典機率題目。我跟同學說我們要來出版一本「台大電機機率銘題一百」。我很有信心出版後，大家一定會對同學們的創意設計激賞不已！
在過去兩年，我曾陸續將我的設計與電機系、數學系、物理系的老師分享， 目前也有老師用在他們自己的課程中。 我也曾與國外老師分享。美國萊斯大學電機系的Sabharwal教授就應用了我的設計在他的消息理論課程中。隔個學期，他很興奮的告訴我：「It was a big hit!」。有些老師的課可能不適合由學生出題，老師也可以改變方式，鼓勵學生自己從不同的教科書中找出他們覺得最好的題目，做出解答後上傳到系統給其他組做。我試過這種方式，結果同學們非常認真的遍覽群藉找好題目，效果很不錯！
為了讓其他老師可以方便使用，目前BJ-Onilne系統的設計是採取開放式的。如果台大老師有興趣使用這樣的系統，可以讓我知道。只要系統可以負荷的話，我很歡迎大家使用BJ-Online將自己的課程遊戲化。能夠幫助更多老師讓學生更有學習動機，這是我的夢想！
圖3：林鼎棋、魏振宇、黃俊衡3位同學機率題目設計成果
感動與感謝
在上個學期接近期末考週的時候，我在臉書看到一位同學所寫的動態。他說：「電子學快要考了，還有好多沒有念完，可是還是忍不住上去BJ-Online又多解了兩題機率。」
我看了這個臉書的動態，真是感動到眼淚快掉下來。 真的有同學像沉迷線上遊戲似的沉迷在機率課的學習！目前我們正在撰寫論文要投稿國際工程教育期刊，同時也在設計更多的遊戲特色，希望能讓同學覺得更好玩、更有趣。
回首這一切，都源自於我高中時碰到的那位極不平凡的老師。他即使不講課，也能讓我們學的好。是他啟發了我，在講課之外追尋更多的教學可能性。
邱顯義老師，謝謝您！
張貼者： 於 沒有留言:

你為了什麼寫Code呢???

轉貼於http://studyhost.blogspot.tw/2013/08/code.html

你為了什麼寫Code呢???

在網路上看到一個小朋友提到最近看到一篇文章，講到的程式設計師的薪資。這位寫PHP的同學，發現自己可能領到的薪資相較於用其他技術的開發人員低，比較起來是倒數的，有些忿忿不平。

原始文章在這裡:
http://www.inside.com.tw/2013/08/23/average-income-per-programming-language

姑且不管上面這篇寫的到底對不對、這樣的統計數據有沒有道理，其實...我想說的完全是另一件事情。我想談談為何軟體業不賺錢，以及程式設計師的薪資問題。或者這麼說吧，你真心想在這個行業繼續奮鬥，卻又真的覺得自己薪水不夠想要高一些...OK，那你可以繼續看下去。

在台灣，在今天這個時代，若你只『專注於』寫程式，是不太可能賺到大錢的。可以溫飽、可以糊口、也可以集畢身積蓄買台重機...這都OK，但若你想買台北市的房子、或買買BMW、Benz玩玩，那可能就輪不到你了。年輕的時候，你也許會覺得無所謂，但到了一定的年紀之後(30,35歲)，你會慢慢發現這似乎怎麼有點不太對...

也就是說，我們在研討會上跟大家說，寫程式要有愛，學技術要有愛，不然撐不久，這不是說著玩的，是認真的...老師在台上講、沒睡著的，就應當聽。

這一路以來，我們沒有轉行，不是因為覺得這行業可以幫我們賺到大錢、或是因為手上掌握了哪種關鍵的應用技術、還是在台上很風光、可以享受學員崇拜的眼神，或是在案子裡面可以呼風喚雨...從來都不是(因為都沒有)。

這一路以來，我們沒有轉行，是因為我們習慣了看世界的時候，用的是與世人不同的另一種角度；我們習慣了看到問題，就思考著如何可以第一時間找出答案；我們習慣了出現新的技術時，以朝聖的心情蒐集、整理、比較、分析、再消化吸收；我們習慣了會心這小小的社群裡面的人，才能理解的幽默。當然，碰到一些IT或3C阿宅希望我們幫忙解決一些電腦問題時，偶而也享受著這些不明就裡的外人，剎那間完全搞錯對象也搞錯方向的崇拜。(有統計指出，幾乎每一個Developer，都幫女生修過電腦...)

但為了賺大錢? 很抱歉，一直都不是，也從來沒機會。

我也曾經也有著不明白的時候，要知道，一個商業Developer的養成其實相當不容易。除了，必需學習的技術少說也數十種，大多數Developers在養成過程中，看過的專業書籍數以百計，而技術的變化或更新的速度我敢說是全球各種行業之冠，能夠在這樣的壓力下活下來的，就算不是把自己搞得拋家棄子，大概也是在年輕的時候肯定有過一段不為人知的苦讀歲月。這世界偶而會把不學無術的宅男跟Developer聯想在一起，但其實，這等級根本不可同日而語。

要知道，Developers，外表服裝看起來就算有點宅，但其實也深具內涵。不夠聰明的，絕對不可能成為優秀的Developer。沒有經歷過跟鍵盤螢幕奮戰的歲月，沒有閱讀過上百本專業書籍，是不可能成就一個專業Developer的。

既然要成為Developer那麼難，照這麼說，這個行業中的佼佼者一定都很賺囉???
NOT AT ALL! 應該說...一丁點都沒有!

前面說過，我以前也很不明白為什麼，但隨著年紀稍長，慢慢可以理出一些頭緒。

首先，你必須承認，大多數的Developer都不太喜歡賺錢，所以沒錢是挺有道理的。我小時候的管理學老師跟我說，你要先愛錢，才能賺到錢，我年輕的時候覺得這聽起來好市儈，但現在我明白了。

因為Developer愛技術，不愛錢。

這麼說吧，如果你跟Developer說，深夜一點半有一個30分鐘的線上英文轉播，由財經大師告訴你全球股市未來的趨勢，並且傳授你準確的投資標的與方向，我跟你打賭大部分的Developer的腦袋裡根本會忘記這件事情，更不用說晚上還爬起來看了。

但是，如果這是一場北美最新的技術研討會呢? 或是最新款手機新功能的發表會呢? 就完全不一樣了，不需要提醒，不用吆喝邀約，我不只一次在FB、Lync、Skype上和社群的朋友們一起準時地從家裡連線，收看即時現場的技術發表會轉播，即便在晚上一兩點，Developer還是能從床上爬起來看...這是熱情，是愛! 不是嗎? 除了 王建民 或 林書豪，還有誰能讓developer這樣呢?

以前我老闆說過一句名言，『別跟我說你很忙，你永遠有足夠的時間花在你熱愛的事物上』。所以我說，Developers愛技術，不愛錢。

而我那睿智的老闆，隨後又說了一句更重要的話：『你的時間在哪裡，你的成就就在哪裡。』Developer不花時間想想怎麼賺錢，怎麼會有錢呢?

但如果因為這樣，Developers注定就窮，倒也不是。因為你總是會找到那些年紀輕輕就賺了一大筆錢退休的年輕小夥子的創業例子，或是在某一家公司領了不少股票的資訊高手，不過你有沒有發現，這些故事，大多都不會發生在我們寶島台灣?

所以議題就轉變成了，為什麽台灣的Developer賺不到錢? 小時候我也不太懂，但隨著角色的轉變，我慢慢接受了，原因其實也很簡單。

你要知道，經濟學告訴我們，所有的獲利都建築在需求上。而需求的強弱，決定了 客戶付錢的可能性、付錢的乾脆程度、以及金額的多寡。客戶付錢的多寡則決定了你所在(或你所擁有)的公司的獲利，而你公司的獲利決定了你的(員工的)薪資。

我搞了大半輩子技術，才慢慢明白(接受)，不是因為你很強，就表示你會有很高的薪水，這根本是兩碼子事。薪資其實跟你所在的公司、你所在的地點、你所在的國家，有著密不可分的關係。

記得，所謂的薪資，是你公司所能(所願意)把你留下來的最低成本。這個金額的高低，取決於:
1.你所在的公司賺不賺錢
2.你的市場競爭力好不好(你敢不敢離職)

你的公司越賺錢，你的公司就會越願意(越能夠負擔、也越有可能)花更多的錢把你留下，這樣，你的薪資相對而言就會比較高一些，如果你的公司不賺錢，即便你很優秀，你要加薪的機會也就低了。

而從你的角度來說，是相對的狀況，你越有市場價值、競爭力越高、跳槽到隔壁公司可以多談個一兩萬，你的薪資當然就高了，如果你不敢離職，不願意出去闖，不敢拚拚看，當然就維持原本的薪資好幾年不動。要知道現在不是很景氣，軟體業又是個弱需求，公司沒事幹嘛幫你加薪呢? (記得，所謂的薪資，是你公司所能把你留下來的最低成本。)

說到弱需求，可能很多技術人員不願意承認，但事實就是，很多軟體並非企業迫切需要的。甚至很多軟體根本是我們催眠企業，硬告訴他你有這個需要的。對於企業(或人)來說，沒有這個就不行的，這是強需求，沒有這個也不會怎樣的，就是弱需求。OK，那，這麼說吧，你寫過幾套軟體，是企業沒有用它就會倒閉的呢? 我看大多數人沒有。

所有的軟體廣告，大多都只會說，用了某軟體會提高企業競爭力(但誰算過有多少?) 或是用了可以降低成本(真的???) 或是用了這套軟體可以節省人力(但省下來的人要幹嘛呢? fire掉?) 總之，導入軟體所需要的成本先不說，導入後能不能有成效，其實還是個未知數，也因此，軟體在不景氣的時代，很明確的是個弱需求，弱爆了，比加了色素香料的麵包還要弱。(你可能會看到商業期刊上某些歌頌著某種軟體幫企業如何如何賺錢的...那肯定是行銷廣告無誤)

不能說全部，但大部分的軟體，都是弱需求。再加上，台灣是中小企業較多的狀況，所以軟體的需求相形之下就更弱，因為使用軟體的企業本身規模越小，就越難看到軟體的價值。導致開發軟體的專案公司在台灣削價競爭以求苟活，幾乎是沒有辦法的事情。這樣我們就不難理解，為何台灣的軟體業不容易賺錢。(所以也不難理解，為何Developers你的薪水並不高)。

請記得，如果你的公司不賺錢，你就不會賺錢。如果你公司的客戶不賺錢，你公司就不會賺錢。這樣，你明白了嗎? 你能力強不強，跟你會不會賺錢，有關，但不是只有這件事情有關。即便你是一個優秀的Developer，決定你賺不賺錢的因素還有很多，你選擇了哪一家公司，是一個最基本的重點。

想通了嗎? 你用什麽技術決定(暗示)了你們公司的客戶是誰 → 你們公司的客戶是誰決定了你們公司賺不賺錢 → 你們公司賺不賺錢決定了你的薪水高低 ... 這中間，其實大致上與你個人的強弱無關。

你說，可是我能選擇的公司不多耶，都是公司選我...那請你看完這篇文章，立刻跟我(或其他教育訓練中心)聯絡，我覺得你應該迫切需要進修。

如果你是Developer，又想賺錢，就把你的能力(特別是英文能力)培養好，然後(請注意這是重點)，去找一家能夠付得起你高薪又會賺錢的公司，先擠進去，接著去證明你自己值得待在那裏。但...如果台灣沒有適合自己的呢?

前面說過，你的薪資跟你所在的公司、地區、國家...都有關。坦白說，我一直在台灣寫Code真的是因為這是我的興趣，而且我對這塊地有依戀。然而如果developer一心想賺大錢，學好語文，試著離開台灣出去走走，到新加坡、香港、美國、或中國，都可能會有更多的可能性或機會。也因此，到頭來，這其實是ㄧ種取捨...

在寫這篇文的同時，網路上傳來了Ballmer準備退休的消息，微軟因為他的準備退休，股票大漲了超過6%，有趣的是，新聞網站推估Ballmer自己可以因為這樣大賺，以鮑默持有3.3億股微軟股票計算，他瞬間增加8億美元（240億台幣）財富。

Develoeprs!Develoeprs!Develoeprs! 其實用喊的比你用當的來得賺!

王文華講過一句話：幸福像是自由，有些人是與生俱來的，有些人則要拚了命流血爭取.....我想，財富也是...

Developers與其想著錢途，不如去愛上你的Code。
但如果...不愛了呢? (下回再說)
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2013年8月20日

肺腑之言


人和人相遇靠的是一點緣分，人和人相處靠的是一點誠意，人和人相交靠的是一顆真心。
歲月需要回憶，朋友需要相聚；緣分需要偶遇，生命需要延續；該來就來該去就去，無所謂燈紅酒綠。
快樂總與寬厚的人相伴，財富總與誠信的人相伴，智慧總與高尚的人相伴，魅力總與幽默的人相伴。
得不到的永遠是最好的，看不清的永遠是美麗的，夢想中的永遠是完美無缺的，
希望越多失望越多，往事只能留著慢慢的回味，人總要生活在現實中，不是嗎？
淡淡的來、淡淡的去、淡淡的相處，給人以寧靜 予己以清幽；
靜靜的來、靜靜的去、靜靜的守望，給人以寬鬆 予己以從容。
走近心靈能傾聽心靈的跳動，走近情感能感覺情感的熾熱，
走近尊嚴能體驗尊嚴的高貴，走近寬容能認知寬容的博大。
體諒是一縷清風，微笑是一份禮物，理解是一座橋樑，讚賞是一束鮮花。
紅塵看破了，不過是浮沉；生命看破了，不過是無常；愛情看破了，不過是聚散。
學會用理解的欣賞的眼光去看對方，而不是以自以為是的關心去管對方。
別把自己看得過高，世界不會因你而改變；別把自己看得過低，你的世界因你而精彩。
微笑是種放鬆，微笑是種心情，微笑是種境界，微笑是種寬容，微笑是種人生。
人生無須驚天動地，快樂就好；友誼無須甜言蜜語，想著就好；
金錢無須車載斗量，夠用就好；朋友無須遍及天下，有你就好。
思維 思辯 思考之真；道德 道理 道義之善；文明 文化 文采之美。
有煩惱才知道什麼是快樂，有痛苦才懂得什麼是幸福，有失才能有所得。
該珍惜的好好去珍惜，該放棄的毅然放棄掉，既然痛苦無法避免，就讓我們笑對人生吧！
逃避不一定躲得過，放棄不一定最難受；懂得放棄的人找到快樂，懂得真誠的人找到朋友。
你要是心情愉快，健康就會常在；你要是心境開朗，眼前就會一片明亮；
你要是經常知足，就會感到幸福；你要是不計較名利，就會感到一切如意。
讀書，追求心靈的寧靜；練筆，記錄生活的美景；彈琴，感受音樂的意境；上網，享受現代的文明。
無論時光如何綿延，讓真情永遠；無論世事如何變遷，讓寬容永遠；
無論咫尺還是天邊，讓美好永遠；無論快樂還是憂傷，讓祝福永遠。
年輪——一葉小舟無岸；網路——汪洋大海一片；尋覓——天地之大無邊；
朋友——相識相知有緣；誠實——展現網路浪漫；知己——以誠相待永遠。
做人單純點，做事盡力點；思慮簡約點，所求稀少點；待人平和點，最後謙虛點。
人生最大的錯誤是用健康換取身外之物，人生最大的悲哀是用生命換取個人的煩惱；
人生最大的浪費是用生命解決自己製造的麻煩。所以，屋寬不如心寬，身安不如心安！
月光很美，比不上朋友的安慰，星星很美，比不上友情的點綴，夜色很美，比不上友誼的珍貴。
人生如夢、歲月匆匆、人活一世、草木一朽，人活一種心情；
成也好、敗也好、愛也好、恨也好、富也好、貧也好，始終是過眼雲煙。
只有珍惜現在所擁有的、珍愛自己所得到的，在自己開心的同時把快樂帶給朋友！
音樂是心情的記憶，心情是音樂的寫真。音樂是上帝賜給苦難人的補償。
音樂也是一種語言，它可以直接替我傾訴心事，可以與我的苦樂發生共鳴。
忘不掉的是過去酸楚的記憶，不能更改的是進行中的現在，捉不住的是無法預知的將來。
眼中捕捉世界的美麗，心中永留美麗的世界。
也許你不很聰明，但要有悟性；也許你不很瀟灑，但要有氣度；也許你不很熱情，但要有真誠；
也許你不很風光，但要有尊嚴；也許你不很開心，但要有幽默；也許你不很有錢，但要有幸福。
錢多錢少，常有就好；人醜人俊，順眼就好；人老人少，健康就好；
家窮家富，和氣就好；一切煩惱，理解就好；人的一生，平安就好！
心態左右行為，行為養成習慣，習慣決定性格，性格影響命運。
做自己喜歡做的事，愛自己所愛的人。
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2013年8月14日

蔡康永：「做自己」跟「沒禮貌」常常是一線之間

http://m.cheers.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5021868&idSubChannel&fb_action_ids=10151531263491680&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B315609598540594%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

報告、開會、道歉、要求加薪，都只跟一件事情有關，就是你會不會說話，你有沒有能力去想像，聽你講話的人是什麼心情…在螢光幕前亦莊亦諧地玩著語言節奏，蔡康永的魅力何以如此誘人？他親身示範了說好故事，就是為自己編寫更美好的人生劇本。
  • 2011-08-17 Cheers雜誌 118期    文/吳永佳

從文藝青年跨足藝能界，蔡康永左手玩藝文，右手搞娛樂。以前他主持《真情指數》、《今天不讀書》，總能將受訪人的內心世界牽引出來，或將嚴肅知識談得有趣；這幾年《康熙來了》中，他犀利直率、諧而不謔的風格更蔚為風潮。
蔡康永的人氣，從他為新書《蔡康永的說話之道》宣傳所辦的校園演說可見一斑。幾個小時前就有人排隊，為了讓人潮進場，演講足足延遲了半小時以上，連講台上也席地而坐、擠滿了「搖滾區」的聽眾。
這些學生，都渴望學習蔡康永的說話之道。
學說話就是學做人

為何要談「說話」？蔡康永開宗明義點出：「貴人不一定能改變人生，外表不一定會決定魅力，但生活種種：報告、開會、道歉、要求加薪、演講、傾聽訴苦，都只跟一件事情有關，就是你會不會說話，你有沒有能力去想像，聽你講話的人是什麼心情，想聽到什麼。」
蔡康永強調，說話不只是「術」。從小在人情世故複雜的大家庭成長，他覺得，「透過研究說話，你會比較根本的搞清楚自己跟別人的關係，搞清楚自己跟別人在想什麼，還有，最重要的，自己到底是一個什麼樣的人。」
用一句話來歸納，就是：You are what you say（你怎麼說話，決定你是誰）。
他的理論是：說話形塑自我。說話謹慎，或注重說話品味，才能因此成為謹慎或有品味的人；嘴上愛抱怨，久而久之也將愈來愈像「怨女」。說話既然決定你在人生中扮演的角色與命運，當然要在乎。連帶地，他詮釋「說話之道」時，也從人性出發。
以《康熙來了》為例，「大家一定覺得《康熙來了》是挖人隱私的節目，希望來賓說愈多愈好。錯！其實我最常做的事，是在保護、阻止某些人說得太多。」有時來賓在現場失控「爆料」，蔡康永就會帶著小S設法把話題引開。
難怪小S在他新書推薦序中說：「做自己跟沒禮貌常常是一線之間，」形容蔡康永：「跟他聊天絕對不會被刺傷，還會被附加的一兩句小誇獎逗得心花怒放，又感覺真誠不滑頭。」
的確，蔡氏風格就是慧黠、世故、貼心，但不尖酸刻薄。
所謂「會說話」，是不是常要昧著良心，說些虛偽的話？蔡康永露出促狹的眼神，「是虛偽一點好，但說不上昧著良心吧！」
生活中，面對諸如「我最近是不是胖了？」、「我新剪的髮型如何？」這類問題，大可毫不猶豫的回答：「不會呀！」、「好看極了！」多稱讚別人讓聽者開心，並無損於「良知」。
故事永遠比道理吸引人

除了不傷人，要把說話變成自己的特色，進階版還得做到學會「說故事」。
蔡康永認為，很少人會被道理說服，都是被故事吸引：「我想這跟人類原始的生存之道有關，原始人也是靠著故事的講述來傳播生存之道。」
一個好故事，會讓聽者忍不住問：「後來呢？」要不就是：「怎麼會這樣？」要練習這種「懸疑式」說話，可沒事多找朋友練習，例如在每個段落稍作停頓，若對方一直問：「後來呢？」那表示成功了；若對方不斷分心，就該換個方式說故事了！
人生無處非故事，他進一步形容，「當你說『我希望中一億樂透』時，心中同時也在編造中樂透後要如何使用這些錢；當你跟一個女生求婚，也不可能說『嫁給我吧！』然後就沒下文了，你會進一步去描繪『我們以後會有幾個小孩』、『我會買一棟豪宅給妳』.....之類的故事，故事說得愈好，成功機率愈高。」
推到極致，蔡康永說，人生就是對自己講的故事，學會說故事，就是為自己編造更美好的人生劇本，「說話之道」如同另一張臉，怎能小覷！
「把別人放在心上」的溝通法

蔡康永強調，說話之道，是把對方放在心上，因為「靠語言確認了彼此的存在，此刻語言最美。」你可以嘗試這些方法：

1. 懂得認輸。遇到別人意見與你相左，可語帶保留，迂迴提醒，甚至認輸無妨，把無謂的勝利讓給對方，人緣留給自己。

2. 不要一直說「我」。多說「你」或「他」，才能不斷把話題丟給對方，讓對方暢所欲言，成為一個超級上道的人。

3. 把對方看在眼裡。但不是像「驗屍」那樣緊盯著看，而是三不五時、帶著情感「望著」對方，讓彼此的電流傳遞；然後帶一點「觀察」，留心對方的舉止與需求，讓他感覺時時「被重視」。這點，約會時格外受用！

4. 不想交淺言深的話，應該避開某些地雷。像財務、感情，或政治、宗教這類對方可能有強硬立場的話題，容易起爭執。

5. 讚賞。觀察對方最渴望被肯定的部份。
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2013年8月7日

不猶豫與不後悔


印度有一位知名的哲學家，天生一股特殊的文人氣質，不知迷死多少女人。
某天，一個女子來敲他的門，她說：
「讓我作你的妻子吧！錯過我，你將再也找不到比我更愛你的女人了。」
哲學家雖然也很中意她，但仍回答說：「讓我考慮考慮。」
⋯⋯
事後，哲學家用他一貫研究學問的精神，將結婚和不結婚的好、壞所在，分別條列下來，才發現，好壞均等，真不知該如何抉擇呢？
於是，他陷入長期的苦惱之中，無論他又找出了什麼新的理由，都只是徒增選擇的困難。
最後，他得出一個結論，人若在面臨抉擇而無法取捨的時候，應該選擇自己尚未經驗過的那一個。
不結婚的處境我是清楚的，但結婚會是個怎樣的情況，我還不知道，對！我該答應那個女人的央求。
哲學家來到女人的家中，問女人的父親說：
「你的女兒呢？請你告訴她，我考慮清楚了，我決定娶她為妻。」
女人的父親冷漠地回答：
「你來晚了十年，我女兒現在已經是三個孩子的媽了。」
哲學家聽了，整個人幾乎崩潰，他萬萬沒有想到，向來自以為傲的哲學頭腦，最後換來的竟然是一場悔恨。
爾後二年，哲學家抑鬱成疾，臨死前將自己所有的著作丟入火堆，只留下 一段對人生的註解，如果將人生一分為二，
前半段的人生哲學是「不猶豫」，
後半段的人生哲學是「不後悔」。
也許你曾經買了一件很喜歡的衣服卻捨不得穿，鄭重的供奉在衣櫃裡，許久之後，當你再看見它的時候，卻發現它已經過時了。
所以，你就這樣跟它錯過了，也許你也曾經買了一塊漂亮的蛋糕卻捨不得吃，鄭重的把它供奉在冰箱裡，許久之後，當你再看見既時候，它已經過期了，所以，你也這樣與它錯過了。
沒有在最喜歡的時候上身的衣服，
沒有在最可口的時候品嚐的蛋糕，
就像沒有在最想做的時候去做的事情，都是遺憾。
生命也有保存期限，想做的事該趁早去做，如果你只是把你的心願鄭重的供奉在心裡，卻未曾去實行，那麼唯一的結果就是與它錯過，一如那件過時的衣服，一如那塊過期的蛋糕。
來源：網路文章
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2013年7月20日

Understanding hidden career opportunities

http://www.physicstoday.org/daily_edition/singularities/understanding_hidden_career_opportunities?goback=.gde_2075027_member_257085207 
 
Singularities

Understanding hidden career opportunities

Effective networking can uncover job openings, forge partnerships, and raise your professional profile.

July 10, 2013
Published: July 10, 2013
By Alaina G. Levine
I recently participated in a lively discussion on LinkedIn about the hidden job market, a subject I have touched on, but not yet detailed, in a previous column about social media. The virtual conversation reinforced for me the significance, power, and extent of hidden career opportunities in an overall career plan, no matter what industry you desire to join.
Understanding, accessing, evaluating, and ultimately harnessing hidden career opportunities are keys to surprising professional benefits for both you and your coworkers. You must constantly be alert to these finds.
But before you start looking into every nook and cranny for hidden jobs and other advancement opportunities, there are a few key aspects of hidden career opportunities that you must comprehend. First and foremost, know that game-changing career opportunities are everywhere, and come in many forms.
A career opportunity could be as direct as an invitation to apply for a job, or something that requires more cultivation, such as the chance to collaborate on a short-term project, serve on a committee, or simply engage in conversation.
Don't dismiss an invitation to go out for a cup of coffee as less valuable than an offer of a job itself. On the contrary, the chance to discuss mutual interests with a colleague can help you craft a strong partnership. As I discussed in my column on networking, such alliances can and do lead to actual jobs.
Sometimes an opportunity that appears open, such as a vacancy advertised on a company or university website, is in fact hidden. Many jobs are promised to candidates "under the table," but due to legal or other constraints, the organization must publicly advertise the position. The practice becomes noticeable when, for instance, a job ad is posted and then removed within a week. Did the organization really find and hire a qualified applicant in seven days? It is more likely that the successful candidate found out about and landed the position through the hidden market.
Here are some principles for entering and exploiting the arena of hidden career opportunities:

  1. Don't try to quantify the hidden job market. Resist the urge to develop a statistics-based approach for pursuing and applying for jobs. Depending on which career expert you consult, you'll probably hear a different number as to what percent of the total job market is clandestine—anything from 40% to 95% of jobs and other career opportunities. My hunch is that the right number hovers around 90%, based on my own experiences and other factors (see below). Instead of spending valuable time trying to analyze exactly how much the hidden job market encompasses, I recommend that you simply recognize that it exists alongside the open job market.


  2. You access the hidden market only through networking and reputation management activities. To find out about hidden career opportunities, you must make yourself and your brand (promise of value) known in your community or industry. Networking can do this. It is designed to build win–win relationships between parties, and the more you know about each other, the more you will realize what hidden opportunities exist that you can both seize. For example, you might meet someone at a conference and ask him out to lunch. While chatting over tuna salad, your lunch partner learns that you speak Spanish fluently. It turns out that he has a project in Buenos Aires and he is looking for someone with your technical talent and linguistic acuity. You have now uncovered a hidden career opportunity that you might never have known about. Look for opportunities to network and to demonstrate your experience, skills and expertise, such as giving talks, volunteering on committees or reviewing journal papers. As people get to know you, they will begin to offer you hidden opportunities.


  3. You contribute to the hidden market, too. Like any other scientist, you have access to information, ideas, people, collaborations, and actual jobs. Given that networking entails exchanges of value between parties, you can provide access to hidden career opportunities for the people in your network. Doing so will help establish your reputation as a thought leader in your field and will encourage others to want to network with you. I discovered this firsthand recently after I learned about a number of fellowships for scientists and science writers, two of which included a $10 000 prize. I perused my groups on social media to see if anyone was promoting these and was surprised that others had not heard about them. (I had only accidentally discovered them myself while web surfing.) So I shared them on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. People thanked me for communicating these hidden opportunities. As a result, I could connect with people I might not have encountered otherwise. I could also demonstrate my commitment to my community, thus solidifying my brand.


  4. The hidden market can allow you to create your own opportunities. Don't forget that the ultimate hidden career opportunity, the one that may bring you the greatest return on your investment of time and energy, is the one you create yourself. Bill Gates didn't apply for an advertised job – he made one himself and launched an industry. You should always be thinking entrepreneurially. If you need an opportunity, ask for it. If it doesn't exist, create it yourself. You may just start a revolution.

Every opportunity you uncover or create may lead to another, often better opportunity. I have seen this myself throughout my own career. Many years ago, I volunteered to serve on a committee, which led to be being elected president of the committee, which led to an invitation to apply for a job. Yes, it can be that simple!
Alaina G. Levine is a science and engineering writer, career consultant, and professional speaker and comedian. Her new book on networking strategies for scientists and engineers will be published by Wiley in 2014. She can be reached through her website or on Twitter at @AlainaGLevine.
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2013年7月12日

對孩子最好的保護就是 不保護


文/洪蘭
一個朋友的孩子大學畢業半年了，沒有去找事，窩在家裡，白天睡覺，晚上上網。
最近跟他父母要錢，想去美國遊學，朋友來問我該不該讓他去？我望著他蒼蒼的白髮說：「你如果真的要為孩子好，讓他去，但是不要給他錢。」我想到了我妹婿的 故事。我妹婿是美國人，從小就想作水手，嚮往外面的世界，想先環遊世界再回學校念。 雖然他父親是醫生，家庭經濟環境許可，但是父母並不給他錢，他也沒向家裡要，高中一畢業就先去阿拉斯加伐木存錢。因為阿拉斯加夏天日照很長，太陽到午夜才 落下，三點多又升上來了。
他一天如果工作十六小時，伐一季木的工資可以讓他環遊世界三季。他在走遍世界兩年之後才回大學去念書。因為他是在自己深思熟慮之下才決定念的科系，所以三 年就把四年的學分修完，出來就業。他工作得很順利，可以說平步青雲，一直做到總工程師。有一次，他告訴我一個小故事，說這件事影響了他一生。
他在阿拉斯加打工時，曾與一個朋友在山上聽到狼的嗥叫聲，他們很緊張的四處搜尋，結果他發現是一隻母狼腳被捕獸器夾住，正在號嚎。他一看到那個奇特的捕獸 器，就知道是一名老工人的，他業餘捕獸，賣毛皮補貼家用，但是這名老人因心臟病已被直升機送到安克瑞契醫院去急救了，這隻母狼會因為沒有人處理而餓死。他 想釋放母狼，但母狼很凶，他無法靠近，他又發現母狼在滴乳，表示狼穴中還有小狼。所以他與同伴費了九牛二虎之力找到狼穴，將四隻小狼抱來母狼處吃奶，以免 餓死。他把自己的食物分給母狼吃，以維持母狼的生命，晚上還得在母狼附近露營，保護這個狼家庭。因為母狼被夾住了，無法自衛。一直到第五天，他去餵食時， 發現母狼的尾巴有稍微搖一搖，他知道他已開始獲得母狼的信任了。
又過了三天，母狼才讓他靠近到可以把獸夾鬆開，把母狼釋放出來。母狼自由後，舐了他的手，讓他替牠的腳上藥後，才帶著小狼走開，一路還頻頻回頭望他。他坐 在大石頭上想，如果人類可以讓凶猛的野狼來舐他的手，成為朋友，難道人類不能讓另一個人放下武器成為朋友嗎？他決定以後先對別人表現誠意，因為從這件事中 看到，先釋放出誠意，對方一定會以誠相報。(他開玩笑說，如果不是這樣，那就是禽獸不如。）因此，他在公司中以誠待人，先假設別人都是善意，再解釋他的行 為，常常幫助別人，不計較小事 。
所以他每年都升一級，爬得很快。最重要的是，他每天過得很愉快，助人的人是比被助的人快樂得多。雖然他並不知道聖經中有「施比受更有福」這句話，但是他的 生活證明了這一切。他對我說，他一直很感謝阿拉斯加的經驗，因為這使他一生受用不盡。的確，只有自己想要的東西才會珍惜，下過霜的柿子才會甜，人也是經過 磨鍊了才會成熟領悟到對孩子最好的保護就是不保護如果一個人大學畢業了，還不知道自己要什麼，那麼應該要讓他去外面磨鍊一下。不要給他錢，讓他自食其力， 重要的是父母要捨得放下！給他一個機會去證明自己、體驗人生，相信他也能從中得到一個對他一生受用不盡的經驗。如果不能使工作少一點，就讓快樂多一點！
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2013年7月4日

經典八問

孩子犯錯了，不用批評，只要和孩子講八句話就可以了2013-5-28 05:56 閱讀(23) 轉

孩子長大的過程中，免不了會遇到各種問題。作為家長這時不要急著插手，可以先問孩子八個問題，聽聽他們有什麼想法。而往往問不到幾個問題，事情就已經很清楚並得到解決了。家長不妨可以一試。
第一個問題是：“發生什麼事情了？”
這個問題看起來不起眼，但是非常重要。許多成人碰到突發狀況時，會習慣性的太快下判斷：“一定是你先打他，他才會打你。”“一定是你做錯事，老師才會處罰 你。”如果我們不讓孩子從他的角度說說事情的經過，很可能冤枉孩子。況且，讓孩子有機會說話，即使真的是他的錯，他也會因為有機會為自己辯解而比較甘心認 錯。
第二個問題是：“你的感覺如何？”
事情經過是客觀事實，當事人心裡受到的衝擊純然是主觀的感受，無所謂是非對錯。很多時候，我們只是需要把自己的感受說出來而已。一旦說出來，哭一哭，罵一 罵，心情就會好多了。腦科學研究表明，當一個人情緒強烈的時候，外在刺激不容易被腦部吸收。也就是說，當一個人還有情緒的時候，別人說什麼他都會聽不進 去。總要等到他心情平靜下來，才可能冷靜思考。所以如果我們希望孩子能夠聽得進去我們的意見，我們就需要先同理他的感情，讓他的情緒有個出口。
孩子夠冷靜之後，可以問他第三個問題：“你想要怎樣？”
這時不管孩子說出什麼驚人之語，先不要急著教訓他，而是冷靜的接著問他
第四個問題：“那你覺得有些什麼辦法？”
在這個階段，不妨跟孩子一起做腦力激盪，想各種點子，合理的、不合理的、荒唐的、可笑的、噁心的、幼稚的……腦力激蕩的重點就是允許任何看似無稽的想法。這時候不論聽到什麼，都暫時不要做批評或判斷。
等到再也想不出任何點子的時候，就可以問他
第五個問題：“這些方法的後果會怎樣？”
讓孩子自己一一檢視，每個方法的後果會是什麼？你可能會很訝異的發現，大部分的孩子都明白事情的後果。如果他的認知有差距，這時候就可以跟他好好討論，讓他明白現實真相。這是一個很好的親子溝通機會，但是要避免說教，只要陳述事實就可以了。
然後問他：“你決定怎麼做？”
孩子一定會選擇對自己最有利的狀況，如果他了解後果，通常會做出最合理、最明智的選擇。即使他的抉擇不是成人期望的結果，也要尊重孩子的決定。成人一定要 言而有信，不能先問他怎麼決定，然後又告訴他不可以這麼決定。這樣子，他以後再也不敢信任你了。何況，就算他選擇錯誤，他從這個錯誤中也可以學習到更珍貴 難忘的教訓。
接著問第七個問題：“你希望我做什麼？” 並且表示支持。
等到事情過去之後，問他最後
第八個問題：“結果怎樣？有沒有如你所料？”
或是“下次碰見相似的情形，你會怎麼選擇？”

讓他有機會檢視自己的判斷。
如此練習幾次，孩子就會有自己解決問題的能力，不需要我們操心了

經典八問：
第一個問題是：“發生什麼事情了？”
第二個問題是：“你的感覺如何？”
第三個問題：“你想要怎樣？”
第四個問題：“那你覺得有些什麼辦法？”
第五個問題：“這些方法的後果會怎樣？”
第六個問題：“你決定怎麼做？”
第七個問題：“你希望我做什麼？”
第八個問題：“結果怎樣？有沒有如你所料？”
或是“下次碰見相似的情形，你會怎麼選擇..........
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2013年4月21日

APEGBE job tips

http://www.apeg.bc.ca/services/employmentcentre/jobseekers.php
Job Search  
90% of finding a job is preparation. Your preparation includes LMI research, self-assessment, and career development. The remainder is job-search. In many cases, your preparation and your job-search will overlap. For example, you may begin your job-search while you are upgrading your skills. You may also find that you get a job through an information interview. However, the more prepared you are, the more likely you are to have success in your job-search.
Job-Search Skills
There are thousands of websites to provide you with the job-search information and skills you need. Pay close attention to the advice and work hard on:
  • Cover Letter: Make sure it is well-written and is customized to the employer. It should tell the employer why he or she should hire you.
  • Resume: Customize your resume to what the employer is looking for. Stick to two pages - it is an introduction only and does not have to provide all of the details of your career.
  • Business Card: Give everyone you meet a business card. You never know when your card might fall into the right hands.
  • Portfolio: Employers like to see actual work you have done. A portfolio is particularly helpful if your English is not very good.
  • Self-marketing: In completing the Career Development and Job Search Plan, you have identified the skills that you are very good at. Make sure you tell employers that you are good at these skills.
  • Networking: It is a fact that most people get jobs through networking. Build your network and stay in touch with the people you meet.
  • Dropping in and Cold Calling: Make sure you speak with the person that is responsible for hiring; this is not usually the human resources staff person. Know a lot about the company and make sure it is a good fit for you before you make contact.
  • Interview and Meeting Skills: Employers make decisions based on meeting you. This is your opportunity to show them what you have to offer.
Your job-search is your opportunity to impress a potential employer. Use the tools above to show potential employers that you have the technical, professional practice, cultural, employability and communication skills, confidence and positive attitude they are looking for. Here are a few websites to get you started on preparing the tools and developing the skills you will need for a successful job-search:
Finding Potential Employers
Your LMI research skills will point you to potential employers. When you look for employment opportunities, don't forget to check the Employment Center on APEGBC's website.
Help with your Career Development and Job-Search
Your best resources for help are your fellow engineers and geoscientists, networks of internationally trained engineers and geoscientists and career counsellors. APEGBC provides some resources which may be helpful. These have been mentioned throughout these webpages and include such things as posting job openings, offering courses and publishing Innovation magazine. However, APEGBC's mandate does not include providing guidance on career development and job-search. Instead, APEGBC's resources are focused on protecting public health, welfare and safety by providing its core services of licensing, professional practice support, and discipline and enforcement. At this time, APEGBC is devoting significant resources to ensuring that licensure is accessible to ITEGs through a review of its policies and procedures and participation in the national project "From Consideration to Integration".
A Final Note
You do not have to be working in engineering or geoscience to feel like an engineer or geoscientist and fully participate in the community. As you work your way through your career development and job-search, become immersed in your profession. Get involved. Learn everything you can about engineering and geoscience in BC. Go to networking events and attend seminars. Join technical associations and networks of other internationally trained engineers and geoscientists. Talk to every engineer and geoscientist you meet. In short, build your passion for your profession. An engineering or geoscience employer will recognize your knowledge, skills and passion and offer you your first engineering or geoscience job in BC.
APEGBC staff and members wish you every success. Welcome to BC and good luck!
First-Hand Advice
From the Pilot Project Management Team:
  • Entry-level positions are rarely advertised but companies are always looking for talented people.
  • Engineering firms are not interested in advertising these positions because the most important attributes that they are looking for are best exemplified if they [job-seekers] market themselves, meet employers while networking or drop-in on a company unannounced.
  • Companies will not normally send a letter or e-mail acknowledging that they have received your resume. Sometimes, companies will send a form letter stating that they will keep your resume on file. In this case, do not think that you will get an interview later. You will not normally hear from the employer again unless you follow up and stay in contact.
  • It's the combination of skills - technical, non-technical 'soft' and business - that ITEs need to work as engineers in Canada.
From Employers, Professional Engineers and Technologists:
  • Be willing to travel and work on sites.  
  • Demonstrate initiative, motivation and interest in meeting people.   Employers prefer that you drop in at a company office or meet engineer employers at networking meetings.
  • Engineers should not assume they would be able to get back into engineering through a drafting or other technical job that uses some of their engineering skills and knowledge.
  • There are many potential job opportunities for people with AutoCAD skills (e.g. a manufacturing warehouse that uses AutoCAD Land Desktop to make revisions; a furniture warehouse that uses CAD for layout work).
  • Employers will look for someone who will be loyal and stay with the company for at least three or five years.   The first year on the job requires training the employee.   An employer doesn't make money from a new employee, so they will be very careful of who they will invest their time and effort in.
  • Develop your network.   Become established in the engineering circle, find out what is happening and take an interest in it.
  • When you go to a job interview, take your references and your portfolio with you.
  • Consulting companies like people with hands-on experience (e.g. in construction).
  • Find out what a company does before making contact.   Most internationally trained engineers do not research the companies they approach.
  • Develop high quality resumes and use cover letters that are custom designed with appropriate information for each company and well presented.
  • Always send a cover letter with your resume.   The letter should be one page and the resume should be two pages at the most.  
  • Do not include every project or job in your resume.   Use the resume to summarize and highlight your experience.   Most resumes repeat the same information (e.g. five 20 story buildings are listed but only one needs to be mentioned).   State how you were involved in the project and what your responsibilities/achievements were.  
  • The resume should clearly state the position you are seeking.   For example, if you are applying for a structural engineering job, do not state civil engineering as your career objective - state structural engineering.
  • Construction is a strong sector.   There is a demand for construction safety officers, foreman, estimators, project coordinators, project managers and superintendents.
  • Municipalities and other government offices usually like to hire experienced engineers.   Some offices will only hire a person with previous local experience.  
  • There are some opportunities for technician jobs in municipalities.
  • Employers have said the right person does not have to be a registered professional engineer (P.Eng.).
  • Most engineering companies hire people in the spring.   They do not hire in November and December.
  • People coming from other countries need to market themselves better.
  • You are judged by how you dress.   Wear business clothes to an interview (e.g. suit/jacket and tie).
From Internationally Trained Engineers:
  • Get whatever job you can get within a large organization where opportunities exist and work your way up.    [Tip:   You will have a chance to prove your abilities if you take a related technical job rather than taking any position]
  • Customize your resume to match the job requirements.   [Tip:   Include specific skills and qualities that the employer is looking for]
  • Be creative and flexible in marketing your skills.
  • Pick up the phone and call people.  
  • Go to construction companies or job sites first thing in the morning and ask to meet with the project manager.
  • Do not wait for a personal letter or reply to a job inquiry.   Call or visit the company office to find out the status of your job application or resume submission.   [Tip:   Do not wait more than two weeks]
  • Be willing to accept short-term contract work.
  • The "Drop in" procedure sounds OK if you have the "door to door" salesman spirit. It is going to be hard.
  • The telephone never rings; you have to call.
Career Development and Job-Search Plan
Open your Career Development and Job-Search Document and go to the LMI Worksheet. Using the information and links provided here and elsewhere, answer the questions in the LMI-SKILL AREA "Job-Search Skills" section.
Next, go to the Skills Self-Assessment Worksheet and rate your ability in the "Job-Search Skills " section. It is essential that you are honest with yourself when completing this self-assessment. If you are not honest in answering these questions, your Career Development and Job-Search Plan will not be a useful tool for you.
Finally, go to the Skills Summary Worksheet and follow the instructions there. Complete the "Job-Search Skills" section.
Do not forget to work on the Potential Employers Worksheet If you have not already started to do so.
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2013年4月7日

Networking: It's more than sharing meatballs

Singularities

Networking: It's more than sharing meatballs


Career consultant Alaina Levine offers practical advice on how to build and use professional networks.


April 3, 2013
Published: April 3, 2013
By Alaina G. Levine
Networking is the most powerful tool you have in your career-planning kit. It is the secret to finding hidden opportunities; it establishes and solidifies your value in the minds of decision-makers; it opens doors to hitherto unknown people, alliances, and information. The bottom line? Networking secures jobs and advances careers.
But the challenge of networking is that most people don’t know what it is or how to do it.
Some, though surely not you, dear reader, think that “networking” is a finite action that takes place at an event, like a conference. They meet a professional at a mixer, and they partake of a witty quip and a meatball or two. When 10 minutes have elapsed and they can’t think of anything else to discuss, they excuse themselves and go!—the requisite networking is complete for the week (or year). They don’t follow up with the professional; in fact, in many cases, they never speak with him or her again.
What is the outcome of this brand of “networking”? Absolutely nothing—no new information, no new career opportunity, and no new potential collaboration. They may wonder why the interaction didn’t help them achieve anything. And they go back to applying for jobs advertised on the internet and banging their heads against the wall.
The truth is that networking is not a one-time meeting. Networking is:
  • a spectrum of activities . . .
  • which begins with a first interaction . . .
  • aims for a mutually beneficial partnership . . .
  • involves myriad correspondence and actions that provide value to each party . . .
  • and ends only when one or both of you drop dead.
Once you recognize these basic principles, you can begin to craft a networking strategy that will help realize your career ambitions.
Like many aspects of professional planning, your networking scheme should include its own objectives, activities to pursue, milestones, timelines, and deadlines. But before you launch your program, take care not to make these common mistakes:
Mistake Number 1: “I won’t network with people outside my field. Doing so is a waste of time.”
I read just such advice on Linkedin recently. The author encouraged young scientists to interact only with other scientists, which he rationalized with the example that a plumber could never help you in your career.
To my mind, this is faulty logic. You should interact with people in and outside of your field, industry, and even geography as much as possible because anyone can provide you with ideas, information, and inspiration that advances your career. Your acquaintance doesn’t have to be an academician in physics to help you solve a physics problem or land a job in higher education.
This kind of strategic thinking has aided me many times. Once, while sitting in the middle seat of an airplane, I listened to the people on either side of me discuss plans for approaching editors. My science writer ears perked up and I interrupted their conversation to introduce myself. “Are you in journalism?” I asked. No, they responded, they were in public policy for the nuclear regulatory industry.
At that time, nuclear science wasn’t even on my career radar as a potential field for collaboration. But once I got them talking about their passion for the field and understood exactly what they did, the three of us recognized an opportunity to partner on a project. They told me about a nuclear science conference that occurs in my state every year, and I was able to convert that tip into real work.
You have only to start a conversation to learn what skills you both could provide. So aim for inclusivity in your conversations. And remember the theory of six degrees of separation: the more people you know, the more people you have access to.
Mistake Number 2: “I will network in order to extract something from someone else.”
The foundation of networking is building strong collaborations that provide value to both individuals. Of course you need a job, but the other person needs things too, like connections with other potential partners, career leads, or ideas about funding sources. You should seek to craft an alliance based not on grabbing what you can from each other, but rather on learning how to ensure that the relationship continues to harness both of your specific values.
Early-career professionals should offer to be of assistance, even if they don’t immediately see a potential return on the investment (ROI). It’s surprising how much others appreciate the offer of help and how immediately such a proposal can solidify a relationship. I once read an article in a trade magazine that I especially enjoyed and contacted the author to discuss it.
At the end of our conversation, I asked her to contact me in the future if I could help her in any way. “Even if I am not the right person,” I said, “I will find the right person or resource for you.” She expressed gratitude, and what’s more, she soon followed up with me. That one gesture started a partnership that has lasted more than a decade, and led to the development of mature networks for both of us.
Mistake Number 3: “I can’t network because I don’t have time.”
The tragicomical paradox is that networking practically a full-time job in and of itself, which you must pursue while also juggling the full-time job of career development and the other full-time job of scientist. So you have three full-time jobs and no parallel universes or time machines at your disposal. While it is true that networking takes time, it is time well spent: I can almost guarantee that resources you devote to networking will provide a substantial ROI.
A smart way to get started is to recognize that there are two kinds of networking: active and passive. Active networkers purposefully seek out others to meet and with whom to connect. This may occur at conferences, symposia and journal clubs, or through reading papers and contacting authors.
Passive networkers interact with those with whom they cross paths. This could happen at any event, including those not related to science, such as philanthropic, pastime, or community activities.
My favorite kind of passive networking occurs on airplanes. You are trapped approximately three nanometers away from this guy for hours, so you might as well make the best of it. Strike up a conversation (as long as he’s not drunk.) From passively networking with people on planes, I have gained surprising knowledge about my industry, developed partnerships with new colleagues, and even landed a few gigs.
Don’t underestimate the use of social networks like LinkedIn for both active and passive networking. LinkedIn is starting to become a standard for hiring people—in fact, one industry decision-maker told me that the resumé is becoming obsolete and the LinkedIn profile is taking its place. Consider creating a free profile on LinkedIn and join groups relevant to your ambitions. (In a future article I will go into detail about how to leverage your social media presence for effective networking and career planning.)
Mistake Number 4: “I can’t network effectively because I am a shy, albeit rather good-looking, physicist.”
Efficient networking, where you are able to build long-term partnerships, takes practice. You don’t have to be an extrovert to network, and even outgoing personalities (and seasoned networkers) sometimes have butterflies in their stomachs when they first approach a stranger at a mixer. But the more practice you get at introducing yourself to others, the more adept and more comfortable you will become.
At networking affairs, one of my favorite opening lines is “what’s the best part of your job?” As the other person recounts what is pleasurable about her work, she will be more apt to speak with me about it. One of the keys to networking is that people generally love speaking about themselves. So the more you ask contacts about themselves and what drives them, the better you are able to start a beneficial relationship. As they speak, remain in eye contact. As people chat, I like to jot down a few notes on the back of their business cards. When I follow up later, I remember (and can remind them) of key points in our conversation.
So at the next APS Meeting, don’t be a wallflower and don’t let fear get the best of you. Just catch someone’s eye and launch a discussion. Remember—they are there to network too. And to scarf meatballs.
Alaina G. Levine is a science and engineering writer, career consultant, and professional speaker and comedian. Her new book on networking strategies for scientists and engineers will be published by Wiley in 2014. She can be reached through her website or on Twitter at @AlainaGLevine.
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2013年3月24日

Physical scientists can do anything: Here's how you start your career planning

http://www.physicstoday.org/daily_edition/singularities/physical_scientists_can_do_anything_here_s_how_you_start_your_career_planning?goback=%2Egde_2075027_member_225219760


Physical scientists can do anything: Here's how you start your career planning

Venturing outside the world of academic physics to look for a job is not as daunting as you might think.

March 21, 2013
Published: March 21, 2013
By Alaina G. Levine
I once had an adviser outline available career options for someone, like me, with a bachelors in mathematics. Other than my becoming a professor or teacher, or going into actuarial studies (calculating insurance tables), he intimated there was nothing I could do with my math degree. Nothing—as in zero career opportunities. He advised me to go to grad school and give in to academia.
At the time, I was shocked and dismayed, but in the end I ignored his advice. Instead I launched into science communications and have since crafted an intellectually stimulating career, anchored by my love of science, at the crossroads of writing, professional speaking, career consulting, and even event planning (so if you have a wedding that needs to be arranged, please tweet me). I consider myself lucky: I was able to figure out that people with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees have n career options, where n is significantly greater than zero and in fact, theoretically approaches infinity
So how do you find these careers, access them, and assess whether they are right for you? To begin, you have to understand how much value you have as a professional with an education in the physical sciences, whether you are just graduating, completing your postdoc, or have been working for 10–15 years. Most physical scientists think their only value lies in the subject of their expertise: I am a physicist, therefore I can only do physics. And although is it absolutely true that you have great talent in conducting physics research, you have much more to offer potential employers. You have highly coveted skills that you gained simply as a byproduct of studying physics or other STEM fields. As a result of your schooling, you are
  • An exceptional problem solver who can see and solve puzzles both granulistically and holistically and in many dimensions.
  • An amazing critical thinker who can analyze and imagine situations and scenarios with a 360 degree perspective.
  • A talented project manager who can multi-task on diverse teams with great aplomb.
  • An adaptive and flexible worker.
  • A person who is knowledgeable about how the physical world works. and how to apply that knowledge to solve problems in new realms.

Problem-solving is the most important skill anyone has. In fact, when you are hired for any job, as a professor, a president, or a custodian, you are hired to solve problems. And if there is one thing physical scientists excel in, it is solving problems.
To find the career of your dreams, you have to examine the unique problem-solving capabilities that define your value and then start thinking about how you can use those skills in other industries besides academia. This is not an easy task; it takes extensive self-exploration and external research, networking and informational interviews, time, and even more self-analysis. But know this: The investment you make in discovering your unique value and being able to articulate it to career decision makers will pay off. You will find not only one career option that gels with your interests, goals, and values, but rather n options, where n is much, much greater than 0.
So here’s how you start: Conduct a skill inventory. Make a list of all the experiences you have had—jobs, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, volunteer experiences, committee assignments, and even the part-time jobs that are far outside your discipline. Write down all the technical and scientific skills you gained from each experience. Next, think about the business and soft skills you learned in those same experiences. It may seem strange to think that you’ve acquired, and even mastered, hard business skills from studying the physical sciences, but you have, and they are treasured by employers. Here’s an abbreviated list of the business talents you may already possess:
  • Oral and written communications (including your fabulous Power Point presentations).
  • Project management.
  • Grant and proposal writing.
  • Teambuilding and conflict resolution.
  • Risk management and safety assessment (as in ensuring the safety of yourself and your team in the lab).
  • Marketing (as in convincing your colleagues that your work is significant).

The final action is to try to remember what you loved and, more importantly, what you hated about each experience. That task will help you concretely see not only what you are talented in but also what types of problems you enjoy solving and what ecosystems you enjoy solving them in. And since your career options are great—even if you don’t realize it yet—by determining what you have hated about your diverse experiences, you can begin to put boundaries on what types of career opportunities you should pursue.
The skill inventory is one tool that we will explore with these career articles as we chart a course for you to access, assess, and land your dream job. Once you realize your extensive value by conducting the skill inventory, your next step will be to start looking for opportunities that match the skills you enjoy utilizing, your interests, and your values. In future articles, we will discuss the specific steps to finding these opportunities. Here’s a hint to get you started: It’s all about networking.
If you have suggestions for future column ideas, please send them my way. I am committed to opening your eyes to an entire new world of career opportunities that are yours for the taking—simply because you chose to study physical science and recognize that zero is never an acceptable variable.
Alaina G. Levine is a science and engineering writer, career consultant, and professional speaker and comedian. She can be reached through her website or on Twitter at @AlainaGLevine. She thanks Jim Crandall for help with this article.
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