How to - Emails

Unit 1 - Communication and Employability Skills
P5
Contents
Access Email - Section 1
Send - Section 2
Open - Section 3
Adding a contact - Section 4
Attaching a file - Section 5
Adding a CC - Section 6
Making and email urgent - Section 7

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Access Email
This is how to access your emails, so you can send, read and delete emails.This shows you how to get to the website as well as how to sign in.

First you have to type in the web address as shown on the video. You then type in your email address which is either personal or given to you by your school, college, etc...
You then need to type your password in that has been given to you, or it will sign you in automatically.

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Send
This video shows you how to send an email to someone.

Firstly you have to click new mail which will open a window that will allow you to type a message. You have to type the receivers email address into the 'To' space, then add a subject and your message. You then click send to send the email.

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Open
This video will show you how to open your email so you can view the text or other attachments that is on the email.

To open an email you choose the email you want to open then simply double click it which will open the email in a new window.

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 Adding a contact
This video will show how to add a contact, like your friends and family.

To add a contact you simply click 'people' then 'new'. You then click create a contact, enter the name and all the other required information. Once that has been done you then click save to save the contact forever.

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Attaching a file
This video will show you how to attach a file such as image, document or even a video.

To attach a file, picture or document you click attach when sending an email then simply choose what you want to attach and then let it load onto the email.
 
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Adding a CC
If you want to add a carbon copy, this video will show you.

To add a CC you simply add a contact or email address to the space next to 'CC'.
 
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Making an email urgent
This video shows you how to make an email urgent so that people know it is important when they receive it.

When creating an email, click the more options button as shown in the video. Then click set importance, choose how important the message is. Once sent the email should show how important it is to the recipient.

Unit 1 - Communication and Employability Skills
M1 Explain mechanisms that can reduce the impact of communication barriers

Sound Barriers
The best way to reduce the impact of sound barriers is to make sure you are in an isolated room that is far away from any possible noises. If not make sure all windows are closed and there is nothing turned on, for example, mobiles, televisions or laptops. Make sure you speak loud and clearly to reduce the effect of any sound barriers, make sure no else it talking over by asking them in the nicest way possible. If your in a classroom and children are being noisy, a good idea would be to ask them not to be noisy since it is very distracting.

Physical barriers
To prevent things like distraction through other people, you should either go somewhere else to talk if it is one on one, if not make sure people know you are trying to communicate therefore asking them if they mind being quiet. another way to reduce physical barriers would be to make sure that the room is set out appropriately, for example make sure the seats are reasonably close so people can see and hear you. Make sure there are no technical difficulties which may distract people, test your computer/laptop will play the presentation properly so you don't have to waste time.

Cultural barriers
To prevent these barriers i would research a little bit about their culture to make sure i do not offend them in any way. I would also make sure that everything i am trying to explain is set out in simple terms as well as technical terms so they understand it better since they may not understand very well. I would try and make them feel as welcome and as comfortable as possible. This is so that they feel relaxed and not as nervous to talk if they was in the first place. Making them feel welcome also show that you accept them as who they are, showing you are interested and took the time out of your day to make sure they feel welcome.

Personal communication barriers
A good idea would be to practice and revise your communication skills. Also if planning on doing a presentation i would practice until you know exactly every word. Making sure you seem confident is very important since people with think you know what you are talking about making them want to listen more.

P3- Discuss potential barriers to effective communication

Unit 1 - Communication & Employability Skills

P3- Discuss potential barriers to effective communication

What are barriers?

Barriers are activities that distract you to talk effectively. These can be very annoying and can affect the way you talk to people. Barriers such as when a teacher is carrying out his/her lesson, if a student has their back turned then this is a barrier because they are most likely not taking in the information.

Types of Barriers

Sound Barriers

There are many types of barriers, things like noisy construction in the area; this makes it harder for people to hear what you are trying to say. This is stopping you being able to communicate effectively.
Other barriers like a television or music playing can distract people for speaking properly, for example you could be explaining something and your favorite TV program comes on, most people would want to look at the TV instead, this means that their speech may get slower since they are concentrating on the TV rather than the person they are talking to. Another example would be, if you are in a meeting and an object is blocking form communicating like a fan. If there is a fan next to someone they will find it hard to hear you as well as talking to you.

Physical Barriers
Even things like technical problems, for example a light may be flickering, this may annoy people which would make it harder for them to concentrate on what the other person is saying. The layout of the room could effect the way people communicate since if someone is far away they may have to speak louder or maybe even act out what they are trying to say. This is important when carrying out a presentation, people could be too far away to see you or any of your presentation, this could strain their eyes and also make it hard for them to read if there is any readable information. There more such as distractments like children behaving badly during class or a lesson. This would make the other children want to join in as well as not concentrate properly since they are more interesting in other things.

Cultural Barriers
Other problems such as languages or cultures, this can be quite a problem. Some people may speak in a different language and may only be able to understand certain things you are saying, this is a huge barrier since you can end up confusing the person you are talking to. Also other culture greet you in different ways, some people may bow instead of shaking hands, if you do things like this wrong you could end up finding it very difficult to communicate because you don't understand each others cultures. Some culture may see some actions as disrespectful so it is important you know a little about their culture before starting your presentation, meeting or conversation.

Personal communication barriers
When speaking to people your communications skills can effect the conversation quite a lot. This is because if you are a shy person and start to stutter or go quiet, people will think you are not interested or that you do not know what you are talking about. You also need to be confident in what you are talking about, this is because if people can read that you don't know then they probably will lose interest and not listen. The way you sue your hands can effect communication since if you end up doing the something that someone doesn't like for example pointing, this is very rude.

Unit 1 – Communication and Employability skills

P2 – Explain the principles of effective communication

General Skills

Adapting content and style to suit audience needs

- This is very important since you need to make sure everyone understands what you are saying or explaining. You could be in front of an audience carrying out a presentation, you need to make sure people take in what you are saying. Some people may not fully understand some words since there may be from different countries who would probably get confused when you are using more vocabulary. This is why speaking clearly would make a huge difference rather than talking low or mumbling, if you did mumble people would not be able to hear you and wouldn't grasp everything that you have said.  You would have to explain things in simpler terms to that everyone understands, you would need to give and in depth explanation to make sure people get it. It is important that you ask the audience if they have any questions in case they missed something or do not fully understand the concept. The style of your presentation is also vital, you cannot joke around if you are talking about something serious. This is because people won't think you are being serious, they would think you don't care, whereas if you was doing a fun presentation or speech where you was looking for a positive and energetic audience you would be expected to talk a little less formal so that people feel more relaxed or comfortable.

Accuracy

-When speaking to people in your working environment, you want to show that person that you know what you are talking about. If not they would probably think you do not know what you are doing or talking about. They wouldn't come to you for guidance or help. To avoid this you should make sure you are accurate. Do this by doing your work that you are meant to do, you will learn by doing, you should also research in case you are not sure of something. Especially if you are in an interview or again presenting a speech, you need to make sure all of the information is factual before hand since people will think you are making things up and you do not really know what you are talking about. If you are accurate people are more likely to ask you for help which shows that you would make a difference to the company if you are applying for a job, it shows that your skills can help. 

Question and answer 

-If you aren't sure about something or need help you should always ask someone, there is no point sitting there doing nothing when you don't understand something they have told you. They would think you are not listening or you don't care if you do not reply, you should ask questions so that you fully understand what the person wants you to do. Question and answer is important when in a conference or in front of an audience, you should ask if they have any questions in case someone wants to debate or disagrees, also if someone doesn't understand or missed something out.

Interpersonal Skills

Positive and negative language 

-When speaking to people in your work place you may bump into negative vibes. It is important that you work around this negativity and get on with your task. This shows that you are tolerated and can work with people you do not like. It is important to keep positive when speaking to people , this makes the atmosphere much better and makes it easier to get on with the day. The only negativity that should be shown is when you are debating, and even this still must be polite and formal so that you seem more professional and mature.

Barriers
-Barriers are things that stop you or keep you from communicating effectively. For example if you was talking to a class of students and somebody has their back turned, this means that that person is avoiding eye contact which is quite important when trying to explain something or teach something. This is because when people look at you when you are talking they concentrate more on you so they take in what you are saying, it is also classed as being rude if you do not look at the person during communication. Another type of barrier would be sounds or noise, this can easily distract whoever you are talking to . For example a car alarm may go off outside  this would make it hard to communicate since there is a loud noise which would probably be louder than your voice making you hard to hear. People talking is very irritating and is a huge barrier since if people see other people talking then they will then talk since they think you can get away with it. It distracts others and people will not listen.

Methods 
- When communicating sometimes it is very effective to use different methods. Methods such as hand gestures, when explaining something complicated sometimes it is much easier to get your point across when you use your hands, hand movements help the audience visualise what you are talking about. It also shows that you are confident in what you are talking about. Another type of method would be doing a practical inform of people if you are trying to prove or show something, hands on works shows that you know what you are talking about, it is also an opportunity to involve the audience. It is good to keep moving during a presentation so that people do not get bored, make sure that you make eye contact with as many people as possible to try and make them feel like you are talking directly to them not just everyone else.

Written communication skills
Emails, letters and fax/social media
-When writing emails you should make sure that you include a subject, name and content. The content should be correct, it should also be formal depending on who it is for. If it is an email to your boss or colleague it should be formal whereas if it was an email to your friend it would most probably be informal more than anything. The same apply to Letters, but this time you should include the address correctly in case it send to the wrong address. Letters and Fax's are hardly used any more since social media has become huge all across the world. It would be easier to communicate via a Facebook group or a twitter account. If your company has a twitter account you will be able to see what up to date and not miss out on anything since it would be a great why to keep people up to date by tweeting regularly. The same goes with a Facebook group, it is easier for people to communicate sine it is fast, easy and almost everybody has  Facebook account.

Proofreading 
- Proof reading is important since your work or writing needs to be correct and punctual. This is because people would judge that you are not very formal and will presume that you do not care about your writing. It will look like you are lazy, another reason is making sure everything that you put is actually correct and makes sense or else you will look like you have no idea what you are talking about. You want to make a good impression depending on who the letter/email is for. 

Structure
-The structure of your writing is very important, this is because it makes it harder for people to read if there are hardly any paragraphs. You need to add title so that they know what each paragraph is, or just set it out correctly depending on what the letter/email is for. If somebody opens an email that is a giant block of writing they will probably skim and scan and not read it fully since it seems like allot of writing, whereas if you set it out into paragraphs, they are more likely to take the time and read it. The structure of your writing must be formal if you are writing for someone important, the welcome (Dear Mr Stuart) and intro (I am writing) must be accurate and well formatted.

Unit 1 - Communication and employability skills in IT 

P1 - Explain the personal attributes valued by employers

Almost every employers is looking for the best of the best for their company. The job market is becoming allot smaller and it's harder to get a job. Which is why you need to meet the requirements of your desired job, otherwise someone else will take it! There are particular attributes employers look for, for a specific job.

When employers are looking for new members for their company they need to make sure they are making the right choices. They value specific employee attributes to find who’s best for the job, these are very important, especially in the IT industry. These are evry important since jobs are getting harder and harder to get.

Firstly, it is important that you have specific, job related knowledge. For example, technical knowledge, this includes hardware, software and security. You will obviously need this knowledge if you are going for a job in IT or related to IT. This is because you are going to find the job very difficult and wouldn’t be very effective at your job, which is not what the employer is looking for. You also would need to be up to date with technology. For example, knowing and learning about the new updates and software that is on the market since the company you are working for is most likely to upgrade to the next best thing when possible!

There are a lot of general attributes that they tend to look for, which includes:

• planning and organisational skills
• time management
• team working
• verbal and written communication skills
• numeric skills and creativity

Time management is very important, this is because you have to make sure you will have enough time to do your work, and make sure you can fit work in anytime it is needed. You should be able to plan out when you are going to do work and tasks, this way you make sure your work is done then you have time to do whatever you want.

Verbal and written communications skills are needed in almost every job. This shows that you can communicate in anyway, being verbally or over the internet, or even pen and paper. This shows that you can send emails and do other things like write letters. Having good communication skills means that you know how to do it too. You know how to talk to someone about certain things. You don’t just need good English skills, you also need good numeric skills and creativity! Having these skills doesn’t just make you look better or smarter but it allows you to do more in your work space. Creativity is needed in many jobs, for example, a graphics designer, If you’re a graphics designer you cant just keep using the same design or layout, it would get boring and old, you have to keep things new and fresh!

Team working is also very important. The employer needs to know that you can not only work well independently but also work well with others. This lets them know that if there is a big task that needs doing, you wouldn’t mind working effectively with others to get the job done. This also links to having a good tolerance, since there may be people you don’t like in your work place, but you will get along with it if it means getting the job done, the employer will be happy to hear you can put your problems aside and be responsible. This leads me to my next attributes…

There are plenty of things an employer looks for, a big one is your attitude. Attitudes such as:

• determination
• independence
• working with integrity
• tolerance
• dependable
• problem solving
• leadership skills
• confidence
• self-motivation

Your attitude towards your job should consist of some of the above. A big one is Confidence, this shows the employer you know your stuff, and you know what you’re talking about. This also makes people look up to you, making it easier to along with people. Being confident allows you to work effectively in a group since you wouldn’t be shy to share your ideas or even be a team leader.  This leads me to talk about Leadership skills; it’s a great attribute to have. It makes it easier for your boss to put you in charge of a team or group knowing that you are a good leader and can do what is asked. It shows you’re willing to listen and help other people.

Determination and self-motivation is a great combination. It shows that no matter what, you will get your work done. It shows that no matter how big or small the task it will get done, and on time. This is because being determined means you will do it, you want to get it done before you do anything. Self motivation is key, most people get bored of their jobs and it can become very dull to do work,. But if you have self motivation, it means that you will push your self to do the job/work even if you cannot be bothered or would rather do something else. It tells the employer that you are committed to the job.

IT health and safety is very important, this is because you may not notice the damage now but in years time you will notice what damage it has done by not following the safety precautions. For example, if you constantly use a computer eventually you will get R.S.I which means you get strains in your wrist from using your mouse constantly. Eventually an operation would be needed to help your wrist. Another example would be your eye sight, you could have perfect eye sight and after years of IT work, you may find that you need glasses, and not because of age.