Modulo_12

The computer revolution is transforming the way we communicate, do business and learn. This technological revolution is having a profound 1.________ on the business community and on our private and professional lives. Through the 1970s, computer users related their information needs to computer 2.________ who would then work with the computer system to generate the necessary information. Today, users work directly with their PCs to obtain the 3.________ they need.
In this century, we can anticipate travelling an information 4.________ that eventually will connect virtually every aspect of our society. Today, millions of people have a PC. This widespread availability has resulted in an explosion of  5.________ for computers at home, at play, at work and at school. We are going through a period of digital 6.________ converting whatever we can in the physical and communications worlds to 7.________ so that are compatible with computers.
During the next decade, computers will be built into our domestic, working and external 8.________ . Eventually we will talk to our computers within our smart homes. They will help us perform many 9.________ around the house. A wide range of information and 10.  ________services is now available for the Internet and many more are planned. These applications include video communication, 11.________ -on-demand, interactive television, the virtual mall, telemedicine, 12.________ voting and a national database, to mention a few. Technology-aided  13.________ is being introduced rapidly at all levels of education. Soon we will be able to use our electronic 14.________ to purchase items electronically from retail stores. 15.________ will make it possible to pay for goods and services with very small amounts. The IT innovations bring the 16.________ society closer to reality. IT and the Internet have fuelled the trend towards 17.________. This trend is rapidly changing not only the nature of the 18.________ , but also where and how we work.

A technology revolution is fast replacing human beings with machines in virtually every sector and industry in the global economy. Already, millions of workers have been permanently eliminated from the economic process, and whole work categories and job assignments have shrunk, been restructured, or disappeared. Global unemployment has now reached its highest level since the great depression of the 1930s. More than 800 million human beings are now unemployed or underemployed in the world. That figure is likely to rise sharply between now and the turn of the century as millions of new entrants into the workforce find themselves without jobs.
Corporate leaders and mainstream economists tell us that the rising unemployment figures represent short-term "adjustments" to powerful market-driven forces that are speeding the global economy in a new direction. They hold out the promise of an exciting new world of high-tech automated production, booming global commerce, and unprecedented material abundance. Millions of working people remain sceptical. In the United States, Fortune magazine found that corporations are eliminating more than 2 million jobs annually. While some new jobs are being created in the US economy, they are in the low-paying sectors and are usually temporary.
This pattern is occurring throughout the industrialised world. Even developing nations are facing increasing technological unemployment as transnational companies build state-of-the-art high-tech production facilities, letting go millions of cheap labourers who can no longer compete with the cost efficiency, quality control, and speed of delivery achieved by automated manufacturing.
With current surveys showing that less than five percent of companies around the world have even begun the transition to the new machine culture, massive unemployment of a kind never before experienced seems all but inevitable in the coming decades. Reflecting on the significance of the transition taking place, the distinguished Nobel laureate economist Wassily Leontief warned that with the introduction of increasingly sophisticated computers, "The role of humans as the most important factor of production is bound to diminish in the same way that the role of horses in agricultural production was first diminished and then eliminated by the introduction of tractors."
In all three key employment sectors - agriculture, manufacturing, and services, machines are quickly replacing human labour and promise an economy of near automated production by the mid-decades of the twenty-first century.

(adapted from an article by Jeremy Rifkin)

The term "digital convergence" means the ability to view the same ________ content from different types devices and thanks to the ________ of content (movies, pictures, music, voice, text) and the development of ________ methods. Reading emails on your TV via a connected smartphone, watch a streaming movie on the home theater connected to the Internet ... Digital convergence simplifies our life into our living room.
Formerly, each unit operated ________ and networks were not interconnected. Today, information flows on the same ________ and are stored, read, viewed or listened via same types of ________. Networks, technologies and content converge on a single ________. Result: it saves time and simplifies life.
Now your TV can provide access to all information on a single ________. For example, a LED TV easily connects to a game console, a computer, Blu-ray players and also Internet router, allowing you to access your mail directly from your living room!
Now even your Smartphone can be connected to your screen. This is the case of Apple, with the i-Cloud application that connects TV-PC-Smartphone. You can share videos, photos and applications wirelessly.

1. ________ These specialists design and maintain networks. They also select and install system software and hardware (modems, routers) and select transmission media.  
2. ________ They analyze, design and implement information systems. They can be called "problem solvers" as they are assigned a variety of support tasks, such as system reviews or security assessments.
3. ________ These specialists design, develop, maintain and implement system software, which is fundamental to the general operation of the computer.
4. ________ This specialist should have an in-depth knowledge of Internet protocols and applications in addition to a solid understanding of business strategy.
5. ________ This person should have an in-depth understanding of all aspects of database technology. Their responsibilities include the integrity and security of the database.
6. ________ This Internet specialist has the responsibility for the Web server and its software. This person monitors Internet traffic on the server computer and responds to external inquiries regarding Website operations.
7. ________ This specialist coordinates all computer-related activities within a specific area, such as the marketing department, in order to seek ways to take advantage of available IT resources.
8. ________ This specialist is responsible for all the information services activity in an organization. This person, often a vice-president, must predict which technologies will come true so the company can position itself to use them when they become available.

Your CV is the first chance you get to make a good impression on a potential employer. A top-quality CV will considerably boost your chance of getting a face-to-face interview, so it is worth spending time and effort on the content and presentation. It will make all the difference in obtaining the position you want. You must therefore highlight your skills, expertise and value.
Make sure that you are concise and accurate. Your CV should not, generally, be longer than two pages, so make sure that you tailor it specifically to the job you are applying for and include the skills, qualifications and experience which are most suited to the job.

An employer will want to find the following information in your CV:
________ - Include your name and address, a phone number, and your email address. You may also add your nationality, gender and date of birth if you wish, but they are not obligatory.
________ - This is optional, but it can be very effective in summarising your areas of expertise and characteristics. It is good to include your enthusiasm about working as a Legal Secretary and what motivates you about the industry. Use keywords and keep it brief and concise.
________ - Include any skills you have learnt such as secretarial or IT skills. Explain what you think your personal skills are.
________ - Start with your current or last employer and work backwards. You should include the dates of employment, your job title, name of employer, nature of business, responsibilities, duties and achievements. Try not to leave gaps in your employment history; if you do, it is advisable to account for such times.
________ - Write in chronological order a brief list of school, college and university qualifications together with the grades you obtained. Then list any further qualifications you have obtained, together with the names of the awarding bodies. If you are currently studying for a qualification, mention it together with any results achieved so far.
________ - This is optional but gives you a chance to portray something about your personality. Keep it simple, mention what you do in your free time and note any achievements.
________ - There is no need to write the details of your referees on your CV. Simply state that they are available on request, but make sure that you know who your referees are and that you have asked their permission to use them.

Presentation as well as content is important. Employers can receive many CVs for a job which has been advertised so it is important to create a good impression to attract their attention. Most people do not spend as much time on their CV as they should, so if you write a professional, high quality CV you will stand out from the rest.

Face to Face interviews can be very intimidating - especially if you have not been through any formal interview process before.

________. Consider the experiences you would like to share with the interviewer in advance.  Jot these down if necessary - the interviewer won't mind if you ask to reference your notes during the interview. In fact, they are most likely to be impressed!  Always make sure you review your original application form to refresh your memory. Organisations often list the competencies that they are looking for on their website so have a look through and then think of a couple of examples of when you have demonstrated these skills.
________. Make sure that you leave plenty of time for getting to your interview. If you are going to be late, let the interviewer know as soon as possible rather than leaving it to the last minute.
________. Use body language to further emphasise the points that you are making and to show interest in what the interviewer is saying.
________.  It is a two way process so it's important you display energy as well as commitment during the interview.
________. If you need a couple of seconds to think of an answer to a question, just let your interviewer know. It will show that your response is well thought through and will be more impressive than rushing in with a weak answer immediately.
________. Be prepared to ask the interviewer questions - be it about the role, the organisation or about their career in the company. Write the questions down if you think that you are likely to forget them and refer back to them at the end of the interview.
________. If you feel frustrated that you have not had the chance to share a particular experience during the interview, make sure you tell the interviewer.  You can open that discussion quite easily by expressing that you have some additional information you wish to share. The interviewer will welcome this.

Remember, that the interview is not designed to trick you, it is designed to find out further information about you and for you to find out about us. We want you to perform at your best so it is in our interest to help you achieve this by being transparent throughout the process.