Seminar 4 - Career

Background

The objective of this seminar is to collect information on what Network System Engineers work with. Therefore, as a preparation for this seminar you need to make an interview, and then summarize your key findings and reflect on them, considering your choices in your studies.

Preparation for written reflection

You should interview someone that fulfills at least one of the following criteria

        * alumni from Network Services and Systems (NSS)

        * alumni from an masters program or similar with a profile similar to some aspect of NSS

        * technical person working in a company or organisation relevant to NSS and you

You need to find the person to interview. We want you to get an idea of what a “real” NSS engineer does and how he/she works.

The hope is that the interview should provide you with information that could, for example, help you decide about what you want to do after your studies. The overall aim is that by reading the interviews of everyone you all will get a better idea about life after the NSS master.

It is best to perform the interview face to face. If not possible, for example, if the person you are interviewing is far away, Skype or telephone is OK. Email is not OK.

Written reflection

The document you hand in should be written as one piece of text where you summarize the interview and the key findings and reflections you make. That is, it should NOT be a transcript of the interview.

* The first thing to answer in the document is why you picked this person and/or company/organization?

* Questions for the other person should at least include the following:

- Describe the organisation you work in briefly

- What is your background?

- How did you end up where you are? Is this the first company/organisation you work for? Have you changed position/group within the company/organisation?

- What do you “do” a typical day?

- What skills have you had most use for from your education?

- Is there something you wish you had learned more about at university?

- Is your company/organisation working with sustainability issues in some form? If so, what? If not, why do you think not?

- Some words of wisdom / advise / lessons learned you would like to pass on to the next generation?

Before the seminar

Read all the reflecting documents of your group mates.  It may be a good idea to read all the reflections.

During the seminar

Be prepared to ask questions at least from the authors of the two assignments after you in the list of reflections. If the list ends, go back up to the top.

Take active part in the discussions!

If you cannot attend the seminar: check the general guidelines for this case.