SJC's blog

SJC Goal Garden!

SJC — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 15:34:11 +0000

Hello and welcome to a long overdue edition of the Social Job Club Autus blog! I have missed writing blogs for you all so much and now that I am out of my burnout phase I am ready to write up all about the fabulous goings on at the AIM Grid in which Autus makes its base. For this season of Social Job Club it has been all about setting up goals and following them through. We have had a fair bit of discussion around what our goals are in life and how we aim to achieve them. For the project, we started building little gardens, called ‘Goal Gardens’ to get a better feel of it and to learn more about building using the AIM Grid.

I am not an expert on building virtual items, in fact I am pretty much a novice and try to avoid building anything in the space at all costs. This is why I have this job writing to you after all. But after much pouting and ‘what ifs’ I finally rolled up my imaginary sleeves and got to work building one single red rose. And here’s how it went:

As you see, it's not the most perfect rose ever built in a virtual world, but it is my rose. We dubbed it the 'frankenrose'. I think one of my goals should be to try to get better at building on the virtual world. Other learners had far better luck than I did with building their goal gardens. Adam did a wonderful koi pond which looks straight out of a glossy catalogue! And look at those koi!

Others who have built lovely goal gardens include Nathen’s blooming sunflowers who live up to their name and they rise up to the sky to soak up those rays and Stephan who has built a game to go along with his plants. We will be having many more updates in the future so stay tuned!

- Solly

Social Job Club Entry 2: Autumn - All about Goals

SJC — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 10:48:36 +0000

To have structure in our lives we need goals. When we have goals, we work just a little harder to achieve them and we feel good after reaching that goal. Goals can be anything to do with life, work, money and even play. In this Social Job Club session, we as a group have been talking about setting goals, staying by them and possibly achieving them. Kitty, our team leader along with H, her assistant, has been talking and building up to setting up a ‘Goal Garden’ within the virtual world that Autus inhabits.

So how do we go around setting up a goal? I will use myself as an example. I want to get a job writing blogs for a company. So, to get to that goal, I will have to set some mini goals that will lead up to the big all-around goal. So, my mini goals to get to there as follows:

Start volunteering at charities and writing blogs and web content for them at a timely basis
Attend all my job coaching sessions
Apply for suitable jobs online
Ace the job interview?

The last mini goal might be quite lofty but now you get an idea of what a goal garden can pretrain to. A set of mini goals that can lead to one big goal and reward at the end is much worth working for and a good stress buster as you have a direction to go in life, which is a good focus.

Everyone has their own goal garden to nurture and you do not have to do it by yourself. You can ask a friend or family member to help you get on track with your goals and not let you lose sight of them.

Social Job Club runs until the end of December so look out for more updates for what goes on around our virtual space and beyond in this blog series!

- Solly

Social Job Club Blog Entry 1: Summer

SJC — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 17:01:37 +0000

Welcome to the Social Job Club blog in which I will be detailing the goings-on here at the SJC virtual world for all of you to take a peek at! This summer we are focusing on building a classic games board for everyone to enjoy. In this blog I chatted to Ben, who is a participant and is building an interactive pool table!

Solly: Hello Ben is it ok if I ask a few questions for the blog?
Ben: Hi Solly, yes
Solly: First of all, can you tell me about the game you have built?
Ben: I've made a pool table and wheel of fortune. Pool is one of my favourite games and the wheel of fortune is one of the most artistic TV game show devices I've seen so there's a lot of scope there for exercising design skills
Solly: Good. What do you think when you hear the words 'summer employment?'
Ben: A temporary job. Working in a shop seems to be the first thing that comes to mind but there are always summer events that need staff and volunteers
Solly: I should have asked this earlier... Why did you choose this game?
Ben: Something I don't like about the UK is the fact that nearly all pool tables have the red and yellow balls instead of the spots and stripes. The spots and stripes with the numbers on are more interesting to play with
Solly: That is a great answer, thank you. Last question: what do you like about SJC?
Ben: The variety of designing projects and people and socialising is continuing brilliantly. I'd also like to say I'm doing Emerge which is all about setting up your own business so I don't know how much more time I can commit to SJC or getting a summer job
Solly: Thank you so much ben

KeyTech 2021 - Latest Blog Post

SJC — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 17:47:24 +0000

Hello and welcome to another edition on what is going on at KeyTech! We had the stunning conclusion of the Round the World race and the winner was Ben! Ben has won a voucher and other prizes and also has a lovely trophy that he can display in the virtual world. Well done Ben and well done to everyone that took part. In fact, we have an interview with the winner about his time in the programme.

Solly: Hello Ben

Ben: Hi Solly
Solly: First can you introduce yourself and tell us more about your role in Keytech?
Ben: I'm 40 and I've been working with Autus for nearly 6 years. I've been attending career-tech for 2 years and through Keytech I have been chosen for Support Texture Creation
Solly: What have you enjoyed in Keytech?
Ben: I've enjoyed working in a big, nicely-designed virtual building, decorating it and seeing fellow workers' decoration ideas. I have heard all sorts of stories about everyone's past work experiences - types of company, company practices and office practices and what amazing kinds of jobs are out there
Ben: The best thing has to be working with an American and hearing about what she has seen and heard over there in her working life. I am also pleased that I was chosen to create the Keytech logo. I enjoyed working on it and I like how it's turned out
Solly: Would you recommend Keytech to others?
Ben: Yes. The important thing is to tell people what your dreams are and then the steps slowly start becoming clear
Solly: Thank you Ben
Ben J2E: Thank you Solly

- Solly

Click here to view the previous Key-TECH 2021 Blog Entry

KeyTech 2021 - 9

SJC — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 13:27:26 +0000

Hello all and welcome back to the KeyTech blog! Today is the first in our interview series in which I talk to a member of the KeyTech HQ all about their roles and goals. Here is our wonderful session leader Kitty!

Solly: Introduce yourself and tell about your role in Keytech

Kitty: My name is Kitty aka Helene (my birth name)
Kitty: I am 54, I live in Texas, I am from New Jersey
Kitty: I have been working for Autus since 2017
Kitty: I have over 20 years’ experience as an avatar
Solly: How did you get involved with Keytech?
Kitty: I am the senior session leader
Kitty: I came in as a volunteer to help teach building, as I knew Dawn from my business in Second Life
Kitty: KeyTech was created as part of the CareerTech series of programmes
Kitty: I worked with a team to create the programme, and I've run it for 2 years now
Kitty: KeyTech was developed to help folks to identify and take steps on their career journey
Solly: Can you give three tips on being a good office manager?
Kitty: An office manager arrives before the rest of the team does every single day
Kitty: An office manager keeps everything running smoothly, so they keep a tight schedule and lots of notes
Kitty: And an office manager has a different type of relationship with co-workers than others do, they are one of the team but they are also in charge so they have to maintain balance in that sense
Solly: Finally, can you sell Autus to anyone who would like to join in the future
Kitty: Ok, well Autus is a UK-based charity that supports adults on the autism spectrum with career goals
Kitty: if you find that you are "stuck"
Kitty: and want help getting "unstuck"
Kitty: Our intention at Autus is to help an individual realize their potential, and set themselves on a path to independence and fulfilment in business
Solly: Thank you Kitty

- Solly

KeyTech 2021 - 8

SJC — Tue, 09 Mar 2021 12:57:32 +0000

Welcome back to another edition of the goings on at KeyTech HQ! We are over halfway through the programme but that does not mean that the fun is slowing down! The Round the World race is going strong with H leading the pack but that can change any time between now and the end of the programme. Remember, if you are interested in any of the programmes Autus has to offer, from KeyTech to Social Job Club, make sure to contact us. This week marked the start of our independent projects and my one is this blog of course, but not before we discussed office roles.

A normal office will have around seven departments that make it work for what it is. As I have worked in the charity sector I will use that as an example.

IT Department: Every office has an IT department that makes sure all the technology around the office is running smoothly. The IT department is well-needed across all sectors because without their expertise, the other departments would not run properly as nearly all work is done on computers.

Finance: The finance department manages the cash flow of the company and does the taxes as well. They also manage the invoices and expenses of the other departments. Each has its own Head Accountant and other people.

Admin: Admin are the unsung heroes of the office as they can do a number of tasks around all departments. From E-mailing bosses, photocopying, invoicing and other office duties, a solid admin department is not easy to beat!

Communications/PR: This is the department I work in and a PR(Public Relations)s job is to make sure all the company's social media and E-mails are running smoothly. PR also works in tandem with Marketing to sell the company to the outside world. This department also looks after the website and writes content for it.

HR: HR or Human Resources is the department to go to when there is a problem with the company and you want the issue resolved. HR also takes care of the new hires and they are the ones to impress when you send in your CV and cover letter as they will see it first!

Health and Safety: They might not be in the office space proper but this team looks after the office physically as well as mentally. They also include the receptionist (who also covers admin), first aid, janitorial and security forces.

Make sure you tune into next week as we will be kicking off the Interview series!

- Solly

KeyTech 2021 - 7

SJC — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 12:30:44 +0000

Hello and welcome to yet another edition of what is happening at KeyTech HQ! If you are new here, KeyTech is a programme run by us that meets every Tuesday, and our goal is to prepare learners to the big world of employment. We cover everything from making your best CVs and cover letters to office etiquette. We have our own island now on the AIM Grid so if you want to know more about the programme or just Autus in general, E-mail us or drop us a line on Twitter or Facebook.

Today’s session, in a twist of fate, also focused on emergencies but this time, in the office rather than outside. The AIM Grid server that we use every week for our meetings was down and our brilliant IT man James was hard at work getting the servers back up again. Whilst he was doing that, we met up in a hub world powered by Mozilla Hubs which was not unlike the one that we use through Firestorm, except that we had to choose from the pre-loaded icons that Mozilla offered us. I was a fancy ghost, of course. We spent an hour in the hub until James managed to get the Firestorm servers online again and we transferred back to our familiar island.

Emergencies like that can happen anytime in the office, you just have to learn to get to grips with them and have a back-up plan for when problems arise. For physical mishaps, like the photocopier machine and any other technology going haywire, the best thing to do in a situation like that is to first call the IT technician. There should be a group of them in hand at any time and they should get your problem sorted. While they work at it, you can focus on any other work that you have got to be doing.

In the case of fire drills, that is also very simple. You listen to your health and safety manager as they tell you to move single file to the nearest fire exit. When you are outside there is usually a wait between 2-5 minutes. When asked to come inside again, go to your allocated place in single file.

Maintenance almost always happens in an office environment so when it comes up to your corner, you usually have another space away from the building workers in which you can do your work. Building takes time so patience is key.

The Around The World Race has just started and it's getting exciting here at KeyTech HQ so check back next week (emergency pending!) for more KeyTech happenings and workplace tips.

- Solly

KeyTech 2021 - 6

SJC — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 19:00:15 +0000

Hello and welcome to week 5 of the goings on at Keytech HQ. We had a change of plan this week as there was a big snowstorm that hit the state of Texas, leaving millions without power. Our leader Kitty is from Texas and due to that could not join us this week. Instead, her lovely assistant H took over and presented a new topic that is related to the events that happened to Kitty this week. In this blog we will look at what to do if an emergency befalls you in the workplace and how you can cope and find solutions to it.

Bad Weather and Disrupted Travel
As Kitty was stuck without power due to very bad weather she could not make it to the session, so we made bad weather the main subject of our discussion. Bad weather is not preventable, it is something you cannot control and your boss should have complete sympathy with you. To tell your boss that you cannot come into work because of bad weather, first E-mail the boss explaining so. You may want to attach a copy of your local area's weather report detailing the bad weather to your E-mail. If E-mail is not available, it is a good idea to give your boss a call. There is nothing you can do about bad weather so your boss should be understanding.

In the case of disrupted travel it is best to call your boss to tell them that you will be late and the reason why. If travel disputes block your way to work all over it is best to send your boss an E-mail explaining why you cannot come into work today and instead will be working from home.

Illness in the Family
Another unavoidable scenario and one that is increasing in today’s climate is illness in the family. A family member has fallen ill and it may be your job to look after them. A good tip is to e-mail your boss and say that you will make up for lost time and if you have holiday time it is a good idea to use it up now. With the advent of Zoom and working from home becoming more normalised, you can now properly work from home and have all the office programs available to you.

There are many other emergency reasons but those are the main two that many employees have during their working life.

- Solly

KeyTech 2021 - 5

SJC — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 01:58:04 +0000

Hello everybody and welcome to week 5 of the goings on at Keytech HQ!

It was another busy week over at the virtual world as we discussed what we do in our time away from Keytech HQ. Good news is that finally our lovely logo is up outside on the quad, so whenever you are around the area, make sure to marvel at it and thank Ben for all his amazing work on it! Back to what happened on the grid.. we got started on the points system which our Round the World race will be tallied upon, all very exciting. We were also asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation on the cities we have chosen for ourselves along with a few non-touristy looking photos to accompany it. If you haven’t got any photos that you have taken yourself of the place you can always search the royalty-free photos on Getty Images as there are always gems on there.

Back to the points system, we talked to the group leader Kitty about what would make enough points and how we would do it. Volunteering outside of office hours was a good suggestion as you are getting hands-on experience with your chosen job and it will look really good on your CV. It also shows that you are active in this time and not just idling around. Another good suggestion was looking for a certain number of jobs, and bringing proof of it as it shows you are being proactive. Education also counts as does actually being employed by a company during the programme. Keytech session specific points include turning up early/on time and being active in discussion.
The points system is as follows, agreed on by the whole group:

Arrive on time or early for 1 point
City presentations - must include one photo and 5 min presentation on city plus info notecard earns 5 points
Job hunting for 1 hour on your own time will earn you 5 points, no need to provide proof.
Fill out job application - 5 points
Self-education, study - 5 points
Volunteering - 3 points
In-world projects - time spent; 10 min is 1 point and completed project is a bonus point

Good luck everyone in the group and tune in next time for more updates!

- Solly

KeyTech 2021 - 4

SJC — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 14:22:06 +0000

Hello and welcome to week 4 of the goings on at KeyTech HQ! We are getting into the nitty-gritty now that we have established our roles and gotten comfortable in our office space.

Following on from last week's discussion about setting up goals at work and having healthy competition, the Around the World board has now been put up on the office wall and it is looking pretty nice indeed. We all picked a country to find some fun facts about. To see what country I got, I wrote about them in last week’s blog (which is up on the Autus website now) so please take a gander.

Moving on to today’s topic, we had a visitor at KeyTech HQ. Autus head Dawn brought along the new hire, Jami, to look around the virtual space and say hello to everyone. Jami will be handling the social media accounts of Autus going forward.

We learned about what to do when a visitor is around the office, both in the virtual space and in real life. First, the visitor will have to sign in at reception and receive a lanyard. Visitors to the office space don’t come in for no reason as they often have made appointments with whoever they are seeing beforehand. After they have checked-in, the visitor will be at the waiting from while a member of staff comes down to fetch them. The member of staff will greet them and offer them anything before handing them over to the office manager who will take them to the correct person. If the visitor is touring the office, it is polite to stand up from your desk when they arrive and greet them. If, in the worst case scenario, the visitor or anyone else is rude to you, just stay calm and polite and let the security guard show them out of the building.

When meeting Jami, everyone stood up and greeted her one by one, keeping with what we discussed. Everyone did a great job in this session and Jami had a great time. See you next week for another report.

- Solly