The NY Section Life Members Group (LM) proposes the following slate for election as officers of the Life Members Group for the period January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010.
The election will take place at 5:00 pm, on Thursday November 19, 2009, right after the general ExCom Meeting. All NY Section Life Members are eligible to vote.
Amitava Dutta-Roy - Chair
- Roland Plottel - Vice-Chair
- Eli Elvove, PE - Treasurer
- Michael A. Miller - Secretary
- Lewis Terman - Program Chair
By Adrian Pais
One of the major challenges facing the IEEE is the retention of student members, once they graduate. Graduating students often do not know that the IEEE is a huge, global organisation that stretches far beyond the student branch to which they belonged.
Adittionally, they are often unaware of the tremendous benefits they will have if they become a full IEEE member.
The IEEE student Transition & Elevation Partnership (STEP) program was developed to provide a standardized—yet localized—program for facilitating the transition from student member to young professional, by introducing the opportunities and benefits of IEEE membership during the onset of a career.
The objectives of STEP are to:
- Identify a local IEEE entity beyond the student branch for members to contact
- Plan a joint Section and GOLD event to introduce local IEEE resources
- Illustrate IEEE member benefits appropriate for young professional members
- Identify recent IEEE Student members who have graduated with an undergraduate or graduate degree; help retaining members by capturing any change of address, email or other contact information
The STEP Manual provides the one place to access information on how to plan and organize workshop activities to outreach to the transitioning student or graduating member. The manual contains a check list, best practices, program objectives, description of the student elevation process, format and activities of the STEP workshop and additional resources including Membership Development.
Funding is available for STEP activities, including the graduation reception for groups holding an event with a minimum of ten recent graduates. Basic funding will be provided at the amount of $500.00 and additional funding may be available if more than 25 recent graduates attend.
For further information about STEP visit the STEP website, where you can also download the STEP manual and the funding proposal form.
Adrian Pais is 2009 Chair of the IEEE Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Committee. In this role he provides overall leadership for a committee of approximately 30 IEEE volunteers with the mission of inspiring, energizing, empowering, and engaging IEEE’s over 50,000 recent Graduate Members to envision and realize their dreams.
He was recently elected 2010–2012 director of the IEEE Foundation. In 2008, he was involved in establishing the IEEE Zambia Section as a vehicle to inspire progress in the country of his birth by engaging technical professionals to work toward the vision of the IEEE.
Adrian Pais is based in the Netherlands where he works as a teleocommunications consultant for the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO).
By: Marty Izaak, PACE Chair
Hiring consultants to complete projects and meet short-, and/or long-term, objectives is a prudent way for an owner to obtain expertise while minimizing employee and overhead costs. Furthermore, by hiring consultants, a company can greatly enhance its range of expertise and receive outstanding added value. There is also usually much to be learned from an experienced consultant.
Too often, companies fail to fully explore a consultant's or consulting service's expertise, qualifications, and experience. Often, they take the easier route and hire someone they know, or a person who has been recommended to them. However, every potential consultant should be thoroughly evaluated, regardless of their original source.
The recruiter should always meet the potential consultant first, if possible. Meeting people face-to-face is very important. It gives a first impression, and helps form an opinion and build a relationship—if there is to be one. Also, it allows for a much better feel for the person. If meeting the consultant is not possible, such as when they are in another country, a long telephone or video conference with the prospective consultant is recommended.
In either case, a series of questions should be prepared and ready prior to the interview. It is recommended that several people conduct the interview, either as a group or individually. Invariably, people develop different opinions, all of which should be discussed.
Having a detailed project plan will greatly help to develop questions and evaluate prospective consultants to be hired. Some experts recommend asking behavioral questions, similar to what an employee might face. Questions to be asked may include:
- Describe your typical contract.
- What experience do you have with similar projects?
- How do you communicate your progress to the client?
- How closely do you work with the client?
- How do you determine if a project is complete and how it is successful?
Questions on performance are entirely appropriate since the owner is paying and expecting the results.
Performance questions usually include:
- Do you offer guarantees?
- Will you agree to the specified objectives and timeframes?
- What happens if the project exceeds its timeframe or budget?
- How well do you work and communicate with others?
- Are you a team player? Yes, even for consultants, this is an important question.
Ask questions regarding the consultant’s references. One of the first places to denote inconsistencies is between what the references reveal and what is learned during the interview.
Usually, experienced consultants will have the best chance to provide excellent value and share their knowledge and experiences, enhancing the project execution. All prospective consultants should be thoroughly evaluated to help ensure they could meet all of the project’s requirements.■