What to call it? (Why do people behave like animals)
This is something fun that has taken into somewhat serious approach.
You see, I'm stydying CS Engineeering, nothing related to philosophy, anthropology, or the such. However, in preparations for a wide-personal CV (ie.: one that covers all my skills not only those related to my speciality field), one of my instructors (actually my college dean/rector) has suggested that I should make clear that I have skill and experience in explaining and debating how and why do people behave like animals. Here I am talking essentially about crowd behaviour, such as you see those neonazis, hooligans, linch mobs and other such filth (in humanity terms, I intend only to describe and not to offend anyone). What's worse, the dean has made it a GRADUATION HOMEWORK so I'm quite forced to go on about it!
So, the thing is, I am somewhat good at it, I like it, and I've been asked for advice or counseling on the subject by people who knows my skills. I've never been paid a $ maybe because that's not my expertise field, but the fact is people have reccomended me. However I don't know how to "adverstise" this... we're talking about a CV, I can not put in in the lines of "Skill #3: informal experience in understanding the drugaddicts and brutes after an UEFA semifinals". I'm looking for some proffesional, technical term, that can describe this ability to, essentially, explain, debate and predict, in common (non-PhD, non-lawyer, non-cryptologist) terms, ill-intentioned or irrational crowd behaviour.
I've temporarily devised something in the lines of "psychozoosociology" but I'm not sure the term is correctly applied. Can anyone help me with some more professional term (or terms) that describe this as an ability? (I see this not like a career or a degree or a research field).
So, guys here, thanks in advance.
# 1 Re: What to call it? (Why do people behave like animals)
Well, you can organize your CV so that you group your skills in two: technical skills (related to computer science) and soft skills (such as communication, learning, and the ability to explain, debate and predict, in common (non-PhD, non-lawyer, non-cryptologist) terms, ill-intentioned or irrational crowd behaviour).
cilu at 2007-11-9 13:02:16 >
# 2 Re: What to call it? (Why do people behave like animals)
I believe this should be grouped under good communication skills or ability to explain complex subjects an understandable manner.
I would let the interviewer prompt you to explain further at which point you could go into more detail regarding you experiences with the subject of people behaving like animals.
Arjay at 2007-11-9 13:03:16 >
# 3 Re: What to call it? (Why do people behave like animals)
Hey, thanks for the answers guys, specially Arjay for pointing the interwiewer thing.
Our dean ("Mr. Dean :D") believes that, as in our country long-term job stability is essentially non-existant, we as future professionals should aim our CV at explaining what have we done and what are we willing to do, rather than what "papers" say we "know". Regardless of the level of technical qualification we can get, it is implaussible to stay in the same job more than 6 months / 1 year in my country, even less for a starter. So he says we must promote "Human skills" which can only be transmitted, learned and teached by leadership and everyday confrontation, more than "technical skills" which at a quite deep level can always be a) copied by someone willing to charge less (esquirols and the like) or b) replaced by a robot/machine/CPU.
So the idea of allowing the interviewer to ask such questions comes as a good one but at the same time, rather difficult to me, I mean, if I just put up "communications, learning" and the such in a CV, how does tthat make a difference against any other CV with "communication skills"? Should I empathize on, eg.: collaboration in forums (not the virtual ones :ehh: ), intra-college debate instances, something like that? The idea is that if an interested, potential interviewer reviews my CV, he won't turn it down telling for himself something in the lines for "oh, great, Yet Another Candidate who thinks he's got the empathy and the self-awareness and all that social intelligence thing".
I'm sorry to be annoying and kesky (thats if I am) by insisting so much, but somehow CV's is an area quite outside of my skills for all the written expresion I am capable of :(
# 4 Re: What to call it? (Why do people behave like animals)
I believe your dean, Mr. Dean, has some valid points. The trick will be to find a balance between getting your message across and appearing as someone who is too much interested in other things besides programming.
I would consider what you need to write down vs. the soft skills you are able to convey during the interview. Your ability to communicate will show through during the interview, so consider what the CV needs to contain.
Arjay at 2007-11-9 13:05:18 >
# 5 Re: What to call it? (Why do people behave like animals)
However, in preparations for a wide-personal CV (ie.: one that covers all my skills not only those related to my speciality field), one of my instructors (actually my college dean/rector) has suggested that I should make clear that I have skill and experience in explaining and debating how and why do people behave like animals. Here I am talking essentially about crowd behaviour, such as you see those neonazis, hooligans, linch mobs and other such filth (in humanity terms, I intend only to describe and not to offend anyone).
I am missing something here... When someone talks of Animal Behaviour, neonazism, hooliganism and the likes don't come to my mind.
I've temporarily devised something in the lines of "psychozoosociology" but I'm not sure the term is correctly applied. Again, animal sociology and nazism, hooliganism is not connected IMO.
I see that animals are getting a bad name here... ;) Nazism was an extreme form of racism and this is completely (100%) human behaviour. Animals don't discriminate.
# 6 Re: What to call it? (Why do people behave like animals)
Come on Sid, "animal" was just a label for some humans. ;)
cilu at 2007-11-9 13:07:15 >
# 7 Re: What to call it? (Why do people behave like animals)
Well... It actually wasn't because he devised a name as "psychozoosociology" - that indicates a connection with animals (in the real sense).
I would not risk confusing animal behaviour and human-behaviour when wanting to put something on the resume. ;)
# 8 Re: What to call it? (Why do people behave like animals)
Well... It actually wasn't because he devised a name as "psychozoosociology" - that indicates a connection with animals (in the real sense).
I would not risk confusing animal behaviour and human-behaviour when wanting to put something on the resume. ;)
Ah, in that case, I misunderstood it, and of course you make a good point with that.
cilu at 2007-11-9 13:09:24 >
# 9 Re: What to call it? (Why do people behave like animals)
@cilu and @Siddhartha: thanks for your inputs.
Of course the animal and psychology thing is something I tried to come it with a name for. I _didn't_ mean to offende animals!!!! -- I don't know name of a branch of sociology or anthorpology, or even more public-oriented studies (delictive behaviour studies comes to mind) that focuses on animal-like crowd behaviour, that's why I'm looking for a better name. Sure thing someone already labeled this science.
As suggested by Arjay I've toned down the soft skillls section and left explicit that other "not-on-the-book" skills or experiences are available, inviting so if you (the interviewer) are interested you can ask. I have provided though some specific examples with witnesses referral. I think it should suffice for soft skill emphatization.
For the first review of our personal-wide curriculums (at Oct. 14) I got an 5.8 out of 7.0, with observations about contact information (availabilty of my cell phone number) and hard skills specialization which I didn't expect (I went quite deep to clearly state each area of specialty). On the subject of soft skills I got approved with the samples provided, only the comment on the same lines of Arjay into letting the interviewer to ask further.
Given the state of the course I think 5.8/7.0 is good if not OK, there's still two more reviews to go and only the final 3rd will be with an included "real-life" interview. Second review is scheduled Nov. 7th and final review of Dec. 10th.
So thanks guys, again, the Gurus here rock.
