Ruixiang LIU

4/28

Group preparations for interview session and Self Reflection

Before the interview session, our group organize a quick meeting and discuss several potential questions and answers in advance to make ourselves fully prepared so as to contribute to a more fluent and active interview:

Also, it is a great chance for us to look back of the whole semester, reflecting on our group work, on each other, on ourselves.

As to our group work, our group presentation is about procurement which is a very complex and practical process. So, if we could have more time, it could be great to have some interview with consultants, with contractors’ sub-contractors to have a better understanding of what is the real tough questions they usually need to handle.

As to our group, I think we are the best group indeed. Chan is a person that really deserves everyone trust and reliance, finishing the work always in good quality and time. Ruby always actively undertake the workload and also enthusiasm of participating in our group discussion. KY has a very strong logic thinking, it was she that use the carton figures dialogue to cover all key knowledge points and her rich working experience and background give us much help. Anya is very innovation, raising the good idea of how to do animation and never shy to give her concerns and suggestions. So, I think the whole course is not a process of learning knowledge but also a process of learning from each other’s advantages and qualities which can help us a lot in our careers.

As to myself. I had no experience of landscape practice before, but this course let me understand the whole process of a landscape project from design to build to maintenance. Though I don’t think I am fully prepared for my career but at least I am not that afraid of entering the workplace. Apart from getting the knowledge of landscape practice, the most important skill I get is how to make and lunch a website, I think it is a competitive skill and I am preparing to make a website that contain all of my design project. On the one hand, it can be sent to employer when I apply for a job, on the other hand, I think it is an interesting way to record my growth in the design field.

4/22

Assignemnt Review

During the assignment review on April 22, Barry also points out other matters need attention and can make our application stand out from others.

As to the format:

1. Proper and correct salutation

2. Polite VALEDICTIONS (sign-off)

3. Make sure spell the addressee (Company) correctly

4. Formal layout of the letter

As to the content:

1. Keep it short and business-like

2. Be matter-of-fact

3. VERY short introduction of your current situation

4. Avoid flowery language, flattering, plaudits and honorifics

5. Avoid generalizations about your experience

6. Avoid subjective analysis of what you think/ feel about yourself/ company

7. Tell a personal story about what and why you are motivated interested / experienced

8. Make allusion to the company ethos and something

Comparing with Barry’s suggestion, I think my writing assignment still need to be polished, such as deleting the subjective analysis of what I feel about the company and the flowery language. In short, sincere feelings and stories and true passion for work always touch people and will make us stand out.

4/18 Doing research on “Barry Wilson Project Initiatives”

Going to the company’s website is the most direct way for me to do research on my employer. Also, nowadays many companies also run their own social media account, such as WeChat, Instagram, Facebook and etc. which will share the most updated information and projects of the company which is also a good way to deepen the understanding of the company. So I follow the Wechat account “百瑞BarryWilson”，reading the articles under the catalog of barrysays, barryshares and interview which help understand how do this company work, what does it focus on, what is its vision and why it is special. After reading these articles, I prepare to cater to its taste. For example, if I would get the chance of interview, I can use my projects to demonstrate the design idea this company advocates which will make the employer convinced that I am the most suitable candidate for them.

4/15

In-class Writting Wokshop

During the in-class workshop, our group produce a framework of formal application letter (shown below). We believe it need to include four main parts: Briefly introduce my intention; My interests in this company (do research on this company); How I meet the job requirement; and Say thank you and show my passion to the company again.

Writing this template let me know what a formal and distinguished application should be like and make comparisons with the application letter I wrote before (shown below), understanding why I seldom get response from the employers. In my previous application letter, I more focus on myself. As is shown below I talked a lot about the honored I got in the past but I failed to explain why I choose this company, how deep do I understand and love this company and why I am qualified enough to undertake this job, which may leave a negative impression.

3/31

Getting answers response from Government

Before our group presentation, we send a email to Development Bureau to ask the following questions, anticipating to get their answers and present in our session:

1. Which are the most common procurement arrangements if the main parties are local? Are these arrangements different if some or all of the main parties are international contractors or consultants?

2. What standard forms of contracts are used for both local and international projects? Which organizations publish them?

3. What risks are typically allocated to the contractor? How are these risks offset or managed?

4. How are construction professionals usually selected? Following selection, how are they then formally appointed?

5. What are the usual methods of payment for construction work? Are there ways for the contractor and consultants to secure payment or mitigate risks of non-payment under local law?

And in today’ afternoon, Development Bureau kindly answer our question and we really appreciate answer and we have shared their response on the website for our classmates’ reference.

3/23 and 3/24

The fourth and fifth Group meeting

Twice rehearsal help us quickly polish our work and presentation and most importantly, to unify the format of group presentations.

3/21

Third Group meeting in campus

Produce the slides and narratives of videos together. As is recommend by my groups, the final part of our presentation will be about the procurement and construction of project in Hong Kong to prepare our classmates for the near future careers. By using the form of games, it will increase the students' participation. Also the game itself is also about managing and balancing the risks, turning to the right person at the right time to offset risks to maximum the success of outcome.

3/18

The table shown by, illustrate the timeline of project program for service: including the relationship with architecture design and landscape design. For most project, it will be kicked off by architecture design and landscape design is usually one stage behind. As project wont last long in Hong Kong, a project usually needs a consultancy to arrange time. The speaker also introduces the differences in project process by using his small, medium and large project as comparisons.

2021/3/17

The Third Group Meeting

Further developing the content of the presentation, and asking suggestions from my group mates to improve my part. Here is the material I collect for the first and last part of group presentation

The book “Procurement landscape” gives me much inspirations on how to understand the potential the risks in the procurement process.

“Procurement like any other complex activity is reliant on the skills it has available. There is a large variation in procurement methodologies from traditional through to a totally collaborative approach. The same skills are not required to deliver each of these approaches.” So potential risks come from the gap between different groups.

2021/3/14

The Second Group Meeting

We exchange the materials we collected and discuss the outline of our group presentation. The presentation will divide into three parts. The first part will introduce what is procurement? Why procurement is important? And what factors may affect procurement process? The second part will introduce three typical kinds of procurement method as well as their advantages, disadvantages and risks, with help the drama animation. The third part will use the form of quiz to encourage our classmates participation, aiming to introduce the features of procurement in Hong Kong.

2021/3/4

The content of Tree Preservation and Removal Proposal (TPRP) in white group’s presentation leaves a deep impression on me.

Trees should be preserved as far as practicable. If removal of a tree or tree(s) is absolutely necessary, whether in government projects or arboricultural maintenance, a TPRP shall be prepared to justify the need for tree removal, which contains all necessary details and information for assessing the impact to trees brought upon by the implementation of the proposed development or arboricultural maintenance.

2021/3/3

Quiz reflection：

The question of “Why is there a CODE OF STANDARDS OF CONDUCT & PRACTICE FOR LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONALS? What's the point?” makes my aware that any standards or behavior restriction for each side during the project is to protect every sides right and set a boundary of what should do and what should be refused.

Restriction for ourselves sometimes may become reasonable excuse to say no to risks, so as to “protect the cultural and historical context and the ecosystem to which the landscape belongs when generating design, planning and management proposals. Values that support human health, environmental protection and biodiversity should be advocated.”

Also, purple group’ presentation also makes me understand that being a boss is also to balance and dealing with different risks: risk of revenue and expenditure unbalance; risk of short of or redundant employees, risk of rupture in cash flow and risk of project delay.

2021/2/24

Ringo’s introduction about the process of design development and coordination gives me the basic idea of what is the design process in a real project and provides much information for our group’s presentation-“ORGANISING A PROJECT”.

The preparation stage includes reading client brief, holding kick off meeting, conduct site inspections. To the design workshop stage, developing clients need and expectations, site analysis, brain storm, concept sketch are all important and necessary parts to promote the development of the project.

Also, to develop a project, coordinating with other department is also a significant part and coordinate meetings usually take place once or twice per two weeks which include checking drainage, electricity, lighting with structural and architectural teams.