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CNS 220 Final Project

Part 1: Personal Action Plan
If you have a dream, you can spend a lifetime studying, planning, and
getting ready for it. What you should be doing is getting started.
-Drew Houston, Founder/CEO of Dropbox
The purpose of this project is to integrate and mobilize your new skills, resources, experiences and
knowledge into a plan you can use to create meaningful action toward your personal and career-related
goals. This final project, your Action Plan, along with your Meta-Reflection, will allow you to consolidate
your new competencies and understanding of yourself, as well as options in the world of work that are
relevant to you.
Checklist to complete this project:
Answer the following prompts and complete the action plan on the following pages. Please
complete this electronically by filling out this document.
Complete a career coaching appointment with a career coach in the OPCD to review your action
plan for feedback.
Write your meta-reflection based on the prompts provided after this action plan worksheet.
Please follow the prompts listed here and integrate 8-10 resources from our course as supporting
material, evidence for your plan, or new information that informs your future actions. You will start by
reviewing your progress and citing the experiences that have created impact and opportunity.
This project is a template you can use now and as your goals unfold, or shift in the future. Ive provided
this blank template for your Action Plan on Sakai and our ePortfolio website. Keep it and feel free to use it
in the future.
First, begin by answering these questions for yourself. Be as complete as you can, using a sentences or
two for each prompt:
I enrolled in this course for this primary purpose or because: I wanted to learn about my options
for after graduation and learn the skills required to search for a job. I have a lot of
pressure from my family and myself to have a plan for after graduation before I walk
across the stage. I do not want to move back into my parents house for an undetermined
amount of time and have my immediate future still up in the air.
When I started this class, I was considering this/these options in the world of work: counseling of
some sort or human resources. I also thought about having a career as an academic doing
research, developing new theories, and publishing my research.
At the beginning of our course, these were my initial assumptions/thoughts about myself and the
world of work as it related to me.
1. Getting a job that was not related to the hard sciences or engineering was almost
impossible and that I would have to work extra hard to find a job that interests me
and earns me a living. This assumption has changed some now that I have taken the
course.
2. The best way to get a job is not about what you know but who you know. Networking
is key!
3. My life will be much more fulfilling if I love what I do. I should not consider it a job but
I calling that I cannot wait to go to every morning.
Next, continue by considering the results of your self-assessment undertaken through our course. You
may wish to review the Self-Assessment section of your ePortfolio. Write a sentence or two to answer
these prompts:

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What are the key points you have learned about yourself as it relates to your current ideas related to
career goals? Which projects, experiences or readings provided this learning? List 3-5 key learnings
and the rationale/or sources for class that help clarify this self-assessment.
1. I learned that most of my family has a science or business background, and I am the
odd one out, even among my siblings. I want to go into a field not related directly to
business or science. My Career Genogram Summary showed this trend and helped me
to realize that I will need to forge my own path within my family and be prepared to
stand up for myself as far as following my heart and not my parents path.
2. Similar to the point above, I learned from my Career Genogram Summary that I will
potentially face a lot of resistance from my parents and grandparents because this
divergence of paths. I am not simply diverging from their career choice but I am going
in a direction that they may not approve of at first.
3. My Strong Interest Inventory brought to light and reaffirmed my interests in
religion/spirituality, office management, athletics, and research. Throughout the class
I have considered career paths in all of those areas so it is reassuring to me that the
test reaffirms that that is what I am interested in for a possible career.
What has been the most valuable piece of information you have learned about yourself as it relates
to opportunities of value to you? How did you learn this as part of our course? I have learned
through the informational interviews and my job shadow that I am genuinely interested
in counseling as my future career. When I first considered counseling I thought I wanted
to be a counselor because of my past experiences, especially my experience in high
school. I did not want others to have to experience the hardships that I went through. I
still believe that is partly why I want to be a counselor but by talking to people actually in
the field I realized that I genuinely got excited and passionate about my future when I
talked with them. This has been the most valuable piece of information because it has
motivated me to continue to talk to people that I would not have otherwise reached out
and talked to in order to gather information about all my options regarding further
schooling and careers.
Now, think about the exploration and research you have conducted and write a sentence or two to
answer the following for yourself. Again, you may wish to look at your Career Research and Exploration
section of your ePortfolio.
How did you explore and research career-related opportunities and options? How would you
summarize the resources/experiences that have been most helpful? I explored and researched
career-related opportunities by talking to as many people as I could both through
informational interviews, a job shadow, and informational sessions to learn about
different specific fields and graduate programs. The field of counseling is harder to gain
experience through internships, for justifiable reasons of confidentiality. So I need to
figure out if it is the field for me by talking to as many people as possible and be gaining
experience through research that will benefit me if I decide to purse a PhD or equivalent
degree. Talking to several people and gaining a lot of information has helped to know
what it is actually like to have that job and I have discovered that, as of right now, I am
interested in that career choice.
What do you need to be doing now based on your class year at Wake Forest and the options you are
currently exploring? hint: take a look at the OPCD site (it lists activities by year and the explore
careers tab here: http://career.opcd.wfu.edu/explore-careers gives a timeline for specific career
fields) I feel that because of taking CNS 120 and CNS 220 as well as being a little fearful of
the future after graduation I have done all of the necessary things that the OPCD
recommends on their website. I have chosen a major, began to network, built my
resume/LinkedIn profile, and taken the first two college-to-career classes. I feel that if I
keep following the advice on the OPCD website and being proactive about my future I will
be on track for success.
My list of key points and valuable personal learning is the following:
Follow my heart and not that of my family or friends if their desires differ.

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Be prepared for my career path to change and mold but stand firm in a career that I
truly feel to which I am being called.
Networking and knowing people who can help me is important. The more strong and
meaningful relationships I can build the better off I will be for my future.

My plans for growth are:

Practice my interviewing and networking skills

Talk to professors who can help my build experience through classes and research
Keep researching options and reflecting on that new information
Pray about the path in which God is leading me!

Options in the World of Work: Career Action Plan

[April 24th, 2015]
Please type your action plan goals below and provide the rationale (the reason you plan to do this) and
course-related source for this goal. Excellent action plans will draw on 8-10 different sources from
class (e.g. projects, experiences, readings, lectures, resources). It is important to anticipate barriers to
reaching your goals. This may be as simple as time limitations during finals week. If we can identify
barriers or obstacles, we can also identify resources that will help us overcome these obstacles so out
momentum on reaching the goals is not diminished.
Step 1: Self-Assessment
Based on what you have learned about yourself, the world of work, values and career related interests,
list your most important information about yourself (column 1). I also expect you to describe the
rationale and source of this learning (e.g., Strong Interest Inventory, Career Genogram, Values Lecture,
journal entry, etc.).
Self-Assessment/Career Related Knowledge
I am interested in religion/spirituality,
office management, athletics, and
research.
I am conventional, social and
enterprising meaning I like to be
organized, be around people, and be a
leader.
I have two or three separate career paths
that I could picture myself doing and I
feel that I would be happy in any of
them. It would be ideal if I could
somehow combine those interests.

Course Citation/Experiential Source

Strong Interest Inventory

Strong Interest Inventory

Dreaded Question, Possible Lives Lecture

Step 2: Short-Term Goals for the Next Thirty (30) Days

In Step 2, Im going to ask you to set some short-term goals based on what youve learned about
yourself above. These goals may be based on information you received in an informational interview,
from your job shadow, perspective gained at an OPCD workshop, data you explored on particular careerrelated web sites or from our readings or experiences. Example short-term goals might look like:
Apply for 10 different marketing related internships before April 30th. Rationale: I need to build
professional experience on my resume before junior year (source: informational interview with alumni
contacted through LinkedIn as part of Informational Interview Projects).
Arrange 2 Job Shadows in hometown for June. Rationale: increasing my network gives me more
access to hidden job market (source: Job Shadow Preparation Presentation).

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In this table, list two (2) short-term goals for next thirty (30) days and action steps to reach them. Include
a date to complete the goals and action steps (column 1). You should support your goal with an
appropriate rationale/source from the course or your exploration that explains your reason or motivation
for the short-term goals (column 2).
Short-Term Goals for the Next Thirty (30) Days
Rationale/Source from Course or Exploration
Interview with Dean Buchanan; Graduate
School Panel; Informational Interviews
I need to build up my experience in ways other
Goal 1: Obtain a research position in the
psychology department for the fall semester
than an internships and multiple people have
(May 8tt/ when I leave for summer)
suggested research.
1a. I need to know which professors have
research that is interesting to me and that is in
Action Step a. Research professors to see
a field of study somewhat similar to my future
their current research (April 26th)
goals.
1b. Meet with them face-to-face helps explain my
Action Step b. Email the professors with
background and shows that I have initiative to
whom I am interested in working to set up
reach out to them. My professor has said several
a time to meet with them to discuss
times that that face-to-face contact speaks
working in their lab (May 1st)
volumes and makes me stand out.

Goal 2: Attain a job shadow with my

elementary school counselor (May 18th)

Action Step a. Contact the school counselor

at my elementary school to set up an
appointment. (May 10th)
Action Step b. Write a short reflection on
what I learned from the experience and
what I can do as a result of my
experiences. (May 18th)

2. This will give me a better insight into my future

career because I found my job shadow at Wake a
valuable experience.
2a. By meeting with someone from my old
school, I can see what their job looks like having
been a client myself several years ago. This will
give me more insight into a possible career in
school counseling.
2b. By writing this information down I can
summarize my thoughts and remember them. I
will be able to look at all of my job shadows and
informational interviews in order to see themes
and patterns between all of my reflections.

Now that youve spent some time identifying your short-term goals for the next thirty (30) days, I want
you to think about any potential obstacles you may encounter in the process of reaching these goals and
completing your action steps. Additionally, please identify resources you may use to overcome these
obstacles (e.g., identify the tools, information, planning and/or people who can help you).
Potential Obstacles to Completing Short-Term
Goals
Resources to Overcome Potential Obstacles
1. Any type of research is better than no research.
1. There are no professors who are doing
I can talk to professors that have some
research that corresponds exactly with what commonalities to my interests or that I could add
I want to research and that fits my career
a small part to their research as my own project
path.
and present it to them.
2. I can send a follow up email a few days later if I
2. Professors not responding to emails
have still not heard from them just to make sure
and/or not having time to meet even during
that they got the email. If I do not hear back I can
finals week
stop by their office.
3. I have a short window in which I am in my
3. I should email her as soon as possible so that I
hometown before I leave for Europe and my
can get on her calendar in advance so she has
job shadow may not be available that week.
time to plan ahead and accommodate me if

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possible.
Step 3: Long-Term Goals for the Next Three (3) Months
Now, in Step 3, I want you to set two (2) long-term goals and actions steps to help you reach them.
Example long-term goals might look like:
Join the Executive Committee of Wake and Shake. Rationale: recruiters like to see leadership on a
resume (source: Internship Presentation in Class & OPCD Job Search Workshop)
Conduct informational interview with attorneys in my county by end of August. Rationale: explore law
schools that may network or offer recruiting options within my home state/region to determine top
choices for law school applications (Source: Graduate/Professional School Panel information)
Take Computer Science course next semester. Rationale: basic programming important skill for one
of my industries of choice (Source: informational interview #2 with alumnus at Red Ventures)
Long-Term Goals for the Next Three (3)
Months

Goal 1: Relax! Take time to think about what

I am actually interested in and not force
myself to make a decision.

Action Step a. Serve the people of Rome,

Italy this summer through my service
learning class in my study abroad
program.

Action Step b. Travel!

Goal 2: Reflect on my study abroad

experience and how I can relate that to my
future plans.

Action Step a. Blog while I am in Europe this

summer.

Action Step b. Talk to a personal mentor and

my family about my experience when I
return.

Rationale/Source from Course or Exploration

1. In my OPCD appointment, we mostly talked
about how I have gained the skills to look
for a career I want and network but I need
to discern what career I actually want. She
said that this happens over time and by
just living.
1a. This will give me experience working with
different groups of people but that is not the
main purpose of my service. I would be doing it
regardless of whether it propels my career
forward but I can also use it as a time to learn
through experience and living.
1b. After my classes in Rome are over, I want to
travel around Europe some to see that part of
the world. This will be another life experience
that I would probably do not necessarily for the
purpose of putting it on my resume but it will
give me life experience. Naturally, and through
prayer and reflection, my career will begin to
take shape.
2. This will give me the opportunity to look at
how my abroad experience helped me to
discern what my future holds and how to
move forward for my next two years at
Wake.
2a. This will allow me to think through writing
about how my experience is impacting me and to
see my thoughts on paper. It will also allow me
to look back at the end of the summer to see
how much I have learned and grown.
2b. This will prepare me for the future by helping
me to think out loud and discuss it with people
who care about me. It will also allow them to
help me by giving me advice on how to move
forward with the information that I am presented
with now.

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Just as you did with your short-term goals, I want you to think about any potential obstacles you may
encounter in the process of reaching your long-term goals and completing your action steps.
Additionally, please identify resources you may use to overcome these obstacles (e.g., identify the tools,
information, planning and/or people who can help you).
Potential Obstacles to Completing LongTerm Goals
Resources to Overcome Potential Obstacles
1. I can remind them that only 30% of students
have a job when they walk across the stage and
those are dominantly in certain fields that hire
way in advance. I can also tell them about
1. Constant pressure by my family to know
everything I have done now to prepare myself for
what I am doing after graduation
that transition.
2. This would be a learning experience. However, I
2. Travel problems or my service learning
do not see my entire trip being cancelled so I will
class falls through
have something to reflect on.

Accountability Partner (with whom will you share

this plan):

Shan Woolard (OPCD Career Counselor)