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Peabody College at Vanderbilt University

For Training Enhancements

Enhance your program with these FREE online resources from IRIS!

WHAT IIS IIRIIS? WHAT S R S? H AT S The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements is based at Vanderbilt Universitys Peabody College and Claremont Graduate University. The Center, supported through a federal grant from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), creates enhancement materials and resources for college faculty preparing future education professionals and for professional development providers who conduct inservice trainings for current school personnel. Whatt R essourcess Doess IIRIIS Offffer? Wha R e ource Doe R S O er? IRIS training enhancements are designed to better prepare school personnel to provide an appropriate education to students with disabilities. To achieve this goal, the Center has created free course enhancement materials for college faculty and professional development providers. These materials can be used either as homework or as in-class or training activities. STAR LEGACY MODULES Offer challenge-based interactive lessons Apply the How People Learn (HPL) framework (developed by John Bransford and colleagues) Translate research into effective teaching practices Produce significant learner outcomes CASE STUDIES Include three levels of problems to solve Illustrate evidence-based instructional strategies Are accompanied by answer keys (upon request)

IRIS Topiics Incllude IRIS Top cs Inc ude


Accommodattiionss Accommoda o n Behaviior Behav o r Colllaborattiion Co abora o n Diisabiillity D s ab it y Diiverssiity D v er t y Learniing Sttrattegiiess Learn n g S ra eg e RTII RT

ACTIVITIES Activities are created to accompany lectures and professional development training, to be assigned as independent homework, or to promote discussion. They cover a wide range of topics related to special education and disabilities. INFORMATION BRIEFS Information briefs are gathered from a number of sources and are included on the IRIS Web site to offer quick facts and details on a wide range of disability-related subjects. WEB RESOURCE DIRECTORY The Web Resource Directory is a search engine that helps users locate information about special education and disabilityrelated topics available through other Web sites. IRIS FILM TOOL The Film Tool is a comprehensive database of motion pictures featuring or having to do with people with disabilitiessome of them inaccurate or negativeas a means of stimulating discussions of popular depictions of disabilities. ONLINE DICTIONARY The Online Dictionary contains hundreds of definitions of disability and special educationrelated terms, plus cross-links between definitions for easier searching. PODCASTS IRIS downloadable podcasts feature audio interviews with some of the most knowledgeable experts in the field.

All IRIS materials are available at no cost through the IRIS Web site http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu

Instructors Resource Manual


for

HIRED!
The Job Hunting and Career Planning Guide
Fourth Edition
Michael Stebleton
University of Minnesota

Michael Henle
Virginia Community College System

Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City Sao Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo

Copyright 2011, 2006, 2001, by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Allyn & Bacon, 501 Boylston St, Suite 900, Boston, MA, 02116. All rights reserved. The contents, or parts thereof, may be reproduced with HIRED! The Job Hunting and Career Planning Guide, Fourth Edition, by Michael Stebleton and Michael Henle, provided such reproductions bear copyright notice, but may not be reproduced in any form for any other purpose without written permission from the copyright owner. To obtain permission(s) to use the material from this work, please submit a written request to Permissions Department, 501 Boylston Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02116; fax your request to 617-671-2290; or email permissionsus@pearson.com

www.pearsonhighered.com

ISBN-10: 0-13-502328-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-13-502328-0

CONTENTS

Chapter 1: KNOW YOURSELF: A SELF-AWARENESS JOURNEY Chapter 2: CHARTING THE FUTURE: GOAL SETTING AND DECISION MAKING FOR LIFE Chapter 3: RESEARCHING CAREERS: THE CHANGING NATURE OF WORK Chapter 4: EXPLORING THROUGH EXPERIENCE: LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM Chapter 5: DEVELOPING YOUR PORTFOLIO: SELF-MANAGED CAREER PLANNING Chapter 6: CONNECTING TO EMPLOYERS: JOB SEARCH CORRESPONDENCE AND JOB APPLICATIONS Chapter 7: MARKETING TOOLS: YOUR RESUME AND REFERENCES Chapter 8: NETWORKING AND JOB SOURCING: GROW YOUR POSSIBILITIES Chapter 9: INTERVIEWING: ACHIEVE JOB SEARCH RESULTS Chapter 10: NAVIGATING: YOUR PROFESSIONAL DIRECTION Chapter 11: CULTIVATING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS: PERSONAL GOALS, WORKLIFE BALANCE, AND RELATIONSHIPS Chapter 12: FINANCING YOUR LIFE: PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING A FINANCIAL PLAN

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PREFACE

The HIRED! instructors manual is designed to serve as a resource for teachers and facilitators. Each chapter of the manual corresponds with the textbook chapter. The authors organized the manual into several components:

Main concepts for instructors to highlight Scenarios and discussion In-class activities Out-of-class activities and assignments Supplemental resources including books and web sites Sample transparency masters for each chapter

Our hope is that the manual will help spark creative ideas that you can adapt to your own class. Good luck!

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CHAPTER 1 KNOW YOURSELF: A SELF-AWARENESS JOURNEY

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1) To understand how writing can assist you in the self-discovery process 2) To assess what you enjoy by exploring your interests and passions 3) To gain knowledge about your skills, including transferable and life skills 4) To assess the importance of values and lifestyle preferences in decision making 5) To explore how personality and fit can make a difference in your work

It is important that instructors and students take ample time to thoroughly engage in the self-assessment process. This process includes a variety of self-awareness factors including: interests, passions, skills, values, personality, and lifestyle preferences. Instructors will want to spend at least several class periods helping students learn more about themselves. This self-awareness process is ongoing and fluid. Instructors will want to reassure students that learning about self is a lifelong process. Students should not expect to know all the answers by the end of the class. Indeed, the process is a self-awareness journey as the chapter title suggests (complete with ups and downs). In the fourth edition, you are invited to review and reflect on the various student profiles throughout the textbook. Review the student profiles with students in the class, both the traditional and non-traditional vignettes. Several of these journeys will start in Chapter 1 with self-awareness. The students are encouraged to explore similar questions and issues related to
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self-awareness as they progress throughout the textbook. Like the student profiles, many students in the class may be undecided about a major. The instructor may wish to normalize this scenario, and encourage students to take this time in their lives to be intentionally undecided and explore their options. Moreover, it is quite common for students to change their majors. Remind students that this decision-making process takes careful thought and planning.

Main Concepts Instructors May Opt to Highlight:

Life-career planning is a process, not an event. Instructors teaching younger students (ages 18-22) may need to remind them that the decision-making process is much more than deciding on an academic major, or an occupation. The goal is to teach individuals the lifecareer planning skills that they can use over the course of a lifetime. If the course is mainly one taught in a for-profit, career-oriented institution, there is a chance that students will be very goal-oriented (e.g., culinary school; trade program). Remind students that most individuals will likely have 3-5 different careers, so the skills learned are relevant especially for future transitions.

Individuals will likely change jobs and careers multiple times. Refer to the preface of the textbook for supplemental information. Career development is not a linear process and the security from a single organization is gone. Most individuals will not receive a gold watch at a retirement event honoring them for years of service and loyalty. (This may come as a surprise to Millennial generation students who are used to be being protected and cared for throughout their lives). Bill Bridges writes in JobShift, Nobody is on a scheduled trip;
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everybody is making things up as she or he goes along. Career development starts turning into something more like cross-country hiking (p.97). There is not one destination with one pre-determined path. Instead there are likely multiple destinations with multiple paths to reach ones goals.

You are in charge of your own life-career. Instructors will want to encourage participants to be proactive; in many ways, individuals are the CEO of their life-career. They are in control of their decision-making.

It is important that individuals view career holistically. Throughout the textbook, participants will be exploring how work relates to the other areas of their lives. Paid work is only one of multiple roles that most people will assume throughout their lifetime. Various areas will be an integrated theme throughout HIRED! They include: professional, personal and social, and financial.

Writing can be an important self-discovery tool. Students will have the opportunity to do numerous writing exercises in Chapter 1 and throughout the textbook. Instructors may want to help students through this process. Encourage students to share their writing with you or with other students. On the other hand, some students may wish to keep their writing to themselves. Use your best judgement on the issue of sharing with others. Review methods of self-analysis starting early in the chapter. Encourage students to use the methods outlined, including thought clusters and writing spontaneously.

Encourage students to complete the exercises in chapter one and place them in their textbook based portfolios. Students will be doing multiple activities, especially in Chapter 1. Instructors may wish to require students to turn in these exercises and/or have students complete and store the exercises in their portfolio. A note on portfolios: teachers may opt to have designated times during the course where each student meets individually with you, the instructor. This gives the student the opportunity to show you their work and discuss their decision-making processes with you. Note: the class-based portfolio comprised of exercises from the textbook is different from the job search portfolio discussed in Chapter 5 of the Fourth Edition.

Participants will want to use supplemental assessments and resources. HIRED! should be one tool in their life-career toolboxes. An old saying goes if the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, you treat each situation as if it were a nail. Students will want to seek out inventory assessments in career development offices or local libraries. Teachers should encourage active use of the Internet along with additional electronic resources.

Encourage students to explore their interests, skills, and passions. Ask students about the meaning of vocation? Should every one of us have a vocation? Is a vocation a luxury that only the privileged can access? Stress that if you use your skills and interests in the decision-making process, each of us will likely be more satisfied with our work. A helpful resource is Buckingham and Cliftons, Now Discover Your Strengths. A recent book that you might integrate is Matthew Crawfords Soulcraft (2009). He writes about his own passion as a motorcycle mechanic and argues for a return to traditional blue-collar work. Discuss the following question: What might be some of the differences between knowledge-

based work and more product-based work? Are the results or rewards comparable? What might you find more rewarding in your own work choices? Discuss the importance of transferable skills in a global marketplace. Review the definition of valuable transferable skills. In particular, you may wish to stress Feller and Whichards (2005) concept of knowledge nomads. Also, what does it mean to have learning agility? Why is it important to todays graduates? Stress the importance of communication skills. You will want to highlight the results of the most recent NACE Job Outlook Survey. Employers report that these skills are most important. Ironically, communication skills appear to be lacking dramatically among most graduating students. Why might this be? Explore is a class discussion or debate. Communication skills are vital, irrespective of your chosen area of study.

Scenario Example and Discussion Topic #1: Which Way Do I Go? WeeHan, 18, is a student at a large university in the Midwest. She is undecided on her academic major. In high school, she developed strong skills in science and math. In fact, she took advanced placement courses and received numerous college credits for her work. Despite her skills in math and science, she does not particularly enjoy those disciplines. In the ninth grade, WeeHan participated in a city arts after-school program. She learned how to paint, work with metal sculptures, and do wheel throwing. In the following years of high school, she took art electives whenever she could fit them into her schedule. Her passion is in studio arts. WeeHans parents have always been supportive of her. They want her to pursue what she is interested in. However, they are keenly aware of the job market for employees in the
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technology industry. She is exploring majors in the following areas: electrical engineering, computer science, studio arts, and theatre arts. As a student, how might WeeHan proceed with her decision-making process? You may be in a similar situation, or know of a friend who has skills in one area but strong interests in another. As an instructor, how might you advise WeeHan? Have you seen a similar case in the past? How did the student reconcile the dilemma? Discuss as a class. How many students believe that she should follow her heart and pursue the arts? How many think she should go into a career that suits her skills in math and science? What would you do if you were in this situation?

Follow Up: The discussion helps students explore passions and interests. How important is it to follow ones heart when making these kinds of decisions? The instructor may wish to refer to the quote by Abraham Maslow. It reads, A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he or she is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be. What does that mean to students? Discuss as a class.

Scenario #2: Exploring LifestylesBig City Boy? David is a graduating senior from Montana State University. His major was in natural resources and environmental sciences. He grew up in rural area and loves the outdoors. Upon graduation, he interviewed at multiple organizations and received two offers. The first offer was in his hometown in Montana for a non-profit organization. The salary was modest but much of
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his time would be spent outdoors. The second offer was positioned in Denver, Colorado, a larger city. David would be doing similar work; however, his organization would be in the city. The salary of the second offer was significantly higher than the first one.

What should David do? As a student, how important is lifestyle to you? Would you go with the first offer despite the lower salary? As an instructor, how would you advise David? Have you ever been in a similar situation in your career? What did you decide?

Discuss as a class. How many would take offer #1? Offer #2?

Follow Up: This exercise gives students the chance to assess how important lifestyle is to them. Geographical preferences are a major consideration when planning ones life-career. Second, the exercise helps students look at values clarification. How important is money to them? What brings them happiness ultimately? The instructor may want to coincide this discussion with the activities in the textbook about values and lifestyle preferences. Are there other factors that David might want to consider? Richard Florida (2008) writes that place (or where one decides to live) is an important question to answerprimarily because it is a major factor in determining ones personal happiness. The Gallup Organization has done similar studies and discovered that satisfaction with ones place of residence really does matter and contributes significantly to overall satisfaction and sense of happiness.

Additional In-Class Activities:

Activity #1:

What is your bliss?

In the textbook, there is a Practical Exercise about bliss (see p. 13). Ask students to respond to this exercise. Instructors can use the Think, Pair, Share approach with students. First, students think about the exercise questions on their own. Second, each student pairs up with another student to discuss their reflections. Third, the dyad share their thoughts with the group. This approach can be used with any of the other personal think pieces in the textbook. This activity could be paired with the other exercises in Chapter 1.

Activity #2:

What Do I Need In My Work?

This exercise helps students consider what is most important to them in their work. Additionally, it looks at values and choices. It may be used with the think pieces on values and motivation as well as people who influence you. Write down the statement: I need the following in any work that I do Attempt to generate at least ten different ideas. You ask students to share their ideas with class members. Also, have them compare their responses with the exercise on values clarification. Are there certain themes that they can find? What are they? How might they be able to integrate these values into their life-career decision-making?

Activity #3:

Group Presentation and Debate

Have students consider the implications of changing work patternsincluding telecommuting, contract work, job hopping, less upward mobility, and the virtual office. How might these changes impact their workplace and lifestyle decisions? The instructor may need to define some of the concepts and trends. Or discuss how the recession of 2008-2009 might impact the way that work will be done in the future. Was there a values shift post-recession? In other words, did the recession impact the way individuals approach work? Are there generational differences in how individuals approach work? One suggestion is that younger workers (Gen Y; Millennials) will be more frugal with consumption choices having lived through the most recent recession. What do you think?

Group 1 = Argue for the traditional, standard workplace norms. What is/was good about this system? Why should it stay?

Group 2 = Argue in favor of promoting alternative work patterns. What good does it bring to the individual? The organization?

Debrief = Have you had an alternative work arrangement? If so, how did it work out in terms of your lifestyle? If not, would you consider it in the future? Discuss possible implications such as family care and other factors.

This exercise will help students think about changes in the workplace. It will also help to personalize these possible changes that they may encounter in the future. Ask older, non9

traditional students to share their views on these issues. They can add perspectives on workfamily life issues that younger students cant at this point in their lives.

Activity #4:

Is Geography Important?

Review the section on lifestyle preferences starting on page 27. Is geography important when making decisions about career? Explore the concept of the creative class as described by Richard Florida (2005). Do young people really want to be in creative centers, or hubs, including the cities outlined on page 28? Discuss with participants. Structure a debate situation where students are teamed to advocate for or against this concept.

Activity #5:

What Does All This Mean?

At the conclusion of Chapter 1, have students discuss what they learned from this chapter. Ask them to reflect through writing and discussion with their peers. Have them work in dyads or triads. Ask themwhat did you learn from this self-assessment section? Use the final exercise to summarize the activities for Chapter 1. Students should be encouraged to proactively take some action steps. Have them identify goals for success as well as potential barriers that might impede progress. What might they do to overcome these barriers?

This will help students gain some closure to the self-assessment piece.

Group Discussion: A Greater Calling According to a study carried out by the Association of Theological Schools, the age of theology students is rising, as professionals leave the business world to start lives as minister,
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priests, and rabbis (Smye, 1998). In Smyes book she writes, Nothing changes until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing. What may have led these new theology students to make a change? (A colleague, George Dow (2005), suggests that one reason may be that individuals are inclined to leave behind personal and community legacies, in addition to their work legacies. In other words, they want to leave an imprint of their lives for others to carry on and celebrate). What might be your imprint? What might be your own legacy that you wish to leave behind? How can you account for these changes? Do values change over time? This discussion can be incorporated into the section on values. Instructors may consider giving the survey results to students in advance and have them come to the next class prepared to discuss as a large group.

Outside Class Assignment Ideas:

Values Discussion: Refer to the Values Assessment section in Chapter 1. Many students remember the tragic events of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, or the tragic earthquake in Haiti in January 2010, or the April 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. What do students remember about these events? How did it impact them? Some students will recall 9/11 as well. Why might values be important when making decisions about work and career choices? You might assign a values clarification project around these relevant questions.

Self-Analysis Paper = Students can complete this assignment during the first couple weeks of
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the course. This helps them to begin the reflective process involved in the life-career planning process. You can ask them any number of the following questions.

1) Why did you decide to take this course? 2) What do you hope to gain from the class? 3) What are you interested in at this time? What are some of your passions? 4) What are some of your natural talents? Skills that you have acquired through training? 5) Who do you admire most and why? 6) What mentors and role models do you currently have in your life? How do they help you? 7) What work experiences have you had so far? 8) How do you view work? 9) What do you think you need to do to get closer to making some decisions? 10) What steps can you proactively take to reach your goals?

The Interview Assignment Students can interview someone who is retired from paid work. This project gives students a wiser perspective on work. Have the students generate their own questions. Write up as a 2-4 page paper. Ask students to include the person they interviewed, the questions that they asked, and the responses in essay format. Students could also be asked to include their personal perspectives and insights on the interview near the conclusion of the paper.

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Assessments and Inventories Ask students to go to their career centers and complete either an interest or personality inventory. Students should meet with a trained counselor for an interpretation. After the interpretation, require students to write a 2-4 page paper describing and analyzing what they learned about themselves. Discuss in class by assessment completed. For example, you could have a Strong Interest Inventory group, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and a third option. Another option would be to do the assessment directly in case and interpret and discuss in class.

Supplemental Resources:

The Power of Purpose by Richard Leider (1997). Helps readers learn more about finding purpose in ones life. This reference could be used in the discussion on exploring passions and vocation. Leiders other books are aimed at similar objectives. You may wish to consult: Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load for the Rest of Your Life (with David Shapiro) Life Skills: Taking Charge of Your Personal and Professional Growth; and The Inventurers: Excursions in Life and Career Renewal (with Janet Hagberg). Also, Whistle While You Work by Leider and Shapiro (2001) is a helpful book.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyis work on flow. He describes flow as being engaged in an activity so much that you lose track of time. In other words, one gets lost in the joy of the activity. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990) and Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement in Everyday Life (1997) are good resourcesespecially for the
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discussion on interests, skills, and values. Note: Create an exercise and ask students, When do you lose track of time? and What activities are you doing? Then help students explore how they can incorporate these interests into their own life-career planning.

Cliff Hakims We Are All Self-Employed (1994). Like the work of Bill Bridges, it will give a snapshot of the changing world of work. We are contractors who are selling our skills to potential employers.

Is It Too Late To Run Away and Join the Circus: A Guide for Your Second Life by Marti Smye (1998). Helps readers take the risks involved in switching careers or exploring alternative paths. Especially helpful for non-traditional students and readers.

Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation (2000) by Parker Palmer. Readers will be encouraged to follow their calling. Palmer provides a spiritual and philosophical approach to life-career decision-making.

A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life (2004). Palmers wellwritten book and another thought-provoking read.

Career Distinction (2008). William Arrudas book (with K. Dixon) about identifying ones own brand; thoughtful strategies for expanding brand identity are useful.

The Great Reset: How new ways of living and working drive post-crash prosperity. Richard Floridas (2010) most recent book that addresses life after the 2008-2009 recession.
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Websites: (this is a sample; some sites may change. Encourage students to identify their own helpful sites and share with others).

www.keirsey.com (assesses personality temperament) www.self-directed-search.com (assessment based on the work of John Holland) www.careerdiscovery.com (CareerLeaders assessment tool) Note: Some assessment web sites will have fees. Please be cautious.

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CHAPTER 2 CHARTING THE FUTURE: GOAL SETTING AND DECISION MAKING FOR LIFE

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1) To review your life line in order to acknowledge important people and events in the past, present, and the future 2) To learn how to establish short- and long-term goals in your life 3) To introduce decision-making models and discover your preferred styles 4) To learn how to write affirmation statements as they relate to the three areas of your life professional, personal/social, and financial 5) To learn how to visualize your future success

The purpose of Chapter 2 is to help students set and accomplish goals, and make thoughtful life-career decisions. Instructors will want to help facilitate this process throughout the course. Some instructors may want to use self-disclosure as a way to provide examples of goal setting and decision-making. For example, you may want to tell students how you made certain important decisions in your own personal and professional life. Begin with a discussion of several student profiles. Like these examples, most students will be in the process of making short-term and long-term goals. Attempt to normalize the challenges of making important life-career decisions, at all ages. Ask students at the beginning of the course about the decisions that they are confronted with currently. What do they see as
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challenges? Why are these decisions important? Who else is impacted by these decisions? (e.g., family, friends, significant others, and the like). Who in their life makes them feel like they matter?

Main Concepts Instructors May Opt to Highlight:

Provide an overview of the goal setting process. You may wish to expand on the example at the beginning of the chapter about the process being comparable to taking a trip. We need to be planful yet flexible if we hope to meet our objectives. Many students have planned a road trip or vacation with family or friends. Or they have set a monetary goal to buy something of interest (e.g., iPod, video games, iPad, etc.). How did they go about meeting these goals? Use these examples to illustrate the larger concept of life-career planning.

There is time to meet your goals. Many individuals make significant contributions later in life. Instructors can use the examples in the textbook to illustrate this concept. Refer to Bill Bridges Transitions (2003) for additional scenarios. For example, Gandhi reached success with the non-violent peace movement later in life. Students can use the life line (in Chapter 2) to help clarify personal and professional goals.

Individuals can use their own life line to help identify significant events and non-events. Furthermore, the life line can help students to begin the goal setting and decision-making processes. Have students complete the exercise Constructing a Life Line. What are recent events or circumstances in your life that have impacted you, either positively or negatively?
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Consider placing these items on the life line. What other contextual or environmental factors may have influenced you?

With goal setting, instructors should highlight the following: long-term goal setting, short term goal setting, identifying and overcoming barriers, rewarding oneself, and making an action plan. Encourage students to complete all exercises in the chapter, including the Chapter 2 action steps.

Instructors will want to discuss Dinklages eight decision-making styles. You may have other research on decision-making that you want to use. Encourage students to think of situations where they have used a specific style over other options.

Planned Happenstance. Review this relatively new concept that serves as a nontraditional approach to decision making. Stress the importance of taking advantage of chance events and synchronicity in life-career planning. Students may have difficulty grasping this concept at first. However, the included exercise gives readers the opportunity to apply the concept of planned happenstance. Krumboltz and Levin argue that we can help create unplanned opportunities in our own lifeand then take advantage of these opportunities.

Discuss the relevance of exploring life roles. Review Supers life roles and invite students to think about the various roles they assume in their own lives. How does the student role fit in with their other priorities? Relate to the different areas of life-career planning. Consider the role of consumer in students lives. Question: What do you spend money
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on? Do you think your spending habits have changed due to the most recent impact of the recession of 2008-2009? Why do people buy green products? (Studies show that the purchase is often motivated by status and prestige; I care about the environment.). Think Prius buyers.

Class Activity: Brainstorm all the roles that students assume in their lives (e.g., start a list on the board and list all roles and ask students to identify common themes).

Highlight the rationale behind writing affirmation statements and cognitive imagery. Invite students to do the visualization exercises and discuss in class.

Learn more about life roles, and emerging adulthood. Introduce the concept of emerging adulthood by researcher Jeffrey Jensen Arnett (2004). Discussion topic idea: When do we officially enter adulthood? Is it different for each person? Should adulthood be based on a chronological age or when that person begins to start making adult-type decisions? (e.g., buying property; choosing a life partner; etc.).

Scenario #1 and Discussion: Late-Bloomers In the textbook, several examples were provided of individuals who overcame adversity to be successful, often reaching accomplishments at a later age in life. For example, numerous authors did not have success until years later. What characteristics might you use to describe people such as Jon Hassler, Richard Bach, and Louisa May Alcott? (You may need to come up with newer examples if you have younger students in the class).
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How might you be able to relate to these people? Are there great accomplishments that you hope to accomplish in your life? Are you a late-bloomer?

Follow Up: This exercise helps students to realize that they have many years to accomplish their goals. The course may include older, non-traditional students who are making career transitions. This activity will likely have a greater impact on these students than younger, traditional students. Encourage the non-traditional students to share their experiences with the class.

Scenario #2: Exploring Decision-Making StylesWhich Way Do I Go? Julia is thinking about changing careers. She has worked in business for over ten years. She is eager to go into the counseling field. Julia has researched and pondered this decision for over a year. She is reluctant to leave the financial security of her present position. The graduate school deadline passes without her submitting an application. What decision-making style(s) is Julia using? Refer back to Dinklages outline of eight styles? Why do you think she is using this style? Is there a better, more effective style that she could use? Discuss as a class. (Consider integrating the role of planned happenstance in this scenario).

Follow Up:

This activity encourages students to become familiar with the different decision-

making styles. Julia is primarily using an agonizing style in this situation. She essentially decides not to decide. A better approach would be to use a more planful strategy and to reach a
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final decision (and act on it). Ask students to think about situations they have been in where they had to make an important decision. What styles(s) did they use? What was the outcome of the decision?

Additional In-Class Activities:

Activity #1:

Life Line Activity

Assign students to complete Exercise 2.1, Constructing a Life Line. In class, have them present their lifeline to their peers. Ask them to discuss important events and non-events. If they drew a symbol to represent their life, ask them to explain what it means. Instructors may wish to consult Sunny Hansens Integrative Life Planning. In her book, she gives an example of an activity called, The Circle of Lifean alternative to the linear life line. Instructors may wish to adapt the Circle of Life activity.

Activity #2:

Long Term and Short Term Goals

Students should complete the personal think pieces on long and short-term goals. Have students get into dyads. Discuss and share as a large group. Additionally, have students consider possible barriers to their goals and how they might overcome those obstacles. Finally, ask students to think about rewards that they might use to reinforce their progress toward objectives.

Activity #3:

DebateClosure Vs. Options

Encourage students to look back at their Myers-Briggs inventories. Look at the fourth
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dimension: Judging vs. Perceiving. Break the class into two groups by preference. Explain that this dimension refers to the way one prefers to lead their life. Set up a debate situation. Ask each group to outline the advantages of their preferences when making life-career decisions. What are possible disadvantages? Discuss as a large group, including implications of each preference style. Note: one preference is not better than the other. You will likely find that the J types prefer structure and closure in their decision-making. The P types will want to keep options open to the last minute in many situations.

Activity #4:

Decision-Making Styles

Divide the class into eight different groups. Assign each group a specific style (according to Dinklage). Ask students to address the following questions. 1) What are the advantages of using this style in making decisions? 2) What are the disadvantages of using this style? 3) In what situations might this style be most useful? 4) In what situations might this style be least useful? 5) How effective do you think this style is for making important life-career decisions?

Have each group report back to the class. Highlight the planful decision-making style as the most effective style for reaching academic and career-related decisions. Again, integrate the concept of Planned Happenstance as a nontraditional approach to life-career decision-making.

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Activity #5:

Exploring RolesMaking Your Own Multi-Dimensional Career

Review the section on Donald Supers life roles. Set up a think, pair, share situation. Ask students to write down at least five roles that they play in their lives. Next, ask them to prioritize these roles. What is most important to them at this point? Write a multi-dimensional career with backslashes to outline their various life roles. For example, it may read: parent/student/part-time worker/citizen/tourist. Ask them to generate other roles that they might assume. Share with a dyad partner and with a large group if time permits. This activity gets students to realize that the worker role is only one part of their lives, and that other roles may take priority.

Activity #6:

Perceived BarriersIs This For Real?

Often, students are reluctant to make decisions because they are afraid to make the wrong decisions. See the student profile of Alberto on page 61 of the text. Ask students: Is it okay to be undecided? Some obstacles are real and others are perceived (frequently these are misperceptions). Encourage students to examine and reflect on barriers by completing Exercise 2.7, Is This Really an Obstacle?

Other Class Assignment Ideas:

Action Plan Instructors can ask students to collect the information from their think pieces in Chapter 2 on goal setting, including barriers to overcome and rewards to acknowledge. Have them generate an action plan, complete with dates for certain steps to be accomplished. Have them
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write a 3-4 page paper. Additionally, ask them to identify support systems that can help them along the way. The support could include teacher, mentors, family members, friends, or even tutorial support. Finally, have them sign the action plan and keep 2-3 copies.

Affirmations and Cognitive Imagery: Seeing Is Believing Review the power of goals and affirmations in Chapter 2. Next, complete Exercise 2.4, Writing and Visualizing Your Goals. Ask students to write down affirmations for each of the main areas of life based on the goals they established for themselves. Students should put these affirmations on index cards and affirm at least one per day for a designated period of time determined by the instructor. During this time, students should keep a journal of their experiences. In other words, what is it like to be doing these affirmations? Are they noticing any differences? Finally, ask students to write a 2-3 page paper describing their experiences and the impact affirmations had on reaching their goals.

Life Roles and Priority Setting: Students should consider how to master the art of setting priorities by completing Exercise 2.3, What Roles Do You Play? Additionally, have them do in-class Activity #5 on setting up a multi-dimensional career based on their important roles. Instruct students to use the priority grid that they completed. For one week, have them identify the total amount of time they spent in each role. They will want to keep a journal or diary in order to track their activities. After the week is completed, ask them to write a 3-4 page
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paper outlining what they learned from the experience.

Questions could include the following: Do your goals match the amount of time you spent in each role? If there were inconsistencies, where were they? What does this activity tell you? If time management and balance is an issue, what could you do to re-align your time with your priorities? What was the significance of this assignment? What was it like to keep a journal? Explain.

Ask students to file these projects in their textbook-based portfolio used for the class or workshop.

Main Areas of Your Life and Goal Setting: Set long and short-term goals for each of the main areas of your life: professional, personal, social, and financial. Outline at least five goals for each area. Address the following questions in a 3-4 page paper: What areas of your life deserve most of your attention? What areas do you feel most accomplished in? If you feel like you need help in a specific area, where could you go for assistance? What are potential barriers in each area? Think of at least one reward for goals that you accomplish in each area.

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Supplemental Resources:

Matthew Crawfords Soulcraft (2009). This is an interesting read about values and goalsetting. Helps to address the purpose questions: Why do we work? What is the value of work?

William Bridges Transitions (2003). Provides a helpful overview of the phases of transition and how to manage them. This resource could be especially helpful for nontraditional students who are changing careers.

Sunny Hansens Integrative Life Planning (1997). A classic in the career development field. This is a helpful resource for instructors and students. Assists students to look at the varied life roles and tasks that they assume. The activities in the final chapter are especially useful for career planning courses.

H.B. Gelatts Creative Decision Making: Using Positive Uncertainty (1991). Provides the reader with a non-traditional, creative approach to making life-career decisions. Teaches whole brain decision making. Gives four paradoxical principles of decision-making.

For a theoretical overview, instructors may want to consult work by L. Dinklage (1966) on adolescent choice and decision-making. Also, Donald Supers work (1980) and others on life-span, role approach has had a major impact on the field of career development.

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For a helpful review of Planned Happenstance, see Luck Is No Accident, by Krumboltz and Levin (2004). This book will help explain the role of chance events in life-career planning, including how to take advantage of unplanned circumstances.

Arnetts book Emerging Adulthood (2004) provides a helpful overview of this new concept. Ask students if they can relate and apply this concept to their own lives.

Neil Howe and William Strauss do research on generations. Millennials Go to College (2003) is an excellent book that helps to explain students that were born within the last 2025 years. The resource does an outstanding job of discussing strategies for admissions, recruiting, campus life, and implications for professors and instructors in the classroom.

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CHAPTER 3 RESEARCHING CAREERS: THE CHANGING NATURE OF WORK

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1) To learn how to do occupational and educational research using a variety of sources 2) To become familiar with using the Internet as a career resource tool 3) To understand the advantages and disadvantages of using trends in career-life planning 4) To prepare for work without lifelong employment at one organization 5) To gain a better understanding of the diversification of Americas workforce and its implications for employees

The purpose of Chapter 3 is to help students explore their options in a constantly changing world of work. Instructors will want to reiterate concepts from Chapter 1 including the fact that workers need to be flexible and open to change in all aspects of work. Additionally, instructors will want to stress the value of doing research. Research skills are invaluable in the current workplace as individuals seek out new opportunities.

Main Concepts Instructors May Opt to Highlight: Continue the process of self-assessment and Check out the Career Development Center on Campus: Individuals can continue the self-assessment and exploration process through instruments such as the Strong Interest Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Encourage students to visit a career development center on campus or in the community.
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Begin with a discussion of the student profile who is in the process of exploring an academic major. The instructor may want to review the resources available on campus in the career development center. Stress the focus of a career development center versus a career placement center. Finally, encourage first-year students to visit the center as a new student on campus.

Some students may be receiving advice from parents or family members about choosing specific career areas. What messages are students receiving from family members, peers, or members of their communities? Often time, the media sends us different messages about what careers are acceptable and not. You may wish to explore these issues with participants.

Discuss the advantages of using the Internet as an exploration tool and give students examples of helpful sites such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Starting with trends, highlight the importance of occupational research skills as a lifelong skill that students will use repeatedly throughout their adult lives. Class activity: Encourage students to reflect on the statistics by the survey completed by InsightExpress where only 1 in 3 individuals in their 20s are happy with the status of their career. Many students indicated that doing more research when selecting a major would have benefited them. What are the reactions to these implications?

Traditional vertical work ladders are disappearing. Many workers will need to zigzag to where they want to go. Discuss what it means to be a life-long learner. Why
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are career ladders going away? How does this trend make students feel? Many Millennial Generation students thrive off of structure and protection. What if organizations no longer provide these attributes? Discuss as a group.

Explore Options and Engage in Research Using the Internet. Students should examine numerous issues when making decisions about educational and career options. Instructors will want to review some of those important questions that students should ask themselves and others. We all need to be wise consumers of media, including content on the Internet. Review Exercise 3.2, Using the Internet to Explore Career Sites. What criteria make for a good web source? What are the limitations of relying solely on the web for ones research? Discuss limitations, including what makes for a poor website.

Discuss the importance of lifelong learning and examine the impact technology will have on your career.

Trends in the workplace are important to follow. However, one needs to keep a cautious eye on these trends since hot areas tend to cool at some point. Discuss some of the

specialty majors that might be popular currently, including videogame development and tourism planning as examples. What other trends are impacting popular majors on your campus? Outline several of the new programs that are available through your university or college. What makes them special at this point in time? Look at the section on green careers. Is this a fleeting trend or do you think this will stay around in the future? Discuss.

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Americas workforce is getting more diverse. Instructors will want to discuss implications of trends regarding diversity and facilitate discussions surrounding students reactions. Review the figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some of these figures may surprise students. Discuss the implications of living in a more diverse workforce. Have participants complete Exercise 3.6, Test Your Cultural Competence. This activity should lead to a lively discussion. Many new college students and workers will be immigrant students. As of this writing, immigration is a hot topic with calls for major immigration reform in the United States. What might this mean for the U.S. workforce? What are perceived advantages and disadvantages of major immigration reform? Consider the following statement: All of us are immigrants. What might that mean for how we handle the immigration issues of the 21st century? Other countries, such as Canada, seem to have made greater progress on these issues around immigrationwhy might this be so? Consider that approximately 40-50% of residents in Toronto are not originally from Canada.

Scenario #1 and Discussion: Where Do I Even Begin? LaShonda is a non-traditional, female student. She is back in school after ten years. She is undecided about her career direction, and is unfamiliar with career resources available to her. Where would you recommend LaShonda begin? What resources would you suggest? Which ones have you used in your search so far? Advise students to complete the exercises as a starting point. The Occupational Outlook Handbook and the Bureau of Labor Statistics can be invaluable resources for students in their decision-making process.

Follow Up:

This exercise helps students explore and evaluate occupational resources.


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Instructors will want to facilitate the discussion perhaps asking students to give examples of resources used. This scenario discussion can be used with other exercises in chapter three, including Using the Internet to Explore Career Sites.

Scenario #2: Exploring a Multi-Faceted CareerPutting It All Together John is looking at putting together a multi-faceted career. He has a degree in accounting, but does not want to be an accountant full-time. He has other interests in marketing, construction, and property management. John says about himself: Im a concrete person who likes to see tangible results. What might John do to piece together a multi-faceted career? Identify several income streams that could have going at the same time. Discuss as a class.

Follow Up:

This exercise will assist students to think about alternatives to the traditional,

vertical career path. Instructors will want to encourage students to think about multi-faceted careers for themselves. What interests, passions, and skills could they piece together to form their own multi-faceted career with multiple sources of income?

Additional In-Class Activities:

Activity #1:

Prior Experiences with Assessment

Ask students what prior experiences they have had with interest inventories or personality assessments. Frequently, students took assessment instruments in high school and
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hold misconceptions about their uses in the planning processes. (Many instructors have heard something to the effect: I took one of those tests in high school and it told me that I should be a bus driver. Instructors can help dispel some of the myths surrounding assessment tools. For example, you may tell students that the instrument is not a crystal ball that will tell you what to do, or be. Instead, it is a tool that will help you with the career planning process.

Activity #2:

The advantages and disadvantages of the Internet

This activity can be done is dyads (think, pair, share) or as a large group. Ask students to complete the personal think piece activity in the textbook prior to the class discussion. Outline advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet as a career exploration and jobhunting tool. Emphasize to students that the Internet is simply one tool to use. Review some of the pros and cons listed in the textbook and tie this activity to the previous point of being wise consumers of Internet information (e.g., knowing what makes for a valid web source).

Activity #3:

Comparing and Contrasting Criteria for Program Selection

Have students complete the text activity on choosing criteria for an educational program. Students can meet in groups of 2-3 to share their ideas. Reconvene as a large group. On the board or flip chart, write down ideas from each group and discuss the relevance behind each one.

Activity #4:

Technology and Its Impact

Ask students to consider how technology might impact their decisions about major or
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career choices. Discuss in class as a large group. A second activity would be to set up a debate situation addressing the following issue. Many argue that technology has hindered personal communication rather than helped it. People can be reached at any time, day or night via a range of communication devices, some personal and others more impersonal. Ask students their reaction to this quote. What might be some of the advantages and disadvantages of using popular online social networking tools (such as Facebook and Twitter) to connect with others, and to search for work opportunities.

Debate: Group #1 = The rise of technology has fostered personal and professional communication. Consider online networking tools as well as BlackBerry and smartphone usage. Is this generally a good thing? You might consider how the lines between work and play are now blurred, creating a 24/7 workspace. Group #2 = The rise of technology, despite its merits, has hindered personal and professional communication.

Students should be urged to consider how the role of technology might impact their decision to pursue a particular occupation.

Activity #5:

Embracing and Celebrating Diversity

This discussion helps students to understand the implications of an increasingly diverse workplace. Ask students to read and complete the section on diversity in the textbook including the activity on cultural competence and the exercises related to the diversity concepts. Allow
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time for reflection. It is important that the instructor set up an open, safe environment for the discussion of these issues. An alternative would be to ask a diversity trainer to facilitate the discussion. If you are employed at a university or college, check to see if there is a diversity institute or multicultural affairs office on campus. Often, an ideal situation is to collaborate with others on campus in order to do joint programming around issues of diversity. Have students read and discuss A Summary of the World on page 94 in the textbook. Consider debating the immigration policy issues.

Outside Class Assignment Ideas:

Using Computer-Assisted Guidance Systems Instructors can ask students to visit a career center and work on one of the guidance systems such as DISCOVER or SIGI or a related software program. Students should complete at least three-to-five modules. After spending time gathering information, students should write a 2-4 page paper discussing what they learned from the exercise. Components of the paper can include: 1) What modules did you complete? 2) What specifically did you learn from this exercise? 3) Did any of the information surprise you? Explain. 4) What knowledge reinforced what you already knew about yourself? Explain. 5) How might you integrate this information into your life-career planning?

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Internet Career Search Project: Ask students to spend some time on the Internet exploring career-related web sites. Have them select two sites to evaluate. Include the following in a two-page response. 1) URL of the web site 2) Describe the features of the site 3) Why would someone want to use this site? How would it help? 4) What are potential limitations of this site? 5) What links are provided that could lead to other helpful information? Once students submit their evaluations, the instructor can compile the web sites addresses and distribute a master list. Students will then have an extensive list of career-related web sites that they can use for their own purposes.

Researching Academic Programs and Occupations:

Idea #1: Encourage students to do active research into academic programs and careers. There are a number of strategies that can be used to accomplish this goal.

1) Have students complete the exercises on this topic in the chapter, including Exercise 3.3, Exploring Educational Options on the Internet. Instruct them to write a three-page paper outlining the questions that they asked the adviser or faculty member. 2) Ask each student in class to do a five-minute presentation to the rest of the class about what they learned from the project. Students have the advantage of learning about other academic disciplines as result of listening to their peers.
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Idea #2: Require students to use the Internet to research a particular career area or organization. Students can use their own web sites. This assignment helps them gain valuable research skills using the Internet and related sources. Ask students to find out information to the following questions: 1) What is the mission of the organization? 2) How many individuals do they employ? 3) What information does the annual report provide? Services or products provided? Revenue? 4) How can you use this information in your planning? One useful tool for business research is Lexis-Nexis. The address is: www.lexis.nexis.com/universe. Note: a connection via an Internet server or through the campus electronic database system may be needed. Other web resources are listed at the end of the chapter.

Developing a Product or Service: In groups of 2-3 students, design a product or service that you could provide to prospective clients. Think about how this might fit into your multi-faceted career plan. Students will want to refer to Exercise 3.5, What Might Your Multifaceted Career Look Like? How might this fit into your primary interests, skills, and values? How would this complement your other sources of income? What unmet needs are you serving with this product or service? In other words, what are the advantages?
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What are potential disadvantages or barriers of providing this new product/service? After the recession, many individuals considered starting their own businesses based on their own set of skills. What might this look like for you? Consider what Me, Inc. might be if you were forced into this situation.

Students can do a group presentation to other class members as well as write individual papers on this experience. Instructors may want to consider peer evaluations if group grades are to be used.

Supplemental Resources:

Daniel Pinks (2009) new book Drive is an interesting read. It outlines the various motivations for work and explores new ways of learning and engaging in work opportunities that provide more intrinsic motivation and creativity.

CareerXRoads (2000) by Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler, MMC Group. This resource provides a directory of more than 500 web sites relating to jobs and careers. The authors have included a free email update service to keep you abreast of changes.

Barbara Moses, author and career consultant, has written several books on career trends, including how work patterns and career advancement have changed. The titles are: The Good News About Careers: How Youll Be Working in the Next Decade (2000) and Career

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Intelligence: The 12 New Rules for Work and Life Success (1997). Her most recent book, What Next? (2003) is another useful tool for instructors and students.

Mark Albions book, Making a Living, Making a Life: Reclaiming Your Purpose and Passion in Business and Life (2000), is another suggested resource. Albion provides 12 stories of individuals who have followed their own paths. This resource can aid discussions on passions and creating your own multi-faceted career.

Douglas Hall has done work in the area of career change and management. Instructors may want to consult The Career Is DeadLong Live the Career: A Relational Approach to Careers (1996).

Beverly Kayes Up Is Not the Only Way (1997) takes an organizational approach to career development. Kaye proposes that there are other ways to success other than the vertical career ladder.

Two books that will impact readers include: A Whole New Mind by Dan Pink (2005) and Richard Floridas The Flight of the Creative Class (2005). Both books are cleverly written and the implications outlined will likely impact all of us in the future.

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Websites: (check the links for availability. Again, you might ask students to find and share their own sites with each other).

www.wetfeet.com (provides helpful information about specific organizations)

www.vault.com (gives information of over 3,000 profiles of various companies)

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CHAPTER 4 EXPLORING THROUGH EXPERIENCE: LEARNING OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1) To describe experiential education and discuss its importance 2) To explore various experiential options for students 3) To learn more about the value of internships 4) To help students make the most out of their learning experiences outside the classroom 5) To highlight the advantages of participating in a range of opportunities, including doing informational interviews as a strategy to meet people and explore options

It is important that students explore experiences outside of the classroom setting. Instructors will want to encourage students to get actively involved in a variety of activities that will foster self-exploration and definition of interests. These activities can include but are not limited to: internships, study abroad, domestic exchange programs, work study, volunteer opportunities, and research options. Instructors should describe that the learning that takes place in these opportunities is two-way. In other words, students can take knowledge from the classroom and apply it to their practical experience. Also, students can transfer learning from the experience back to the classroom. In the Fourth Edition, informational interviewing is included in Chapter 4. Students will be introduced to the basics of how to create and conduct informational interviewing opportunities as a strategy to explore major and career options.

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Main Concepts Instructors May Opt to Highlight:

Experiential education can be just as valuable of a learning experience as your academic coursework.Frequently, faculty members and instructor over-emphasize classroom knowledge in the form of exams, textbooks, and lectures. Although these traditional methods provide the bulk of higher education instruction today, experiential education is continually growing. Students need to get actively involved in these types of opportunities. Employers will expect to see evidence of student involvement on their resumes when they enter the job market as recent graduates. Kolb (1984) and others have written at length about the importance of gaining valuable experiences to complement the in-classroom concepts obtained. Some of the for-profit professional programs will be grounded in experience and hands-on relevancy (e.g., welding; law enforcement; cosmetics; culinary arts; etc).

Experiential learning, including skills, is transferable across settings. Your learning, including skills you develop, through experiential opportunities, travels with you; these abilities are portable. Students should be advised to get a wide range of different learning opportunities outside of the classroom, including internships, volunteer positions, community service options, and informational interviewing.

Some individuals learn best by doing. We each have individual learning styles and we need to discover how we learn best. Many students will learn more productively be doing rather than passively sitting in the classroom. Instructors will want to discuss the advantages and benefits of different learning preferences. For example, students may wish
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to reflect on their academic comfort score or learning environment preference from the Strong Interest Inventory.

Internships are excellent tools to test-drive a career and get your foot into the door of an organization. Instructors will want to highlight the advantages of exploring internships, starting in this chapter. In particular, the statistics describe how many students are currently taking advantage of internship opportunities. Stress that the time is now to find an internship, even for first and second-year students. Due to tough economic times at the time of this writing, many students were doing multiple internships to become even more competitive in a tight job market; often these internships were unpaid.

Study abroad and domestic exchange programs are wonderful ways to explore other cultures and get academic credits in the process. Begin by reviewing the section on Studying Overseas. Note how many of the study abroad options are less than a semester in length. Ask students to explore some of the international and domestic exchange programs at their own university or college. Issues related to globalization are more prominent than ever before. A global education can help you become a citizen of the world; allowing you even more work opportunities and separating you from your competitors for job options.

There are a wide range of activities to get involved in on-campus and off. It is up to the student to actively explore those options. Actively plan to get involved in experiential educational opportunities of all kinds. Class Activity: On Campus Scavenger Hunt: Require students to seek out information from a variety of resources on campus related to
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extra-curricular activities. For example, they might visit the Study Abroad office on campus.

Scenario #1 and Discussion: Dana is thinking about doing an internship for a marketing firm. He is currently a prebusiness major, but is uncertain about his specific major. After doing some research, he has picked a site to do an internship. What are some of the advantages for Dana of doing this internship? What skills might he develop? Consider transferable skills. Do you think Dana might get a full-time job after graduation? Find the statistics to illustrate how part-time internships can lead to full-time jobs (although this should not be the main reason for entering an internship). Idea: ask students to find the most current statistics on job trends; starting salaries; etc. This activity allows them to learn the content but also how to access this invaluable information.

Follow Up:

This activity gets students to consider the benefits of doing an internship. They

get the chance to consider some of the skills that Dana can develop. The instructor can invite students to look back at the previous chapter(s) on transferable skill-building.

Scenario and Discussion #2: Xiong has decided to participate in a study abroad program through her university. She wants to go to either Brazil or Honduras. Her major in college is Spanish. What might this student learn from the experience? How can she apply this experience and the skills developed to the workplace?
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Follow Up:

This activity encourages students to look at the advantages of doing a study

aboard program and/or a domestic exchange program. Instructors can help facilitate this discussion by bringing up issues of cultural diversity, exposure to diverse peoples and geographical locations, and the like. Advise students to explore various programs on campus through programs of interest.

In-Class Activities:

Activity #1: Debate SituationWho has the upper hand? There are two students who are nearing graduation. Both wish to enter the job market immediately. The first student has a perfect 4.0 grade point average with minimal experiential education (no internships). The second student has a 2.8 GPA but has completed three internships. Who has the best advantages as they enter the market?

Side A: Argues for the 4.0 student with minimal experience Side B: Argues for the 2.8 student with multiple experiences

Activity #2: What have you done so far? What have you done for me lately? Have students discuss what activities including volunteer and work experiences that they have been involved in so far. What have they learned from these experiences? How were they able to bring their learning back to the classroom? Next, ask students to set several short-term and long-term goals for getting more
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involved in the future. Write down all ideas on the board or post on the web site for the class if you use Blackboard, Web CT, or another online course management product. In the film industry, you are only as good as your most recent work. What are your most current projects? What can you highlight to potential employers? What skills or attributes best illustrate your work?

Activity #3: Getting Involved As a large group discussion, have students generate ideas for getting involved on campus. What types of study exchange programs are available? How can they find out more about volunteer opportunities in the area?

Activity #4: Visualization Set up a think, pair, share situation. On your own, spend a few moments visualizing yourself getting involved in an experiential education activity. What do you see yourself doing? How do you see yourself getting involved? What comes to mind that sounds both educational and fun? Currently, young graduates entering the workforce often state that they want a job that fits their identity. What does that mean to you? How important is it to find the right job vs. earning a paycheck? (New York Times, June 2010see work by J. Jensen Arnett on emerging adulthood). Share your thoughts with a partner.

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Activity #5: Group Think In the text, have students consider the activity Advantages of Doing an Internship on their own time. As a large group, the instructor can generate a composite list by going around the room and having each student contribute an idea. The instructor can write the ideas on the board and then transcribe to a handout for students.

Out of Class Project Ideas: Options to Consider

Search and SeizeInfo Quest Have students explore internships on campus. There is likely an internship office or area that specializes in providing information about opportunities. Attempt to find answers to the following questions. Address in 2-3 pager paper.

1) Is there a directory of internships? If so, how is the system organized? 2) Is there an internship agreement process? If so, what is the protocol? Who needs to be involved in the process? For example, you may need a supervisor at your site to serve as an evaluator. 3) Which internship options look appealing? Why? 4) Do you need to interview for the positions? 5) What is the next step in the process?

Informational Interviewing As Means of Exploration Do an informational interview at an organization or agency that interests you. Generate
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a list of questions that you will ask. Inquire about internship options. Find out if they have a formal internship program. How do you get involved? What is the mission of the organization? After your interview, reflect on what you learned. Would you consider interning and/or working there based on the information you received? If yes, what do you need to do next in order to get started?

Global Learning: Exploring a New World Your task is to research a study abroad program. Go to the global campus/study abroad office at your campus. Set up an appointment with a counselor. Inquire about the different programs available. Address the following questions in a 2-3 page paper.

Where would you want to study abroad? Are you intrigued with a particular country? What attracts you to this area? What subject(s) would you want to study there? Is there a language requirement? How might you develop as a college student? How might you change as a result of participating in this program?

Get information about the program and the country. You may want to visit the travel section of your favorite bookstore. What are several attractions in the country that you want to visit? What is most appealing? There may be domestic exchange programs within the United States.
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Exercises and Action Steps: Require students to complete all the exercises and action steps in the chapter, including Exercise 4.2, What Do You Want from Your Internship?, and Exercise 4.3, Informational Interviewing. Many instructors will require students to complete at least one informational interview as a course requirement. Review student profiles: Go over the student profiles in the chapter, including both traditional and non-traditional students. This will allow them to consider how they might get involved in various experiential opportunities as a student.

Reflection Activity: Ask students, Is experience the best teacher? Students can agree or disagree. Assign a short essay or include on an exam if you use in the class. Encourage students to support their stance by using information included the textbook, or through other outside resources.

Supplemental Resources:

The following resources provide information about how to locate internships. Instructors may wish to share these resources with students. Internship, Practicum, and Field Placement Handbook, The (6th Edition) by Brian N. Baird The Internship Bible by Mark Oldman and Samer Hamadeh. (Obtain most recent edition).

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Petersons internships: the largest source of internships available

Americas top internships, obtain most recent edition, by Mark Oldman, Samer Hamadeh, Princeton Review. (Obtain most recent edition).

The following resources are guides to help get the most out of an internship experience.

Internship Access: Real-world, step-by-step advice on getting the most out of internships by Marianne Ehrlich Green (1998).

The Successful Internship Transformation and empowerment by H. Frederick Sweitzer and Mary A. King (1998).

Wheres the learning in service-learning? By Janet Eyler and Dwight E. Giles (1999).

Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development by David A. Kolb (1983).

Study Abroad Resources: Petersons Study Abroad (revised edition: The complete guide to more than 1,700 semester and year abroad academic programs.

The unofficial guide to study abroad by Ann M. Moore. (Find most updated revision).
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Websites: Internship Information www.internsnet.com www.flipdog.com www.internhotline.com

Study Abroad Links www.istc.umn.edu www.studyabroadlinks.com www.nrcsa.com www.petersons.com/stdyabrd/sasector.html

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CHAPTER 5 DEVELOPING YOUR PORTFOLIO: SELF-MANAGED CAREER PLANNING CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1) To learn about the purpose and use of a portfolio in todays changing marketplace 2) To discover the different types of portfolios and how to use them in different situations 3) To explore the documents included in a portfolio 4) To learn about the benefits of using a portfolio, including the concepts of branding and portfolio thinking 5) To start taking action steps toward creating your own portfolio

The main objective of this chapter is to help students develop a portfolio that they can use now and in the future. Instructors should emphasize how critical a portfolio can be in order to make the most out of their experiences. Additionally, a strong portfolio can help in the job search after graduation. The assembly of documents, or evidence of key skills will help students examine what they have done and what interests them. This will give students a strong starting point to pursue the career options they would like the most. Most importantly, instructors should emphasize that while the portfolio includes historical information from ones past, it will serve a future-oriented purpose. Namely, by examining previous accomplishments and involvement, students will be able to probe more deeply into their key interests and passions. Linking those interests and passions to the future is the most critical part of the data file process.
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Main Concepts Instructors May Opt To Highlight:

What is a Portfolio? Prior learning and skills can be linked to future careers Review the different types of portfolios and why they are important now. A solid portfolio can help separate students from other students that may be pursuing similar job opportunities. Stress the point that the employment portfolio is the primary portfolio highlighted in Chapter 5. You may want to review the types of portfolios outlined by Bostaph and Vendeland as a starting point for students. Instructors should emphasize that past experiences can be of great benefit in finding and fitting in to future career and job roles. Students should be encouraged to review their past experiences and assemble information from those experiences that will help them identify future career opportunities.

Review the use of a portfolio. All experience is crucial to a thorough review of the students background Review the variety of uses of a portfolio. Ask students how they might see using their portfolio. Encourage students to complete the exercises in the chapter and add them to their job search portfolios, if applicable. Recall there are two portfolio approaches in this edition. First, there are textbook based exercises to create a portfolio. Second, there is a job search portfolio that students can create. While some of the exercises might seem mundane, students should complete them as fully as

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possible. The information assembled in this chapter can become very valuable in future career and job exploration.

Documenting the background and experiences on paper is critical Students must be encouraged to document their background on paper. Failure to document the information in this fashion will result in forgetting, some of which may seriously harm their overall career exploration.

Review the concept of portfolio thinking How does one build career resilience? Outline the study by Borgen, Amundson, and Reuter (2004). Have students discuss the most important benefits of creating a portfolio. Remind students about the importance of being flexible and adaptable in an ever-changing workplace.

Branding as a Concept Ask students about the concept of branding. They will likely know what it means, especially as it relates to products or marketing. Describe the uniqueness of a portfolio and why branding is important. Have students think about commercials or slogans that brand certain products. Ask them which are most memorable to them.

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ADDITIONAL IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES:

Activity #1: PEAK Model Review the P.E.A.K.S. model according to Satterthwaite and DOrsi (2003). What does each letter stand for? Students can be divided into groups of 2-4 students for a small group discussion. Ask students to do an inventory of information that would fit into each of the four categories (personal characteristics, experiences, accomplishments, knowledge, and skills). Discuss as a large group. Ask students to think about additional ways that a portfolio can be used. Finally, have students complete the Practical Exercise on page 128, The P.E.A.K.S. Model.

Activity #2: Documents to Include In Portfolio Ask students to individually make a list of all documents that they might include in a portfolio. Refer students to the list on pages 129-130 in order to get started. Next, have students pair up with another student and compare their brainstorming lists. Encourage students to start collecting samples of their work. As a large group, brainstorm all ideas discussed by writing on the blackboard or by using flip charts.

Activity #3: Student Profiles Ask students to complete the student profile exercises in the chapter. Have students compare and contrast their responses concerning Nadira and Tom. Turn this into a Debate Activity including these questions: Is there a best way to create a portfolio? How can a portfolio be better than simply a resume? Encourage students to actively discuss.
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Activity #4: What Are the Advantages of a Portfolio? Conduct a think-pair-share activity. In pairs, have students discuss the advantages of developing a portfolio. After five minutes, have each pair team up with another pair. Have the groups share their ideas and develop additional ones. Also, ask each group if they can think of any obstacles or disadvantages of developing a portfolio. After five minutes, debrief as an entire class. Have each group share at least one of their ideas. Next, discuss how portfolios can be organized. Reference pages 129-130 for help. Remind students of the importance of an organized portfolio for presenting to others. Ask students how they might organize and structure their own portfolios. You may opt to create an assignment where students submit a portfolio to you at the end of the semester for a grade.

Activity #5: Practice Makes Perfect Have students complete Exercises 5.1 and 5.2. Ask students to develop their own commercial and 30-second elevator pitch and practice with one other student. You may want students to begin with a free write on their own before dividing into groups. The challenge may be to get students to think of themselves as products. Ask them: What do you have to offer potential employers? What skills are portable that you can take with you? For younger-age students, this approach may be new to them.

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OUTSIDE CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

Talk with a Mentor Students should be encouraged to have former teachers, supervisors, friends, or acquaintances review their portfolios. Remind them that each person they talk to might have some special insight on a pertinent section or two. This will help the student to complete those sections as fully as possible and may jog his or her memory about some of the tasks conducted or concepts learned. You could assign a short reflection paper based on an interview with a mentor or someone in the students intended profession or major.

Create Your Own Portfolio As part of the curriculum, students can be assigned to complete their own portfolio. Have students start this process by completing Exercise 5.3, Action Steps. Advise students to practice using the portfolio in practice rounds with family and friends. Remind them that a portfolio is not a static item. It changes as the student gets more experiences and develops new skills over time. Encourage students to update the portfolio every six months, or as they gain new experiences. Finally, students will want to tailor the highlights of their portfolio to each position or opportunity that they are considering. Watch Television for Credit Ask students to watch 2-3 of their favorite television shows (this should not be too difficult to convince them to do). In particular, ask them to watch the commercials throughout the shows. What products are being advertised? What messages are the advertisers trying to incorporate into the commercials? Finally, what is the brand of the product? Have students
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write a short paper describing what they observed. Next, have them think about what their own brand might be that they are creating for themselves? What might their brand say about themselves? Tie this piece to the 30 second commercial exercise and encourage them to practice.

Supplemental Resources:

Malcolm Gladwells Blink (2005) is an interesting read and help describe the power of thinking and intuitive decision-making processes.

Hub Culture by Stan Stalnaker (2002) offers some insightful suggestions and wisdom from a marketing perspective.

For information about developing a portfolio, check out:

The Career Portfolio Workbook by Satterthwaite and DOrsi (2003). They describe the P.E.A.K.S. approach outlined in Chapter 5 of the text.

Creating Your Own Portfolio by Williams (2001) and published by Pearson can serve as useful guide for instructors and students.

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CHAPTER 6 CONNECTING TO EMPLOYERS: JOB SEARCH CORRESPONDENCE AND JOB APPLICATIONS

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1) To understand how to use various letters in the job search process 2) To learn the key elements to include in each type of job search letter 3) To understand the purpose, use, and limitations of job applications 4) To examine difficult questions and learn how to answer them Instructors should emphasize the critical nature of the cover letter. Since it is usually the first thing an employer sees about a candidate, it is vital that a cover letter be done well. The cover letter must convey a message that includes professionalism, courtesy, and the ability to get the job done. Instructors should emphasize that the cover letter must draw the reader in. The cover letter must peak the interest of the reader and convince the reader to bring the candidate in for a job interview. Instructors should also emphasize the importance of other letters in the job search: thank you notes, requests for more information, networking letters, acceptance letters, rejection letters, responding to rejection letters and resignation letters. All of these letters play an important role in the job search process and should not be taken lightly. Well-written letters can open up opportunities that candidates may not be aware of.

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Instructors should also emphasize that choosing the best method of correspondence (formal typed letter, handwritten letter or email) is an important consideration in the job search.

Main Concepts Instructors May Opt To Highlight:

Format and style of letters is critical It is critically important that the appropriate format and style of letter be used based on the objective of the writer. Letters often give readers their first impression of the writer. Make sure that your letters format and style convey a positive first impression.

Write letters that are uniquely yours Personalized letters that tell something about you and your personality are crucial. Never send out form letters. Employers can identify form letters as such. Form letters give a bad impression and can derail a candidates opportunity.

Address letters to a specific person in the organization Sometimes this takes some additional work on the part of the candidate. Frequently, job postings do not indicate a specific person to send information to. Job candidates should call the organization and find out to whom to address their mailing.

Dont use sexist language in letters Do not use Dear Sir or Dear Madam. This is clearly inappropriate and will immediately end a candidates job chances.
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Keep letters to one page maximum Write clearly and concisely. Letters, like resumes, only present the most critical information. Wait until the job interview to further expand on your qualifications and qualities.

Make the letter perfect: check grammar, spelling and punctuation This goes without saying. Improper grammar and spelling errors say something about your abilities, your attention to detail, and your neatness. Have someone else proofread your letters. Sloppiness and errors will end your candidacy.

Use the same stationery as used for your resume Consistency here results in a consistent professional message with your correspondence.

Word-process most letters Thank you letters may be handwritten, but most other job correspondence should be wordprocessed.

Highlight key work aspects about you in your cover letter This is the most important aspect of the cover letter. You must convey your relevant experience and how it will insure your success at the job in question. Place the most relevant part from your background into the cover letter.

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Write thank-you letters to everyone that helps you in your job search process This may be tedious, but it is necessary.

Restate job terms in your acceptance letter This will insure no miscommunication or translation of the key terms of a job offer. Be sure to cover all bases here.

Dont burn bridges Throughout the job search, it is vital to foster healthy relationships. Dont do anything that could come back to haunt you. You never know when your path may cross with an employer again.

Use email wisely Be professional and use the same grammar, punctuation, and spelling standards as with regular correspondence.

ADDITIONAL IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES:

Scenario and Discussion Topic #1 Make copies of the sample cover letter that follows. Break the students into groups and have them critique the letter. Refer the students to the HIRED! text for guidelines to help them or give them the following guidelines:

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Cover Letter Review Does the cover letter look good at first glance? Is any important information missing from the letter? Is the letter addressed to a specific person? Does the opening paragraph draw the reader in? Does it show how the writer became interested in the position? Does the writer relate relevant background and skills that fit the position? Is the letter to the point or does it stray off the point? Does the letter show why the writer is interested in the organization? Is the letter uniquely focused for this position and organization? What is your general reaction to this letter and the candidate who wrote it? What are your recommendations to improve it?

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COVER LETTER CRITIQUE:

Human Resources Mgr. ACME Public Relations 1134 Northbridge Rd. Chicago, IL 44567 Dear Sir: In reply to your position for the public relations assistant position, please find enclosed my resume. My background would be an asset to your organization. Ive worked with people in many of my jobs and this is important in this field. I have held a variety of administrative positions that are relevant to this job. I think I can do this job and would like to interview for it. I believe this job provides me with what I need and I could be an asset to your organization. Please contact me to set up an appropriate intrview time. Sincerely,

Maria Suarez

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Scenario and Discussion Topic #2 Have the students form pairs to consider the following scenario:

Jane is interested in the advertising field and would like to develop advertising layout and copy. She recently responded to an ad for such a position. Before she sent her resume and cover letter, she did additional research on the company and the field. She found that the type of business was to her liking and the company environment sounded very appealing.

Have the students develop ideas related to the following:

In writing her cover letter, what types of things should Jane include to increase her chances for obtaining an interview? What should Jane not put into the cover letter? To whom should Jane send her cover letter at the company?

Debrief as a class, with several pairs of students presenting their thoughts.

Activity #1: Have the students think about a job they are interested in. Ask the students to list 4 or 5 key things they should illustrate in a cover letter to an employer about this particular job. Encourage the students to emphasize their particular fit for the position. Have them write a complete cover letter in response to an ad for this position.

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Ask several students to read their cover letters. Have the class critique the cover letter. Suggest ways of improving on the drafts.

OUTSIDE CLASS ASSIGNMENTS As in the suggested outside assignment for resumes, have the students contact a person in a career area they are interested in. Tell them to meet with the person and have them provide the person with their resume and a sample cover letter. Have the students obtain feedback about their resume and cover letter from that person.

Supplemental Resources:

Books:

Cover Letters for Dummies, Joyce Lain Kennedy, 2009 201 Dynamite Job Search Letters, Drs. Ron and Caryl Krannich, 2005 175 High Impact Cover Letters, Richard Beatty, 2008

Websites:

Career Builder Network: www.careerbuilder.com College Grad Network: www.collegegrad.com Monster.com: www.monster.com Quintessential Careers: www.quintcareers.com Student Central: www.studentcentral.com

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JOB APPLICATIONS Instructors should emphasize both the limitations and importance of job applications in the job search process. Applications serve frequently as a filter for employers to examine candidates. At the same time, job applications are not the only element of the job hiring process. Sometimes, they are a means for employers to bring in candidates for interviews. With other organizations, job applications are merely paperwork, with candidates resumes serving as the primary application.

MAIN CONCEPTS FOR INSTRUCTORS TO HIGHLIGHT:

Job applications should be taken seriously Job applications give an indication of an applicants thoroughness, neatness, attention to detail, and professionalism. For some jobs, the job application is the first screening device to filter applicants. A poorly filled out job application can end a job seekers chances for a job.

Job applications may be used as a filter Some job applications are used by employers to find out if a candidate has the particular set of skills or abilities that are needed to perform the job. Candidates should fill in the particular skill level of those types of abilities and/or follow the specific directions of the application.

Honesty must prevail when filling out a job application Dishonesty will usually be discovered, especially if an applicant overstates or falsifies
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information about training or skills. Most companies cite that dishonesty concerning job application information is grounds for dismissal.

Job applications are one part of the job search process Usually, job applications by themselves do not determine who is the right candidate for a job. However, they are frequently a means for employers to filter through a large number of applicants for a position. Job applications must be filled out completely, accurately, and highlight vital skills for a candidate to increase his/her chances for a job interview.

ADDITIONAL IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES:

Scenario and Discussion Topic #1 Bryan has been fired from two jobs. The first job was as a supermarket cashier. Bryans friendly nature resulted in too much visiting with customers and co-workers. This was not a problem during quiet times, but during busy times on weekends it frequently resulted in a backup of customers in his line. After several warnings, without improvement in his work speed, Bryan was fired from his job. During his second job, as an accounting clerk, similar problems occurred. He frequently fell behind in the work because of his friendly, conversational nature. The work he did was extremely accurate and of high quality, but he could not keep up with the volume of work. His office required a high volume of production and after several warnings Bryan was also fired from this job.

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What should Bryan indicate as the reason he left these jobs on his next job application? How should he discuss his behavior with potential employers? What should Bryan tell his potential employers about his work habits and what he learned from his supermarket job? In your opinion, what did Bryan learn from this experience?

Activity #1 Ask the student if they have had to fill out job applications in the past. Did they like the process? Was it difficult? If so, why? Ask them if they can think of jobs where filling out the job application is extremely important. Write these on the board. Ask them if they can think of jobs where filling out the job application is not important. Write these on the board. Ask if there are any patterns they see in the types of jobs under each category. Ask them if they can come up with an explanation of the differences. Ask them this ethical dilemma: Do they think that lying on a job application should be grounds for dismissal from the job if the lie is discovered later? Ask them for their reasons why or why not. Write these on the board and discuss as a class.

Activity #2: Prior to the class session, have the students fill out the sample job application form for their personal portfolio. Tell them to bring several copies of the application to class. Break the students into groups of three and have each group examine each job application. Tell the students to ask each writer questions about the application, especially about areas that are
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unclear to them. Tell the groups to give constructive criticism to the writer about his/her job application. Debrief the session as a class. Ask and discuss what issues arose about the job applications during the group session. Ask the class what solutions they would offer to remedy the job application problems.

Activity #3: Form the students into groups of 3-4. Have each group come up with explanations to cover the following problems that may be found on job applications:

Gaps in employment Criminal record Health Physical/mental limitations Attendance problems/Absences Periods of unemployment Reasons for leaving jobs

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CHAPTER 7 MARKETING TOOLS: YOUR RESUME AND REFERENCES CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) To develop an understanding of the resume types and styles To learn the strengths and weaknesses of the various resume types To understand the three Cs of resumes To identify the parts of a resume To understand how to write skills narratives for resumes To learn how to tailor resumes for different positions To create a resume for online distribution To determine whom to use as references To develop a skills-based list of references to assist in your job search

10) To become aware of the value of recommendation letters for your job search

Main Concepts Instructors May Opt To Highlight:

Resumes Instructors should emphasize that there is not one universally accepted style of resume. They should note that if you ask 100 people, you might get 100 different recommendations about resumes. But one thing that must be accomplished by a resume is that it must communicate clearly and effectively to the reader. The resume must not be difficult to understand. With an estimated desk life of 15 seconds, a resume must convey relevant information that will help the job candidate obtain an interview.
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Instructors should emphasize that a resume is a living, ongoing, working document. Students need to be aware that their resume will change over time. They also need to be aware that they should periodically revise their resume to include new experiences and education.

The resume is a living, ongoing, working document. A persons resume will change over time as the person experiences different work and non-work settings and obtains different skills and knowledge. Students should be reminded to frequently revise their resume to bring it up to date. Additionally, students should be encouraged to have several resumes at the same time, with each resume tailored to specific career or job opportunities.

The resume includes past experiences, but must also link to a persons future. This is somewhat tricky to do, but students should be reminded that the resume should not be a simple restatement of past work and education. Students should be directed to include the most relevant past experiences that link them to their future career aspirations, while eliminating irrelevant and extraneous information.

The resume is an advertisement or marketing brochure. Resumes serve as an advertisement for the individual. The resume emphasizes skills, knowledge, and accomplishments and should be vibrant enough to elicit additional questions from the reader. Like an advertisement, the resume must get the reader interested in the product, namely, the job candidate.
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The resume is one of the crucial tools in a persons career process. Clearly the resume is a crucial tool in every persons career process. The resume provides a marketing outlet; it catalogs experience, skills, knowledge, and accomplishments, and reminds the writer of what he or she has done. The resume is often the first contact the reader has with the job candidate. Due to these factors, the resume must be done well for the person to achieve a successful career and job search.

The three Cs of resumes. Clear, concise, and corresponding. These are the three Cs of resumes. Clarity goes without saying, but conciseness and corresponding are also crucial. Conciseness really means having a sufficient amount of information on the resume that will draw the reader in and result in him/her wanting to ask the candidate more questions. Corresponding means that the information shown is relevant to the particular situation and intent of the resume.

The major types of resumes: Chronological and functional The two major types of resumes have distinctive looks, distinctive flow, and distinctive purposes. Job candidates must consider their particular situation in order to determine the type of resume to write.

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ADDITIONAL IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES:

Activity #1: Instruct the students to write their current job objective as they would for a resume. Pair students up with one student as an employer and the other as a job candidate. Have the employer ask the candidate to elaborate on their job objective. Then reverse roles. Debrief as a class.

Activity #2: Have students draft their resume and bring it to class. Gather students in groups of four and have each group constructively critique each resume. Use the overhead entitled Group Learning Session: Resumes to help the students review each resume. Debrief as a class. Ask the class what areas were of most concern or were most difficult. Summarize on the board. Ask the class what was easy about their resumes. Summarize on the board. Ask the class if they feel their resumes capture their best self now that their groups have given them feedback. Ask the students why.

Activity #3: Break the students into groups of 3-4. Copy the following bad resume and distribute copies to each group. Tell the students to examine and critique the resume. Make sure that the students analyze the resume for:

1) Clarity
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2) Spelling and punctuation 3) Format and layout (Does the resume look good?) 4) Content 5) Overall impression

After the students have completed their critique, use the transparency version of this resume and debrief it as a class. Highlight key areas listed above. Make sure all of the problem areas are highlighted and corrective suggestions made.

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MICHELLE HENRY 2428 QUINCY STREET N.E. APT. 210 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55108 (612) 497-9985 EDUCATION: CARLSON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS 2004-present Major: Accounting Cumulative GPA: 2.874 Expected graduation: May 2008 Major Courses: Accounting 1-050, Managerial Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis, Intro. to Marketing, Finance Fundamentals, Securities Analysis and Portfolio Management, Operations Management, Information and Decision Sciences, BA3000, and Intro to Business Careers.

EXPERIENCE: UNIVERISTY OF MINNESOTA - ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT Minneapolis, MN September 2010- present OFFICE OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT Student Accounts Assistant I work on accounts receivable and payable I use BGL system I analyze data and do audits June 2009-present PERKINS Host/Assistant Night Manager Greeted customers Assisted waitstaff Closed store Busboy On clean up crew JOHNSONS SPORTS SHOP Recieved 3 raises Perfected selling techniques Improved communication skills Targeted customers Gained incentive tools Motivated team Achieved advertising and creative ability Lifeguard - City of Minneapolis On rotation assignment to several city beaches Responsible for safety of swimmers and other patrons Developed and conducted swimming and water safety lessons Assisted in maintaining cleanliness of beach and surrounding area VOLUNTEER - MINNEAPOLIS YMCA High School - DECA Award Lifeguard of the Year 2009 Carlson School Big Buddy Program SAFA - Student Association for Accounting - Member 1997-present ABCD Volunteer Golden Valley, MN

September 2008-

Mall of America

2007 - 2009

Minneapolis, MN

ACTIVITIES: COMPUTERS: OTHER:

WORD AND EXCEL Extremely hard working and reliable. Hobbies include hiking, golf, intramural volleyball, softball, skiing ultimate frisbee, and socializing with friends. Able to get the job done through determination and hard work. Have strong organizational skills. High analytical skills and attention to detail Marital status: Married Health: Excellent 76

REFERENCES:

AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

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OUTSIDE OF CLASS ASSIGNMENTS: Assignment #1 Have students contact a person in a career area they are interested in. Tell them to meet with the person and have them provide the person with their resume. Have the students obtain feedback about their resume from that person. As an additional step, have the students obtain that persons resume for future reference.

Assignment #2 Tell the students to go on line to review a career/job websites resume posting section. See the list at the end of this chapter for ideas, but encourage students to look for additional sites. Have the students critique the site, including advantages, disadvantages, and their general opinion as to the value of using an online resume posting service. As an additional assignment, if the site offers resume advice, have the students read through and critique the value of the advice that is given.

Supplemental Resources: There are many books and websites that can help with resume tips. Books:

101 Great Resumes, Ron Fry, 2009 The Complete Idiots Guide to the Perfect Resume, Susan Ireland, 2010 Resumes for Dummies, Joyce Lain Kennedy, 2007 Gallery of Best Resumes for People without a Four Year Degree, David Noble, 2009 Federal Resume Guidebook, Karen Troutman, 2007 Resumes that Knock Em Dead, Martin Yate, 2008

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Websites:

Career Builder Network: www.careerbuilder.com Career Magazine: www.careermag.com Career Web: www.careerweb.com College Grad Job Hunter: www.collegegrad.com Monster.com: www.monster.com Quintessential Careers: www.quintcareers.com Student Central: www.studentcentral.com

References Instructors should emphasize how important references are in the job search process. At the same time, it is important to help students understand that references are only part of the job search process. Instructors should make special effort to help students calm fears about references from bad situations.

MAIN POINTS FOR INSTRUCTORS TO HIGHLIGHT IN THIS CHAPTER:

References play an important role in the job search process References are important indicators of a job candidates work habits. Assembling good references helps reinforce a candidates candidacy in the job search process.

References do not play the only role in the job search process While important, job references are only a part of the overall job search process. References on their own typically do not get a job candidate a job. They are part of the puzzle and serve to either support or detract from a job candidates attractiveness.

Reference checks are viewed and used in different ways by employers Some employers place great weight on references, while others hardly use them in the

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interviewing process. Due to legal considerations, many organizations give only limited information about a former employee. In this regard, references have little value. Individual references from past supervisors or others familiar with the candidates work habits and abilities can have a significant effect on the candidates opportunities.

References can be asked for from anyone who is familiar with a candidates work habits and abilities Past supervisors usually are most familiar with a candidates abilities, but past co-workers, supervisors supervisors, and others from work, educational, or community settings will also be familiar with the candidate. Students should be encouraged to seek references from both employers and non-employers.

References should not be asked for from close relatives This is a standard that should be adhered to.

Use proper etiquette in requesting references Students should be reminded to be courteous and professional in requesting references. In addition, students should be reminded to not list someone as a reference until after theyve agreed to be a reference. This guarantee can prevent embarrassment later if the person declines to be a reference.

Different references can comment on different aspects of a candidates profile Make sure that the students realize that references see them in a variety of contexts. Tell students to think about who are the most appropriate and beneficial references for them.

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Letters of recommendation are a typical extension of references Letters of recommendation further support a job candidates candidacy. Letters should be obtained from those who can help the candidate most in the job search process. For students, faculty members are a frequent source of recommendation letters. Emphasize to students that the faculty member should know the student reasonably well, through classes taken, office appointments, or activities.

Students should be reminded to make copies of letters in case they lose the original.

ADDITIONAL IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES:

Activity #1 Draw the following three categories on the board or overhead: School, Work, and Community. Ask the students to think of three people from each of these areas that they would like to ask to use as a reference. Have them write down the names and titles of these individuals. Then have the students list reasons why each of these people would be good for them as a reference. Next, have the students list whether it is likely or possible for them to obtain a reference from each person. After the students have completed the activity individually, pair students up and have each one share their findings. The idea is to not only share, but to also get ideas from each other. Finally, come together as a group and have each student share one reference including reasons and likelihood that the person can serve as a reference for them.

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Activity #2 Individually, have the students brainstorm about some of the best things theyd like to have someone say about them for a reference. Have the students record their ideas on paper. Then have the students think about their backgrounds and have them record who would be likely to give them a reference similar to their ideal. Group students in 3-4 each and have them present their findings to their group. Come back together as a class and process this as an entire group.

OUTSIDE CLASS ASSIGNMENTS:

Assignment #1 Have each student obtain a letter of recommendation from three people they listed in Activity #1. The choice is up to the students, but instruct them to carefully think about who would give the best and also the most relevant recommendations. Tell the students to give some instructions to the writer such as purpose of the letter, audience the letter should be written for, whether the letter is intended for job search or additional education, etc. The student may want to supply the writer with additional background materials including resume, grade transcripts, writing samples, etc.

Assignment #2 If a student has had a previously bad work experience, have the student approach the employer and ask what kind of reference they would give if another employer approached them about the students work habits. Have the students write up their findings. Also, have the students write about the effect such a reference might have on their job search.

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CHAPTER 8 NETWORKING AND JOB SOURCING: GROW YOUR POSSIBILITIES

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1) To understand what networking is in the job and career search process 2) To discover who makes up your network 3) To learn how to expand your network 4) To understand the techniques and resources used by successful networkers 5) To assemble your initial networking list 6) To learn how to make phone contacts in the networking process 7) To identify job search sources

Main Concepts Instructors May Opt To Highlight:

Networking should be done on an ongoing basis, even when a person is not looking for a job Students need to be reminded of the critical importance of keeping their networking active at all times. This will help them uncover opportunities that they may not be aware of and open their eyes to new possibilities.

Networking is about relationships and, potentially, the exchange of mutual assistance Too often networking is thought of as contacting and using people. And, in truth, some people do conduct networking in that fashion. However, good networkers understand that networking is really about developing and cultivating healthy professional relationships with others. Out of those healthy professional relationships come mutually beneficial results. Networking is a two-way street in which each person helps, or has the potential to help, the other person.
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People your relatives, friends, and associates know are usually the most helpful networking contacts Too often, people only network with relatives and friends. They forget the next level of the network, namely people that their relatives and friends know. This level of networking has continually been shown to be the most helpful level for job candidates. This network is developed by the networker contacting his/her relatives, friends, and associates and making them aware of the particular need to network. In one way, it is really advertising to ones ring of contacts and asking if they know of people who the networker should contact.

Personal advertising is critical for successful networking It is critical for networkers to make sure that their ring of contacts, their network, know they are networking. This will help the networker connect with his/her networks contacts, thus expanding his/her network. Often the result of these additional connections is more information, help, and opportunities for the networker.

When making networking contacts: (1) Be prepared; (2) talk to people who can help you; (3) create current or future value for the person you are talking to; (4) be energetic; and (5) be persistent. This preparation has been shown to be the best way to network. It has consistently shown to be the best way to get good networking results. It requires hard work and dedication to the process, but will give the networker strong short-term and long-term results.

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Informational interviews are great ways to obtain information and have both shortterm and long-term payoffs. Informational interviews provide excellent career and job information to the networker. In the short-term, they provide exposure (advertising) and might result in a job opportunity. In the long-term, the networker can become more aware of the career field, the particular job, and become more comfortable talking about his/her fit (and limitations) concerning career direction.

Students should not confine themselves to one job sourcing activity. It is common for job seekers to rely only on job postings through the Internet and the newspapers. Most jobs are found through networking, yet most job seekers fail to fully utilize that job search method. A wide range of resources should be utilized in the job search, with networking at or near the top of the list.

ADDITIONAL IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES:

Scenario and Discussion Topic #1 Tina, 20, has recently moved into a new community to take classes at the local college. She is unable to go to school full-time due to financial considerations. She is working full-time at a local advertising company to pay for her education and living expenses. Tina has been uncertain about her future career. Her work history includes positions as a clerical assistant and as a restaurant waitperson and hostess. She has made the most money in the restaurant positions that she has held since her junior year in high school.

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While uncertain about her career plans, she is becoming more concerned about this uncertainty. Nothing seems to be really capturing my interest yet. I really dont know where to go. Tina does have a creative flair however, and her background includes work on the high school newspaper as a reporter, editor, and layout designer. She also acted through the drama club and school plays. She was a good athlete in high school, with basketball and skiing her best sports. Her outside hobbies include painting, reading, and sports. Have the class discuss Tinas unfocused status. Ask them to come up with suggestions about what she should do, especially concerning networking and informational interviews. Ask them how she should introduce herself in informational interviews, with special emphasis on how she should express her goals for the future.

Activity #1: Write the following headings on the board: Relatives, Friends, Supervisors, Coworkers, Business Associates, Community Contacts, and Acquaintances. Give the students one minute for each category. Have them write down all the people they can think of that fall into one category. Then go on to the next category. Have them complete all categories. Next to each name, have the students indicate how well they know the person: *** = Know the person very well; ** = Know the person fairly well; and * = Know the person a little. After all categories are completed, instruct the students to write down one or two things each person can help them with during their job or career search. As an outside activity, students should choose one of the most helpful people from each category and contact them for an informational interview. Encourage students to choose people they know only a little bit, especially if the person could be very helpful to them. This will help students overcome anxiety in approaching others for help.

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Activity #2: Have students construct a diagram of their network, connecting closely related areas. For example, instructors should be listed in one part, with a connecting line to other school contacts. Other relevant connections should be linked where appropriate (work contacts, family, friends, contacts in fields related to areas of interests, etc.). Have students discuss how they connected their contacts. Debrief as a class.

OUTSIDE CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

Assignment #1 Assign the students the task of conducting an informational interview with one of the people on their network contact record. The person they interview should be in a career field of interest to them. To assist the students, you may give them a sample list of questions to use during the interview. Encourage the students to ask questions that are most important to them. Below are lists of possible questions that students might find helpful.

Job/Career Questions 1. What is your background? 2. How did you decide on your career? 3. What training or education did you need to start this career? 4. How did you get your job? 5. How long have you worked in this job? 6. How would you describe your job?

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7. What do you specifically do in your job? 8. What are the major challenges in your job? 9. What are the best things about your job? 10. What are the worst things about your job? 11. Whats a typical day like in this job? 12. Are there peak or seasonal work periods in this job? 13. What career path do you have in this job? 14. How many hours do you work per week? 15. What are the major skills you use in your job? 16. What things have changed in your career field in recent years? 17. Do you travel much in your job? 18. What personality qualities are important to do you job well? 19. What are the key success factors in this career? 20. Would you have done anything differently in pursuing your career?

Company/IndustryQuestions 1. What is the companys mission statement? 2. What are the companys goals and objectives? 3. What is this company like to work for? 4. What do you like most about your company? 5. What do you like least about your company? 6. What is the overall company culture? 7. What are the major challenges the company currently faces? 8. How will the company meet its major challenges? 9. How much training does the company provide employees?

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10. Does the company provide opportunities for advancement? 11. Does the company encourage and promote work/life balance? 12. Does the company encourage and promote community involvement? 13. How has the company changed in recent years? 14. What is the overall management style of this company? 15. How has the industry changed in recent years? 16. How is the company addressing its major competitors? 17. Why did you choose this particular company? 18. What other companies are good companies to work for? 19. Given my background and abilities, what companies would be a good fit? 20. Do I fit this industry?

Assignment #2 Tell students they should take a survey of at least 10 people who are working full time. They should find out how each person obtained their current job. Instruct students to use the job source categories in their survey and complete a list with the number of people finding jobs in each category. Also, have the students ask each person if there was anything unique about how they found their current job. Have the students report the findings in class and compile an overall class survey of job sources.

Assignment #3 Have students set up a LinkedIn account and have them join a group in their profession of interest. Have them report about the information they find about the group and any discussion topics that the group covers. Have them connect with at least one other group member and have them ask that person for career advice.

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Assignment #4 Tell students to register with the campus career center. Have them research the types of job postings the office has and determine whether they will actively use the office for their post-graduation job search.

Supplemental Resources Networking for dummies. Doug Lowe (2009).

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CHAPTER 9 INTERVIEWING: ACHIEVE JOB SEARCH RESULTS

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1) To gain an understanding of the types of interviews and the interview process 2) To prepare for job interviews 3) To learn about the types of interview questions and how to answer them 4) To develop tools and methods to evaluate job interview results 5) To learn how to conduct self-evaluations after job interviews 6) To understand how to conduct job negotiations

Instructors should emphasize that the career process and job search process usually culminates in an interview. Becoming more comfortable with the interview itself is often a difficult process. Solid preparation, persistence, honesty, and genuineness are the prime ingredients in helping job candidates reduce their anxiety and increase their interviewing effectiveness. While this is usually nerve wracking, solid preparation can reduce anxiety about interviews.

Main Concepts Instructors May Opt To Highlight Job candidates need to present a compelling story in order to stand out in interviews This usually results from a candidates preparation. Preparation occurs in two directions. First, the candidate must examine his/her strengths, weaknesses, prior experience, abilities, goals, values, and overall value. Secondly, candidates must research the company, job, and

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industry in order to make a favorable impression and investigate whether this is truly a job worth pursuing.

The best interviewers use behavioral based questions These questions assume that future behavior can be predicted from prior behavior. Interviewers will ask these types of question to determine if the job candidate has the abilities and knowledge to do the job in question.

Job candidates might be faced with illegal questions during interviews These questions usually focus on marital status, age, religious preference, ethnic background, or health status. In some cases, interviewers may not realize such questions are illegal. When faced with such questions, candidates should try to determine the intent of the question. It may be simply a slip up, but could illustrate discriminatory hiring practices.

Candidates must be able to clearly describe the value they bring to an organization It is critical that the candidate demonstrate how he/she is the most qualified person for the job. This comes through clearly explaining answers and illustrating the answers with interesting examples.

Candidates must ask important questions during the interview By asking relevant questions, candidates can obtain critical information about the job and organization. This will especially help the candidate when it comes to deciding on a job offer if one is made.

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Candidates should fully understand job offers It is useful to review the details of a job offer with an employer before accepting an offer. Additionally, fully understanding the details of a job offer is critical in order to negotiate the terms of employment. Job offers should be received from an employer in writing before a candidate negotiates or accepts an offer.

ADDITIONAL IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES:

Scenario and Discussion Topic #1 Bill completed a number of courses in computer programming in recent years and has always enjoyed working with computers. He currently is completing a certification in computer network administration. He recently posted his resume on a website and was contacted by a medium-size firm in a small city about 100 miles from his home in Columbus, Ohio. The company would like to conduct a screening interview with him. Have students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each of the following types of interviews. Additionally, what preparation recommendations do they have for Bill? What would feel different about each type of interview and how should Bill account for this to present himself in the best possible context?

a) b)

In-person interview at the companys headquarters Video conference interview, with the interviewers at the companys headquarters and Bill at the companys search firm in Columbus.

c)

A telephone interview with the interviewer at the companys headquarters and Bill at his home.

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Activity #1: Break the students into groups of 3-4. Have each group address the following interview situations and suggest ways in which a candidate could best answer these issues during an interview.

1) 2)

The candidate was fired from her last job due to chronic tardiness. The candidate has had three jobs in the last year, with the longest lasting four months.

3)

A candidate who studied abroad during the last two summers but is now interviewing for an internship in her field.

4)

A student is interviewing for an accounting internship, but has not had any experience in the field.

5)

A student is interviewing for a job in a field she has not had any work experience in.

6)

A student with excellent extracurricular activities but little paid work experience is interviewing for a part-time job in the field of her choice.

Activity #2: Have students look at the list of behavioral-based skill areas on page 227. Tell students to pick two of the skills and formulate stories to illustrate when and how they demonstrated these skills. Have the students write out their answers to both of the skill areas. Then pair up students and have them practice their interview answers to both areas.

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Activity #3: As preparation for class, develop three lists with six interview questions on each. Use the sample lists from the chapter to assist you. During class, have the students form groups of three. Pass out a question list to one student in each group. That student will be the interviewer for the first round. Have one student in each group volunteer as the interviewee. The third student will be an observer. Have the student interviewer interview the student interviewee, with the observer watching. After the six-question interview, have the observer provide feedback to the group. After the first round, pass out another list to the student just interviewed. That student will interview the first observer. The first student interviewer is now the observer. Have the groups process the interview as in the first round. After the second round pass out another list, this time to the student just interviewed. They will now interview the student who was just the observer. The student who just did the interview is now the observer. Process in groups as in the previous two rounds. Finally, process the three rounds as a class. Ask the class which questions were easier and which were harder. Ask them why they felt that was so. Ask the students how they could better prepare for the more difficult questions.

Activity #4: Separate the students into two groups and debate the following interview issue: Is the use of a Stress Interview ethical? One group should take a Pro view and the other group a Con view. Have each group come up with their reasons and debate the issue for 15 minutes. After the debate time is over, take a vote by secret ballot to find out the classs judgment.

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Activity #4 Conduct think-pair-share activities on the following issues: 1) During a job interview for a position you really wanted, how would you handle illegal questions? 2) What nervousness-reduction techniques would you recommend before your interview? What techniques would you recommend during the actual interview?

OUTSIDE CLASS ASSIGNMENTS 1) Challenge students to have a friend or relative conduct a practice interview with the student. Most importantly, have the students obtain feedback from their interviewer about what went well and what the student needs to practice on. 2) If the school has the facilities, recommend that student conduct a videotaped mock interview through the career center.

Supplemental Resources Books


Job Interviews for Dummies, Joyce Lain Kennedy, 2008 Knock Em Dead, Martin Yate, 2008 Nail the Job Interview: 101 Dynamite Answers to Interview Questions, Caryl Rae Krannich, 2007

Sweaty Palms: The Neglected Art of Being Interviewed, Anthony Medley, 2005 201 Best Questions to Ask on Your Job Interview, John Kador, 2002 Vault Guide to the Case Interview, Eric Chung and Mark Asher, 2008

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Websites

Career Builder Network: www.careerbuilder.com Career Journal: www.careerjournal.com College Grad Network: www.collegegrad.com Monster.com: www.monster.com Quintessential Careers: www.quintcareers.com

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CHAPTER 10 NAVIGATING: YOUR PROFESSIONAL DIRECTION

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1) To learn how to manage the transition to being a new employee 2) To understand the formal and informal structures of an organization 3) To realize the importance of ongoing professional development and how to find opportunities 4) To gain a better of understanding of workplace issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination, and diversity 5) To learn strategies to improve workplace attitudes and competencies

Chapters 10-12 will help students focus on the three major areas of lifecareer planning: professional, personal and social, and financial. Chapter 10 is devoted to Professional Management, Navigating Your Professional Direction. The instructor will want to help prepare students to become more aware of workplace issues. The transition from college life to the world of work is especially relevant for younger students who do not have full-time work experience. Older, non-traditional students in the class can serve as an invaluable resource during discussions surrounding the issues outlined in this chapter. Their work experiences can serve as important lessons for the younger students.

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Concepts the Instructor May Opt to Highlight:

Transitions to new work environments are normal. It is important to break into these new work settings gracefully. Additionally, it is important to remind students that they are in charge of their own careers. Review the quote at the beginning of Chapter 10. Many workers today are freelancers, or free agents (see previous chapter section on Daniel Pinks concept of free agents in the workplace) and review the statistics on independent workers. Do these figures surprise students? Class Activity: Encourage students to debate the advantages and disadvantages of being a free agent worker. What are the pros? The cons? Ask students what they think and feel about this new model of employment (compared to the traditional, ladder metaphor of previous generations). Many workers were forced into free agent work due to economic circumstances. Consider the challenges of involuntary entrepreneurship vs. voluntary entry into this pathway.

Get to know the organization. This includes meeting other employees that can help you make the transition to your new position, and learning about the culture. Spend time reviewing the steps for breaking into a new position gracefully. Flexibility and adaptability will continue to be two important attributes for todays workers. Furthermore, the instructor may wish to spend some time discussing the importance of mentoring and how to establish a formal or informal mentor in the workplace (page in 4th edition). Also, what might be appropriate regarding use of technology while on site? Can you listen to your iPod while at your desk? What if you have Facebook up during work hours? Is that okay? Discuss the ethical implications of each side of this debate.

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Remind students that they are responsible for their own career management. This includes a strong commitment to your ongoing professional development. Outline the steps, including the value of belonging to a professional organization and staying current in ones industry. Introduce students to the concept of flow by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. When was the last time you were in the flow? Encourage participants to complete the activity and urge them to find work-related interests that they enjoy doing. Remember: work generally consumes approximately a third of the time available for living. Florida (2008) claimed that people tend to be most happy when they are in a steady state of flow; they are most creative and productive when they are doing something they enjoy. What might that be for you?

Become aware of managing workplace issues such as sexual attraction, discrimination, and harassment. Discuss these issues. Outline the steps for confronting sexual harassment. Ideally, students will not need to deal with in the future. However, it is an important and timely issue. Student can learn more about workplace policies and procedures by completing the exercise. Discuss in class or have students pair up and compare notes. As of this writing, there is a story about a woman in the United States who claims she lost her job with a major financial company because she was too sexy. In other words, she dressed in a particular way that made it distracting for her colleagues to complete their work; they claimed she was harassing them via her seductive attire. Consider the impact of appearance and appropriate dress in the workplace. What is good taste? This will largely depend on the industry that you opt to work in after school.

Outline strategies for improving workplace attitudes and competencies, including managing issues of diversity in the workplace. Encourage participants to generate

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additional strategies on their own. Review Sunny Hansens (1997) suggestions for diversity awareness. Challenge students to be advocates for social change in the workplace and beyond.

It is vitally important to understand and manage issues of diversity in the workplace. The instructor will want to spend class time discussing suggestions for improving diversity awareness in the workplace. The section in Unit 1 that outlines diversity related issues such as Cultural Competence may be integrated with this section in Chapter 10.

Scenario #1 and Discussion: Im new here Jackie is a graduating senior. She will begin her new job in two weeks. She is 23 years old and this is her first full-time job. The organization that she is joining has been in existence for years. Many of the employees have devoted many years to this company. Jackie is clearly one of the youngest employees on staff. What are some of the issues that she needs to be aware of as she begins her new job? Outline and discuss your suggestions. What advice would you give to Jackie?

Follow Up:

This exercise helps students understand the breaking in suggestions. Have

them complete the personal think pieces at the beginning of the chapter in order to initiate this discussion. Jackie will want to follow the suggestions outlined in the textbook. Encourage students to generate other words of advice for Jackie. For example, Jackie will want to get to know the organization perhaps through a mentoring relationship with one of the more senior employees.

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Scenario #2 What Should I Do About this Situation? Chris has been working at a factory for approximately three months. One of her male supervisors has repeatedly made suggestive comments to her. At first, she joked right back with him in an attempt to be accepted as the new staff member. However, the comments have become increasingly discriminatory towards her. She likes her job but wants this behavior to stop. In your opinion, what should Chris do? What advice would you give her?

Follow Up:

The scenario will encourage students to talk about managing the workplace

issues of sexual discrimination and harassment. Encourage students to review the steps of what to do when confronting sexual harassment. The instructor should facilitate a discussion about what should be appropriate in this situation.

Additional In-Class Activities:

Activity #1: Breaking In Ask students to think about the last time they started a new job, or similar experience. It could be a full-time job, part-time, or a volunteer opportunity. What did they do to break into this new situation? What did it feel like to be the new kid on the block? What questions might they want to ask? See previous section on use of technology; dress in the workplace; and the like. Many Millenninals will want to seek out more informal, flexible workplaces. But is it okay to wear those Adidas flip flops to the office? Best to check it out in advance. (Hint: probably best to ditch the flip flops).

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Instructors can have students do a think, pair, share format. If time permits, have students discuss as a large group. The class may want to generate a top 10 suggestions list for being new on the job.

Activity #2: Are you a team player? Would you define yourself as a team player? Describe five characteristics of being a good team player? In other words, how would you define someone who works well in a team situation? Next, how do you think you measure up on those five characteristics that you established? Are there changes you could make to become a better team player in work situations? Describe. Instructors may want to consult some of the resources listed at the end of the chapter. Additionally, you will want to stress the importance and prevalence of team situations in many organizations. Many organizations center their work tasks around team-based assignments.

Activity #3: Are you committed to your professional development? The instructor should divide the class into groups of three. Each student should write down three strategies that they currently use to enhance their professional development. Next, students should write down three separate strategies that they could use in the future. Students should share their ideas with the other two peers. Finally, the instructor can generate a list of strategies by writing down ideas on the board or on an overhead. Encourage students to use some of the ideas listed in the textbook such as belong to a professional organization or attend workshops, conferences, and training sessions.

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Activity #4: Debate Action Vs. No Action Ask the students to read An Ethical Dilemma in the textbook. Two groups should be established. The first group would decide to take action in this situation. The second group would make the decision not to take any action. Set up a debate situation. What would be advantages and disadvantages of each decision? What would be the ideal situation look like in this scenario? Review the concepts of sexual attraction, discrimination, and harassment in the workplace in the textbook. How might students react to these situations if something unethical occurred in their workplace?

Activity #5: Achievements Encourage students to complete Exercise 102, Tracking Your Achievements, on their own prior to class. Also, they should address the three reflection questions. Each student should pair up with another student in class. They should be instructed to share accomplishments. Furthermore, the large group can discuss how this activity of exploring accomplishments can help in future lifecareer planning. Students may want to incorporate accomplishments into other sections of the portfolio such as their performance review and goal setting.

Activity #6: Does Television Impact Career Choices? Role of Media Ask students to complete Exercise 10.4, Influences on Career Decision Making and Professional Development, focusing on question #3. What messages do they receive about careers from television? Create an activity where students are asked to watch a number of TV shows for a week. Require them to observe 2-4 different occupations portrayed in the

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shows (e.g., ER, CSI Miami). What do they observe? Are the images accurate? If not, why? Additionally, discuss the impact of peers, teachers, family members, and mentors in their lives. Warn them against choosing specific career options based solely on TV images. For example, the popular shows on interior design and fashion and culinary arts (e.g., Trading Places; Project Runway; Iron Chef; other Bravo shows) may have little to do with academic programs that prepare students to be designers after graduation. Are these images and messages accurate? What will you be doing with your degree or diploma after graduation? There is a good chance you will not be starring on your own cooking show as the next Rachel Ray.but good luck.

Outside Class Assignment Ideas:

Self-Analysis Diversity Project Instructors can encourage diversity awareness by assigning students to complete a self-analysis project. This project will invite students to explore their own culture and ethnic backgrounds. Students should interview someone in their family (preferably a parent or grandparent). Acquire information about your family history. Who were your ancestors? And when did they come here? Instructors can gently remind students that most of us came from someplace else. Who helped shape your current view about race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other issues? Explore issues beyond race and ethnicity. What can you do to increase your self-awareness around issues of diversity? Write a 3-4 page paper discussing your reflections.

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Researching Policies in the Workplace Instructors may want to set up Researching Policies at Your Place of Employment as a more extensive out-of-class project. Students should obtain written information from the human resources office at their work site. Students can follow the reflection questions listed in the textbook. Write a 3-4 page paper outlining what you discovered from your research. Why is knowledge of this information important? How might you be able to use this information?

The Diligent Search: Staying Current In Your Field Ask students to go to the library and find several of the journals and publications that are unique to their field of interest. Address the following questions in a paper.

What are the titles of some of these journals? What are some of the current issues or topics that authors are writing about? Identify several trends and events that are unique to this profession? Consider economic and environmental factors. Example: if you were involved in the restaurant industry in the Gulf, what impact did the oil spill of 2010 have on your business? Consider the impact on tourism along the Gulf and Atlantic coast region.

What current events might impact future trends? Look at issues related to the economy and other international/national events. Think about this housing industry; entertainment options; construction; etc. If more people decide to use public transportation in the future, what might that mean for someone in the automobile repair industry (See Florida, 2010).

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How might you be able to use this information in the future? Are there certain journals that you might subscribe to for your own use? If so, which ones? Finally, what did you learn from this activity?

Generalist or Specialist? A Matter of Perspective Ask students to complete an exercise regarding preparation for work and the corresponding reflection questions. What are the advantages of each perspective? Set up a debate situation and argue for and against both side of this issue. Based on students interest, does it make more sense to be a generalist or specialist. One of the exercises outlines the current issues of jobs going overseas, or offshoring. What are the implications? Instructors and students may want to read Thomas Friedmans The World Is Flat (2005) in order to learn more about globalization issues.

Book Report Require students to read a book and do a review on workplace issues. One suggestion is Dan Pinks book A Whole New Mind (2005). Pink outlines the increase in the demand for right-brain abilities and traits. Samson refers to these skills as hyper-human skills. Ask students what they learned from the book and how they can tie to their own life-career decision making.

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Supplemental Resources Starting Over: How to Change Your Career or Start Your Own Business by Stephen M. Pollan and Mark Levine (2009). Provides a useful overview of strategies for changing career directions or starting own business. Starting Over: 25 Rules When You've Bottomed Out by Mary Lee Gannon (2009). Another helpful guide for job seekers or new graduates in transition. Ditch the Flip-Flops: Ace Your Job Interview Fresh Out of College by Sylvia I. Landy (2007). Helpful tools for recent graduates entering the workforce. Roy J. Blitzer, Jacquie Reynolds-Rush, and Jaquie Reynolds-Rush. Find the Bathrooms First! Starting Your New Job on the Right Foot. (1999). Provides helpful, practical advice on making the transition into a new job. Focuses on suggestions for the first three months. Howard Figler. The Complete Job Search Handbook (3rd edition, 1999) Gives individuals comprehensive tools for finding work and managing your professional life. Patrick Combs. Major in Success: Make College Easier, Fire Up Your Dreams, and Get a Very Cool Job (find current editions). Another resource that is practical, handson and is geared towards the younger, traditional-age college student.

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CHAPTER 11 CULTIVATING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS: PERSONAL GOALS, WORK LIFE BALANCE, AND RELATIONSHIPS

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES INCLUDE:

1) To explore life habits beyond paid work 2) To discover ways to relieve stress and anxiety 3) To learn how to create a personal mission statement 4) To discover the value of interpersonal relationships, including family and community 5) To review time-management strategies

Chapter 11, Cultivating Meaningful Connections, is designed to help individuals think about the value of life outside of the role of worker. Instructors will want to encourage students to think about balancing life roles, as discussed in earlier chapters. In our society, a great deal of emphasis is placed on being productive through frenzied activity. Time is money is a motto that many people, young and old, believe in and practice on a daily basis. Chapter 11 is about helping individuals realize the value of slowing down and making the most out of life, and developing meaningful relationships with family and friends.

Main Concepts Instructors May Opt to Highlight:

Review Supers life-role theory discussed in Chapter 2. Encourage students to look at the worker role in relation to their other life roles. You may want them to review the activities that they completed in previous chapters. Starting in the middle of this chapter,

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help students to explore the role of citizenship. Challenge participants to consider how service work fits into their careerlife planning decisions. Examine the benefits of social relationships.

Discuss issues surrounding the balance between leisure time and work. Highlight studies that show the increasing average number of hours worked. Outline the statistics regarding work and the benefits of relieving stress. Have students generate ideas for exercise and other activities to help balance work demands.

Review the steps of creating more leisure in your life. Highlight suggestions for choosing a leisurely lifestyle. What strategies might work best? Create a class activity to discuss. What might it mean to manage stress productively?

Instructors will want to address goal setting for cultivating meaningful connections. Three categories for goal statements include: physical, mental, and spiritual-emotional. Help students to establish both short and long-term goals in this important area.

Highlight several time management principles and practices. Students may be familiar with these concepts. However, is worth the time to review them. Ask them, What has worked well for you? Review exercise Manage Your Time.

Scenario #1 and Discussion: The Rat Race Actress Lily Tomlin once said, Even if you win the rat race, youre still a rat. LaShonda works at a stockbroker for a large firm in New York City. Her long term goal is to become a partner. Over the last four years, she has averaged 70 hours per week, often

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working late into the evenings and coming in on the weekends. She is somewhat concerned about her lack of personal and social time yet her priority is to make partner. LaShonda has experienced some health problems within the past year and she feels as if it may be stress related.

What are some of the issues she is dealing with? Do you think she has reached a healthy balance? What would you recommend that she do? What might be barriers in her way of change? How might see overcome those obstacles?

How important is money to you? Are you a rat? Think about it

Follow Up: The Rat Race discussion will get students to discuss the relevance behind worklife balance. Ask students to complete the personal think pieces on relaxation and stress relief activities. It is likely that the students will agree that LaShonda life is out of balance. Encourage a discussion on how she can meet her professional goals and still have a life outside of the office.

Scenario #2 How Do I Manage My Time? John has never been a good manager of his time. Although successful in his work, he is notorious for forgetting social engagements and other commitments. His family and friends tease him constantly, but the problem bothers him significantly. He would like to do a better job of remembering these important events and engagements.

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What should John do? Is there a reason John may be forgetting these non-work related commitments? Are there specific strategies or tool that he could use to better manage his time?

Follow Up: The case of John encourages students to think about time management strategies and tools. Instructors may want to invite students to share their own ideas for managing time and finding balance in life.

Additional In-Class Activities:

Activity #1: Believe in Yourself Students should complete the personal think piece on believing in oneself. In this activity, they are asked to write down positive feelings that they currently hold about themselves. Next, they asked to write down one negative feeling they hold. Set up a think, pair, share dyad situation. Each student, if comfortable with the activity, will share her/his thoughts with one other student.

Activity #2: Stress Relief and Exercise Have students read the sections in the textbook on slowing down and stress relief. Get students into groups of three. Ask them to generate a list of stress relievers that they use or could use to help them balance the demands of life. Each group will then report back to the large group. Have one student volunteer to play the scribe, and generate an extensive list of suggestions from the entire class. The

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instructor may want to take the list and type up and distribute to students at the next class session. Discuss in class.

Activity #3: DebateVoluntary Simplicity: Fad or the Real Deal? Students should review the sections in Chapter 11 on slowing down and voluntary simplicity. Consider the topic of voluntary simplicity. This may be even more relevant since the economic downturn of 2008-2010. Instructors can set up a debate situation. One side will argue the merits of this more recent trend. In other words, it is for real and here to stay? The other side will argue against the idea behind voluntary simplicity. This group will take the stance that this is just a fad, and will go by the wayside soon.

What came out of this debate? How do individuals feel about this concept? Is anyone practicing this idea currently? What does it mean to consume? (See Juliet Schors recent book Plenitude (2010). How might consumptions patterns shift in the future? Do you think the next generation of consumers will act differently? How so? In an April 2010 Gallup Poll, results indicated that 57% of Americans were spending less. Will this lead to a new frugal lifestyle? Explain your response.

Instructors will want to debrief and hold a discussion after the debate.

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Activity #4: Who Is Important To You? Ask students to complete Exercise 11.4, Who Is Important to You? Have them bring their exercises to class. Students can get into dyads or groups of three to share their responses. Instructors can ask if there are any brave volunteers who wouldnt mind sharing their responses with the rest of the group. Again, stress the importance of role balance between the various characters that you assume in your life, including the value of maintaining these relationships. Studies have shown that high quality interpersonal relationships (i.e., your friends and family) lead to greater life satisfaction and a longer life.

Activity #5: Journey into the FutureService in Action Have students respond to the following quote. Give them 3-5 minutes to write up a short reaction paper. My goal is this: Always to put myself in the place in which I am best able to servewherever my gifts find the best soil, the widest field of action. (From Herman Hesses Journey to the East.)

What does the quote mean to them? What do you think your worthy purpose might be? Explain. What gifts do you bring? What types of service opportunities might you be better to get involved with at this point in your education? Can you get credit for this option? Some schools have classes where students can earn credit.

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Outside Class Assignments for Chapter 11:

Seeking Out Advice from Mentors In one of the personal think pieces in Chapter 11, students were asked to write down people that they admire. The purpose behind this activity is to emulate successful people, and to develop mentoring relationships. Review the section on mentoring, including the two primary functions of mentors according to Ragins (1997). Ask students to pick one of those individuals to interview. The student should generate and turn in a list of questions. Papers should be 3-5 pages in length. Students can reflect on the following questions.

What characteristics do I most admire about this person? What has this person accomplished in various life roles? How did the individual go about making personal and career decisions? What lessons can I learn from this person and apply to my own life?

Time Management Depending on the age and maturity of the class, the instructor can have students complete a weekly and monthly planner. This assignment would be especially useful for first-year students. Have them include the following information.

Class assignment due dates including projects for the term Other work commitments that they might have each week An exercise schedule or other activities planned Extracurricular events or committee, residence hall meetings, etc.

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Family and friend commitments

Goal Setting and Future Planning At the end of the chapter, instructors can assign students to complete short-term and long- term goals of the HIRED model. These goals can then be placed directly in the personal portfolio. Goals can be divided into three different spheres: physical, mental, and spiritualemotional. Use the examples in the textbook as a model.

The MBTI and To Do Lists: An Integrative Project Ask students to complete the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Refer them to the fourth and final dimension: J and P. Jung believed that this dimension was a measure of how individuals preferred to lead their lives. In the MBTI interpretation, J types like to make to-do lists for things that they have to accomplish, even on a daily basis. P types make to-do lists (which they might not use at all) for things that they hope to get done someday, without a certain time specified. What are your preferences? Are you more like a J or a P in this situation? Write your reflections in a 2-3 page paper

Additional Activities Related to Personal Relationships and Community:

Scenario #1 and Discussion: How should I get involved? Latrel is new to his community. He is searching for work as an administrative assistant in a large organization. He also wants to get actively involved in his community. In

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the past, he served on several neighborhood action committees. What advice would you give Latrel? What might be some of the personal and professional advantages of getting involved? How might you get involved?

Follow Up: This exercise encourages students to start thinking about the benefits of getting involved in community service. Additionally, it helps participants to reflect on their role of citizen. Instructors may want to ask students the various ways they get involved in their communities.

Scenario #2: Staying Connected Studies have shown that single people with pets tend to live longer than single people without pets.

What might be the rationale behind these conclusions? What are the implications? How might an active social life help prolong life?

Follow Up: This discussion encourages students to think about the impact of companionship in terms of physical, psychological, and emotional wellbeing. Instructors may want to refer back to Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs.

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Additional In-Class Activities for Chapter 11: A Focus on Community and Relationships

Activity #1: Your Interpretation Read the quote on page 307. It states: Return to old watering holes for more than waterfriends and dreams are there to meet you. In your opinion, what is the meaning of this quote? Students can do a think, pair, share. Instructors can facilitate a large group discussion.

Activity #2: Who is important and why? Have students complete the personal think piece on identifying three people and their value to you. Instructors can divide the groups into dyads or triads. If time permits, reconvene the class as a large group and discuss. What themes are present? What do people tend to value in others? What are several characteristics of the individuals? (older, younger, etc.)

Activity #3: What are the big rocks in your life? Each student should review the excerpt: A Lesson in LifeRole Balance on page 299 in the textbook. Next, have them complete the personal think piece on What are the Big Rocks in Your Life. Students can discuss with a partner, or the instructor can set up as an impromptu 5-minute paper exercise.

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Activity #4: DebateRugged Individual vs. Socially-Connected Each of us has personal preferences regarding introversion vs. extroversion. Some of us pride ourselves on being rugged individuals who dont want to ask too much of anyone else. Others thrive off the interaction from people. They have to be socially connected.

What are the pros and cons of each perspective? Can a happy-medium be reached? Why or why not? What are your personal preferences around this issue? How might your stance on this issue be related to your Myers-Briggs results? Do opposites attract? Compare your responses to those of your significant other? How do they compare and contrast?

Instructors can set up a debate situation and/or discuss as a large group.

Activity #5: Exploring Ways to Get Involved Instructors can set up a brainstorming exercise where students generate ideas for getting involved with various community activities. Encourage students to share ideas and stories of how they got involved. Discuss the role of citizen and how this role can balance with the others. Also, students may want to discuss additional ways to improve social relationships. Review the concept of social capital by Robert Putnam. Does this concept make sense to students? Why or why not? Are you civically engaged? What can you do to become more socially engaged in civic-minded activities? Consider the role of community involvement; community service options; and the like. Instructors can create a list of student ideas and distribute as a handout.

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Outside Class Assignments:

Goal Setting: Students are assigned to do individual goal setting for the social relationships area. They can use the examples in the textbook. Have students organize their goals around three main areas: personal relationships, professional relationships, and community relationships.

Prepare three to five goals for each area Generate five affirmations that support your goals

What Are the Big Rocks? Have students read the excerpt in the textbook on What Are the Big Rocks In Your Life. Assign a 3-5 page paper asking them to reflect on what is most important to them. Students may want to refer back to previous discussion on life purpose and clarifying values.

What rocks do you place in your jar first? If you were to make any changes in your priorities, what would they be? What steps do you need to take to make room for your big rocks? Do you think these priorities will change in the future? If so, how?

Tuesdays with Morrie and the Role of Family As a supplemental reading for the class, have students obtain a copy of the book, Tuesdays with Morrie. Ask them to do a reflective book report. Rather than simply restate what the book was about, have them explore the lessons imparted.

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In a 3-5 page paper, address the following: What does Morrie say about family that you were able to relate to? What lessons spoke to you? What is the value of a strong social support system? What did you enjoy most about the book? What did you enjoy least about the book? How can you apply Morries wisdom to your own life?

Instructors may want to obtain a copy of the made for TV movie produced by Oprah Winfrey and show in class. Or assign a more recent book by Albom and discuss as a class. (ex: The 5 People Youll Meet in Heaven).

What Does Community Mean To You? Assign students to review the sections on community in Chapter 11. Next, ask them to write a paper on what community means to them. They may want to include insight about relationships with family members and friends. Include:

Ways to explore the role of citizen How they plan to meet their social zone goals The benefits of being an active member in the community and how it fits into their lifecareer planning

Papers should be 4-6 pages in length.

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Supplemental Resources:

Mitch Albom. Tuesdays with Morrie (1997). A true story based on the relationship between a former student and a dying college professor. Discusses the value of human relationships.

Plenitude by Juliet Schor (2010). Schor takes a look at Americans consumption habits after the most recent economic recession. She argues that spending habits are shifting to a more frugal, eco-minded philosophy. But will it last?

Have a Little Faith: A True Story by Mitch Albom (2009). Alboms most recent work.

Morrie Schwartz. Morrie: In his own words (1996). Another gem filled with brief yet meaningful life lessons ranging from living with physical limitations to considering death.

Additional Resources: Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler: Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives (2009). Discusses how we are more connected to others than we probably realize.

Laurence Boldt. Zen and the Art of Making a Living: A Practical Guide to Creative Career Design. A fun yet philosophical approach to life-career decision-making. It has many quotes and is written in workbook fashion.

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Stephen Covey. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic (1989). This book will help students and instructors with the concepts behind the personal mission statement.

Joseph V. Bailey and Richard Carlson. The Speed Trap: How to Avoid the Frenzy of the Fast Lane (1999). An easy-to-read book that encourages us to slow down and enjoy life even though we live in a hectic world.

Michael Fogler. Un-Jobbing: The Adult Liberation Handbook (2nd edition, 1999). A practical book that provides tips on how to live a life of freedom without being chained to unfulfilling work.

Idea: ask students to find a recent book on their own. Have them read the book and do a short book report. Share with their colleagues.

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CHAPTER 12 FINANCING YOUR LIFE: PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING A FINANCIAL PLAN

CHAPTER LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1) To gain a better understanding of the importance of financial planning 2) To learn general guidelines about money 3) To highlight strategies for making your money work for you 4) To review the value of preparing and maintaining a budget 5) To understand the financial advantages of post-high school education Chapter 12 is devoted to helping individuals manage their finances. The instructor will want to assist students with gaining a better understanding of financial responsibility. This chapter is especially useful to younger students, but can be a helpful reminder to older, non-traditional students as well. Students should acquire an understanding of the practicalities of managing and budgeting finances. Additionally, they will get the opportunity to explore what money means to them from a holistic approach.

Main Concepts Instructors May Opt To Highlight: For many people, retirement is becoming more of a process rather than an event. Retired individuals will likely continue to work for pay. Discuss the changing nature of saving for retirement including the importance of individual responsibility in that process Review basic strategies of smart money management Explain to participants that it is important to explore your relationship with money Discuss personal values as they relate to money

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Talk about the importance of starting early. Review scenarios related to this idea Education is a wise investment perhaps the wisest youll ever make Discuss the importance of looking at short-term and long-term goals

Scenario #1: What Should I Do? Nina is a 23-year-old student who is starting graduate school. Her grandparents left her a large trust fund that she can access on her 25th birthday. She is concerned about what to do with the money. What suggestions do you have for her? How might she best manage the money?

Follow Up:

This exercise helps students begin the process of money management. Have

them discuss in groups and reconvene for a large class discussion. Students can apply the rules of money as discussed in the textbook. In this case, Nina will want to hire some trustworthy people to assist her with the trust (lawyer, financial advisor, accountant, etc). She will also want to use some of the money for graduate school and future investment needs.

Scenario #2 Should I Jump Into the Deep End? Wanda has a masters degree in counseling psychology. She has worked in her profession for over five years. Wanda has pondered the idea of a PhD since her first year in college. She now has the opportunity to go back to school. However, she is concerned about the high cost of graduate education, not to mention the amount of time and energy that goes into completing the degree. If you were her adviser, what might you say to her? What information could you provide?

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Follow Up:

This activity and discussion encourages students to consider the idea of

education as an investment. Students will want to refer back to the chart in the textbook published by the College Board. Examine the statistics and possible correlation. What can you surmise from the data? Instructors may want to set up debate situation. One side could advocate for Wanda returning to school; the other side could be against it.

Additional In-Class Activities:

Activity #1: The New Perspective on Retirement Ask students to discuss what the following means to them. Retirement may become a process rather than an event. Instructors can set up the activity as a think, pair, and share exercise. Discuss the concept of bridge careers as well as issues relating to social security, increasing life spans, and others.

Activity #2: Suggestions for Managing Money Students can be asked to get into dyads or triads. Ask them to generate their top 10 suggestions for managing money. What do they currently practice? If there is diversity in terms of age in the class, have younger students team up with older, non-traditional students. Reconvene as a large group and generate ideas on the board or a flip chart. Instructors can write down the ideas (or ask a volunteer) and compile all of the suggestions. Distribute handout at the next class meeting.

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Activity #3: Is Greed Good? The instructor can rent a copy of the video, Wall Street, starring Michael Douglas playing the role of Gordon Gecko. Play the part where he is giving his passionate speech about greed in front of the shareowners. He states, For better or worse, greed is good. What do you think? Is greed good? Again, instructors can set up a debate situation in which one side agrees with the statement and the other side disagrees. What came out of this discussion? Was their consensus in one direction or the other? Why do you think it might be important to explore these issues? How does it relate to lifecareer planning and your decision-making process?

Activity #4: Your Goals Ask students to complete the short-term financial goals form. Students should separate their financial goals into four areas: liquid assets, non-marketable investments, marketable investments, and personal assets. (Instructors may need to define these conceptsespecially if working with a younger audience).

Bring to class and discuss. Older students may want to talk about the advantages of their financial investments such as owning a home and building equity. Younger students could benefit from this cross-generational discussion.

Other Class Assignment Ideas:

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Book Project Students are asked to do a book report on one of the financial resources or the financial planning pyramid listed in Chapter 12. After reading the book, students complete a 2-3 page paper outlining what they learned from the experience. Attempt to address the following questions:

What were several highlights of the book? What lessons learned will be most valuable to you? How can use this information to assist your life-career planning? What did you like most about the book? Explain What did you like least about the book? Explain.

Internet Research Project Find a website that addresses financial management issues. You can use one of the sites in the chapter or explore your own. Analyze the content and quality of the site.

What is the purpose of this site? What are some advantages of using this page? What are some shortcomings of this site? Who might you recommend this site to and why? How might you be able to use this site to help you personally? Explain.

Address the above questions in a 2-3 page response paper. Include the home page of the site you analyzed.

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Preparing a Budget Ask students to complete the budget forms on the disk. Use the examples in the textbook to guide you. Students should be asked to track their expenses for at least two months. Have them prepare a budget and respond to the following questions in a short response paper.

What did you learn from this experience? What changes might you make in your financial management? How might this plan change over time? Anticipate upcoming expenses. How can this exercise help you with future planning?

Long-Term and Short-Term Financial Goals: Students should complete the forms on the disks for long-term and short-term financial goals. Use the examples in the text and divide into the four corresponding categories: liquid assets, non-marketable investments, marketable investments, and personal assets. Write down at least three goals for each and include affirmations for each. Bring to class. Write a short 1-2 page response paper addressing the following.

What did you learn from this experience? What goals are most important? What goals are least important? How can you use this activity to assist you in the future?

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Suggested Resources Ernst & Youngs Personal Financial Planning Guide, Martin Nissenbaum, 2004 Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, Beth Kobliner, 2009 Making the Most of Your Money Now: The Classic Bestseller Completely Revised for the New Economy, Jane Bryant Quinn, 2009 Suze Ormans Action Plan: New Rules for New Times, Suze Orman, 2010 Personal Finance for Dummies, Eric Tyson, 2009

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