Career Plan Essays

Career Plan Essays Career Plan Essay Career Plan Essay ECPY 2040: Principles of Career and Life Planning Fall 2013 section# 6300 Tues/Thurs 8:45am-10:05am Social Sciences 255 Instructor: Gabrielle Groth Office: Humanities 028 Office Hours: Tues/Thurs 10:15-11:15 or by appt. Email: [emailprotected] edu Office Phone: 518-442-2624 Course Description: Mailbox: outside ED 242 Review of theories of decision-making career development, occupational choice, and job satisfaction. Additional topics include vocational measurement and assessment, evaluation and use of occupational information, and strategies of life-span planning. Course Objectives: Develop a conceptual framework of how careers begin and evolve Develop an understanding of the factors affecting your career development and planning Research, evaluate, and use occupational information from a variety of resources Develop communication skills in order to facilitate self-reflection and enhance the ability to market yourself in a career This course meets the Information Literacy and the Oral Discourse requirement for the University at Albany. Required Books and Materials: 1 . Sukiennik, D. , Raufman, L. , Bendat, W. (2013). The career fitness program: exercising your options (10th ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson. ISBN: 978-0132762335 2. A $35 materials fee will be due in class for the following assessment materials: Strong Interest Inventory (S) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) CASH ONLY! Recommended Texts: 1 . Bolles, R. N. (2012). What color is your parachute? (40th ed. ). Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. 2. American Psychological Association (APA). (2009). Publication manual, 6th edition. washington, DC. ISBN: 978-1433805615 Attendance/Participation: Because this course is intended to benefit your career development, you will be time; thus, regular attendance, punctuality, and participation are essential and will e reflected in your grade. You are responsible for all readings and assignments listed in the syllabus, as well as any extra readings distributed in class, and should come to class prepared for discussions and activities. If you are absent from class: You are responsible for any missed lecture notes or materials. It is not the responsibility of the instructor to inform you of what you missed in class. Some assignments may be made-up at the instructors discretion only if the instructor is made aware of the absence beforehand. Exceptions may be made in extreme cases (e. g. death in the family) at the instructors discretion. Attendance will be taken EVERY class period. A total of 60 points can be earned if you attend class regularly. Each student is allowed three free absences. More than three absences throughout the semester will be reflected in your final grade. For each class missed beyond the three allowed, 10 points will be deducted from your total score. Any exceptions to this policy will be made at the ins tructors discretion and only in extreme situations. Please not that your UAlbany email account is considered an official form of communication. Thus, you will need to check this address regularly to receive class nnouncements and changes in the schedule. Classroom Decorum: Students are expected to arrive to class on time and actively participate in classroom activities. If students arrive late to the class period, it is their responsibility to check in with the instructor at the end of the class period to ensure that they were counted as present. It is expected that students will conduct themselves in a mature and professional manner. This course provides a unique opportunity for growth and self- exploration. Please be respectful of your classmates, remain attentive during class, and keep an open mind to others ideas and views. All electronic devices (e. g. , cell phones) must be turned OFF during class. The use of laptops for anything other than note taking is considered disruptive and not permitted. Disruptive behavior during class time will not be tolerated. If you are having difficulty following expected classroom behavior, you will be asked to leave, an unexcused absence will be recorded, and you will not receive credit for any work completed during class that day. If the disruptive behavior persists, it will be brought to the attention of the Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility; and you may be asked to leave the lass permanently. Academic Integrity: A students work for this class should reflect the highest standards of academic integrity. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Examples include, but are not limited to plagiarism, multiple submissions, cheating, and falsification. Submitting work completed by anyone other than yourself or resubmitting your own work from a prior class is unacceptable. Consequences may include failure of the assignment, Responsibility. If you have any questions, consult the instructor or contact the Office of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility, or refer to the Community Rights and Responsibilities Booklet. Writing Requirements: All assignments must be submitted on time via Blackboard. Assignments submitted via disk, email, or paper form will not be accepted unless in an extreme circumstance, which is left to the discretion of the instructor. All assignments are to be typed, proofread, properly formatted in the most current APA style (e. g. 2 point Time New Roman font, double spaced with 1 inch margins). Students are expected to use the writing and referencing guidelines as published in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed. ), a recommended text. The manual is vailable in the reference section of the University, Science, and Dewey libraries. For additional referencing guides visit: http://owl. english. p urdue. edu/owl/resource/ 560/01/ http://library. albany. edu/usered/cite/apaw-header. pdf Late assignment policy: Assignments are to be submitted online at the beginning of the class period for which they are due. Submissions after the start time of the class are considered late and 5 points will be deducted for each day the assignment is late. Late assignments will not be accepted after 5 days (including non-class days and weekends) and will result in a grade of O for that assignment. Exceptions will only be made at the discretion of the instructor in extreme situations. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Reasonable accommodations will be provided for students with documented physical, sensory, systemic, cognitive, learning and psychiatric disabilities. Any student who has a documented disability through the Disability Resource Center (Campus Center 137, 442-5490) and is in need of academic accommodations should notify the instructor of this course. Accommodations are individualized and in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992. If you believe you have a disability requiring accommodation in this class, please visit the Director of Disabled Student Services. Grading Distribution and Points: Assignment Point Breakdown: Introduction Blackboard Post 15 Inventories 30 (2 x 15 points each) Registration with Career Services Occupational Report Resume and Cover Letter: First Draft and Peer Review Final Draft 5 55 20 Mock Career Interview Informational Interview Career Topic Presentation 50 35 Final Paper Attendance 75 Total Possible Points Grade distribution: A = 465-500 (93-100%) A- = 450-464 (90-92%) + = 434-449 (87-89%) B = 413-433 (83-86%) B- = 400-412 (80-82%) C+ = 385-399 (77-79%) c = 365-384 (73-76%) c- 350-364 (70-72%) = 335-349 (67-69%) D = 315-334 (63-66%) D- = 300-314 (6M2%) E = 0-299 (less than 60%) * Incompletes are only given under extraordinary circumstances, at the discretion of the instructor. Assignments and Exams Introduction Blackboard Post: To facilitate classmates and the instructor in getting to know one another, students will create an introductory post to the Blackboard discussion board started by the instructor. Posts should be 1 3 paragraphs in length nd should address the following things: 1- Tell us a little about yourself (hometown, favorite hobbies, etc. ; 2- What is your status as a student (year in college)? ; 3- What is your intended major? Or, if unsure of major, what is one of your areas of academic interest? ; 4- When you were in elementary school and people asked you what do you want to be when you grow up, what did you tell them? ; 5- What are your career aspirations at this time? In other words, what do you want to be when you grow up? ; 6- What do you hope to get out of this course? If possible, include a photo of yourself ith your discussion board post. Inventories: As part of the course requirements, you must purchase and complete the Strong Interest Inventory (S) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). 35 will be collected by the instructor in the beginning of the semester for these exams and will be returned by the specified due date to be sent off for scoring. If the mone y or the inventories are not turned in on their respective due dates, you may lose points or receive a zero for this project. Because the information from the inventories will be used in the final paper, incomplete inventories may also result in additional oss of points on the final paper. Registration with Career Services: You will receive 5 points for registering with IJAlbanys Career Services. The purpose of registering is to become familiar with the resources at the Career Center and have access to future career events, Job fairs, internships, and Job listings. To register go to: albany. edu/career/ index. shtml title page and references) on an occupation. The purpose of this report is to give you the opportunity to explore and write about an occupation that is of interest to you. You will need to use at least TWO outside sources of information other than the equired texts for the course. The paper must be in APA style with proper citations and a reference page. More details will be provided in class. Resume and Cover Letter: You will prepare a professional resume and cover letter. You will receive 20 points for the completion of the first draft and participating in the peer revision during class time. Students that do not bring copies of their first drafts to class on the day of the peer revision will not be able to participate in the peer revision process AND will not receive the 20 points. The final draft of the resume and cover letter you will submit via Blackboard. The final draft is worth a total of 40 points, and will be graded by your instructor. By the completion of this assignment, you should have a resume and cover letter worthy of submitting to potential employers. The content and style should be professional, concise, and comprehensive of your abilities and goals. Midterm: A multiple-choice and/or short answer exam designed to test your knowledge of the course material up to the date of the exam. Materials tested will include readings, lectures, presentation information, and classroom exercises. Makeup exams are based on the discretion of the instructor. Mock Career Interview: Students work in pairs to prepare and present 10-minute mock career interviews in front of the class. Each student will have the opportunity to be both the interviewer and interviewee within the 10-minutes. The mock interview will give you a chance to gain interviewing experience in your field of interest. Students will be expected to dress in interview attire for this presentation. A zero may be given on this assignment if students fail to show up on their assigned presentation day. Interviews will be rescheduled only in extreme circumstances at he discretion of the instructor. Informational Interview: Each student will arrange an interview with someone who is currently working in the field he or she is interested in. Worksheets will be provided to help you formulate questions and evaluate the information you receive. You will then be asked to share some of the information you learned from the interview in class. Additional information will be provided in class. Career Topic Presentation: You will be preparing and conducting a 10-minute presentation on a special topic of your choice related to career development and/or the world of work. For the presentation, you will be informing the class about the contents of an article or book chapter related to your topic that you have read. Students must seek approval of their resources at least 2 weeks prior to their presentation. Additional information will be provided in class. A zero may be given on Presentations will be rescheduled only in extreme circumstances at the discretion of Final Paper: You will submit via Blackboard a 5-7 page (not including title page and references) self-reflective paper that integrates what you have learned in the course with your own ideas about career and life planning. This should include information you learned from your SII and MBTI inventories, as well as what you have learned from the informational and mock interviews. At least 5 sources should be used and referenced in APA style. More details will be provided in class. EXTRA Credit: Two assignments can be completed for a maximum of 20 extra credit points. They are to be completed and turned in before or on the last day of class. Career Services Events Write-up (10 pts each): You can attend one Career Services Event for 10 points or you can attend 2 different events for a total of 20 points that will count as extra credit. For each event attended you must provide a I-page summary of the even and what you have learned from it. In addition, you will need to complete the extra credit even form (attached). The list of events and dates can be found at albany. edu/career. Likewise, once you register with Career Services you will receive email announcements for events. Please ask the instructor for approval if an event is not sponsored by Career Services. Career Article (10 pts): Find an article related to social media and its relevance on career development, networking and write a 1-2 page review of the article. Research Participation (1 Opts): Students will have the opportunity to earn up to 10 points extra credit for participating in research opportunities announced in class. ONLY the opportunities announced in class will count towards your grade. Tentative Class Schedule Date Day Topic Reading Assignment Due Aug. 27 Tuesday Course Overview and Syllabus Aug. 29 Introduction to career theories and development CFP Chapter 1 sept. Values in the Workplace CFP Chapters 2 CFP Chapter 3 sept. 5 Thursday No Class†Rosh Hashanah sept. 10 Career Services Guest Speaker $35 Cash Due (Exact change please! sept. 12 Work Interests and Personality CFP Chapter 4 (Boiles p. 189-229) sept. 17 Aptitudes, Abilities, and Skills CFP Chapter 5 (Boiles p. 230-250) sept. 19 Tour of the University Library: Meet in the Lobby MBTI Due sept. 24 APA Style and Plagiarism sept. 26 CFP Chapter 7 (Boiles p. 252-269) oct. 1 Making Career Decisions CFP Chapter 8 oct. 3 Job Search/Leads CFP Chapter 9 (Bolles Chapter 5) oct. 8 Career Services Resume Workshop oct. 10 Midterm Review oct. 15 Midterm Exam oct. 7 Resume/Cover Letter Peer Feedback Session CFP Chapter 10 1st Draft Cover Letter/Resume Due ct. 22 Presentations oct. 29 Final Draft Resume/Cover Letter Due oct. 31 NOV. 5 NOV. 7 SII MBTI Interpretation NOV. 12 Career Services Guest Speaker (Social Networking) (Bolles Chapter 6) Occupational Research Report Due NOV. 14 Issues in the Working World CFP Chapter 6 NOV. 19 Interviewing for Jobs and Into the World of Work CFP Chapter 11 (Bolles Chapter 8) NOV. 21 Mock Interviews NOV. 26 NOV. 28 No Class†Thanksgiving Dec. 3 Dec. 5 Dec. 10 Last Day of Class/Wrap Up All Extra Credit Assignments Dec. 12 Submit Final Paper via Blackboard Final Paper Due: 5 pm

Top Opportunities in the Online Retail Revolution

Top Opportunities in the Online Retail Revolution Working in the retail industry used to be pretty straightforward. Customers would shop in brick-and-mortar storefronts, helped by sales associates or customer service reps. Then, anything they couldn’t get in person was purchased from a printed catalog. Now, things have changed almost completely- virtually anything you need or want can be delivered right to your door, within a few days (or even hours) of making a purchase on your preferred device. You don’t even have to leave home if you don’t want to. We still have traditional stores, of course, but the economics and priorities behind retail have totally shifted. And if you’re looking at a career in the retail field, your options have changed as well. Being an in-store associate used to be the stepping stone to a retail career path, but now that companies like Amazon and Walmart have moved so many of their resources toward online sales and offsite fulfillment, your retail career might start in a more behi nd-the-scenes role, with an entirely different set of skills and opportunities.How the Retail Landscape is ChangingRight now, there are a few overarching trends that are changing how retail works- and therefore what a career in retail looks like as well.Online DominationAccording to Forbes, the retail industry is in a bit of a personality crisis right now. Companies are coming to an unavoidable point where they will either embrace the changes of the internet era or fall far behind. Online retailers like Amazon, along with traditional department stores like Kohl’s or Target, are building a more robust online shopping platform. These companies are at the forefront of these changes, emphasizing the ability to shop from anywhere. Stores and chains that are not adapting as quickly are at risk of falling behind in sales and growth.Companies like Walmart are also looking to beef up their online game by acquiring existing retailers that can provide the sales infrastructure and mercha ndising know-how to bring the parent companies into the next phase of retail.Traditional Stores ClosingThink about your local mall. Chances are, at least one of the big â€Å"anchor† stores has closed recently, or may be at risk of closing soon- chains like Macy’s, Sears, Kmart, and others have all recently announced that underperforming brick-and-mortar stores will be shuttered for streamlining.Embracing the TechIt’s impossible to underestimate how technology has changed the shopping experience- and therefore the strategies used by retailers. First came shopping via computers, then smartphones, then tablets, causing retailers to develop online retail plans and platforms to support these new ways of browsing and shopping. And now â€Å"virtual assistants† like Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home have made it so that consumers don’t even need to go online to browse- they can merely ask the virtual assistant to search and buy for them, based on pre -set account and payment settings. According to RetailDive, Amazon customers spent 10% more in the months after buying the Amazon Echo device, suggesting that more retailers will get in on the voice-activated shopping train.And it’s not just the usual devices you’d expect to do the shopping for you- smart appliances like LG’s â€Å"smart† refrigerator can tell you what you have inside, and what you might need to add to your shopping list. (No word on whether these fridges can judge us yet for those late-night pints of ice cream, or farmer’s market produce that goes untouched in favor of takeout containers.)Many stores are also using tech to enhance the in-store shopping experience, using location functions on smartphones and push notifications to alert shoppers to sales and promotions in-store.Summer Black Friday SalesIf you’ve ever been at a large chain store on Black Friday (or seen the endless news coverage of cringe-inducing behavior eve ry year), you know it can be a bloodsport, with people literally pushing each other out of the way to get big-ticket products at a discount. And while Black Friday may not be the best trend in terms of humanity, for retail it can be a major asset- it brings in customers and boosts sales during the critical holiday period.Online-only retailers like Amazon have started featuring similar sales around July, at a traditionally quiet retail period of the year, taking advantage of the idea that you don’t need to be present in a store to score a deal on a new TV. So while customers may be taking time away from the beach instead of the Thanksgiving table to shop, the idea is quickly catching on that a summer counterpart to Black Friday can help boost retail bottom lines during a traditionally dead time. As other retailers begin to incorporate these steep summer sales, it has the potential to change how retail stores and fulfillment centers are staffed, year-round.â€Å"Need It Nowâ⠂¬  ShippingIf you’ve seen your mailman making the rounds on previously unheard-of Sundays, dropping Amazon-logo-stamped boxes on doorsteps, then you’ve seen how the increased demand for fast shipping has begun to take hold in the retail industry. Amazon Prime was one of the pioneers in this field, and other major retailers have followed suit, offering insta-shipping as part of their online shopping experience. Accommodating these shipping needs means having strategically located warehouses and fulfillment centers around the country, so products have a shorter way to go when customers want that video game in less than two days’ time.Retail Warehouse JobsSo what do these trends changes mean for a career in retail? For starters, it means that your starting point may not be working on a sales floor, handling direct transactions. Many of the best retail opportunities will be coming from warehouses and fulfillment centers, as retailers try to find the sweet spot bet ween retail and logistics to meet customer needs.Let’s look at some of the entry-level jobs and career paths that are growing due to the new retail economy. We’ve included some sample links for each that you can use as a starting point for your own search.Sorting AssociateSorting associates are responsible for (as you might have guessed) sorting outgoing packages by size, shape, destination, or other criteria. They’re responsible for making sure that shipments are organized and packed efficiently- kind of like box Tetris.Skills needed: Attention to detail, ability to lift heavy packages, customer service focus, physical stamina, flexible work schedulePantry AssociateAs online grocery delivery companies like Fresh Direct and Amazon Fresh expand and make quality and speed essential for shipping food products, pantry associates are responsible for sorting and packing shipments of groceries to make sure everything goes out quickly and as fresh as possible.Skills nee ded: Attention to detail, ability to lift heavy packages, customer service focus, physical stamina, flexible work scheduleWarehouse/Fulfillment AssociateAs more and more importance is placed on online shopping and order fulfillment, warehouse staff are essential. Warehouse associates are responsible for loading and unloading shipments, as well as tracking, scanning, and monitoring shipments. These associates may also operate heavy equipment to move products and shipments.Skills needed: Attention to detail, ability to lift heavy packages, customer service focus, physical stamina, flexible work scheduleSeasonal Fulfillment AssociatesRetail has its busy seasons and its not-so-busy seasons. During the busiest parts of the year, like back-to-school and the winter holidays, almost every retailer needs as many hands on deck as they can find. If you’re looking for seasonal employment in a warehouse, this is a flexible option for you that can build experience or help you fill a gap be tween jobs. Seasonal warehouse and fulfillment associates perform the same tasks as full-time warehouse associates, but during a set period of time (for example, November through December).Skills needed: Attention to detail, ability to lift heavy packages, customer service focus, physical stamina, flexible work scheduleOperations AssociateOnce orders are collected, assembled, and readied for shipping, operations professionals take over to make sure that everything goes where it’s supposed to go, and when it’s supposed to go out. The job may involve analyzing the best way to ship merchandise (shipping routes, timelines, costs, etc.) as well as coordinating with fulfillment and logistics teams to ensure smooth delivery and a good customer experience.Skills needed: Attention to detail, great organization, data analysis, project management, customer service focus, ability to work as part of a team with many moving partsBenefits of a Warehouse CareerThese warehouse and ship ping jobs typically don’t require a college degree to get started, and usually include on-the-job training once you’re in the door. They’re also geographically flexible: because retailers are setting up satellite warehouses and fulfillment centers around the country to make shipping faster and cheaper, you won’t necessarily need to concentrate your job search in a limited number of â€Å"hubs.†As retail itself continues to evolve, so to do the opportunities to work in the field. And no matter how people are shopping these days (or how they’ll shop five years from now), companies will always need qualified professionals behind the scenes to make sure customers get what they want, and that they keep coming back. If you have a passion for logistics and customer service, the fulfillment path can be a great option for your retail career.