Take a proactive approach to your career by putting a career or small business plan in writing. Studies show that very few students, much less professionals, ever take the time to create a career plan. This assignment provides you the opportunity to work in more detail on your career planning. If you’ve never written your own career plan, this is your chance.

You may want to consult the annual publication of excellent/good/fair/poor jobs published by U.S. News & World Report each January. The lists include jobs that are likely to be the most promising career avenues to follow in the next five years, as well as jobs you may want to avoid. The list gives both the advantages and the disadvantages for each listed job. This list can serve as a means of comparison as you consider jobs and careers that you may want to pursue.

Go to http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/060105/5bestcareers.htm.
WHAT KIND OF CAREER OR SMALL BUSINESS DO YOU DREAM OF FOR YOURSELF?

In our first session, I asked each of you to briefly describe what you would like to do for your career. Many suggested owning a small business (I loved doing that…). Some of you also mentioned working in careers for other organizations (I made a lot of money doing that…). Either way, having a plan is extremely important and often overlooked.

Sometimes people’s interests change, or they may burn out. And some people are unhappy with their current job or career because they weren’t in the right one to begin with. Getting the job and career you want is not easy. It takes time, effort, and persistence. And even though you will probably follow multiple career paths in your life, your career-planning process will be easier (and more effective) if you take the time to develop a personal career plan. You can begin by answering the following 4 topics.

In this project, I would like you to prepare a preliminary personal or small business plan. I would like you to submit this plan as a text file. The plan needs to be at least 5 text pages in length, double spaced, with the topics below addressed as a minimum. You may organize it any way you like. In addition to the 5 pages of text, you may also include reference and presentation materials to tell your story. The project is worth 10% of your grade and will be due on November 16. I will grade it with the following scale: Clear communication – 25%, Effectively answer the project questions – 50%, Use of planning concepts from the text – 25%. (Hint: Treat this seriously. If you do it effectively, this plan could guide your career decisions for the next 5 years or longer.)

1. Describe your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t just rely on your opinions of your abilities. Ask your parents, relatives, friends, and employers what they think, too. Encourage them to be honest and then be prepared to hear some things that you may not want to hear. Remember, though, this information can help you pick the right job or career.

2. Write an advertisement for the job you want to have 5 years from now. If you are interested in running your own business, write an ad for that. Be specific. If job oriented, describe the company, title, responsibilities, required education and experience, salary, and benefits. If running your own company, provide a thorough description of the company including, size, products, services, location and how your offering will stand out. Use real life employment ads, job listings and company descriptions as inspiration and examples.

3. Create a detailed plan to obtain this goal. In the short term, what classes do you need to take? Do you need a business major or minor or maybe a specific minor? What kind of summer work or interim experience will move you closer to getting the job (or business) you want 5 years from now? What job do you need to get right out of college to obtain the work experience you need? Create a specific plan for each of the 5 years in your career plan, keeping in mind that the plans for later years are likely to change. If you are intending to open a small business, address some of the assets you will need to begin your business and how you can prepare to accumulate them. The value in planning is that it forces you to think about what you want and the steps you can take now to help achieve those goals.

4. Decide when you will monitor and evaluate the progress you’re making with your plan. Career experts suggest that every 6 months is about right. Pick two dates and write them in your schedule. Furthermore, right now, before you forget, set five specific, challenging goals that you need to accomplish in the next 12 months to achieve your career plans.