Assignment

For your final paper, you're going to build on many of the foundational principles we've discussed over the course of the semester in 3 distinct phases.

Phase 1:

Your culminating activity will involve determining your major SMART goal(s) for the next 1, 5, and 10 years as they pertain to your career path. Obviously, your career path will impact and also be impacted by elements of your personal life, so it is permissible to bring personal circumstances into the discussion. However, make sure to keep the overall focus on how your career life path is a central component to your future aspirations. You may choose 1 major SMART goal to discuss for each year of your plan or several goals for each year--that decision is yours to make.

Phase 2:

Once you determine your SMART goal(s), you will then conduct a SWOT analysis (as we discussed in class) to determine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats you may experience as you work to achieve your goal(s). Strengths and Weaknesses are internal characteristics (think of family/friend support, skills and abilities, educational level, etc.) to consider, while Opportunities and Threats are external factors (think of changing technology, the economy, political influences, global security, etc.).

View the video in the link below and read the corresponding article, then use the attached document as a template for creating your own SWOT analysis worksheet (if it's easier, you can create your own SWOT table in the Word document for your paper by making a table with 4 boxes--2 rows, 2 columns). You will conduct 1 SWOT analysis for each year of the plan (1 ,5, and 10 years) for a total of 3 SWOT analysis worksheets.

When filling out the worksheets, you do not need to write paragraphs and sentences. Simply describing your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats as bullet points in each box will be sufficient.

Phase 3A: (1 page for each year; 3 pages total)

In narrative form, describe each part of your SWOT analysis for the given year in more detail. You will do this for each year (1, 5, and 10) of the plan. For example, consider the following types of questions:

• How can you use the strengths/opportunities to overcome the weaknesses/threats?

• How can you maximize the strengths/opportunities and minimize the weaknesses/threats?

• Knowing your weaknesses/threats, what can you do to overcome these challenges?

• Which of these factors: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, or Threats will play the most significant role in the journey towards your goals...Why?

• Based on the results of your SWOT analysis, what action steps can you take to help you achieve your goals?

Phase 3B: (a couple sentences at the end of the narrative for each year)

Lastly, for each year describe one step you can take that may be daunting or scary, but you would be willing to attempt to help you achieve your larger goal(s). Think of it as a calculated risk. (Remember our discussion about not letting fear getting the better of you in your career decision making). This part only has to be a couple of sentences (what is the step you can take and how can it help you achieve your goal).