Assignment

Write a reflection essay based on the BLS Occupations Projects data discussed in class (see tab labeled "Computer related professions" in spreadsheet on the I: drive; spreadsheet is also available at this link: BLS occupation stats.xlsx).

The purpose of the paper is to help you process the data and consider how it might be important to you and your professional goals.

As you get ready for the writing, here are some questions to get your thinking started:

• What parts of the data was most interesting to you? Which occupations?
• Which occupations might require more than just a BS degree?
• Did any of the data surprise you or strike you as odd?
• How does pay correlate to projected number of new jobs?
• How does projected replacement needs data correlate to projected new jobs data?

• Does any of the data cause you to doubt your career choice or to want to change to a different computer-related choice?
Here are the requirements of the assignment:

• Your essay should be typed in Word, double-spaced, using a 12-point, serif, proportional spaced font (e.g. Times New Roman) for body text. Use one-inch margins. Titles and headings can be of another font.

• A cover page should include the paper title, your name, the date, and the name of the course.

• Not counting the cover page, the paper should be more than one and a half pages and no more than five pages long.

• Indicate new paragraphs by indenting the first line by ½-inch, not an extra line.

• Writing should be formal and correct, but first person may be used. Mechanics, usage, sentence formation, and paragraph formation will be allocated 40% of the points.

• Poorly written essays will be graded for writing only and no points will be allocated for content.

Possibly helpful references:

http://faculty.cascadia.edu/jvanleer/MTPE/Reflection%20Paper%20Guidelines.htm
http://www.ehow.com/way_5184362_tips-writing-reflection-paper.html
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/