Career Reflection

Subject :Applied business challenge

Overview

Task: Written task exploring your career options

Length: 1000 words

Details of the task

Individual task - You will be required to write a comprehensive reflection based on your career aspirations and how your course has impacted your career prospects.

Context

You have spent a lot of time and money in completing a degree which will assist you in finding employment or moving to further study. Your undergraduate course has facilitated the development of hard (eg preparing financial reports) and soft (eg problem solving) skills. Completing a challenge project in a multi-disciplinary team may be evidence that you can execute those skills. You may also be involved in paid employment &/voluntary work. In IBC2/PD2 you prepared an ePortfolio, CV and worked on a career plan. It is time to update this to reflect your personal and academic development during the last 12 months.

The following 3 tasks will give you an opportunity to STOP and once again reflect on the values, skills and knowledge that you can promote when you apply for employment or post graduate study.

Purpose of assessment: To demonstrate the student's ability to use self-reflection to articulate the values, skills and knowledge that they have developed throughout their undergraduate degree.

The student will submit a 1000 word ‘Career Planning Report' that includes a Values Audit (100 words); Capability Audit (650 words); Graduate Pitch (250 words). This is an INDIVIDUAL assessment piece.

Task 1 - Values Audit (100 words)

1. List and rank at least 5 personal values that influence your life choices. Explain why consideration of values is crucial to career management. Use 2 academic references to support your answer.

2. What field of work/further study do you intend to pursue? List at least 5 hard skills you have developed via your undergraduate course and explain how they will assist you in your field of work/further study?

Task 2 -Capability Audit (650 words)

Read the 5 resources below

1. Robles Marcel, 2012 , ‘Executive Perceptions of the Top 10 Soft Skills Needed in Today's Workplace', Business Communication Quarterly Vol 75, No 4, pages 453-465

2. Karl, L 2004 ‘Articulating Skills in the Job Search' Business Communication Quarterly Vol. 67 Issue 2, p198

3. Australian Public Service, Fact Sheet 5 Addressing selection criteria, viewed November 16 2014

4. 2013 Monash University, Sample Interview questions, viewed November 16 2013

5. Graduate Capabilities in your Unit Guide BPD3100 Applied Business Challenge

1. Using the readings and your own reflections provide a written response to the 5 most common selection criteria used by employers when choosing graduates. It is essential that you provide examples to support your responses. (650 words). The selection criterion is

- demonstrated capacity to communicate effectively

- good organisational and administrative skills

- proven ability to work as part of a team

- well-developed customer service skills

- Proven ability to manage projects.

Task 3-Graduate ‘Elevator Pitch' (250 words)

The e Portfolio and personal website prepared in IBC2/PD2 was the start of your personal branding. This requires constant updating. In this task you will synthesise all the information from Task 1 & Task 2 to update or further develop your personal brand. You will prepare a

- Graduate Elevator Pitch

- Social Media Platform, we are using LinkedIn (It is has obvious connection with career advancement)

An "Elevator Pitch" is a concise, carefully planned, and well-practiced marketing message about your professional self that your potential manager or interviewer should be able to understand in the time it would take to ride up an elevator (2 minutes or less). Prepare your pitch as a 250 word document, you MAY use youtube to record and deliver to your facilitator, include the link in your submission.
Which social media platforms will/do you use?
- LinkedIn
- Blogging
- Wordpress, LinkedIn publishing platform, etc.
- Microblogging sites
- Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.
- Video & audio sites
- YouTube, podcasting, SlideShare
- Image posting
- Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter

Having prepared your elevator pitch, it is time to either create or update your LinkedIN account. Take screen shots of your LinkedIn account and include in your submission in this assessment. Locate 2 academic references that will assist you to prepare your pitch and personal branding.

References nd, University of California, Creating An Elevator Pitch - Two Minutes or Less, University of California, viewed November 18 2014,
Summary of what to hand in for this assessment.

- Task 1. (100 words)
o Ranked list of at least 5 personal values that influence your life choices
o List and explanation of 5 hard skills you will need.

- Task 2. (650 words)
o Example responses to 5 most common example criteria in job descriptions
o Reflection and action plan for a skill gap

- Task 3. (250 words )
o Elevator pitch as words or youtube clip
o Your "linked in" social media personal branding.

Preparation

You are expected to have completed all the readings and learning activities set up especially in weeks 3-4. you should also refer back to your ePortfolio developed in BPD2100.