PART I

The first assignment in your project is a professional resume. You most likely will already have a standard resume. What you will do in this assignment is to transform that resume into an appropriate professional resume.

There are several differences between a standard resume and a professional resume. The two major differences are:

- A standard resume is typically more general and is often formatted somewhat as a timeline, while a professional resume is more specific and is focused more on accomplishments and skills.
- A professional resume should tell the story of your qualifications for the job as well as give insight into you as an employee.
Using all of the materials at your disposal including readings, lecture information, and discussion postings, if they are helpful; transform your current resume into a professional resume.

Save your assignment as a Microsoft Word document

PART II

In this step of the project, you will take the professional resume you created in Module 01 and tailor it to meet three different job postings of your choice as well as writing an appropriate cover letter for each chosen position.

Step 1 - Review several job posting web sites. You can choose from one of the below or another that you find.

Business linkedin
workable
indeed
monster

Step 2 - Choose three job postings in total. Use at least two different web sites to find these three positions. Copy the job posting with all relevant information including web site, position title, requirements, and description into a word document to submit with steps 3 and 4.

Step 3 - Review your professional resume from Module 01 and incorporate any feedback from your instructor. For each of the three positions, revise your resume to suit the position. Most application reviewers will spend very little time scanning resumes looking for minimum requirements and skills. Make sure that the minimum job requirements are clearly stated and any key skills are listed so the employer can determine your eligibility.

Step 4 - Write a corresponding cover letter for each position. Make sure to customize each cover letter to the specific position. Personalize the letter if you have the information. This is your chance to emphasize your skills and convince the employer they should interview you..
You should have a total of 3 job postings each with your tailored resume and cover letter.

Save all files into a zip and submit.

Save your assignments as Microsoft Word documents and compress to a zip file.

PART III

The third portion of the course project consists of an evaluation of certification requirements.

Choose two accounting industry certifications to research. One must be either Certified Management Accountant, Certified Public Accountant, or Certified Internal Auditor. The other should be industry related but not one of the three covered in this module.
Compare the requirements of the two certifications.

Include at a minimum the below comparisons:
- Educational requirements
- Experience requirements
- Exam requirements
- Ethics requirements
- Membership requirements
- Topics covered by the exam (if one is required)
- Review/refresher courses available
- Ongoing requirements including continuing professional education (CPE), membership, etc.

Include in your evaluation a summary of your findings on the benefits of each certification and your opinion on which you would choose to pursue and why.

Submit your completed assignment to the drop box below. Please check the Course Calendar for specific due dates.
Save your assignment as a Microsoft Word document

PART IV

This section of the course project will build on the information you gathered in Module 03 and use it to create a gap analysis and road map to achieve your goals.

Looking back on the analysis completed in Module 03, choose the accounting industry focused certification that you would like to pursue. Concentrating on this one certification, complete a Gap Analysis detailing your current state (where you are right now), the desired state (meeting the requirements of certification), and the gaps between the two states. Use these gaps to create a plan to get from current state to desired state. The example below will help you to formulate your plan.

In the below example the CMA Certification has been chosen.

Based on the above analysis this individual would create a plan to bridge each gap. The analysis itself is typically in a table format such as shown above. However the plan to bridge each gap, should be very specific and include specific tasks to complete to bridge each gap and a timeline for completion.

PART V

The Mock Interview assignment includes four parts.

- Arrange for a mock interview with someone you know in an accounting related industry who normally does the hiring such as a manager or Human Resource professional.

- Have the interviewer complete the Mock Interview Feedback Form. The results of this will not figure into your grade - only that it was completed. Honest feedback is essential for development. Use this feedback to help you better prepare or present yourself in your next interview.

- Complete the Mock Interview Self Evaluation. This task will give you a way to reflect on your interview and to determine your interviewing strengths and weaknesses so that you can focus your improvement efforts.

- Based on your feedback and self evaluation, complete the Thank you letter highlighting two to three key points from the interview.
Make sure to review the reading materials and videos related to interviewing before you conduct the interview to help you prepare.

Submit your completed Mock Interview Feedback Form and Mock Interview Self Evaluation Form to the drop box below.

Save your assignment as a Microsoft Word document.

PART VI

The first step to any journey is to decide where you want to go. For this final portion of the project, create a roadmap for yourself for the next five years in the form of a career plan. Where do you see yourself in five years? How do you plan on getting to this destination? This is a bit different than the approach to the GAP analysis which focused on Certification. Your professional development plan will have a broader focus and include certification, but should also include soft skills you want to develop to meet your plan such as leadership skills or speaking skills.

Your professional development plan (career plan) will consist of the four items listed below. The first three were discussed and assigned in Module Five. A review of how to complete a SWOT analysis is presented in Module Six as well. These three documents will work together to help you create the fourth item - your professional development plan or career plan. The remaining readings for this week focus on item four.

1. Develop your personal mission statement - this will assist you in defining yourself and your plan. Once this is complete it should provide the basis for the remaining documents.

2. Conduct a personal SWOT analysis - this will give you additional points to add to your plan. Complete this analysis by considering yourself as the business and analyzing yourself against your competition for a job you would pursue.

3. An elevator speech - this will give you a chance to create your own elevator speech. It will be highly beneficial to practice this speech many times until you are comfortable with it and what it conveys about you.

4. A professional development plan outlining the next five years. This should include your plan for obtaining and maintaining any certification that you choose to pursue as well as any professional associations you plan to be involved in. Since most certifications require continuing education, you will need to research the available avenues for this continuing education (often called CPE - continuing professional education). Also, consider how you will give back to your communities in volunteerism and how these opportunities will intertwine with your career. Include in your plan the ways in which you plan to obtain your CPE.

Consider how you can present these items creatively; perhaps using a timeline in SmartArt, charts, and/or tables.

Attachment:- professional development.rar