Career Development and Life Planning
Course - Syllabus BIS 200 A
Mondays 7:00 - 9:40 * January 10 – February 7 * 306 Wilson
Instructor: Nina Stensby-Hurst Phone #: 568 - 6555
Academic Advising & Career Development Email: stensbne@jmu.edu
Text: Coming Alive from Nine To Five, 5th Edition By: Betty Michelozzi
Class 1 January 10, 2000
Topics: / Introduction to the Course
/ Vocational Life Stages
/ The Career Planning Process
/ The Role of Self Assessment / Personal Summary Sheet
/ Skills Assessment (Achievement Exercise)
/ Identifying Your Interests (Party Exercise)
/ Complete Reaction Papers
Assignments: Due:
/ Text read pages 1-25, 39-61 Jan 17
/ Complete Achievement Exercise Jan 17
/ Complete Work Values Inventory Jan 17
/ Complete Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Jan 17
/ Think about arrangements for Informational Interview
Class 2 January 17, 2000
Topics: / Continuation of Holland and Interests
/ Values Clarification
/ Introduction to Occupational Information Sources
/ Research in Resource Center
/ Discuss Occupational Summary / Interview Assignments
/ Complete Reaction Papers
Assignments: Due:
/ Text read pages 119-157, 194-197 Jan 24
/ Arrange/complete an Informational / Curriculum Interview
(See page 201 #4 for guidelines) & Occupational Summary
for Decision-Making Paper / Plan Feb 7
Class 3 January 24, 2000
Topics: / Personality / Myers Briggs Type Indicator
/ Complete Reaction Papers
Assignments: Due:
/ Text read pages 91-116 Jan 31
/ Complete Personal Summary Sheet Jan 31
/ Begin work on Resume Draft to be critiqued due: Feb 7
Class 4 January 31, 2000
Topics: / BIS Program Overview with Elizabeth Puckett
/ Goal Setting
/ Decision-Making and Decision-Making Styles
/ Introduce Resume Writing Guidelines
/ Complete Reaction Papers
Assignments: Due:
/ Text read pages 209-241, 248-272 Feb 7
/ Complete Draft Resume – to be critiqued in class Feb 7 / Complete Decision-Making Paper / Plan Feb 7
Class 5 February 7, 2000
Topic: / Discuss Resume Writing
/ Discuss Informational Interviews
/ Implications for the Job Search
/ Putting it all Together
(Self Assessment and Decision-Making
/ Complete Class Evaluation
GRADING CRITERIA
1. Attendance / Class Participation / Reaction Papers 200 points
2. Personal Summary Sheet 400 points
3. Decision-Making Paper / Plan 300 points
4. Draft Resume 100 points
TOTAL POINTS 1000
GRADING SCALE
A = 1000 - 900
B = 899 - 800
C = 799 - 700
D = 699 - 600
F = Below 600
I = Incomplete
Career and Life Planning - BIS 200 A
CLASS POLICY AND ASSIGNMENT OUTLINE
Attendance / Participation
Due to the condensed nature of this course and the importance of class activities, it is essential that you attend all sessions. Partial attendance will earn partial credit. Your active participation in class will enhance this experience for you and others. Forty (40) points will be awarded for each attendance and the completion of a reaction paper at the end of each class. (200 points total)
Reaction Paper: Each reaction paper should include comments about your experience in class. Instructors do not want to know what was said, but what you got out of each class. Full credit will be given to students who cite their impressions, reactions, insights, questions or comments about class.
Textbook Written Assignments
The textbook, "Coming Alive From Nine To Five", supplements what is covered in class. Some exercises from the text will be used, other exercises will be distributed on handouts in class. Although not all assignments will be collected, it is important that you complete homework assignments to assist you in writing your Personal Summary and Decision-Making Paper / Plan.
Personal Summary Sheet
This course has given you the opportunity to evaluate your interests, work values, personality type and skills as they relate to academic majors and careers. The goal of this assignment is to help you evaluate and document this valuable self-assessment information so that you can utilize it for present and future career decisions. Each section should be answered in a clear and concise manner. This information should be printed neatly. Your completed Personal Summary Sheet is worth 400 points – (100 points per section). Guidelines are as follows:
Section I: Interests - Six Holland Types were discussed in class. Which 3 Holland Types did you feel were most compatible with your interests. Define each Type in relation to how it "fit" for you.
Section II: Work Values - In class, using the Work Values Inventory, you had the opportunity to identify 5 work values that were important to you. Define what each value means to you and how the importance of each value relates to work.
Section III: Personality Type - In class you learned about personality type by using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Although you possess all eight personality characteristics described, which 4 preferences represented you the best. Describe why you identified with each of these four preferences.
Section IV: Skills – Using the Achievement Exercise you identified several transferable skills. Identify 10 transferable skills that you posses and describe how you would like to utilize each in a career(s) or chosen academic direction.
Resume Draft
Bring a typed rough draft of your resume to Class 5. This resume should highlight aspects about yourself and experiences in relationship to a particular job or career field you are interested in pursuing. In Class 5 your resume will be critiqued by a peer after specific guidelines are reviewed. The Resume Draft is worth 100 points.
Decision-Making Paper / Plan
Develop a decision-making paper / plan to assist you in moving ahead with choosing an academic program or making a career decision. Your paper / plan should be at least 2 but no more than 4 pages in length. This paper / plan should include four sections: Occupational Summary, Informational OR Curriculum Interview, Your Decision and Plan of Action. Bring elements of class discussions into your paper whenever possible. The Decision-Making Paper / Plan is worth 300 points. The following information should be included:
Section I:
Occupational Summary - Research one occupation/career field utilizing the Internet, local library or resources in the Resource Center at Academic Advising & Career Development. Write a summary that provides a description of a career of interest to you and include an analysis of whether or not this would be a possible career choice for you given your particular interests, values, personality type and skills. Full credit will be given to papers that contain thorough descriptions and personal analysis. Cite all information sources used. (50 points)Section II: Informational OR Curriculum Interview - Arrange an interview with a person working in a career field of interest to you, or a faculty member of a department whose program you are interested in. Provide a summary of the information you received and discuss why or why not this would be a possible career field or academic program for you to pursue. A sample of questions you might use for an informational interview are found on page 201 #4. Additional information about this assignment will be given in class. (150 points)
Section III: Your Decision – Based on your personal summary, occupational summary and informational / curriculum information you have gathered, provide a summary of your career and / or academic decision. Are you able to confirm your career / academic decision; make a change in your career / academic decision; or are you still exploring? Please elaborate. (50 points)
Section IV: Plan of Action – What are your career and / or academic goals for the next 3 years? Attach the completed "Career and Academic Timeline" discussed in class which represents the next 3 years of your career and / or academic plan. The timeline should include a list of steps you plan to take toward fulfilling your career and / or academic goals over the 1) next 6 months, 2) one year from now, 3) two years from now and 4) 3 years from now. (50 points)
IMPORTANT NOTES:
1. You will be using your textbook in class. Bring it with you each week.
2. The Decision-Making Paper / Plan, and Resume assignments must be typed.
3. Late assignments: unless other arrangements have been discussed and approved by the
instructor, 25 points will be deducted for each