Professional Experience

BUSX 460
Written Assignments
1. Learning Plan
2. eflection !o"rnal
#. Exec"ti$e S"mmar%& 'areer Portfolio& an( )s"m)
Readings: In addition to the text assignment, students should scan and read
business publications related to their job, organization or career objectives.
N.B. Assignments may be changed at the discretion of the instructor.
ASS*+,-E,. EXPE'.A.*/,S:
All assignments must reflect a professional quality. All reports are to be ell
organized, professionally ritten and typed using a ord processor. !hey should
be easy to understand ithout having to refer bac" to the assignment sheet.
#onciseness of thought and organizational appearance is important in business
and, therefore, important for grading purposes in this class. Inattention to correct
spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure ill result in a reduced
grade. $a"e a copy of all assignments for your records.
Assignments must be completed hen due. #ompleting an assignment on time
is required in the or"place and in this course. Refer to the %&'( )*+
Assignments and !imeline for due dates. A late assignment ill result in a
reduced grade of ,+-. Assignments more than one class period late ill not be
accepted.

0ormat1
!yped in ,. !imes /e Roman font and double0spaced ith , inch margins.
1ouble space before subject headings. 2irst level is all caps, bold face. 'econd
level is upper and loer case, bold face, underlined at left margin. 3xample:
P*-A2 3EA4*,+ and Secon(ar% 3ea(ing.
1ouble space beteen paragraphs.
Include page numbers on all reports 4except the portfolio5.
'taple together and include a cover page. All of your papers 4including journals5
must include your name, your internship job title or project title, and your
organization in addition to the date and assignment title.
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1. Learning Plan
Let the learner direct his own learning. John Holt
2or the 7earning 6lan, read and follo the directions in the Professional !"erience
B#$% &'( Handboo) that as given to you hen you received your special permit
for the course.
2. eflection !o"rnal
!"erience is not what ha""ens to a man. *t is what a man does with what ha""ens
to him. Aldous Hu!ley
P"rpose1
Reflection is the "ey to getting meaning from your professional experience.
Reflection requires you to thin" critically about your or" experience. 2o" 5ill not
learn from %o"r reflections "nless %o" (e(icate t6e time to 5rite meaningf"l
entries an( approac6 t6is assignment as serio"sl% as %o" 5o"l( a researc6
paper.
Assignment1
!here are fo"r Reflective 8ournal submissions for this course. As a frameor" to
guide your reflections in the journal, all submissions should ma"e reference to the
appropriate 9abits described in +he , Habits of Highly ffecti-e Peo"le by 1r.
'tephen R. #ovey. 'ome of the journal submissions ill have more specific
questions:issues that you should consider and these are described belo. ;ou
should maintain a daily journal of your reflections on critical incidents at the
or"place to help you remember and revie significant experiences or observations.
!he journal is for your benefit. !here is not a correct or incorrect ay to rite your
journal< hoever, it must not be a or" log. .6e foc"s of t6e 7o"rnal is meaningf"l
reflection on %o"r 5or89relate( experiences. ;ou should include meaningful
reflections on your job tas"s, interpersonal encounters, conflicts, crisis, or"0:career0
releated thoughts, paperor", meetings, and other experiences that you consider
meaningful. !he journal entries should reflect on hat you have learned about your
or"place, co0or"ers and supervisors, and yourself = your insights on your
capabilities, limitations, or" performance, or future development. Relate the
experiences to theories, concepts or ideas in this and other courses, the >noledge,
'"ills, and Attitudes 4>'A?s5 of the college, and your learning objectives. &se this as
a vehicle to ma"e a brief analysis of events. An example of a ell0done journal ith
good reflections is provided at the end of this document.
!he folloing questions may be used as a guide for your reflection journal:
@hat happened today:this ee"A 1escribe the experience.
@hat did you doA 1escribe hat you did and hy you did it.
@hat didn?t you do or say that you could haveA @hyA
@hat ris"s did you ta"e or avoid< ne behaviors you triedA
@hat ere the effects of hat you did< hat did you feel about those resultsA
9o does hat you are experiencing relate to concepts in this or other coursesA
@hat have you learned that you might not have learned in the classroomA
@hat realizations, insights or lessons have you learned about yourself, your co0
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or"ers, sponsors, etc.A
9o does hat you are doing relate to your learning goals for this semesterA
@hat >'A?s, other than your personal learning goals, did you enhance:learnA
@hat ere your expectations of this experience and ere they metA If not, ho
did you deal ith itA
9o can you apply hat you learned from this situationA
1escribe the impact this experience had on you and ho you anticipate it ill
affect you in the futureA
@hat ma"es you feel that you ould or ould not li"e to perform this job as a
careerA
7isted belo are some specifics that should be considered for each of the Reflective
8ournals, but do not limit your reflections to these specific points.
!o"rnal 1 :4"e session 2;1
#onsider B9abit ,: %e 6roactive.B @hat does this habit challenge you to reflect
on regarding your internship and other or" experience to0dateA @hat does this
habit suggest for your personal and professional efforts in the futureA @hat does
the habit mean toard your adding value in your future careerA
!o"rnal 2 :4"e session #;1
#onsider B9abit .: %egin ith the 3nd in $ind.B @hat does this habit challenge
you to reflect on regarding your internship and other or" experience to0dateA
@hat does this habit suggest for your personal and professional efforts in the
futureA @hat does the habit mean toard your adding value in your future
careerA
As part of this 8ournal . assignment, intervie a higher level executive in your
organization to learn more about its culture, operations, and industry. 1evelop
and as" questions that ill provide a basis for discussing the folloing topics in
your 8ournal:
!he organization?s mission statement or apparent mission if no statement
exists
A brief history of the company or organization
!he organization?s structure
!he activities of your project team, department, group or office. Include the
range of services or goods provided by you and your co0or"ers, and the
organization
!he customers your organization serves, both internal and external
A brief description of here you fit into the overall organization and the typical
interactions you have ith other functional areas
Write a t6an8 %o" note or letter to t6e person %o" inter$ie5e( as soon
as %o" possi<l% can after %o"r inter$ie5. Attac6 a cop% of %o"r t6an89
%o" note 5it6 %o"r 7o"rnal.
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!o"rnal # :4"e session =;1
#onsider B9abit C: 6ut 2irst !hings 2irst.B @hat does this habit challenge you to
reflect on regarding your internship and other or" experience to0dateA @hat
does this habit suggest for your personal and professional efforts in the futureA
@hat does the habit mean toard your adding value in your future careerA
#onsider B9abit ): !hin" @in:@in.B @hat does this habit challenge you to reflect
on regarding your internship and other or" experience to0dateA @hat does this
habit suggest for your personal and professional efforts in the futureA @hat does
the habit mean toard your adding value in your future careerA
1evelop a plan to teach 9abit C or 9abit ) to another person4s5, then go teach
the person about the 9abit. @hat did you do and hat ere the resultsA @hat
did you learn about trying to teach another person in order to enhance their
personal:professional developmentA @hat does the habit mean toard your
adding value in your future careerA
#onsider the previous to habits you examined. @hat reflections do you have
on recent events that relate to this habit and your continued personal and
professional developmentA
#onsider the feedbac" on your or" performance and evaluate your progress
toard your learning goals. In doing this evaluation:
1iscuss your supervisorDs performance evaluation, referring to the $id0semester
#areer #enter 3valuation form that you submitted to your instructor on 8une .).
&se the evaluation process to clarify any concerns you may have. @hat does
the evaluation mean toard your adding value in your future careerA
1iscuss the feedbac" your sponsor gave about your or" performance. @hat
suggestions ere made to improve your performanceA @hat positive
aspects of your performance did he:she highlightA
Reflect on the progress of your learning goals, your accomplishments and
setbac"s.
#onsider here you are in #oveyDs B!ime $anagement $atrix.B Reflect on
hat Euadrant you are in regarding your internship or other professional
activities. Also reflect on hat quadrant you are in regarding your career
planning efforts.
!o"rnal 4 :4"e session 6;1
#onsider B9abit F: 'ee" 2irst to &nderstand, !hen to %e &nderstood.B @hat
does this habit challenge you to reflect on regarding your internship and other
or" experience to0dateA @hat does this habit suggest for your personal and
professional efforts in the futureA @hat does the habit mean toard your adding
value in your future careerA
#onsider B9abit *: 'ynergize.B @hat does this habit challenge you to reflect on
regarding your internship and other or" experience to0dateA @hat does this
habit suggest for your personal and professional efforts in the futureA @hat does
the habit mean toard your adding value in your future careerA
#onsider the previous habits you examined. @hat reflections do you have on
recent events that relate to these habits and your continued personal and
professional developmentA
9o are you experiencing teamor" and other interpersonal interactions in the
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or"placeA
@hat "inds of diversity or gender issues have arisen, and ho did you deal ith
themA
#. Exec"ti$e S"mmar%& 'areer Portfolio an( )s"m)
@hat e have to learn to do, e learn by doing. = Aristotle
EXE'U.*>E SU--A2 0/ 'AEE P/.0/L*/
@rite a .0C page executive summary of the portfolio. It ill serve as an introduction
of yourself and of your portfolio to a potential employer. !his summary must be the
first section in the portfolio after the table of contents. 'oncentrate %o"r
(isc"ssion on 6o5 %o" can a(( $al"e, the capabilities that you offer based on
your internship, other or" and personal experience, and your education. #onsider
accomplishments that you have had both in the or"place and in other areas that
indicate the capabilities that you offer an employer. Goluntary activities are
especially noteorthy, including fraternity0sorority community service or other
voluntary organizations. Identify and ma"e reference to each project or item
contained in your career portfolio and ho these demonstrate your capabilities and
achievements. Hive some brief bac"ground on yourself, ho you developed interest
in the profession represented by your internship, and hy you sought this internship.
As additional guidance for riting this executive summary, thin" of it as providing
ansers to the folloing four questions:
1. @hy am I ready and hat do I offer for this professional position that I am
see"ingA
2. @hat have I accomplished that shos ho I have prepared myself for this
positionA
3. @hat I intend to do add value in this professional positionA
4. @here I ish to go next in this professionA
*ncl"(e t6e Exec"ti$e S"mmar% in %o"r 'areer Portfolio
'AEE P/.0/L*/
A professional employment portfolio could be just the thing that sets you apart from
other job candidates. !he material in the portfolio ill sho hat ma"es you different
from other applicants for a particular position. A ell0prepared portfolio shos your
achievements and s"ills, and documents the quality of your experience. @hile you
are developing your portfolio for this course, you really should thin" of it as a starting
point for a career portfolio that you maintain throughout your professional career.
!he noted management expert !om 6eters has recommended that everyone
develop and regularly update a Ilifetime portfolioJ as a tool to promote themselves
and facilitate their career advancement.
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P"rpose1 ;our portfolio can help you mar"et yourself to employers. It can be one of
the most beneficial tools for you to use in intervies. ;ou can support hat you tell
an employer in an intervie ith items from your portfolio. As you are tal"ing about
specific projects or s"ills, you can refer bac" to your portfolio. ;our portfolio ill be:
An organized record of goals, accomplishments, s"ills, projects completed, and
other evidence of successes and progress, as in letters of recommendations.
&se your portfolio to compile your achievements and reflections, to demonstrate
your accomplishments, and to s6o5 %o"r a<ilit% to a(( $al"e.
A beneficial tool for you to use in intervies to career your or" and s"ills. As
you are tal"ing about specific projects or s"ills, you can refer bac" to your
portfolio.
.%pes of portfolios1
In general, there are to types of portfolios: s8ills9<ase( an( pro7ect9<ase(.
'"ills0based portfolios are organized according to s"ills you ish to highlight and are
especially suited for college students. 6roject0based portfolios are organized
according to projects and are preferred after some time has been spent in the
or"force and you ant to highlight the results you have achieved.
2o"r BUSX 460 portfolio 5ill represent a com<ination of t6ese t5o t%pes of
portfolios. It ill be s"ills0based in that the portfolio must: 4,5 be organized around
seven of the nine >'ADs identified in the B6rofile of a #ollege of %usiness and
3conomics Hraduate<B and 4.5 sho achievement of the learning objectives that you
established at the beginning of the course and accomplished during the internship. It
ill be project0based in that you ill include projects that demonstrate your
achievement of each specific >'A that you selected for your portfolio.
3ventually you ill have one ImasterJ binder that includes all your or" and school
experiences. !hen you can utilize a IcareerJ portfolio hen you go into an intervie.
!his is hy a s"ills0based portfolio ould probably benefit you most as a student. If
you are going into a job intervie for an entry0level mar"eting position in a finance
company, you can gather the relevant information from your master binder and put it
into your career portfolio. In this example, anything from your $ar"eting classes,
2inance classes, and any other projects that you or" on that shocase your
abilities.
I$6KR!A/!: 1o not include irrelevant information in your career portfolio just
because it loo"s interesting or Icool.? *n partic"lar& (o not incl"(e general
p"<lications& (oc"ments& training& or ot6er materials from t6e organi@ation
"nless t6e% are examples of %o"r o5n 5or8 or experiences. If your intervieer
is loo"ing through your or" and realizes that you have just one portfolio for all job
intervies, they might be less apt to be impressed. ;ou ill ant to adapt the
portfolio to each potential employer to demonstrate accomplishments specific to their
needs.
Alays as" permission from your intern supervisor to include products of your or"
that the company is currently using. Hive credit to the company in your portfolio,
e.g., $ar"eting brochure for (;L #ompany.
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+"i(elines for /ngoing 4e$elopment of 'areer Portfolio
3arly and throughout your entire internship experience, begin and regularly
update career portfolio. >eep the portfolio ith you at or".
&se a standard C0ring binder or other file folder system.
Include every item associated ith your internship experience 4academic
assignments and or"0related items, not including journals5.
Krganize your portfolio according to seven of the nine >'A?s of the #ollege and
its I6rofile of a Hraduate.J
&se your learning objectives as a Bto doB list and revie it ee"ly.
&se your reflective journal to help you reflect upon and remember significant
activities, thoughts, and feelings.
'areer Portfolio
2rom materials collected during the course of the semester, you ill select particular
items to include in a final career portfolio representing your internship and other
experiences and achievements. A career portfolio is a sampling of your best or"
regarding your career capabilities. It represents the most significant samples of hat
you have achieved. A quality career portfolio represents your ability to engage in the
process of selecting, comparing, self0evaluating, organizing, goal setting and
presentation.
'areer Portfolio +"i(elines
After you have completed F+ hours at your internship, begin to select and assemble
the items you ish to include in your career portfolio. !his is not a submission of
everything already contained in your portfolio. #ompiling a quality portfolio is a time0
consuming process. 'elect those items that best demonstrate your progress and
achievements in the selected >'A and each of your learning objectives as ell as
anything else that you have learned and achieved from this experience. Identify in
your portfolio your responsibilities for any collaborative projects submitted. 6repare
your career portfolio in a manner that you ould be proud to present in a future job
or graduate school intervie. Include your letters of recommendation.
.6e format for %o"r career portfolio s6o"l( <e :
.itle Page
!he portfolio title page should include the folloing information: your name< name
of professional experience organization or project< name and title of sponsor<
semester and year that the professional experience occurred.
.a<le of 'ontents
6repare a separate page listing the >'A?s you ish to emphasize and all primary
items in your portfolio demonstrating achievement of the >'A and your learning
objectives. Include divider pages for each section in your portfolio in accordance
ith your table of contents. !here is no need to provide page numbers since
portfolio contents may be later added or deleted as necessary.
Exec"ti$e S"mmar% :See page = for instr"ctions;
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!o< 4escription
Include a copy of the ritten job description or or" objectives that your
internship site established for you.
Portfolio Section eflecti$e 'ommentaries
!his is the IheartJ of your portfolio. &se the >'A?s to anser the question: Iho
prepared are you to add value for a future position so that you ill have an edge
in the job mar"et.J Items selected should provide evidence of your
accomplishments and progress for the >'ADs you selected and each of your
learning objectives. 6ortray any ne "noledge:competencies that you have
obtained. 1iscuss any areas for improvement that you identified and any ne
directions for continued groth. Include the items that you have selected to
demonstrate hat you have learned and accomplished.
Begin eac6 section ith a page presenting the pertinent >'A and relevant
learning objectives, resources:activities, and evaluation:verification criteria. !hen
provide a commentary for the section that discusses the folloing three points:
a5 3ere is 56at * 6a$e (one1 Introduce the item4s5 selected that demonstrate
achievement of the >'A and learning objectives. 1escribe and define hat
the item is, ho it as accomplished and hen it as done.
b5 3ere is 56at it means to me1 3xplain hy this is significant to you. @hy did
you select this item to include in your portfolioA @hat does it represent in
terms of an accomplishment for youA @hat changes in your beliefs, behavior
and:or values does it representA @hat are the implications for youA 1id it
have an impact upon anyone elseA If so, hoA
c5 3ere is 56ere it lea(s me1 9as this led you to realize any future course of
action for continued groth and developmentA 9o does this impact upon
your futureA 9o does it indicate your ability to add valueA
ASU-A :*ncl"(e in Portfolio;
A rMsumM is the persuasive document ritten to obtain an intervie. In order to be
prepared for your job search, you must revise your rMsumM. !he rMsumM should
document your experience, achievements and:or s"ills utilized during the internship
experience and other or" experiences.
A44*./,AL 4/'U-E,.S
emem<er to incl"(e t6e follo5ing e$al"ation forms in %o"r portfolio1
3mployerDs 2inal >'A 6erformance 3valuation = sponsor completes 46lease
ma"e one copy of the evaluation to give separately to your instructor5
>'A 'elf0Assessment 4!otal your score5.
7earning 6lan Results Assessment.
'omplete an( s"<mit separatel% accor(ing to %o"r instr"ctorBs (irections
3mployment Application Information document
!he Internship 6rogram 'tudent 3valuation
2o"r instr"ctor ma% reC"ire %o"r to s"<mit ot6er (oc"ments ("ring t6e co"rse
of t6e semester or as part of t6e portfolio.
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