Career Project interview
CAREER PROJECT
Part 1
Due February 24th
20 points
Here are the instructions on how to register for a free account with VMock:
Bauer students should go to https://www.vmock.com/bauer
Bauer students will be pre-registered and approved in the Bauer system, and we will email you with instructions.
Non-Bauer students should go to: https://www.vmock.com/uh
Non-Bauer students will request access according to these instructions from
UCS: http://www.uh.edu/ucs/students/_files/_vmock/new-account.pdf
You must use your UH EMAIL ADDRESS (the@uh.edu) to register and access the system or it won’t work right.
Once you’ve logged in, you will upload your resume to get a score. You can upload your resume up to 9 times, using the feedback in the system as a guide to improve your resume and to increase your score. You must reach a score of 60 on VMock to receive the 20 point credit for this portion of the assignment.
Part 2
Due April 1st
30 points
Write a paper outlining the following sections. Use headings (just like the ones I used here) to organize your paper:
Career Goals and Plans for Reaching Them (5 points)
The purpose of this section is to encourage you to think carefully about your career goals and your plans for achieving them. Include your immediate and ultimate job and career objectives. What job and educational experiences will you seek out as you work to achieve your goals and objectives? What is your backup plan if this plan does not work out?
If you have not yet identified a job or career goal, outline the general characteristics of the type of job or career which you desire. Present a specific plan for deciding upon job and career objectives.
Strengths and Selling Points (5 points)
The purpose of this list is to help you assemble important job-related information about yourself. There are several reasons why this list is important. The first is that some interviewers will force you to provide structure for the interview. This list can be used as a guide in that situation for describing yourself and your accomplishments. The second reason is that an interview is very short. The interviewer will not ask you for everything that you want him/her to know. It's important that you systematically assemble this information and present it during the interview. Important themes for the list are a) high motivation, b) high ability, c) time management skills, d) leadership skills, e) interpersonal skills. (The last page of this document includes a list of example strengths and selling points.)
Note: Do not give this list to an interviewer. Use it as a basis for developing "your story" which you will then present in an interview. If an interviewer does not give you an opportunity to present this information, ask permission to do so near the end.
Assessment of Employability (10 points)
Find a person with in depth knowledge of the field that you are interested in. This CANNOT be a family member, unless you plan to join the family business. You cannot interview one of your classmates! You must list first and last name of your interviewee, along with their current title.
Give the interviewee a copy of your resume and ask them to give you feedback on your employability. What do they see as your strengths and weaknesses?
Note: If you have a situation that does not fit the employability scenario (you work in a family business or plan to start your own company), find someone who can effectively critique your approach to your situation and someone (perhaps the same person) whom has done the thing that you want to do.
The summary must be at least two full double-spaced pages (at least 22 lines of text per page) with at most one inch margins on top, bottom, and sides. Use double spacing within and between sections and paragraphs.
Interview of Someone Who Does What You Want To Do (10 points)
Interview someone who holds the type of position that you will seek. Possible questions include: What do you do? How do you like your job? How did you get your job? How could someone such as me land a position like yours? Do you know of any openings in this field? Has there been a time in your career that you struggled (lost a job, had difficulty finding a job, etc.)? How did you handle it? Write a summary of what you have learned. The summary must be at least two full double-spaced pages (at least 22 lines of text per page) with at most one inch margins on top, bottom, and sides. Use double spacing within and between sections and paragraphs.
You may use the same person for your ‘Assessment of Employability’ with your ‘Interview of Someone Who Does What You Want to Do.’ If you choose this option, the summary must be at least three full double-spaced pages TOTAL (at least 22 lines of text per page) with at most one inch margins on top, bottom, and sides. Use double spacing everywhere including within and between sections and paragraphs.
Sample Strengths and Selling Points
1. I work full time while attending college full time and pay 100% of my college expenses.
2. At the age of 8, wanting to earn my own money, my brother and I went into the "handy kids" business. We mowed lawns, washed and waxed cars, shoveled snow, washed windows, and performed any other odd jobs our neighbors would pay us for. I became the first girl to carry weekly shoppers for our local newspaper. I also had one of the largest routes--1200 papers!
3. I was the youngest person to obtain a real estate sales license in this state.
4. I have had a strong interest in sports all of my life. I earned high school letters in basketball, volleyball and track. Basketball was my favorite. I served as team captain and was known as the tough little guard in braids. In my spare time, I like to play racquetball and softball, bowl, and jog. Another interest of mine is horses. In the past I have owned several horses. I paid for their boarding expenses by shoveling stalls and breaking horses for a local stable.
5. While working at Ladera Career Paths, I improved the efficiency of the temporary employee files by implementing a database in the computer system. This simplified the task of matching employees with the right job assignments.
6. During one month, I researched over 100 customers and discovered over $200,000 in receivables that could be collected. I researched accounts payable and discovered many unnecessary expenses. I streamlined the operations, saving the company $2,500 per month. I reconciled bank accounts, discovering $23,000 in overdrafts which led to the termination of an incompetent accountant.
7. I was awarded a certificate of achievement from Red Carpet Garrett & Associates for achieving over $100,000 of sales in one month.
8. At HEB, I was the company coordinator for our United Way effort. The year I took over, we increased our donation by 50% over the previous year.
9. While attending the University of Texas Permian Basin in Odessa, I achieved a 3.9 grade point average while taking 9 hours per semester and working 50 hours per week.
10. I received the “Partner Development” Award at HEB for consistently developing talented hourly employees to become managers.
11. My cashier teams at HEB were consistently in the top 10% in the items per minute productivity measurement.
12. I have a proven track record for handling large projects. I opened four stores with sales exceeding $1 million per week. For each store, I hired over 175 employees for 8 different positions. I was responsible for developing a training program and getting all training done on a tight budget and short time frame.
NOTE: Item groupings 1-4 and 8-12 each came from one person. 13. An alternative format (all are from one person):
Motivation
a. When working to meet the deadline for the federal requirements of the nonprofit organization I once worked for, I willingly worked several hours (often past 1am) a day to complete the required work on time.
b. In order to improve and strengthen the work structure and functionality of my organization, I coordinated and facilitated a feedback meeting with all staff and contract workers.
Ability
d. Having only limited prior work experience, I was able to help our short-staffed department during a “busy season” and assist with high level client related work that was outside of my scope of duties.
Time Management
e. I am currently working full time while attending school part time, and I am actively participating in two organizations and firm volunteer work.
f. I assist in the management of over 80 client engagements, many with varying deadlines and time sensitive needs.
Leadership
g. For two of the clubs and organizations I am involved in, I have worked to help attract new members and retain current members by creating new ways to motivate and involve them, and I also revamped each organization’s appearance to make it more appealing to be a part of.
h. When I noticed that the poor work performance of one member of my work team was affecting the morale of the others as well as damaging our reputations for good client service, I devised a plan of action to help rectify the situation and have completed the first step.
Interpersonal Skills
i. I have been a member of Toastmasters International for about three years and have since broadened my speaking skills and have become more confident when faced with various speaking situations, i.e. on one on, or in front of groups.
j. I have been able to learn to work comfortably and effectively with a variety of personalities. This has helped me to always be able to establish a good rapport and earn the respect of my coworkers.