Business & Finance CAREER SEARCH ASSIGNMENT

BUS 104 Departmental Assessment

BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT

CAREER SEARCH INSTRUCTIONS

INSTRUCTIONS: For this assignment students will research and identify a longer-term career that he/she

is interested in pursuing.

STEPS:

1. Professional Goal Identification:

• Students who completed professional goal assignment go to step #3;

• Students who didn’t complete professional goal assignment follow all steps

2. Research: Suggested sites to research this information are:

• http://www.onetonline.org

• http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/statistics/occupations.htm

• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/

3. Research based information required: students who completed “professional goal” assignment, use

the information gathered to answer the questions below;

• Identify a specific professional title/position you want to work towards (can also be an

entrepreneur);

o For students who are still unsure identify any two positions that interest you based on

research OR lifestyle goal;

• Based on the profession title(s)/position(s) identified conduct research to determine the following:

o General Job Description for the profession(s) selected;

o Requirements for the chosen profession(s) (this includes education, experience, skill sets

&/or certifications);

o Job outlook for the profession(s) selected (refers to the potential growth of this professional

title; based on research and/or the Occupational Job Outlook data).

o Number of positions available in the U.S. and the medium salary for this career.

Profession Identified Profession Not Yet Identified

Go to step 2 (research

gathering) • List 3 things that interest you the most OR that you are passionate

about doing (doesn’t necessarily have to be a specific job), OR a

lifestyle you aspire to;

• Access the following links for guidance on what to look for in

identifying a future profession, or getting an idea where you may

excel in:

o http://lifehacker.com/top-10-ways-to-find-your-career-path-

1628537579

o https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/finding-the-

right-career.htm

o https://money.usnews.com/careers/articles/how-to-choose-a-

career

o Use your personality profile to identify a potential profession for

you, see handout on Career Research Instruction; OR

o Use your research to identify 2 professions that will allow you to

achieve your lifestyle goal for you to compare.

• Go to Step 2

P a g e | 2 Career Essay Instructions

BUS 104 Departmental Assessment

Once you have completed the research and collected the needed data, write an essay in the following format:

ESSAY QUESTIONS:

• First Paragraph: Introduction

o Identify the career you want to pursue.

o Why are you interested in this career?

o State two important skills (expertise or talents you possess), two critical

knowledge (familiarity, understanding to perform this profession based on

education or experience), and two major responsibilities (duties you will need

to perform) one needs to be in this career.

o Limit this paragraph to no more than 5 sentences.

• Second Paragraph: Skills & Knowledge

o Discuss why the two skills (expertise or talents you possess) identified in the first paragraph are

important for this career. Be specific as to the importance in relation to the profession.

o Discuss why the knowledge (familiarity, understanding to perform this profession based on

education or experience) identified in the first paragraph are critical for this career. Be specific as

to the critical nature of this understanding.

o Limit this paragraph to between 4 to 6 sentences.

• Third Paragraph: Responsibility

o Discuss why the responsibilities (duties you will need to perform) identified in the first paragraph

are the main responsibilities.

o Are these responsibilities something that you are willing to do? Are these responsibilities

something that you like to do?

o Limit this paragraph to between 4 to 6 sentences.

• Fourth Paragraph: Outlook for this career o Is the number of positions increasing, decreasing, or stable in the future?

o What kind of living standard would someone have with this career? Is this living standard what

you want from a career?

o Limit this paragraph to between 4 to 6 sentences.

• Fifth Paragraph: SWOT Create a SWOT Analysis based on the template provided (see below). SWOT analysis is described in

our textbook. This exercise can be a marketing plan for your own career. The SWOT analysis

should reflect your personal strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats in the career

area you have selected. Make a comparison between your current level of skills and knowledge with

what is expected for this career. The following should be answered:

o Identify what you lack and how you might be able to close the gap. For example, is there an

education requirement (like a bachelor's degree) or is there a certification requirement (like an

exam that one must pass)?

o Do you need to sharpen any skills or learn new skills to enter this career?

o What is the employment outlook for this career? Numbers of new jobs predicted or decline.

o Limit this paragraph to no more than one page.

P a g e | 3 Career Essay Instructions

BUS 104 Departmental Assessment

SWOT Analysis Things that help you Things that are obstacles for you

Internal

External

• Sixth Paragraph: Conclusion o Based on the analysis are you a fit for this profession? Why or why not? Be specific. o Do you possess what is required? If you do not possess the level of education (or pass the needed

certification), how are you planning to get it done? o If you are pursuing this career, where might you be in this career path in five or ten years? o After the research, is this career still attractive to you? Why or why not? Be specific. o If you do not like this career anymore, what might be your backup plan? o Limit this paragraph to about ½ a page.

FORMAT:

• Essay format, answer & fully support all questions above.

• All data related claims require identification of source & proper citation.

• Provide the following section headings: o Introduction; o Skills Analysis; o Knowledge Base Analysis;

o Responsibilities Analysis; o SWOT Analysis; o Career Conclusion

• Typed, 1.5 spacing; 12 pitch font; .7" margins; No more than 3 pages.

• All essays are to be saved as a “Word Document” (ONLY format accepted)

• Due Date: Saturday, May 13, 2023.

• Spell-check your essay before submitting. Make sure to include your name on the essay. DO NOT

submit essays via e-mail.

NOTE: This assignment will count as a full assignment.

OPPORTUNITIES of this career

Will there be many more jobs in the future?

Are there exciting changes for this career?

Your STRENGTH

What you already know?

What skills you already have?

Your WEAKNESS

What you do not yet know?

What skills you might lack?

THREATS in this career

Are the jobs disappearing?

Are there more regulations?