Assignment

BUSN697 | Master’s Capstone E-Portfolio | Lesson 1

Career Development Plan

Lesson Topics

· E-Portfolio

· Career Plan

· Mentoring

· ClearPath

· APUS Resources for Career Development

Introduction

Welcome to BUSN 697! Together we will spend the next 8 weeks reviewing the key concepts of this degree program and preparing you for your next steps. This course is tailored specifically to provide you with a more practical end-of-program assessment to prepare you for the future. The Capstone E-Portfolio course may be taken only after the completion of all coursework and must be the last course that master’s degree students take.

This first lesson is focused on Learning Objective #1: Produce a career development plan using APUS resources, services, and networking opportunities. In order to help you create your career development plan, we’ll discuss the APUS resources available to you, as well as networking opportunities for graduate students.

E-Portfolio

This BUSN697 Master’s Capstone E-Portfolio course offers students the opportunity to compile and improve artifacts they have created throughout their program. The e-portfolio is intended to demonstrate your mastery of the program level objectives as you progressed through the graduate courses. So, this will be both a refresher and provide you with new information as well. The goal of the e-portfolio is to prepare you with professional skills applicable in the business marketplace.

Career Plan

A career plan continues to evolve as your life goals change. Career statistics indicate the average American will have six positions in their lifetime. So, it is rare that a person will remain in the same position their entire career. Many of us will continue to grow, and our interests and career goals will change over time. A career plan helps you plan the steps to a successful career. A career plan puts your plans on paper; in writing; with objectives, milestones, and measurable goals. Let’s examine the five fundamental parts of a career plan.

Components of a Career Plan

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· Objective

A thought, event, or action that directs you toward your goal.

· Milestone

A measurable achievement that indicates you are progressing toward your goal.

· Obstacle

What are the facts, limitations, and challenges in your life that may prevent you from obtaining your goal?

· Solutions

What changes, sacrifices, or investments do you have to make to reach your goal?

· Goal

A career statement that outlines an accomplishment or achievement.

Sample Career Plan

A career plan is a living, breathing document. It should be reviewed and updated often. Here is an example of a career plan for someone who is pursuing a job at Amazon.com. Take a look at the components of this plan.

Mentoring

Developing effective mentoring relationships can provide many benefits as you progress through this course as well as in your professional development. Let’s look at the definition of mentoring, why it’s important, and the mentoring opportunities available at APUS.

· What is Mentoring?

· Why is Mentoring important?

· What Mentoring is Available at APUS?

Mentoring is a structured relationship between two people; a mentor and a mentee. The relationship is based on mutual trust and respect. The mentor and mentee share a common bond; this can be personal or professional. Mentoring, in its simplest form, helps build relationships, increases clarity, and provides stability. Mentoring should be introspective; it should help the mentee analyze internal aspects of his/her background and psyche that contributes to his/her personality.

A mentor should help the mentee to realize his/her skill set and boost confidence in his/her capabilities. By asking questions, the mentor should provide a fresh perspective from a unique vantage point while providing guidance and encouragement. Ultimately, a positive mentoring relationship should help define future goals and explore ways to accomplish them. A positive mentoring experience heightens awareness, responsibility for one’s decision, and direction for future actions.

Companies have reported that successful mentoring relationships have helped with retention of employees, stimulated creative ideas, and raised company profits. When properly organized, it is a win-win situation for the company, the mentor, and mentee. From a business point of view, mentoring helps enhance productivity, stimulates personal and professional development, and empowers employees. Mentoring helps employees progress in their careers and is becoming an increasingly popular training component for new employees.

There are numerous opportunities for mentoring at APUS. Unstructured opportunities include developing mentor/mentee relationships with APUS staff, faculty, and professors. This can occur organically through everyday interactions, by participation in classes and meetings, or via campus activities and organizations. APUS also has implemented a structured mentoring program called ClearPath, which we will use in this course.

ClearPath

ClearPath is suggested for students to connect with various university teams like Admissions and Academic Advising. If you have questions about your education, your experience at the university, or your interaction with staff, faculty, and students, ClearPath can help you be successful at APUS. This is an interactive portal, mobile friendly, and available 24 hours a day. Fellow students who share similar interests can also interact with you via this portal.

ClearPath Mentoring seeks to unite and connect the university community in relationships that support educational achievement, professional development, and networking opportunities. The program serves as a catalyst for driving student persistence and success by building a community focused on goal development and achievement. ClearPath defines mentoring as an organizational training opportunity in which a senior, more experienced individual guides and trains a more junior trainee. Mentoring can relate to professional goals, academic goals, or personal goals.

Mentees are information-seekers with an interest in educational and professional development. Mentees may join proactively or may be required to participate as a course requirement. Mentors are information-sharers who assist students with successful university onboarding, coaching and motivation, goal setting, and identifying and achieving developmental milestones. Mentors are typically outstanding graduate students with a 3.50 GPA or above or alumni community members.

APUS Resources for Career Development

The goal of this week’s lesson is to produce a career development plan using APUS resources, services, and networking opportunities. APUS has a wealth of resources available to you as you complete your degree program. We also encourage you to establish a mentor/mentee relationship via ClearPath.

Go to the ClearPath website to join or learn more about this resource.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the purpose of this lesson was to introduce you to the BUSN 697 course and provide you with techniques to succeed both in the course and in your career development planning. Mentoring is important, and hopefully, you will be able to access the aforementioned resources as you pursue your academic interests at APUS.

References

APUS Student Services: ClearPath, Student Mentoring, and Faculty Advisors. (2016). Retrieved February 11, 2016, from https://www.apus.edu/faculty-connect/academic_community/services/index.htm#clearpath-mentoring