Claire Tuffey

CNS 220 Final Project

Part 1: Personal Action Plan
If you have a dream, you can spend a lifetime studying, planning, and
getting ready for it. What you should be doing is getting started.
-Drew Houston, Founder/CEO of Dropbox
The purpose of this project is to integrate and mobilize your new skills, resources, experiences and
knowledge into a plan you can use to create meaningful action toward your personal and career-related
goals. This final project, your Action Plan, along with your Meta-Reflection, will allow you to consolidate
your new competencies and understanding of yourself, as well as options in the world of work that are
relevant to you.
Checklist to complete this project:
Answer the following prompts and complete the action plan on the following pages. Please complete
this electronically by filling out this document.
Complete a career coaching appointment with a career coach in the OPCD to review your action plan for
feedback.
Write your meta-reflection based on the prompts provided after this action plan worksheet.
Please follow the prompts listed here and integrate 8-10 resources from our course as supporting
material, evidence for your plan, or new information that informs your future actions. You will start by
reviewing your progress and citing the experiences that have created impact and opportunity.
This project is a template you can use now and as your goals unfold, or shift in the future. Ive provided
this blank template for your Action Plan on Sakai and our ePortfolio website. Keep it and feel free to use it
in the future.

1.
2.
3.

First, begin by answering these questions for yourself. Be as complete as you can, using a sentences or
two for each prompt:
I enrolled in this course for this primary purpose or because:
When I started this class, I was considering this/these options in the world of work:
At the beginning of our course, these were my initial assumptions/thoughts about myself and the world
of work as it related to me
I was interested in gaining genuine exposure to as many career opportunities, professions, and
industries as possible. I hoped that the course would allow me to get to know myself better, identify my
strengths and interests, and connect them with possible career options.
I was considering careers in the law.
I thought that I would definitely have to attend graduate school after Wake. I knew that I was interested
in a field that was intellectually challenging and that would allow me to serve others in some meaningful
way. I thought that the number of career options that I couldnt pursue was much higher than was the
number of career options that I could pursue. For example, I didnt think that my expected Bachelors
degree in History would ever make me a viable candidate for a job in the business industry.
Next, continue by considering the results of your self-assessment undertaken through our course. You
may wish to review the Self-Assessment section of your ePortfolio. Write a sentence or two to answer
these prompts:

 What are the key points you have learned about yourself as it relates to your current ideas related to
career goals? Which projects, experiences or readings provided this learning? List 3-5 key learnings and
the rationale/or sources for class that help clarify this self-assessment.
1. My strong interest survey revealed that my highest themes are social, enterprising, and artistic. I wasnt
too surprised by these results. Though the results of the strong arent the end all, be all and I can direct
my path in whichever way I chose, it was good to see what I thought about myself to be formally
affirmed.
2. The social interest, which was my highest theme, is described by language which seems to particularly
pertain to some of my career goals. I hope that I will be able to work in a position that allows me to help
others and have a meaningful impact. The social theme includes caring for others, people skills,
verbal ability, listening, showing understanding, and cooperation, generosity, service to others.
3. I am also an ambitious person and I think this translates well to the enterprising theme, which values
risk-taking, status, competition, and influence.
4. In my career genogram reflection, I noted that my grandparents only had high school diplomas and that
my parents have been incredibly hard working throughout their lives in order to achieve their success
and to give my brother and I every opportunity that they didnt have. I am constantly inspired by the
work that they do and firmly believe in the value and benefit of diligence and dedication.
5. My interest in advocacy and working directly with others and for the benefit of others seems to stem
from my familial roots. Public service and helping others is a theme throughout the genogram and
though Ive never made the connection explicitly until now, I have always been interested in working
directly with others and producing a tangible positive effect on the lives of others.
What has been the most valuable piece of information you have learned about yourself as it relates to
opportunities of value to you? How did you learn this as part of our course?
1. The self-assessment unit of the course has made my interests, skills, and values more
tangible. Ive benefited from beginning to contextualize these interests, skills, and values in the
world of work and in my understanding of myself. From the strong interest survey, it has also
been valuable to see that my interests and values correlate to the career field that I was initially
most interested in.
Now, think about the exploration and research you have conducted and write a sentence or two to
answer the following for yourself. Again, you may wish to look at your Career Research and Exploration
section of your ePortfolio.
How did you explore and research career-related opportunities and options? How would you summarize
the resources/experiences that have been most helpful?
1. I conducted Informational Interviews with Wake Forest alumni that I found through
Linkedin. I searched through the Wake Forest Career Connectors group by industry, looking for
professionals in law, writing and editing, and news reporting. After contacting about fifteen
people, I was able to speak with five professionals. Each interview served to enhance my
understanding of that professionals industry and consider my potential interest in the field.
Though I was hesitant, I enjoyed connecting with these alumni and appreciated their willingness
to share advice, insight, and information.
2. My job shadow offered valuable and unique exposure to a fast paced and exciting
industry. I appreciated the opportunity to learn more about Verger Capital at such an intimate
level and enjoyed connecting with the Wake Forest alum, who worked there. Her most salient
advice to me was to not discount myself in considering potential career opportunities. She was a
psychology major and now works in the business sector. I shouldnt be limited by my degree.
Instead, I should highlight those experiences and skills that make me a viable candidate for many
positions in the professional world.
3. I thoroughly enjoyed conducted the applied research project because it made my future
slightly more tangible. Though the research was somewhat difficult and some living expenses
seem hard to predict at this point, comparing a lawyers salary and expenses in New York and
Washington D.C. was a good experience to have because it truly may be a decision that I face in
the future. The reality of such situations encouraged me to keep working hard in my classes and
keep growing my professional network, so as to give myself as many opportunities as possible.

 What do you need to be doing now based on your class year at Wake Forest and the options you are
currently exploring? hint: take a look at the OPCD site (it lists activities by year and the explore careers
tab here: http://career.opcd.wfu.edu/explore-careers gives a timeline for specific career fields)
1. I need to continue studying for the LSAT, building relationships with my professors,
gaining exposure to the different types of law that I might some day be able to practice, and
continue building those skills in the classroom that will enable me to succeed in law school, such
as a strong work ethic, good reading comprehension, critical thinking and analytical ability, and
effective writing technique.

My list of key points and valuable personal learning is the following:

My skill set can be tailored for a variety of professions and can be enhanced by a variety of experiences.
I am genuinely interested in having a career that will allow me to feel as though I am doing meaningful work and serving others.

My plans for growth are:

Continue to seek out experiences and connections that will allow me to learn more about
potential careers and opportunities.
Seriously consider law school/careers as an attorney and writing editing.
Sustain connections and utilize the resources provided by Wake Forest for career exploration
and networking.

Options in the World of Work: Career Action Plan

[November 23, 2015]
Please type your action plan goals below and provide the rationale (the reason you plan to do this) and
course-related source for this goal. Excellent action plans will draw on 8-10 different sources from class
(e.g. projects, experiences, readings, lectures, resources). It is important to anticipate barriers to
reaching your goals. This may be as simple as time limitations during finals week. If we can identify
barriers or obstacles, we can also identify resources that will help us overcome these obstacles so out
momentum on reaching the goals is not diminished.
Step 1: Self-Assessment
Based on what you have learned about yourself, the world of work, values and career related interests,
list your most important information about yourself (column 1). I also expect you to describe the
rationale and source of this learning (e.g., Strong Interest Inventory, Career Genogram, Values Lecture,
journal entry, etc.).
Self-Assessment/Career Related Knowledge

Course Citation/Experiential Source

I value service to others and working in a profession that

allows me to do meaningful work.

Career Genogram Assignment allowed me to identify the similarities

across generations of my family and articulate those qualities that I
admired and respected most.

The highest themes in my strong interest survey were social,

enterprising, and artistic. These results affirm a lot of what I
had already known about myself and so serve to validate my
interests and the potential they have to translate into the work
world.

Strong Interest Survey, especially the General Occupation Themes, top

five interest areas and top ten strong occupations sections.

I identified those industries suggested by my strong interest

survey that I was most readily interested in. These choices
were counseling and helping, law, politics and public speak,
and writing and mass communication. I am definitely

Strong Interest Survey, basic interest scales in Social, Enterprising, and

Artistic.

interested in each of these areas and have enjoyed identifying

interests based upon what excites me most and what seems to
give me the most energy. I think that this type of evaluation is
genuine and accurate.

Step 2: Short-Term Goals for the Next Thirty (30) Days

In Step 2, Im going to ask you to set some short-term goals based on what youve learned about
yourself above. These goals may be based on information you received in an informational interview,
from your job shadow, perspective gained at an OPCD workshop, data you explored on particular careerrelated web sites or from our readings or experiences. Example short-term goals might look like:
Apply for 10 different marketing related internships before April 30th. Rationale: I need to build
professional experience on my resume before junior year (source: informational interview with alumni
contacted through LinkedIn as part of Informational Interview Projects).
Arrange 2 Job Shadows in hometown for June. Rationale: increasing my network gives me more access to
hidden job market (source: Job Shadow Preparation Presentation).
In this table, list two (2) short-term goals for next thirty (30) days and action steps to reach them. Include
a date to complete the goals and action steps (column 1). You should support your goal with an
appropriate rationale/source from the course or your exploration that explains your reason or motivation
for the short-term goals (column 2).
Short-Term Goals for the Next Thirty (30)
Rationale/Source from Course or Exploration
Days

Goal 1: Gain more exposure to different types of

careers held by attorneys

Action Step a. Conduct more informational

interviews.
Action Step b. Job Shadow in a specific area of
interest

1. Gaining exposure and increasing my knowledge base

of the different types of careers afforded by a law
degree will allow me to best evaluate law school as an
option. (Chans presentation references the
considerations required when thinking about graduate
school )
1a. Wake alum have been very willing to candidly
share their experiences with me in my past
informational interviews. The best way to explore the
career options afforded by law school is to talk to
different professionals in each of those roles. Ive
conducted an interview with an energy regulation
attorney at a private law firm already. Id like to speak
with a District Attorney or Assistant District Attorney, a
public defender, and attorneys who work in corporate
law, compliance, or family law. (Informational
Interviews)
1b. After my job shadow at Verger Capital, I now
understand how incredibly valuable the job shadow
program is. This genuine exposure to a specific career
field allows me to better understand what is required
of a certain profession and what types of challenges
and satisfactions are associated with it, without the
pressure of having to perform in an internship. I can
observe a field for which I have little to none
experience and make significant connections with
other professionals. (Job Shadow experience and

Presentation)

Goal 2: Become more familiar with the Writing

and Mass Communications industry, including
journalism and magazine writing.

Action Step a. Apply for internships in the field.

Action Step b. Speak with professors about

opportunities in the field and opportunities for
getting experience on campus.

2. In searching for professionals to speak with for my

informational interviews, I consistently came back to
alumni in the writing and editing field. I thoroughly
enjoyed my conversations with a Forbes reporter and an
editorial assistant at a magazine and were excited by
their professions afterward.
2a. In my conversation with Rachael Duane, the
editorial assistant at Our State magazine, she
described getting into the field by participating in an
internship the summer after her junior year. During
this internship, she was able to interview and report on
a daily basis, which gave her marketable experience
and confirmed that she would enjoy doing these things
on a full time basis. As Patrick Sullivan suggested in
his presentation on internships, people often attain
these positions through by informal means, so it is
important to always leave a good, lasting impression
on others and look at every encounter as an
opportunity. This notion also relates to the ideas
presented in Luck is No Accident. Ill research
internship opportunities by using Handshake and by
looking at specific companies directly. (Informational
Interview, Patrick Sullivans presentation, Luck is No
Accident)
2b. In our informational interview, Rachael Duane also
encouraged me to reach out to the network of advisers
on campus as I consider my career options. She found
her current job after expressing interest to a professor,
who was able to connect her with a colleague who knew
of an open position available. Such networking reflects
the advice that Patrick Sullivan gave in his presentation
and that Adam Divico offered in his presentation, as
well. I think that if I speak with professors, they may be
able to guide me towards opportunities and bring me
steps closer to getting my foot in the door. It might be
meaningful to be meet with the faculty adviser for the
OGB to see if I may be able to gain experience
contributing to the newspaper or if they have any other
suggestions of next steps to take as I consider this field.
(Patrick Sullivans presentation, Adam Divicos
presentation, Informational Interview)

Now that youve spent some time identifying your short-term goals for the next thirty (30) days, I want
you to think about any potential obstacles you may encounter in the process of reaching these goals and
completing your action steps. Additionally, please identify resources you may use to overcome these
obstacles (e.g., identify the tools, information, planning and/or people who can help you).
Potential Obstacles to Completing ShortTerm Goals
Resources to Overcome Potential Obstacles

1. Time Commitment, informational interviews,

job shadows, researching and applying for
internships, and meeting with advisers is time
consuming and requires advanced scheduling.

1. As winter break approaches, I think Ill use the time

over the holidays to prioritize some of these goals. If I
make the time to focus on these action steps, I should
be able to gain a better understanding of these
professional fields and create access to opportunities
within them for myself.

2. My lack of experience might make procuring an

internship position somewhat difficult.

2. In order to overcome this potential obstacle, I think

that I should follow the advice of my job shadow host
and not undermine my own abilities. I have the
potential to market myself and emphasize the unique
skills and experiences I have that make me a strong
candidate for a position. Though I dont want to waste
anyones time, I should apply for as many summer
internships as possible in order to increase my exposure
and likelihood of attaining a position.

3.

3.

Step 3: Long-Term Goals for the Next Three (3) Months

Now, in Step 3, I want you to set two (2) long-term goals and actions steps to help you reach them.
Example long-term goals might look like:
Join the Executive Committee of Wake and Shake. Rationale: recruiters like to see leadership on a
resume (source: Internship Presentation in Class & OPCD Job Search Workshop)
Conduct informational interview with attorneys in my county by end of August. Rationale: explore law
schools that may network or offer recruiting options within my home state/region to determine top
choices for law school applications (Source: Graduate/Professional School Panel information)
Take Computer Science course next semester. Rationale: basic programming important skill for one of
my industries of choice (Source: informational interview #2 with alumnus at Red Ventures)
Long-Term Goals for the Next Three (3)
Months

Goal 1: Join the OGB Staff.

Action Step a. Read the OGB more closely

Rationale/Source from Course or Exploration

1. Gaining tangible and useful experience in the field
can help me attain an internship and succeed in that
position. (Informational Interview, Job Shadow)
1a. In order to understand the OGBs purpose and
mission and their general attitude/style toward
reporting will allow me to better understand the
newspaper. A developed understanding of and
awareness with the newspaper will be necessary if I
want to determine whether or not I may enjoying
writing for the newspaper or if I want to apply for a

position and be an attractive candidate. As I realized

during my job shadow, preparation is key and
understanding the office dynamic and workplace
environment style are absolutely necessary. (Job
Shadow)

Action Step b. Connect with staff writers for the

newspaper, the editor in chief, and the faculty
advisor.

Goal 2: Take a Journalism class next semester.

Action Step a. Meet with the director of the

journalism department, Justin Catanoso.
Action Step b. Meet with the director of the
Interdisciplinary Writing program.

1b. Expanding my network and speaking with these

individuals will connect me more closely with the
newspaper and could potentially create the
opportunity to get involved. If I dont grow my network
and express interest to these individuals, I wont
achieve my goal. It is necessary to be proactive in
your job search so as to fulfill your goals, we cant
expect life to hand us the opportunities we want or
need. (Roadtrip Nation, Mans Search for Meaning,
Adam Divicos presentation)

2. In addition to the classes that satisfy my

Interdisciplinary Writing Minor, I might benefit from
classes that address journalism directly. During my time
here, I should be taking advantage of all that Wake
Forest has to offer, whether I am remotely interested in
the topic or it might serve to further my professional
goals.
2a. Through my writing classes and on campus, I have
encountered Mr. Catanoso and have observed that he
is a very engaging individual. I think that it would be
beneficial for me to introduce myself to him and
discuss the ways in which I may benefit from
Journalism courses, especially so late in my college
career. (The importance of growing your professional
network has been a theme throughout our class. It
was especially relevant during my first informational
interview. I think that Amy Willards presentation also
spoke a lot about utilizing on campus resources,
especially within the Humanities departments.)
2b. I am currently working towards satisfying the
requirements for the Interdisciplinary Writing Minor. Id
like to speak with my professor, Dr. Laura Aull, who is
the director of the program, to get her perspective on
the best ways to market the skills I am learning in her
classes. I think she would be able to offer some advice
as to how these skills may be transferred into the
professional world and, as she is the expert on her own
classes, she would probably be the best person to talk
to. (During my job shadow, my host emphasized
marketing your skills and experiences in the best way
possible in order to make yourself a viable candidate

for a variety of positions).

Just as you did with your short-term goals, I want you to think about any potential obstacles you may
encounter in the process of reaching your long-term goals and completing your action steps.
Additionally, please identify resources you may use to overcome these obstacles (e.g., identify the tools,
information, planning and/or people who can help you).
Potential Obstacles to Completing LongTerm Goals
Resources to Overcome Potential Obstacles

1. Joining the OGB staff later in my college career

might be difficult. It might be challenging to
acclimate to the established environment or they
might not need any more writers or editors,
especially in the middle of the year.

1. I think that Ill have to remove the social anxieties

associated with exploring a new path later in my college
career. There really is no reason that I cant express
interest in joining the OGB. If it turns out that there are
no positions available, I can try again next year and in
the meantime pursue other opportunities, either on
campus or off, that will allow me to write and enhance
my skills and develop my interest.

2. Fitting Journalism classes into my schedule

might be difficult.

2. Ill have to seriously examine my course load and

class choices. I think it is important that I prioritize
journalism in the academic setting and make room in my
schedule that I can devote to it.

3. Balancing my interest in Journalism with my

interest in being an attorney.

3. I think that it is important to explore as many options

as possible, without spreading yourself too thin, so to
speak. For a time, Ill be considering both of these
professions pretty seriously, so Ill have to allow my
passion to direct me towards the field that energizes me
the most and allow that one to be eventually be what I
focus on most. Ill continue to evaluate my options by
speaking with professionals and utilizing my on campus
resources, but I wont rush into a decision.

Accountability Partner (with whom will you share

this plan):

After you have completed the Action Plan and had it reviewed by a career coach in the OPCD, take some
time to write up your meta-reflection for the course using the prompts on the next page.

Part 2: Meta-Reflection
Now that you have a clear action plan developed for yourself, the second part of your final project
involves taking a step back and thinking about all that youve learned, in class, as well as through
your career research, exploration and experiences.
To begin your meta-reflection: Review your progress

First, take a few minutes to review the readings we used from the beginning of our
course (Path Finding, Road Trip Nation, Luck Is No Accident). Now, think about the career beliefs
and interests you had as you entered the course.
What did you believe about the world of work and specifically, your engagement with or vision for
yourself in it? You have explored a host of perspectives, had real experiences and gained
competencies that may have been new or refined though this course. You have documented your
progress and gained skills with the construction of your ePortfolio.
What do you notice about your ePortfolio and what it says about your growth and preparation?
Then, look at your ePortfolio. Review your results from the Strong Interest Inventory, re-read
your first informational interview and compare it to your last. Review your job shadow or activities
summaries.
What do you notice in the difference between the way you conducted or synthesized information
early in the course and how your thinking has evolved?
What was the process you used to select your informational interview subjects or areas of
exploration?
What kinds of activities items might you now be considering?
Think about how youve changed. What changes do you notice in your thinking as a result of
creating your ePortfolio and your experiences in class? What do you notice in your ePortfolio? How
do these examples demonstrate that you have learned (made a measurable change) as a result of
this process?
Now, here are the questions to guide your written reflection:

BIG PICTURE
Describe how focusing your attention on exploring the world of work, has impacted your thinking?
How do you see your own growth and changes in your perspective? How is your individual
education preparing you for your professional aspirations as you currently understand them? How
will you use the rest of your time at Wake Forest as a result? In other words, what is next for you in
this process?
THE PROCESS
Look at your ePortfolio as a whole. How has the creation of the ePortfolio impacted your thinking
regarding yourself as a young professional, as a student engaged in preparing for a career and the
career development cycle?
GROWTH AND VALUE
What has surprised you in the process of completing informational interviews, networking, exploring
resources and evaluating your options? What has been most valuable in light of your goals? How
can this process be helpful to all undergraduates?
Youve done a lot of work this semester! This project gave you the opportunity to develop concrete
action plans for your future and also to think about what youve learned throughout the course. Post
both your Action Plan and Meta-Reflection (you can use this document as a template) in your e-

Portfolio under the Research and Career Exploration area AND bring a copy to class. Please
review the rubrics on the following pages to make sure youve met all the assignment
requirements. Please note, there are two (2) rubrics, one for each part of this project. Each
is worth 25 points.

Claire Tuffey
Final Project, Meta Reflection

My experiences in CNS 220 have genuinely served to expand my understanding of the world of
work and have encouraged me to seriously consider career options that, at one point, I didnt even
realize I had. The assigned readings and activities throughout the Self-Assessment, Research and Career
Exploration, and Job Campaign units pushed me outside of my comfort zone, improved my sense of
self-awareness, and gave me the tools to make myself a more viable candidate for an internship, job, or
career.
In reviewing my ePortfolio, I can see that my perspective has widened and that my knowledge
gradually built upon itself as time went on. From my first informational interview to my last, my
questions became more refined and focused as I became more familiar with the writing and mass
communication industry and my interest grew. After being extremely nervous and hesitant to speak with
a professional whom I did not know, I have now conducted three more informational interviews than
were required. I was grateful to those professionals who did respond to my emails and didnt want to
miss the opportunity to speak with them, even if doing so, at that point, was no longer required for the
course. The assignment to conduct these interviews, therefore, not only enhanced my understanding of
two industries of interest to me, but also allowed me to practically develop my skills in speaking with
professionals and networking. I think that the research required of this assignment, the email
correspondences, the actual conversations, and the reflections allowed me to grow both personally and
professional and were, thus, very valuable experiences.
My informational interviews were guided by the results of my strong interest survey and my
illustrated career genogram and summary. My strong interest survey confirmed what I had already
known about myself but I appreciated the surveys official and standardized verification of these results.
It showed that my highest themes were social, enterprising, and artistic. I could slightly predict these
results after reviewing the options in class, so the survey summary validated my interests and the
potential they have to translate into the work world. These results suggested industries that I would be
interested in, so in going through this list, I highlighted those that I was most readily excited by, which
turned out to be law, politics and public speaking, counseling and helping, and writing and mass
communication. Coupled with the results of my career genogram and summary, it became clear that my
skills, interests, and values combined in such a way that led me to pursue a career that would be

meaningful, purposeful, and in, some way, serve others. I specifically searched for individuals through
the Wake Forest Career Connectors group and my sororitys Linkedin Alumni page to find professionals
in these fields of interest. I purposefully emailed a large, diverse group, knowing that, most likely, not
every professional would respond. After finding profiles that I was interested in, I used Career Shift,
Google, and the respective companys websites to find these professionals email addresses so as to
contact them directly. My findings from these activities influenced my decisions as to whom I would
interview.
In updating and revising my LinkedIn, I was able to improve my profile and begin learning how
to best market myself for potential employers. On a resume and on LinkedIn, I learned that diction and
framing are extremely important. Students can distinguish themselves by their heading and by their
summary and with the language they use to describe their education, experience, and skills. It was
challenging to write about myself and slightly awkward to highlight what I felt would be my strengths,
but I know this is necessary for the purpose of LinkedIn and for connecting with my targeted audience
of professionals. Using Anita Jobs profile as a reference, I chose to write a summary that identified my
class year, my major and minor areas of study, and my involvement on Wake Forests campus. I think
the most important feature of the summary is the last sentence, which explicitly identifies my interests
and purpose. It reads, Currently, I am pursuing opportunities to learn about careers in law, journalism,
and politics. Its a relief to know that, after this update and revision, my LinkedIn profile is an effective
and strong representation of myself and that I can use the website to connect with professionals and
expand my options in the world of work.
Finally, working on the experiential learning project and participating in the job shadow program
greatly contributed to the development of my ePortfolio and my understanding of the work world and
my potential place within it. Contacting a host, choosing an industry with which I was not very familiar,
and spending time in an office with company executives was nerve-wracking, enjoyable, and
educational. I appreciated the opportunity to learn about an industry and a company on such a genuine
and personal level and I valued the advice that the professionals there shared with me. The experience
served to show me that it is not too late to consider options that I hadnt before and that there are niches
within several industries that my interests and skills might fit within. This job shadow and reflection
were a meaningful capstone to the other activities, as it placed me more directly within the work world,
affirmed my interests, and encouraged me to even look beyond the areas I had already identified as
potential industries for myself, which suggests that the world of work is a flexible one if you willingly
look for options and actively work to grow your network and professional skills.
Finally, the actual process of creating, updating, and managing an ePortfolio has also been
valuable to me. I am not naturally inclined toward technology and I would have never thought to create
a website to store these assignments and market myself as an aspiring professional. In actually learning
how to create the website, add my assignments to it, and design the appearance, I gained experience that
I wouldnt have otherwise. This experience encouraged me to be mindful of the fact that anything
associated with my name on the internet can be used for or against me and serves to create an image of
myself to those whom I do not know. Therefore, I deliberately tried to choose a professional theme and

was mindful of the content that I published. These are the types of skills that I know I will use again at
some point in my professional career.

My experiences in CNS 220 have excited me about my potential to succeed in the world of work
and have given me a greater appreciation for the resources available at Wake Forest. Not only will the
skills and knowledge that I am gaining in the classroom serve me well, but I also am more aware now of
the services offered by the OPCD and the willingness of the Wake Forest community to help its
members succeed. I think that other students would benefit from this process of self-awareness and
career exploration. Among many things, it has shown me that you cant discount yourself at this stage in
our professional development and that you cant ever stop learning about your options or benefitting
from the experiences of others. I hope to build upon what I have already learned about myself through
this course, continue to research opportunities to enter my industries of interest, and work to make the
transition from my college career and into my life in the world of work as easy as possible.

Rubric
Personal Action Plan
25 points total

Action plan
demonstrates
short-term career
goals and
rationale
(7 points)

Action plan
demonstrates
use of long-term
goals and
rationale
(7 points)

Sophisticated

Competent

Not Yet Competent

Action plan has two

both academic or
career-related goals
listed for next 1-3
months (short and long
term) and includes,
action steps,
rationale/source from
coursework

Action plan has both

academic and careerrelated goals listed for
next 1 or 3 months and
has rationale for some
but not all or rationale
unrelated to coursework

Action plan has only

academic or career
goals but not both;
rationale missing or
incomplete

Action plan has 2 goals,

time-bound action steps
created and cites more
than three references
from projects,
experiences or
information gained as
part of course
objectives

Action plan has 2-3

action steps that
created and citing 6-8
references from
projects, experiences or
information gained as
part of course
objectives

Action plan has 1-2

goals or action steps
but does not have both;
or, does not cite
learning from course as
rationale for action
steps

Action plan
includes name of
accountability
partner, potential
obstacles and
resources to
overcome
barriers/obstacle
s

Name of accountability
partner is listed,
obstacles/barriers and
resources to overcome
obstacles/barriers are
listed.

Not located in ePortfolio

and/or does not have
accountability partner
listed

(3.5 points)
Action plan
answers prompts
demonstrating
growth or
perspective from
start of course

Action plan includes

answers to prompts to
questions listed for preplanning for document

Action plan includes a

few but not all answers
to prompts/questions
listed for pre-planning
for document

Action plan does not

include answers to
prompts/questions
listed for pre-planning
for document

Student attends
coaching session with
career coach to review
action plan

N/A

N/A

Action plan added to

ePortfolio and turned
into class on time

N/A

N/A

(3 points)
Student
completes career
coaching
appointment to
review plan
(3 points)
Action plan
added to
ePortfolio and
printed copy
turned in on time
(1.5 points)

Rubric
Meta-Reflection
25 points total

Sophisticated

Reflection on
overall
experience of
ePortfolio
creation
(5 points)

Reflection includes 4-6

specific references of,
and reflections on,
aspects of ePortfolio
creation

Reflection on
process
(5 points)

Reflection includes 3
references to actual
process of selecting
artifacts, creating
ePortfolio and editing
portfolio for a targeted
audience

Reflection on
growth and
progress
(5 points)

Reflection includes 3-5

examples of students
specific learning and
growth achieved during
class through specific
experiences and
activities

Reflection includes 2-3

examples of students
specific personal
learning and growth
achieved during class
through experiences
and activities, not
specific

Overall reflection
indicates consideration
of topic and planning

Reflection indicates
some consideration of
topic; feels rushed

Reflection meets
writing conventions;
virtually zero
punctuation, grammar,
formatting errors
Meta-reflection added
to ePortfolio and turned
into class on time

Reflection meets some

writing conventions;
contains 2-4
punctuation, grammar,
formatting errors

Not Yet Competent

Reflection includes 1-2
references of, and
reflections on, aspects
of ePortfolio creation;
lacks specificity in
terms of examples or
reflection
Reflection includes 1
reference to actual
process of selecting
artifacts, creating
ePortfolio and editing
portfolio for a targeted
audience
Reflection includes 1-2
examples of students
specific personal
learning and growth
achieved during class
through experiences
and activities, not
specific or tied to
projects, experiences or
activities
Reflection indicates
inadequate
consideration of topic
and no planning;
rushed quality to
writing and thought
Reflection does not
meet writing
conventions; 5 or more
punctuation, grammar,
formatting errors

N/A

N/A

Quality of
reflection
(5 points)

Writing
conventions
(2.5 points)
Timeliness
(2.5 points)

Competent
Reflection includes 3-4
references of, and
reflections on, aspects
of ePortfolio creation;
lacks specificity in
terms of examples or
experiences
Reflection includes 2
references to actual
process of selecting
artifacts, creating
ePortfolio and editing
portfolio for a targeted
audience