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.

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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 enrolled in this course because I wanted to explore career fields and explore my own interests.
When I started this class, I was considering these options: finance, business, entrepreneurship, and real
estate
At the beginning of our course, these were my initial thoughts about myself and the world of work as it
related to me: I was going to go into business no matter what, and I always thought that your
undergraduate major matters a lot when you apply for jobs.

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. I have learned that I have many skills that Ive never realized I had. This realization came from the class
activity when we each got the skills inventory worksheets and were told to check off the boxes next to
the skills that we thought we possessed. I was then able to see that I had many more skills than I had
expected and I was able to add them to my LinkedIn profile.

2. I have learned that I am also interested in marketing and possibly communication that is related to
business. I came into the class fixed on studying business, but after learning about different careers
through the PowerPoint presentations and hearing classmates experiences/opinions, Ive come to realize
that I am actually interested in marketing and communication as well.
3. I have always thought that I wanted to do something in finance because a lot of people have told me I
should, but after doing an informational interview with a financial advisor and after doing research for
the applied research project on the career of a financial analyst, I have learned that it is definitely not the
best fit for me.
4. The Strong Interest Inventory indicated that I should lean towards business, which is a general area I
have always favored. Ive learned that Im somewhat on the right path, even though business is a very
broad area.
5. Through Andy Chans lecture, Ive learned that graduate school is not always necessary. It depends on
what you want to do and you have to figure out if its worth going to graduate school for. Before, I
thought that graduate school was inevitable if you wanted to get a good job.
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?
The most valuable piece of information Ive learned about myself is that, even though it sounds clich, I
should really choose to do what I want and what I will love. The informational interviews and the group
project presentations opened up my eyes and made me realize there are so many more fields out there
that I could explore; I shouldnt be so close minded and stay fixed on one course of action. Ive
discovered that I would actually enjoy working in fields such as marketing and communication, which I
previously had not given a thought about, because I hadnt yet been exposed to them but chose to cross
them off my list nevertheless.
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?
I visited the OPCD website as well as Handshake and all the different links that are posted on the OPCD
website. To me, the OPCD website was most helpful because it provides links to different career fields
and even has excel worksheets that say what each graduate in each major is doing after graduation. It
gives he percentages of people who go on to graduate school, the skills needed to work in each field, the
different sectors within each industry, and the positions available in each industry. That was helpful for
me to find where I fit in.
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)
I first have to choose a major and career directionIm applying to the Business School in January, so
that is my direction for now. As soon as I know if I get into the business school or not, I will declare my
major, and I will be able to look for internships with a clearer sense of direction.

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

I should choose a field that I am passionate about
A lot of different organizations have the same job positions
I have many skills that could be useful in different career fields that I hadnt thought about before
The major that I choose in undergrad doesnt matter that much

My plans for growth are:

Keep researching different career fields to discover different careers and figure out what I truly will enjoy
Look for internship opportunities on Handshake and through the OPCD
Reach out to people in the career fields that Im interested in and start creating a network

Options in the World of Work: Career Action Plan

[12/2/15]
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 have strong enterprising and artistic interests

Strong Interest Inventory

Finance is no longer my #1 career choice

Informational interview, journal entry, team presentations

I can major in whatever I like and still work in a different field

Job shadow with the Director of Financial Aid, Bill Wells

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: Arrange a job shadow for winter break in
my hometown

1.Job Shadow presentation and job shadow experience

Action Step a. Search Wake Forest Alumni or

Career Connectors groups on LinkedIn for
people working in my field of interest in Boston

1a. Job shadowing is a good way to learn about

different career fields

Action Step b. Reach out to a few of those

people through email or phone

1b. Job shadowing is useful for creating a network with

people already working in your field of interest

Goal 2: Update LinkedIn, Handshake and resume

2. OPCD website and class presentations

Action Step a. Update skills, summary,

experiences and achievements on LinkedIn and
Handshake

2a. LinkedIn, Handshake and your resume are

important aspects of the internship/job search process

Action Step b. Update achievements and

experiences on resume

2b. A well-presented/well-written LinkedIn

profile/resume gives a good impression to the people
looking at them

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. The people whom I want to shadow may not
answer my emails or calls

1. Look for other people on LinkedIn or reach out to my

familys connections

2.

2.

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: Be a leader on the Athletics
Environmental Sustainability committee

Rationale/Source from Course or Exploration

1. Internship presentation in class and OPCD workshop

Action Step a. Talk to Student-Athlete Services

and tell them I want to be on the committee

1a. Leadership is a good experience to have on a

resume

Action Step b. Attend meetings and encourage

my team to be more proactive in protecting our
planet in our everyday lives

1b. Being a leader for a good cause means that you

care, and recruiters want to recruit people who care

Goal 2: Research and apply for internships

2. OPCD workshop and internship presentation in class

Action Step a. Decide where I would want to

intern

2a. Internships are a valuable experience to have on a

resume

Action Step b. Look on OPCD website and

Handshake for opportunities

2b. The summer after sophomore year is a good time

to start an internship

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. There may not be internships near home

1. Ask relatives/family if they have any connections near

home that may need an intern

2. I may not be hired for an internship that I want

2. Intern anywhere that hires me

3. The internship may not be a paid internship

3. Work for free just to get the experience

Accountability Partner (with whom will you share

this plan):

My sister

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.