ABZ Planning

Chapter 2: Plan to Adapt

Your career journey will probably not proceed in a perfectly linear fashion. You may have a career “Plan
A” in mind right now. That plan may sound something like this:
1. Graduate from college in 4 years with my current major.
2. Get a high paying job that is related to my major working for a company that I love.
3. Get promoted or move to ever higher positions.
4. Retire young and travel the world.

While that sounds like a wonderful “Plan A”, the reality is that things might not work out the way you
think.

In this assignment, we will be supporting you in developing your skills that will help you adapt to ever
changing plans as you work on your career.

IDENTIFY YOUR CURRENT PLAN A

1. What is your current major?

Business Administration

2. What is your current career path and/or long-term career vision? Explain why you chose this
path.

I would like to go work in LA for a marketing company. I met the owner at an airport in South
Africa. He seemed very knowledgeable. He also recommended I study BA.

3. How do you see your values and aspirations (discussed in your last assignment) fit into your Plan
A?

I enjoy large cities. I would never be bored in California. The owner of the company is a very
humble and interesting man. I have met a lot of rich people in my life and they were all very
arrogant, there is something different about this guy. I would be surrounded by quality
people in a very beautiful place. That is the best path for me right now.
4. Identify at least 3 skills you will need to explore for your plan A. These could be hard or soft
skills. (If needed, you can refer to your Chapter 1 assignment where you reviewed your skills and
resources).
1. Marketing

2. Communication

3. Teamwork

5. Review the skills that you have identified. Which of these skills are transferable? In other words,
which are the skills and experiences that are more broadly useful beyond what it takes to thrive
in your plan A. Some examples of transferable skills are writing skills, general management
experience, technical and computer skills, people smarts, and international experience or
language skills.

List them below and explain why each is useful beyond your plan A.

Example: I need to have strong teamwork skills for my major in X. This is a transferable skill as most
careers you will work within a team.

1. I need good marketing skills. Most businesses have marketing departments.

2. I will need to be able to work in a team. I will have a lot of colleagues.

3. I need good communication skills because I will be doing a lot of group work.

4. I need good networking skills. In this day and age you don’t just stay at one job. You have to
constantly evolve.

6. How can you go about acquiring these skills? Provide at least 3 specific examples.
Examples: I will join _______ club, I will go to a workshop on _______ topic, and I will find and leverage
a mentor in _______ field.

1. I will join a MMA team and practice my teamwork skills. If I don’t manage to work with my
team I would be expelled.

2. I will go out a lot and try to make new friends here Sao Paulo. We often go to multilingo
events. The people are very talkative.

3. I will join a language-sharing club and try to network with smart people.
INFINITE PLAN B’S: Things do and will change, so let's look at all the alternatives. You do and will have
alternatives for when life does not go according to plan. During these situations, it's important to be
prepared and understand every option that is available to you at any given time.

1. Based on the transferable skills you listed above, use ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) to
brainstorm possible Plan B career options in business. These should be different from your plan
A but still aligned with your skills, values and aspirations.
a. Ask ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) the following: “Based on my skills of (INSERT
SKILLS 1, 2, & 3), what career paths are available to me within my major of (INSERT
YOUR MAJOR)?” - KEEP THE BROWSER OPEN, DO NOT CLOSE.
i. If you are a UESP student, add “business administration” as your major for right
now.
b. Now, ask ChatGPT (https://chat.openai.com/) the following: “Please revise the above list
using my values of (INSERT VALUES 1, 2, 3)”
c. Review both lists, and pick 2 of these industries or career paths that sound interesting.
List them below and explain why they each sounds interesting to you:
1. Supply Chain manager- I had another class about it, and the supply chain of a
business seems very interesting because this field is extremely complicated and
requires specialized software.

2. Marketing manager- I watched the series Mad Men which follows a manager for a
marketing company in New York city in the 60’s. I really connected with the series and
it sparked my interest in marketing.

PREPARING FOR PLAN Z: You might not know what plan Z looks like right now, and that is OK. The goal
is that you can now identify and utilize your skills to pivot at any moment that you need without any
negative or stressful feelings. Below, you will discuss how you will approach these pivots.

If all things do not go according to plan, it’s time to look at your Plan Z. Let’s take an inventory of
resources and skills that you have that you can leverage in the event this happens. We hope it doesn’t
but planning to the best of our abilities now can make this an easier road to navigate, in the future.

1. Describe how you would cope with stress and uncertainty if you were to need to switch to your
Plan Z.
I think it would be a very good and healthy idea to see a therapist. Many of my friends are in
therapy and I have heard nothing but good things about it. Seeking professional help would
enable me to deal with the sense of loss. My dreams mean a lot to me and it would be
heartbreaking if I was not able to realize them.

2. Identify resources can you currently leverage to support you:

a. List 3 off-campus resources (not friends or family) you might rely on:
i. Therapist
ii. Weightlifting
 iii. Mixed martial arts
b. List 3 on-campus resources (be specific): Take a look here to get started - Where Do I Go
For Help? | Academic Success Center | Oregon State University
i. MySSP provides mental health support services.
ii. OSU has academic coaching in case I fall behind in class.
iii. OSU has success coaching which can help me overcome academic difficulties.
c. Who are 3 people you would rely on to support you if you find yourself at Plan Z?
i. My mother
ii. Grandfather
iii. Matthew