Assessment item 4 Career Action Plan Value: 15% Submission method options Alternative submission method Task The purpose of this task is to develop a career action plan indicating your own career situation and future career path. You must submit a career action plan that deals with the aspects of career development covered in your subject materials. Your career action plan should include the following: Current Situation Introduction: An introduction and overview of your current career position which also includes an analysis of your personal preferences, interests, skills, values and abilities. Graduate and employability skills: A brief analysis of graduate and employability skills – you should be able to discuss which of these you believe you can successfully claim to possess and which you may need to acquire or improve upon. You should not just make claims but provide supporting information to demonstrate your claims. Ideal Situation S.W.O.T. Analysis: Reflecting on your current situation and ideal situation, provide a S.W.O.T. analysis. (Analysis of your internal ‘strengths’ and ‘weaknesses’ and your external ‘opportunities’ and ‘threats’. Career Goals: What are your short-term career goals? What are your long-term career goals? Steps to Success: Achieving your goals Discuss what you are going to do to achieve your career goals. Referencing APA referencing as relevant with citations and list of references for any sources used within the assignment. Students need to note that despite this being partly a personal reflection it is still academic work and thus needs to be referenced accordingly. Students are expected to have 5 references following APA guidelines, which will constitute part of the marking criteria for a passing mark. Presentation Clear and appropriate structure. Demonstrate depth of reflection. Rationale This task is designed to help you achieve the following learning outcomes: Students should be able to: Be able to reflect on personal employability skills and plan appropriate professional development activities; Be able to apply theoretical models to professional development and business decision making processes in your work; Be able to distinguish team dynamics and analyse the impact of diversity on team performance; Be able to analyse structured workplace problems and identify a range of possible solutions; Marking criteria MARKING CRITERIA High Distinction 85-100 Distinction 75 – 84.5 Credit 65 – 74.5 Pass 50 - 64.5 Fail 0 – 49.5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Mark/5 Highlights the aims of the report by outlining the report structure and previews the main points Comprehensive purpose and significance of the main points are clearly explained and sign posted through the report structure. Provides a comprehensive summary of the report and clear, succinct identification of the main points. Provides an adequate summary of the report and identifies the main points. Attempts to identify the aim of the report, but does not draw out the key points of the report. Does not highlight the aim of the report or offers the key points. INTRODUCTION: Mark /10 An introduction and overview that genuinely reflects on your current career position, and also includes an analysis of your personal preferences, interests, skills, values and abilities. Provides a genuine in-depth reflection of current career position, which includes an in-depth analysis of personal preferences, interests, skills, values and abilities. Provides a comprehensive reflection of current career position with general analysis of personal preferences, interests, skills, values and abilities. Provides an adequate reflection of current career position with limited analysis of personal preferences, interests, skills, values and abilities. Attempts to reflect on current career position but does not draw out an analysis of personal preferences, interests, skills, values and abilities. Does not identify or provides only a limited reflection of current career position. Does not mention personal preferences, interests, skills, values or abilities BODY: Mark /60 Graduate and employability skills Identification and description of graduate and employability skills, discussing and illustrating which you possess and/or need to acquire. (/15) An in-depth identification and excellent description of graduate and employability skills. Clear and concise identification and discussion of graduate and employability skills you possess and / or need to acquire A comprehensive identification and description of graduate and employability skills. A comprehensive identification and discussion of graduate and employability skills you possess and / or need to acquire Adequate identification and description of graduate and employability skills. A general discussion of graduate and employability skills you possess and / or need to acquire Attempts to identify and describe graduate and employability skills. A minimal discussion of graduate and employability skills you possess and / or need to acquire Does not identify and / or describe graduate and employability skills. Does not discuss graduate and employability skills you possess and / or need to acquire S.W.O.T Analysis Reflects on the ‘gap’ or divergence between your ‘current situation’ and ‘ideal situation’ and provides a S.W.O.T analysis of your personal (internal) strengths and weaknesses and your external career development opportunities and threats (/15) Ability to write a clear and concise reflective statement of your ‘current situation’ and ‘ideal situation’ and provided an in-depth SWOT analysis. Clearly and concisely reflected on your SWOT analysis clearly demonstrating what you do to mitigate the weaknesses and threats and capitalise on the strengths and opportunities. Ability to write a clear reflective statement of your ‘current situation’ and ‘ideal situation’ and provided a clear SWOT analysis. Adequate reflection on your SWOT analysis that adequately demonstrates what you do to mitigate the weaknesses and threats and capitalise on the strengths and opportunities. Ability to write a general reflective statement of your ‘current situation’ and ‘ideal situation’ and provided a general SWOT analysis. General reflection on your SWOT analysis that demonstrates what you do to mitigate the weaknesses and threats and capitalise on the strengths and opportunities Ability to write a minimal reflective statement of your ‘current situation’ and ‘ideal situation’ and provided a minimal SWOT analysis. Minimal reflection on your SWOT analysis that demonstrates what you do to mitigate the weaknesses and threats and capitalise on the strengths and opportunities Absence of a reflective statement of your ‘current situation’ and / or ‘ideal situation’ and provided no SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis does not demonstrate what you did to mitigate the weaknesses and threats and capitalise on the strengths and opportunities Career Goals A statement of your career goals, having undertaken a reflection and consideration of what your goals might be. (/15) An in-depth discussion of career goals in terms of short-term or long-term . A clear and concise indication of which goals you are immediately pursuing and what first steps you might take in pursing them. Used all elements of the SMART technique to discuss your career goals A clear discussion of career goals in terms of short-term or long-term. Adequate indication of which goals you are immediately pursuing and what first steps you might take in pursing them. Used four elements of the SMART technique to discuss your career goals A general discussion of career goals in terms of short-term or long-term. General indication of which goals you are immediately pursuing and what first steps you might take in pursing them. Used three elements of the SMART technique to discuss your career goals Minimal discussion of career goals in terms of short-term or long-term. Minimal indication of which goals you are immediately pursuing and what first steps you might take in pursing them. Used two elements of the SMART technique to discuss your career goals Did not state career goals in terms of short-term or long-term. No indication of which goals you are immediately pursuing and what first steps you might take in pursing them. Used none of the elements of the SMART technique to discuss your career goals Steps to Success Discuss how you are going to achieve your career goals (/15) A clear and thought provoking discussion of how you are going to achieve your career goals A clear discussion of how you are going to achieve your career goals General discussion of how you are going to achieve your career goals Minimal discussion of how you are going to achieve your career goals Did not discuss how you are going to achieve your career goals CONCLUSION - Mark /10 Main points summarised and linked to discussion. Comprehensive and in-depth discussion provided Comprehensive summary provided. Good, reasonably thorough summary provided. Adequate but basic summary provided. Little or no summary provided. REFERENCING- Mark / 5 APA referencing style Both the in text and end reference list are consistent in terms of style and application of APA. 5 or more references The style is consistent throughout the text and end reference list. Application is still inconsistent with some points remaining un-referenced. 3 – 4 references There is consistent style, but application is not consistent with some errors. 2 -3 references There is an attempt to apply referencing, but style and application are inconsistent. 1- 2 references There is limited or no attempt at in text or end of text referencing. No references PRESENTATION - Mark / 10 Clear and appropriate structure (/5) All paragraphs are appropriately structured so each contains a single topic. Demonstrates a clear and logical progression of points, with clearly linked paragraphs Paragraphs are mostly appropriately structured with logical use of evidence and argument. Demonstrates a clear progression of points, and paragraphs mostly clearly linked. Paragraphs generally contain a single topic. Some are less well developed (fragments) or have more than one topic (overly long). Whilst a relationship between the points is clear, the report has some missing links and/or structural errors Paragraphs show some arrangement into related ideas but the topic is implicit or unclear. Paragraphs tend to be fragmentary or overly long. Has a discernible structure, but lacks coherence. Paragraph topics are unclear and there is little structure for ideas. Paragraphs are generally fragmentary or overly long. No discernible structure or progression of points. Depth of reflection (/5) Writing demonstrates an in-depth reflection including substantial supporting details and examples Writing demonstrates a general reflection including some supporting details and examples Writing demonstrates a limited reflection including minimal supporting details and examples Writing demonstrates a minimal reflection including a few supporting details and examples Writing demonstrates lack of reflection with no details. Mark / 100 Worth 15% of your final grade Presentation Clear and appropriate structure. Demonstrate depth of reflection. Report format consisting of: Title page; Table of contents; Executive Summary; Introduction; Body of the report addressing the issues listed above; Conclusion; and References Requirements Students are required to use the Career Action Plan report content template found on the BUS220 Interact site under Resources