Project 3: Design Your Professional Presence
This week, you are going to build on the work that you did in the Trends project by considering your role in your field. This is important whether you are thriving in your field and are seeking to advance, or you are career-changer seeking to find a toehold in a new field. This project engages you to consider where you stand in comparison to others who are seeking management positions in your industry. The UMGC library resources for business research provides industry that will help you to consider how to address your position in the field.
I would also like to introduce you to the resources available to you in Career Services. Within CareerQuest, students, faculty, and alumni can access professional development tools that include resume services, interview tools, a job match tool, and a way to sign up to be or receive mentoring. Check out this short video about the many services under CareerQuest. You must register, which takes about 5 minutes, and then you will have access to these services. Give it a test drive!! By the way, as an UMGC alumnus, you will have access to these services FOREVER!!!
The project has two parts. First, you will create or update an existing LinkedIn profile that could become your basis for networking, sharing your professional skills as well as goals and career objectives. If you are unable or unwilling to create a profile in this professional social media platform, you can create a faux LinkedIn profile in a Word document and share it with me. You will also create a 200-word or less error-free branding statement (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/pro/pro600/2212/learning-topic-list/branding-statements.html?ou=591190 ), which should be to the point, focused, and interesting! These tasks are intended for your reflection on where you are now, at the start of your program, so that you can use this knowledge to inform your actions to address any gaps in skills or experience or connections. This is a perfect time to think deeply about where you want to go and what that path looks like! Relax a bit this week but don’t neglect this work!
To reiterate, here are the deliverables you are responsible for submitting:
1) personal branding statement in a word document
2) URL Link to your LinkedIn Profile
3) PDF of your LinkedIn Profile
4) Share your link and summary in the discussion area, as well as your experience with LinkedIn and what you learned from this activity.
