INDIVIDUAL CAREER PLAN
For this assignment, you will reflect on the Work Values Card Sort and Career Skills Inventory exercises you completed in Week 6, articulate your professional goals and career plans, and write an action plan for implementing those goals and plans.
Instructions
Write a 56 page paper in which you complete the following:
Create a title page: Give your paper a title that reflects the purpose of your work. Use the APA Paper Template [DOCX] to format your paper according to the APA manual (sixth edition).
Write an introduction: For the introduction section of your paper, include the title at the top of the first page, and begin your introduction two spaces beneath your title. (In APA format, the word Introduction is not used as a heading.) Briefly summarize the key components of your paper.
Create a heading titled Assessment and Inventory Results: Summarize the results of the required self-assessment and self-inventory exercises. Use critical thinking and your knowledge of psychological theories and concepts to analyze the meaning and significance of the results. This summary can help guide your career direction.
Create a heading titled Goals and Career Plans:
Describe your professional philosophy, including your goals and career plans.
Describe how your professional goals and career choices align with your values and life interests.
Explain how your values relate to professional behaviors and practices.
Create a heading titled Motivation: Analyze how psychological principles can be used to motivate you to overcome obstacles to reach your professional goals.
Create a heading titled Action Plan: Develop a SMART Action Plan [PDF] for implementing your career goals. This will serve as a road map to help you take concrete steps to fulfill your goals. For example, describe the steps you are planning to take to apply for a job or apply to graduate school. Discuss realistic ideas about how to implement psychological knowledge and skills in occupational pursuits that meet personal and professional goals.
Create a heading titled Conclusion: Briefly summarize the key points of your paper and make a statement about your future career aspirations.
Keep in mind throughout this assignment that while your writing must conform to APA standards, you must explain all information in a manner that can be easily understood by a nonacademic or nonscientific audience.
Refer to the Individual Career Plan Scoring Guide to ensure you meet the grading criteria for this assignment.
Submission Requirements
Your paper should meet the following requirements:
Written communication: Written communication is free from errors that detract from the overall message.
APA format: Comply with current APA Style and Format.
Number of resources: A minimum of three academic resources.
Length of paper: 56 typed, double-spaced pages, excluding cover page and references.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.
SMART Action Plan
The purpose of an action plan is to clarify goals, list the steps to achieve those goals, and
identify the resources required. Action plans can be written for individuals, groups, or
organizations.
A SMART action plan should include both long-term and short-term goals. Long-term goals
could take five years or more; short-term goals are usually achievable within a year or less.
SMART Goals
To create SMART goals, start with a list of broad goals, then break them down into specific,
manageable pieces. The final goals specified in the action plan must be as follows:
Specific: Each goal must be clear, focused, and unambiguous. State exactly what you want to
accomplish, who is involved in the effort, and where the action will occur. Avoid generalities and
be as detailed as you can. If necessary, state why the goal is important.
Measurable: A SMART goal is a goal for change that can be measured quantitatively. Specify
how you will know when the desired change has occurred and what criteria you will use to
measure progress.
Attainable: The goal must be achievable. To ensure the goal is attainable, describe how the
goal will be accomplished. That is, what strategies will you use?
Realistic: The goal must be capable of being achieved given available resources. Set goals that
are challenging but not impossible. Goals should adequately and accurately address the scope
of the problem and be reasonable.
Time bound: The goal must have a target date or series of target dates. Set a deadline for
accomplishing your goal and establish interim milestones to help yourself stay on track and
accountable.
