A. Overview The purpose of this assignment is to apply corporate communication concepts, especially the notion of comprehensive strategic communication, to your own professional situation.
The assignment has four parts: 1) the Five-year Career Plan; 2) the Brand Me One-page; 3) the Resume; and 4) the Media Release. Pay close attention to the due date listed in the syllabus. The overall assignment is worth 25% of your overall grade in the course.
B. Detailed Description 1. Five-year Career Plan a. Purpose: The goal is to assess yourself as well as strategically and tactically advance yourself in terms of your professional brand/identity. This will be accomplished in writing with emphasis placed on having you select one or more professional goals and determine related target audiences. b. Instructions: Write a paper with the following mandatory structure (Note: use the following bolded subtitles within your paper.): Executive Summary - Use one sentence for each major section of your paper to create a paragraph that captures the essentials. (Recommended: 1⁄2 page.) An Introduction to My Professional Goal(s) - Clearly state what you want to do with your professional life in the coming five years. (Recommended: 1⁄2 page.) My Target Professional Domain(s) - Describe the professional context which you want to enter. (Recommended: 1⁄2 page.) My Specific Target Audience(s) - Comment on the specific people with whom you need to connect within your professional domain. (Recommended: 1⁄2 page.) My Present Day Professional Positioning - Be straightforward about your relevant accomplishments to date as well as key intangibles such as your personal brand/identity. Make sense of these things given the realities of your professional domain(s) and target audience(s). (Recommended: 1 page.) My Five-year Goal - Be straightforward about where you plan to be in five years. Be sure to mention key accomplishments and brand/identity issues. (Recommended: 1⁄2 page.) My Tactical Approach Over Six Months, 2 Years and 5 Years - (Recommended: 1 page.) Devote a 1⁄2 page to itemizing specific tasks that you need to accomplish in the next six months. Spend a 1⁄2 page detailing categories of tasks that you need to complete by the two year and five year marks. Conclusion - Bring your paper to a strong close by, possibly, touching on how you will manage likely contingencies and how you can benchmark a leader. (Recommended: 1⁄2 page.) c. Format: Write a five page paper, not including the title page and bibliography. Be sure your work is typed and double spaced. d. Grading: You will be marked on the following criteria: 1) organization - the required sections are used properly; 2) written execution - paragraphs and sentences are well- constructed with respect to spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, and flow; 3) target audience credibility - a target audience is identified and a focused strategy is offered that would be seen as highly legitimate by this individual or group; 4) depth of insight - relevant details are provided to support main points, including the use of at least three relevant sources; and 5) overall power - the overall work stands out as unique and is logically and esthetically complete. This assignment element will be weighted most heavily and will receive an "anchor grade." Your anchor grade will remain the same or move up or down up to two "grade steps" based on the results of your other three assignment elements.
2. Brand Me One-page a. Purpose: The goal is to effectively communicate your core professional brand/identity by using a straightforward and visually appealing presentation that generates a positive and memorable impression in your target audience. b. Instructions: Brainstorm and clarify your professional goal(s). Brainstorm and clarify qualities and/or talents that you already possess that relate to your select professional goal(s). Identify one or two core audiences with whom you need to gain credibility in order to advance your career. Creatively compose a one-page message that relatively instantaneously communicates uniqueness and credibility in terms of what you offer your core audience(s). Think creatively. c. Format: Use one standard size (81⁄2 x 11 inches approximately) piece of paper or similar such material. Use images and/or words. You must be able to scan or save your work as a PDF to upload it to the appropriate drop box on CANVAS. d. Grading: You will be marked on the following criteria: 1) quality of nonverbal elements - visual elements are professional in quality and are otherwise well selected and positioned; 2) quality of verbal elements - written elements are professional in quality and are otherwise well selected and positioned; 3) effective self-identification - your unique identity (i.e., your name and/or image) is included; 4) target audience credibility - the target audience identified in your Five-year Career Plan would see this overall creation as highly legitimate; and 5) overall power - the overall work stands out as truly unique and is logically and esthetically complete. Your Five- year Career Plan will be weighted most heavily and will receive an "anchor grade." Your anchor grade will remain the same or move up or down one "grade step" (e.g., ‘B' to ‘B' or ‘B' to ‘B+' or ‘B' to ‘B-') based on the result of this assignment element. (These grade step additions or subtractions are additive given there are three minor assignment elements.)
3. Resume a. Purpose: The goal is to present your talents and accomplishments in a standard resume format that is geared to one or more of your target audience(s). b. Instructions: Follow one of the resume formats distributed in class and compose a flawless one page resume. Use your actual talents and accomplishments and tailor your resume specifically to one or more of your target audiences to advance one or more of your professional goals. c. Format: Compose a one-page resume. d. Grading: You will be marked on the following criteria: 1) overall layout - formatting and spacing follows accepted norms and is internally consistent; 2) written execution - writing is well-constructed with respect to spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, and flow; and 3) strategic positioning - the resume effectively positions you given the professional goals and target audience identified in your Five-year Career Plan document. Your Five-year Career Plan will be weighted most heavily and will receive an "anchor grade." Your anchor grade will remain the same or move up or down one "grade step" (e.g., ‘B' to ‘B' or ‘B' to ‘B+' or ‘B' to ‘B-') based on the result of this assignment element. (These grade step additions or subtractions are additive given there are three minor assignment elements.)
4. Media Release a. Purpose: The goal is to select some aspect of your five-year career plan that could reasonably be disseminated as a media release and make an impact with your target audience(s). b. Instructions: Follow one of the media release formats distributed in class and compose a flawless one or two page release. Highlight a current activity or an activity that you expect to undertake in the next five years. c. Format: Compose a one or two page media release. d. Grading: You will be marked on the following criteria: 1) media release formatting requirements - make sure you follow all of the requirements listed on the Media Release Checklist; 2) written execution - the body of the release is well-constructed with respect to spelling, grammar, punctuation, clarity, flow, and completeness; 3) story angle credibility - the story is framed to do all of the following: advance your individual professional standing (as identified in your Five-year Career Plan), advance any organization with which you are associated, attract positive media attention, and appeal to "end-user" audiences. Your Five- year Career Plan will be weighted most heavily and will receive an "anchor grade." Your anchor grade will remain the same or move up or down one "grade step" (e.g., ‘B' to ‘B' or ‘B' to ‘B+' or ‘B' to ‘B-') based on the result of this assignment element. (These grade step additions or subtractions are additive given there are three minor assignment elements.)