Final Business Report
The goal of this assignment is to make students aware of their chosen field of study and its professional community. Moreover, students will learn to write and submit a report in standard business format. This report is a complete overview of what current John Molson students will be expected to produce upon graduation and should hold instructions as to key actions individuals beginning their studies should perform to get prepared to enter the job market.
Final Business Report:
Instructions
Your final business report should be a complete overview of your chosen field of study. This report is destined to inform other first year students about career possibilities, professional communities and provides an overview into one's future career path. Furthermore, you should present your recommendations as a road map one can take while completing his/her studies to be fully prepared by graduation time. Your report should include a minimum of 3 graphs or tables. All sections below are required in the final report.
• Cover page
o Your report must be spiral bonded with a clear cover page. Most printing stores, as well as the Concordia Print Store located in the lobby of the library building, will offer this service at a very low cost.
• Title page
o Please refer to instruction on p.395 of your book.
• Memorandum / Letter of transmittal
• Table of content
o Prepare the table of content once the entire report is completed,
o Table of content must contain every heading/subheading within your report.
o Table of content must be professionally made; all columns must be aligned.
o Table of content must showcase hierarchy between sections.
• List of figures / List of tables
o If your report has more the 5 figures or tables combined, this section should be placed directly under of your table of content. Make sure to number tables and figures independently, for example: table 1 and figure 1.
o A list of figures is a "table of content" for your figures. It indicates on which page to find each figure. It is NOT where you place all your figures.
• Executive summary
o Written after you have completed the entire report, an executive summary is roughly 10 percent of the length of the report it summarizes. It can be read independently of the report but accurately reflects the report's most important information without using any technical jargon. Executive summaries are used to give managers a complete overview of the report. For more information regarding executive summaries, refer to p.396 of the course textbook.
• Introduction (1st level sub-heading)
o Your introduction should contain three paragraphs. The first is a definition of your field of study. Be sure to properly reference your definition. The second paragraph announces three major areas one can pursue a career within your chosen field of study. For example, in marketing, three major areas can be market research, advertising and sales. Give a brief description of each. In the third paragraph, select one of these three areas you will focus on in your report.
• Statement of purpose
o Explain in a single sentence what the purpose of the report is. Your statement of purpose should be: "The purpose of this report is to inform me, and those following a similar career path, with an in-depth study of our professional community"
• Statement of problem
o Explain in very few sentences why such a report is necessary. Your statement of problem should be: "Although academically well prepared, [insert chosen field of study] students are unfamiliar with their professional community."
• Findings (1st level subheading)
• The field of in Montreal
o Background information puts the report in perspective and may help to fill in the blanks when a report is consulted years later. Avoid giving readers more background information then they really need. Give an overview of your field in Montreal, enough for someone with very little knowledge of it be able to understand the context of the report.
• Firms: Give a brief description of 3 firms employing newly-graduated students. This section should include a brief overview of the firm and the types of position students can expect to find.
• Entry-level salaries: What can graduating students in your field expect as a salary for their first year upon entering the job market.
• Professional Associations: Professional associations are key to getting a foot in the door with one's professional community. Provide an overview of 2 professional associations a student can join and list the membership costs, member benefits, location of the association and whether they have volunteering positions available. Also explain what a student would gain from getting involved with one of these associations. I highly encourage you to get in touch with them to collect this information.
• Professional Journals / Trade Publications: Provide 2 professional journals or trade publications popular within your chosen field. Give a brief overview of the journal; its primary audience, student subscription rates and frequency of publication. Explain what can a student gain from reading these publications.
• Student Associations: Provide a brief description of 2 student associations a newly admitted student at the John Molson School of Business can get involved with. Give a brief overview of their events and their benefits to students.
• Certifications, Accreditations & Skills: What are some certifications or accreditations either individuals or companies can receive in your field? Does your field require softer skills?
Explain why companies would be interested in these skills and how they would be utilized in a professional environment. Describe two and outline steps to take in order to learn these skills or earn these additional certifications and accreditations and the importance they hold within the industry.
• Conferences within 500 km of Montreal: Research a conference held within 500 km from Montreal a student interested networking may attend. Provide a history of the conference, who are the keynote speakers, what are the networking opportunities and costs for students to attend. Please note, only professional conferences will be accepted, student-run conferences, although I highly encourage you to attend as many as possible, will not count for any points.