MGTS7621 Career ePortfolio Task Guide Semester

Title: Career ePortfolio

Type: Online compilation

Learning Objectives: 1,2,4,5

Weight: 50%

Due date: 4 November 2024, 2pm

A.     Assessment task

This assessment task requires you to develop your personal Career ePortfolio based on what you learned about yourself through Assessment Task 1 Professional Development Reflective Journal, your ongoing career planning and management and what you have learned in the Course.

Otherwise known as a Professional Portfolio (Harrington & Hall 2007), an ePortfolio is used to capture and organise information to showcase your skills, accomplishments, and samples of your professional work to prospective employers and potential clients. It is a way of documenting or recording who you are, what you have to offer and what you are seeking, or “marketing yourself” (Harrington & Hall 2007 p 74).

The process of planning and creating your e-Portfolio, will assist you to prepare for transitioning to the next stage of your career and help you to articulate your knowledge more effectively, skills, other qualities (KSOQ’s) to employers and clients. This task will also provide you with the experience of preparing a competitive job application for your chosen career field.

For this task, based on information in your Professional Development Reflection Journal (PDRJ), you are required to create an ePortfolio, which includes the following items, which you will have worked on during class:

1.   Job advertisement or position description – to assess how well your resume and cover letter match the selection criteria (non-assessable). An original job ad in English or which you can translate into English. If you are to translate into English, you must include the original version in the original language too.

2.   Strategic plan (200 words)

3.  Resume (2-3 pages)

4.   Cover letter (1 page)

5.  Personal video (no more than 2 minutes)

B. Source material

Guidelines for developing your ePortfolio are discussed in the seminars, shown on Blackboard, and outlined in the following sections. Please see the reading list and associated videos.

C.     How to submit your Career ePortfolio

Step One - Submit the 4 elements VIA TURNITIN:

•     Create a single Pdf document containing all of the following four elements, starting each one on a new page:

1.   The original (unchanged and unedited)job advertisement with all job details as a   ‘screen shot’ . If this is not in English, you must provide both a copy in the original language and a translation in English.

2.   Strategic plan (200 words)

3.   Resume (2-3 pages)

4.   Cover letter (1 page)

•    Please name your document with your student name and the assessment name (e.g., Keanu Reeves_ePortfolio.pdf).

Step Two - Submit your Personal Video VIA ECHOVIDEO:

•    Your Personal Video should be uploaded separately to EchoVideo using the

instructions located through this link:https://web.library.uq.edu.au/library-

services/it/learnuq-blackboard-help/learnuq-assessment/blackboard-

assignments/submit-video-assignment-echovideo-original

It is your responsibility to ensure your work is submitted correctly.

How to Create your ePortfolio

1. Job Advertisement or Position Description

You are required to select a job advertisement for a job you might apply for when you graduate, or a job you might apply for in the next stage of your career. The job must be attainable; meaning it is one you are qualified to apply for, and it aligns with your knowledge, skills abilities, and your career vision.

The job advertisement will be used to assess how well your cover letter and resume are targeted to the selection criteria. Therefore, it must contain selection criteria. Your cover letter and resume cannot be assessed ifyou do not submit an original job advertisement or position description in English, and if the selection criteria are not evident.

The job advertisement must be a genuine job. If you are planning to work in a non-English speaking country, please translate into English. Job advertisements that are NOT acceptable are:

−   a job advertisement used for a job you have applied for in the past,

−   a job advertisement that is retyped, edited, or converted from its’ original format,

−   a job advertisement in another language and not translated into English,

−   a hyperlink to a job advertisement.

Firstly, once you have identified your job advertisement with all the information about the job role e.g., position description, selection criteria, save them as a screen shot, so that you can upload all details into your ePortfolio. Next, identify the key information about the job, including the key selection criteria. Use this information to create an application for the job, which includes a resume and a cover letter – see the following. Submit the original (unchanged and unedited) job advertisement as a ‘screen shot’. Failure to do so will mean your work cannot be assessed.

2. Strategic plan

The starting point of the application is to develop a coherent plan for addressing the job advertisement. The objective of the strategic plan is to relate and apply what you have learned about yourself in the Professional Development Reflection Journal to the position description.

There are 2 parts to this plan.

In part 1, you should reflect honestly on your person and organization fit in this application based on your PDRJ results and the job description. The purpose of this part is to reflect realistically on your strengths and weaknesses when applying to this particular job, as you are not required to have a perfect fit with all aspects of the description. You should instead consider if you may need to compromise some aspects (e.g. because of your career stage, non-work considerations, or long-term goals), and if so, what are your objectives and how will you address those aspects.

When reflecting your person and organization fit, you should consider:

o your career plan — how does the job fit with your career plan (e.g. PDRJ5)?

o the selection criteria — which selection criteria do you meet (e.g. PDRJ3)?

o your attributes — what are the attributes that the company is looking for, and do they match your attributes (e.g. PDRJ3)?

o the company values — do you share the values of the company (e.g. PDRJ2 and PDRJ 4)?

You should assess realistically:

o what your strengths and weaknesses are when applying for this job,

o if this career is sustainable and will help to develop your employability,

o how the job fits with your career narrative.

In part 2, you should formulate a plan based on your reflection in part 1 to communicate who you are, what you offer, and what you are seeking, in a way that will create a compelling impression for the potential employer. This career plan represents your thought process in developing your ePortfolio, and will help you prioritize information and align your resume, cover letter, and personal video to communicate a coherent career identity.

Your strategic plan will be assessed on the quality of your reflection, and not how well you fit the job description. Refer to the marking rubric for the grading criteria.

3. Resume

The purpose of a resume is to summarise your career aspirations, education, experience, accomplishments, and interests relevant clearly and succinctly to the role for which you are applying (Harrington & Hall 2007).

Create your resume using the conventions for resumes discussed in the workshops and the following essential elements (adapted from Risavy 2017):

Sections

o include basic personal details (In Australia, do not include birth date, race, religion, marital status, number of dependents, physical/health status, or sexual orientation or a photographs),

o tell the employer what you are seeking using a brief job/career objective statement,

o education details – GPA (optional – higher GPA favoured, over lower GPA), high school not preferred,

o work experience – include the role, employer, full or part-time and dates (using

month/year format), and your contributions to the role using achievement language,

o skills list – relevant list of skills, succinctly substantiated with evidence.

o achievements - scholarships, awards, and honours,

o professional memberships – e.g., Student Member of Australian Marketing Institute.

o hobbies, interests, and extracurricular activities – if job-related (political, religious, or socio-cultural affiliations are not useful), in bullet points,

o references – professional references are more beneficial – always ask permission and brief the referee on the role.

Order

o the order shown above is suitable for early career or graduate roles,

o for roles requiring less experience, education first, then work experience, Style, and Format.

o 2 -3 pages in length, in formal, or traditional format rather than using creative, fancy templates; fancy formatting, graphics and icons are not helpful,

o professional, business-style, in 3rd person, using concise wording; use short bullet

points; bolding for emphasis; use action verbs; clarify all claims; use accomplishment language; use white ‘paper’/background,

o key information presented on the left of the page (see example discussed in class)

o error-free spelling, grammar, word choice, and punctuation,

o impression management – ensure accurate information; avoid exaggeration of

personal traits and accomplishments.

Your resume will be assessed on how well you apply the above essential elements and the conventions for resumes. An exemplar resume will be examined in the workshop. Refer to the marking rubric for the grading criteria.

4. Cover Letter

Cover letters always accompany a resume. Their purpose is to introduce your resume, stating the reason you are sending your resume, highlighting why you are interested in the job, and briefly outlining your knowledge, skills, and experience in relation to the job requirements (Harrington & Hall 2007).

Create your cover letter based on the conventions for cover letters discussed in Seminar 8 and based on the following essential elements (adapted from Risavy 2017):

o presented as a business letter, which is professional in style and tone, o written in the first person (as opposed to the third person),

o on one page, using about 4 paragraphs,

o error-free spelling, grammar, word choice, and punctuation, o customised for the position,

o indicate the job for which you are applying,

o demonstrate knowledge regarding the potential employer, such as why you are interested in the job and company,

o demonstrate your ability to contribute to the job, such as an explanation of how your education and experience fit the job requirements,

o all claims are substantiated - use the STAR method to substantiate your claims, o close your letter by making a request for a personal interview,

o avoid vague statements – be specific and precise, and

o convey a realistic attitude and modest confidence towards your own job-related qualifications.

Your cover letter will be assessed on how well you apply the abovementioned essential elements and the conventions for cover letters discussed in Seminar 9. An exemplar cover letter will be examined in class. Refer to the marking rubric for the grading criteria.

5. Personal Video

As more and more employers opt to use video in recruitment and selection, the competent use of video in job search is essential (Frasca & Edwards 2017). Video is used by recruiters to allow applicants to provide short video-taped messages to elaborate their knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAO’s), such as motivation and career objectives. In video resumes, applicants can differentiate themselves from the pool of applicants by showcasing their personality, talents and interests related to a job (Apers & Derous 2017). Create your personal video or commercial (de Janasz & Forret 2008) about yourself, according to the requirements mentioned below.

Think about “impression management” (Greenhaus, Callanan & Godshalk 2018 pp 157 – 158) and how you will convey your ‘personal brand ’ (Jellison 2010), which you explored in one of   the seminars. For example, does your attire convey an impression of suitability for your occupation? Karl, Hall and Peluchette (2013) found that formal business or business casual attire increased self-perceptions of competence and customer perceptions of service quality.

Read Jellison (2010), chapter 13 - consider if your video aligns with your ‘personal brand’ and:

o use conversation language and words that professionals will understand (Jellison 2010 Ch 13).

o say what you do, what makes you unique and

o tell quick STAR stories to support your claims (Citroën & Lynda.com 2015).

o show confidence, enthusiasm, and remember to smile.

The script. for your personal video should communicate a coherent career narrative and identity.

The format for your personal video should include one visual such as a career vision board developed for this job but similar to the vision board you created in Assessment 1. Remember it must meet the essential criteria below and on the rubric:

 aligns with your strategic plan,

 no more than 2 minutes,

 a professional, business-like presentation showcasing your personal brand.

• attention paid to the setting and background.

• your self-presentation,

• your appropriate business-like attire,

 precisely conveys.

• your knowledge of the organisation that you are applying for.

• your knowledge of the job role and how you meet the criteria.

• your career management to date

• what you have to offer (experience, key strengths, and skills),

• your future aspirations

 is clear, succinct, and distinctive,

 is a compelling story - inspires the recruiter’s interest in learning more about you,

 aligns with information conveyed about you in your resume and cover letter.

 shows a career vision board specifically for this job

 remember to show your face the whole time even when showing the vision board

Your personal video will be assessed on how well you apply the conventions for creating a personal video discussed in class and the essential criteria mentioned above. Refer to the marking rubric for the grading criteria. Submit your video via Kaltura on Blackboard.

5. References

Apers, C., & Derous, E. 2017. Are they accurate? Recruiters' personality judgments in paper versus video resumes. Computers in Human Behavior, 73, 9–19.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.02.063

De Janasz, S. C., & Forret, M. L. 2008. Learning the art of networking. Journal of Management Education, 32(5), 629–650. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052562907307637

Greenhaus, J. H., Callanan, G. A., & Godshalk, V. M. 2018. Career management for life, 5th ed., London: Routledge.

Frasca, K. J., & Edwards, M.R. 2017. Web‐based corporate, social, and video recruitment media: Effects of media richness and source credibility on organizational attraction. International   Journal of Selection and Assessment, 25(2), 125–137. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12165

Harrington, B., & Hall, D. T. 2007. Career management & work-life integration: using self- assessment to navigate contemporary careers. SAGE Publications.

Harrington, B., & Hall, D. T. 2007. Career management & work-life integration: using self- assessment to navigate contemporary careers. SAGE Publications.

Jellison, J. M. 2010. Life after grad school. Oxford University Press.

Karl, K. A., McIntyre-Hall, L., & Peluchette, J. V. 2013. City Employee Perceptions ofthe

Impact of Dress and Appearance. Public Personnel Management, 42(3), 452–470.

https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026013495772

Mou-Danha, S., Yakubova, M., & Vosen-Callens, M. 2019. Answering the "who am I" question: Raising students' sense of self-competence with the 30-second elevator

pitch. Communication Teacher, 33(4), 271–275.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17404622.2019.1575434

Parker, P, & Arthur, M. B. 2004. Coaching for career development and leadership development:

an intelligent career approach. Australian Journal of Career Development, 13(3), 55–60.