The Ultimate in Job Search Preparation: BADM 380

BADM 380: Managing the Transition to the Work Force
This course is designed as preparation for the transition into the business workplace. Emphasis will be on training for successful internship and career placement. The course will provide students with a solid background in future career development.

Instructor
Meg Barkhymer, Director of Career Development Services. Guest speakers will include employers from the business community and Otterbein alumni.

Course Objectives
Career planning and management involves more than making a decision about what occupational field you will enter. It requires much self-reflection and an analysis of the meaning of your undergraduate experience and its applicability to successful employment.

The process also includes researching careers and employers, resume writing, interview training, exploration of various job search strategies, and building employability skills that will enhance your success on the job.

Specifically, the course is intended to:

• Help you develop skills in generating and using personal data in making career decisions and plans.
• Help you gain an understanding of how personality, skills, interests, and values influence career development.
• Help you identify appropriate occupations or specializations that are congruent with your personal characteristics.
• Introduce you to a variety of informational resources that can be used to explore career options.
• Help you develop a plan for effectively managing your job search.
• Help you build the skills you need to be a competitive job candidate.
• Introduce you to work place expectations for new professionals.

Course Design
The implications of the issues and processes we discuss during the course will extend beyond the classroom to your job search and early years on the job. It is especially true of this course that the more time and energy you invest now, the more long-term benefits you will receive.

Methods of instruction include class discussion, simulation exercises, assessment activities, guest presenters, Internet exploration and lectures. Papers and oral reports will be assigned.

Main Topics and Activities
Self Assessment

• Interests and Personality
• Skills, values and decision-making
• You will complete several career interest inventories, a work preference inventory, and an in-depth analysis of your skills and achievements, a career assessment summary, and a personal career goal statement.
• Researching careers, work trends, employers and organizations

• Learning about employers
• Personal networking
• You will study a career in-depth, thoroughly research an employer, do an information interview, and listen to an employer panel discuss the characteristics and requirements of their industry.
• Developing job search tools

• Cover letters and other correspondence
• Preparing for interviews
• You will write a resume and cover letter targeted to a specific job, prepare a verbal "one-minute" resume, experience interview training on the Internet, participate in a role play interview, and have a practice interview with a professional.
• Job search strategies

• E-job hunting
• Networking
• You will preview national, regional, and targeted job database web sites, and learn how to evaluate career and job web sites.

• The hiring process
• Your first year on the job
• You will develop a career plan for your short term as well as long term goals.