BN301 Individual Final Project Options and Guidelines

You have several options for your final individual project in BN 301:



Options
  1. Develop an expanded version of the informational interview paper due in Week 8. The expanded version should include the original interview you submitted in Week 8, along with two additional interviews and a more detailed analysis. Details here.
  2. Create your own blog. Create a blog related to business, communication, your career interest, or your personal job/internship search. Details here.
  3. Create an online career portfolio. Details here.
  4. Create a career portfolio in print (hard-copy) format. Details here.
  5. Conduct a social/business networking project in which you attempt to reach a goal number of contacts and write a short report on the process. Details here.

Final Project Proposal: To get you started "early" in the semester on your final individual project, I am asking you to turn in a paragraph describing your project during Week 7 of class (Feb. 21). You may submit your proposal via e-mail, hard copy, or in the Blackboard Drop Box.

Details

Expanded Informational Interview Paper: Conduct two informational interviews in addition to the one due in Week 8. Integrate all three interviews into an 8-10 page paper with analysis. Same verification requirements (fax or business card ONLY) are in effect for 2nd two interviews.

Format for Final Paper Integrating All Three Interviews

I. A description of your career goals before you conducted the interviews

II. Brief (1 paragraph) description of companies/organizations (size, location, type of business, etc.)

A. 1st Company/Organization
B. 2nd Company/Organization
C. 3rd Company/Organization
III. What you learned about the jobs that your interviewees held that reinforced what you already knew
A. 1st Company/Organization
B. 2nd Company/Organization
C. 3rd Company/Organization
IV. What you learned about the jobs that your interviewees held that surprised you
A. 1st Company/Organization
B. 2nd Company/Organization
C. 3rd Company/Organization
V. What you liked about the jobs that your interviewees held
A. 1st Company/Organization
B. 2nd Company/Organization
C. 3rd Company/Organization
VI. What you didn't like about the jobs your interviewees held
A. 1st Company/Organization
B. 2nd Company/Organization
C. 3rd Company/Organization
VII. VERY IMPORTANT: A detailed analysis of the experience.
Some questions you MAY want to address in your thoughtful, detailed analysis follow. You do not have to address all of these questions; neither should you necessarily limit yourself to these questions:
  • What did you get out of the informational-interview experience?
  • What did you learn overall?
  • What did you learn about yourself?
  • What did you learn about what you value in a job and in a workplace?
  • If you interviewed people in more than one field, did one job stand out over the other(s) and provide you with clearer career direction?
  • What did you learn about how to break into your preferred field?
  • What did you learn about how to succeed in your preferred field?
  • How do your skills/grades/experiences measure up to what's required for entry or success in your preferred field?
  • Have your ideas about pursuing your preferred field have changed now that you know more about it?
  • If you still want to pursue your original career direction, what is your strategy for seeking a job in this field?
  • If you have decided against your original field, what fields are you now considering, and how will you go about finding out if another field suits you better?
  • Consider addressing additional questions found here.
Percentage of last semester's BN 301 students who chose this project: 26 percent; Percentage of previous semester's BN 301 students who chose this project: 11 percent


Blog: Create a blog using free blogging software, such as Blogger and MSN Spaces (or paid software if you prefer, such as Typepad [$5/month; free 30-day trial], Blog Harbor [$9/month; free 30-day trial]). Blog should contain at least 15 entries of at least 200 words each. Blog can be on any topic related to business, communication, your career interest(s), or your personal job/internship search. If you have any doubts about whether your chosen topic is appropriate, check with instructor.

Student samples from previous semesters:
http://www.spaces.msn.com/members/cbelisle/
http://heatheralbright.livejournal.com/
http://blog.myspace.com/31759378
http://blog.myspace.com/70038708
http://meagancarlucci.blogspot.com/
http://duke711.livejournal.com/
http://mariegoltara.spaces.live.com/
http://www.xanga.com/trabajalo
http://spaces.msn.com/MattEfird/
http://hiredhats.blogspot.com/
http://evansblog01.myblog.com/
http://dkerames.blogspot.com/
http://bn301es.livejournal.com/
http://bn301blog.livejournal.com

Percentage of last semester's BN 301 students who chose this project: 15 percent; Percentage of previous semester's BN 301 students who chose this project: 16 percent


Online Career Portfolio: Create an online portfolio consisting of at least five linked, navigable Web pages. You can publish your portfolio in Stetson Web space; see instructor or IT department for assistance. The portfolio should be designed to advance your online presence and showcase your qualifications to employers 24/7. CAUTION: If you do not know your way around Web publishing, be sure you get an EARLY START on this project. This is not a project to be completed at the last minute. Please alert instructor as soon as possible if you are having difficulty; chances are I can help. Major deductions will result if you are not able to publish all or part of your portfolio properly on the Web and you have not previously alerted instructor of difficulties.
See sample online portfolios below:
http://www.career-recruit.fsu.edu/careerportfolio/enter/output/artifact.html
http://www.collegerecruiter.net/JillSample
http://brandego.com/gallery.php
http://www.handcoding.com/portfolio/
http://cfortune.kics.bc.ca/templates/microsoft/index.php?id=0
http://www.dsinnig.com/index.html
http://users.tkk.fi/~ahuotari/portfolio/index.html
http://www.careertalent.net/pt/samples/index.html
http://www.careercampaign.com/resumes-webportfolio.html
http://www.blueskyportfolios.com/
http://www.intalent.com/templates/ESEARCH/default.asp?aff=ESEARCH&SPLD=ESEARCH
http://portfolio.intalent.com/WilliamFrank61/#
http://www.corporatewarriors.com/jdoe1148/
http://www.qfolio.com/index.shtml
http://www.quintcareers.com/KHansen_Portfolio.html
http://www.careerdoctor.org/Coaching_Portfolio/
http://myexecutiveweb.com/rsteenbergen/
http://www.stewartcoopercoon.com/webres/danderson1/
http://www.stewartcoopercoon.com/webres/fcoon/
http://www.stewartcoopercoon.com/webres/jdecania/
http://www.crsresume.com/CareerPark/JohnAEvans/
http://www.crsresume.com/CareerPark/Chung-LiYu/
http://www.crsresume.com/CareerPark/WilliamBowen/

Student samples from previous semesters (varying levels of quality):
http://www.adamsmartin.com
http://www.kyleluikart.com
http://www.stetson.edu/~rfoley/
http://www.geocities.com/k_downes86
http://www.stetson.edu/~jkirkpat/
http://www.stetson.edu/~agilbert/
http://www.stetson.edu/~lajones/index_files/intro.htm
http://www.stetson.edu/~cbuenger
http://www.stetson.edu/~mguy/bn301/home.htm
http://www.freewebs.com/ahummel/
http://www.freewebs.com/nmrozows/
http://www.freewebs.com/aalquinta/
http://www.stetson.edu/~jrpatel/index2.htm
http://www.stetson.edu/~rhanks
http://www.geocities.com/bveryskurd
http://www.stetson.edu/~pmynchen/
http://jobs.CollegeRecruiter.com/3541618
http://www.stetson.edu/~bfeldman/new
http://members.aol.com/zalomar/portfolio/index.htm
http://www.geocities.com/keri_lowry/Index.html
http://www.stetson.edu/~aoden
http://www.freewebs.com/dcama/
https://www.stetson.edu/~mhaugner/portfolio/
http://www.stetson.edu/~jdeangel/bn301jdeangelo/
http://www.stetson.edu/~kgallagh/
http://www.stetson.edu/~lhegel/personalportfolio/bn301.htm
http://www.stetson.edu/~lsulliva/Index.htm
http://www.sabrinabeaudin.com/
http://www.freewebs.com/beverlybarr/
http://www.freewebs.com/rrhoads/
http://www.stetson.edu/~jpeters1/
http://www.stetson.edu/~snobles/portfolio/
http://www.freewebs.com/tdeneen/
http://www.stetson.edu/~mfeeney/
http://www.stetson.edu/~cdavis/personal_portfolio/
http://www.freewebs.com/andrewdavidzaleski/
http://www.careermag.com/AudraLThomas
http://www.stetson.edu/~mmares/personalportfolio/mares.htm
http://www.geocities.com/c_culver2/home.html

Resources
Seven Things Recruiters Look For in Your Website Portfolio
How a Portfolio Can Help Land the Job
Tips for Internet Portfolios
The PortfolioMaker
Intro to Career Portfolios (This is a particularly excellent resource)

Elements ("artifacts") that could be included in the portfolio (you are not limited to these):
– Resume
Extracurricular Activities
Letters of Recommendation from Employers/Professors
Sports Activities/Honors
Degree and Transcript Info
Licenses
Writing Samples
Web Design Samples
News Clippings about You
Personal Mission Statement
Publications in Which Your Work Appears
– Performance Evaluations

Bio
Photo(s)
Foreign-language and International Skills
Academic Awards/Honors
Professional Development Activities
Computer Programming Samples
Items that Demonstrate Leadership/Teamwork Skills
SWOT Analysis (beware of how you portray weaknesses in SWOT)
– PowerPoint Presentations
– Testimonials
– Community/Volunteer Service Info
Hobbies/ Interests
All Contact Info
Military Service Info
References (tricky on the Web because having contact info on the Web can expose people to spam)
Certificates
Samples of Academic Work (such as research papers)
Art/Design Samples
Accomplishments
Creative Products
– Spreadsheets
– Letters of Appreciation
– Items from Class Projects
– Sales Reports

Percentage of last semester's BN 301 students who chose this project: 23 percent;
Percentage of previous semester's BN 301 students who chose this project: 28 percent
Print Career Portfolio: Create a print portfolio with at least 10 "artifacts" or items (see above list). Print portfolios are generally designed to be taken to job interviews and presented to employers, so design yours with that purpose in mind. Your print portfolio should be packaged as attractively as possible in a binder. Create a portfolio that you would be proud to show an employer in an interview. Just as in a Web-based portfolio, navigation is important. The best print portfolios contain a Table of Contents and tabbed index/dividers to guide the reader as to where items are located. If you include a cover letter, ensure that it is generic letter or make it clear that your portfolio targets the specific employer to whom your cover letter is addressed.

Elements that can be included are the same as above.

Resources:
Same as above, plus:
Tutorial: Career Portfolio
Professional Employment Portfolios
Employability Portfolio
Career & Job Portfolio Books
Sample print portfolio and books available for review in instructor's office.

Percentage of last semester's BN 301 students who chose this project: 23 percent; Percentage of previous semester's BN 301 students who chose this project: 27 percent


Social/Business Networking Project: Using a social/business networking Web site, such as one listed below, build a network designed to help you launch your career. Attempt to add contacts to your network who are in your intended field and could be useful network contacts for job-hunting. Your goal is to equal or surpass the highest number (36) of contacts achieved by any student in the previous semester. For your final project, you must submit evidence (Web page or e-mail printout) of the number of contacts in this network. The other part of this project option is a 4-5 page paper about your experiences with building this online network. The paper should address such questions as:
  • How difficult was it to build a network with this many contacts?
  • What was the process like (describe how you want about building this network of contacts)? What were the problems?
  • How and to what extent do you feel these contacts might help you in launching your career/finding a job upon graduation?
  • What surprised you the most about the process?
  • What did you like most/least about the process?
  • What other applications do you think online networking might have to your career or to the careers of others?
  • Is social/business networking a process you would recommend to other college students or entry-level job-seekers? Why or why not?
See http://www.quintcareers.com/maximizing_online_networking.html for an article about one previous student's experience with this project and the tricks he developed to make the most of his Ryze network. You can also find other tricks and "cheat" guides on the Internet for various social/business network platforms, especially LinkedIn.

I would especially like to see your paper show persistence and resourcefulness in determining how to make the most of the network you choose.

Social/Business Networks to choose from (With instructor's approval, you can use a networking site not on this list, but please do not use a site that is primarily socially oriented, such as Facebook, My Space, or Friendster).

4-5 page paper, typed and double-spaced.

Whichever project you choose should follow the writing-style conventions described in the document "Why Is It Red?"

Percentage of last semester's BN 301 students who chose this project: 4 percent; Percentage of previous semester's BN 301 students who chose this project: 1 percent



Point value: 150 points
Due date: Week 15 (April 23).



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