CG 54—CAREER PLANNING                                                            Cabrillo College—Fall 2009

Instructor: Phil Van Loon                                                                                         Tuesdays, 6:30–8:35 pm

                  Phone: 429-1958                                                                                      October 13–December 8

                  Email: pvanloon@cabrillo.edu                                                                                       Room 809

Section No. 62992                                                                                                                       Credit: 1 unit        

 

DATE	CLASS TOPIC	READ before class (see list)	PROJECTS DUE (points)
10/13	Introduction 20 Successes
10/20	Campbell Interest & Skill Survey Work Satisfiers	Why Plan?	Internet Exercise (5)
10/27	Myers-Briggs results Alternatives to 9-5 Job	Personality Types	Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
11/3	Results from Campbell Information Interviewing	Information Interviewing	Quiz #1 (10)
11/10	Career Planning Center	Alternatives to 9-5 Careers	Assessment Worksheet (5) Career Reports (2@5 each)
11/17	Info Interview Reports Career Trends	Future Trends	Interview Report (30)
11/24	NO CLASS
12/1	Ideal Job Description Making Career Decisions	Decisions & Problem-solving	Quiz #2 (10)
12/8	Career Plan Reports		Career Plan Report (30)

 

REQUIREMENTS:

1.     $30.00 fee for career assessments — cash or check (made out to Cabrillo College).

2.     Attendance—is required. Contact instructor if absent (429-1958 or pvanloon@cabrillo.edu).

3.     Readings—Weekly online reading assignments are listed below (on page 2).

4.     Internet Exercise— October 20 (5 points maximum). Handout will be provided. (Also available online at http://www.cabrillo.edu/~pvanloon/internet.htm .)

5.     Assessment Worksheet— November 10 (5 points). Worksheet available from instructor (or online at www.cabrillo.edu/~pvanloon/assessmentworksheet.htm ).

6.     Career Research Reports—Due November 10 (5 points each). Research careers during class meeting at Cabrillo College Career Center (in 100 Building). Report forms available from instructor (or online at www.cabrillo.edu/~pvanloon/careerreport.htm ).

7.     Information Interview Report— November 17 (30 points max.). Interview someone in a career of interest to you. Please include the name, title, and phone number of the person you interviewed. Report on what you learned in 2 ways— Type-written report (2 pages double-spaced), and Oral summary of the highlights (2–3 minutes in small groups).

8.     Quizzes— November 3 and December 1 (10 points each). On all reading assignments.

9.     Career Plan— December 8 (30 points max.). Using class exercises, career assessments, and your Reports, describe what you'll do next in 2 ways: Type-written report (2-3 pages double-spaced), and Oral summary of your plan (2–3 minutes in small groups).

GRADING: Letter grade (A, B, C, etc.), unless you tell me you want CR/NC (credit/no credit). A=90–100 points/ B=80–89/ C=70–79/ D =60–69/ F=59 or less. (70 points required for CR grade.) Extra credit work accepted (check with me). LATE assignments are subject to a lower grade.

 

Students needing accommodations should contact the instructor ASAP. As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accommodations are provided to insure equal opportunity for students with verified disabilities. If you need assistance with an accommodation, please contact Disabled Student Services, Room 810, 479-6379, or Learning Skills Program, Room 1073, 479-6220.

 

 

READING ASSIGNMENTS

This syllabus and reading list (with links) is at www.cabrillo.edu/~pvanloon/cg54.htm .

 

10/20   Why Plan?

For a provocative look at career (and life) planning, read the article "What Should I Do with my Life?". Find it at: www.fastcompany.com/magazine/66/mylife.html

 

10/27   Personality Types

After you take the Myers-Briggs, read the following articles to get a provocative description of the personality types from the developers of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Go to www.advisorteam.org/the_four-temperaments/ and read the page "Keirsey's Four Temperaments", plus the four articles listed as links at the bottom of the web page: Guardians, Artisans, Idealists, and Rationals. (NOTE: The Four Temperaments are based on just two of the four letters that identify each Myers-Briggs personality type.)

 

11/3     Information Interviewing

In preparation for Information Interview assignment that is due on May 13, read the excellent Informational Interviewing Tutorial at www.quintcareers.com/informational_interviewing.html . You can click on the button at the bottom of each page to proceed to the next one. Read the whole thing— there are 27 "pages" but many of them are only one short paragraph. Not all of the information will apply to our class assignment, but this is a technique you can use throughout your life.

 

11/10   Alternatives to 9-5 Careers

There are two readings this week (read both):

1.     Read about a different way of looking at careers in a provocative article, "Land of the Free," at www.fastcompany.com/magazine/46/freeagent.html . (Optional: If you want more on this concept, you can read the article on which it is based, "Free Agent Nation," at www.fastcompany.com/magazine/12/freeagent.html . It's also been expanded into a book.)

2.     Read about "portfolio careers" at www.quintcareers.com/portfolio_careers.html .

 

11/17   Future Trends

Read about career predictions at www.careerplanner.com/Career-Articles/Top_Jobs.htm .

 

12/1     Decisions & Problem Solving

Read more about this process of making career decisions in the following two articles:

1.     "Make Decisions" - www.counseling.ilstu.edu/career/Careerdecisonhandout.shtml

2.     "Six Thinking Hats" describes a powerful technique for making any decision.

www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_07.htm . (There are even more approaches listed under the "Decision-Making" menu in the upper part of this web page.)