Once you have completed your exam, you should begin working on your career and academic planning project. It will be due the final week of the course. Read the instructions below carefully. There are several parts; so it is important not to procrastinate, or you will find you do not have time to effectively complete all parts successfully. This project is worth a total of 50 points. Ten of those points apply to your check-in next week.

For the presentation of the project, choose a medium that is comfortable for you. Perhaps you’d like to create your own web-site to present your project, using a platform such as Wix, Weebly, WordPress, or Google Sites. Maybe you would prefer to keep with a PowerPoint presentation. Any of these (or others with approval by your instructor) can be used to present your final project. Word is not an appropriate format. Be sure to specifically address all of the bulleted items in your presentation and include references for the resources you used (see the Citation Help & Plagiarism link in the College Resources topic).

Take a look at the examples of exemplary projects below. In reviewing your project, I am looking for evidence indicating that you have:

• Identified a career and academic goal.
• Completed self-assessment activities to determine if your career choice is a good fit for you.
• Researched the career option you are focusing on at this time.
• Utilized college resources to identify a program of study at NOVA that will help prepare you for your career choice.
• Placed in an appropriate program based on your career choice.
• Conducted research into the transfer requirements, if relevant for your career.
• Developed an academic plan.
• Made an effort to create an attractive presentation.

Examples of Exemplary Projects:

Career & Academic Planning Project in PowerPoint Example (PDF)

http://rar2424.wix.com/robertoproject

http://kburkle.wix.com/exemplary-example

Getting Started:

As you begin working on your final project reflect back on your sentence and the various questions posed in the “Maximizing Your College Experience” video (from module 1). Consider attending the “Getting Ready for Your Next Semester” webinar, presented by ELI’s career counselor, Christy Jensen. This 45 minutewebinar for NOVA students will focus on answering key questions students have about preparing for their next semester. Topics covered will include program identification, course selection, college resources, schedule planning, and registration/payment tips. You can search for upcoming dates via http://eli.nvcc.edu/webinars.htm#semester. If you are unable to attend a live session, you can request a recorded session at http://eli.nvcc.edu/webinars.htm#semester.

Part I: Identifying a Career Goal:

The objective of this portion of the project is to help you identify your career goal. You may find it helpful to review the “Maximizing Your College Experience” video and your Career Research Chart to complete this section.

Articulate:

• What is your sentence? If the sentence is different than the sentence you posted in your course introduction, explain why your sentence has changed. (Include both your initial and current sentence in your project).
• What career are you planning to pursue at this time?
• What skills are required for this career?
• Considering the skills required for this career, why would this career be a good choice for you?
• How does this career support your interests and values?

Earlier this semester you completed the Receptive Learning Styles and Jung Typology assessments. Thinking about what you discovered about your learning styles and preferences, address the following questions:

• How will you utilize your primary learning style as you prepare for and enter this career?
• Does this career compliment the results of your personality assessment? Why or why not?
• Based on your learning styles and preferences does this seem like a good fit for you? Why or why not?

Part II: Preparing to Develop an Academic Plan:

The objective of this portion of the project is to help you prepare to create an academic plan based on your career choice.

Articulate:

• What is the level of education most people have for this career?
• What are the general training requirements?
• Is a particular degree required? If yes, what degree?
• Is a particular major recommended? If yes, what major(s)?
• If a Bachelor’s degree or higher is recommended, which institutions might you transfer to continue your studies? What major might you consider at the institution?

To complete this section, you will want to view a few resources to determine if are on the right track to accomplish your goal of entering this career. First, take a look at your Advisement Report in NOVAConnect. This report identifies your requirements, satisfied and unsatisfied, towards your program of interest. View the program(s) for which you are currently placed. Is this an appropriate program to help you prepare for your career choice? If you are unsure if this program is an appropriate option to help you achieve your goal, check the program description on the advising sheet via the college catalog (be sure to access it from the catalog year in which you are enrolled; check your advisement report if you are not sure). If you are still unsure, contact me to discuss your program options (the project check-in is a perfect time to do this). If you have not yet declared a program of study at NOVA or you need to officially change your program of study, you can stop by a campus to speak with a counselor or send an email to an ELI counselor.

All students should be assigned an advisor after they have officially declared a program of study at NOVA. If you have not been assigned an advisor, contact the academic division office on your campus of record or a campus that offers the program of interest, or an ELI counselor. Before contacting the division office or a counselor, check your student record to make sure an advisor has not already been assigned.

• Include the name of your faculty advisor along with their contact information.

Lastly, if your goal is to transfer after NOVA, go to the Transfer website. There you will find information on the Guaranteed Admission Agreement. In addition to GAAs, NOVA has a number of Articulation Agreements with four year institutions. Review the agreements that NOVA has with the institution(s) that interest you. Review any available transfer guides (these may be posted on the agreements webpage or via the transfer institution’s webpage). Additionally, the VA Wizard offers information on what degrees transfer to which 4-year colleges. If you think you could use more information on transferring, you can request a recorded transfer planning webinar at http://eli.nvcc.edu/webinars.htm#transfer.

Or, if your goal is to enter the workforce, seek advancement, or enhance skills for your current position; Step 4 on the Career Resources webpage may be useful for you.

If you are planning to transfer:

• Discuss what you learned about the transfer process, including information about the GAA or AA if appropriate; and the benefit to earning your Associate’s degree prior to transfer.

If you are not planning to transfer:

• Discuss your plans after you leave NOVA and why earning your degree or certificate from NOVA is going to be useful to you.

Part III: Developing an Academic Plan:

The objective of this portion of the project is to create an academic plan based on your career choice.

Based on your research, you will develop an academic plan for completing your degree at NOVA using the my Student Success Planner. The Student Success Planner tutorials will be helpful to you in using this tool. You must include a copy of your academic plan created in the my Student Success Planner in your project. You can copy and paste or take a screen shot of your plan from the Student Success Planner. If you are using PowerPoint, you can also download your plan; save it to your computer; and attach as an object. Be sure to make it a readable size.

You may also find the following features available through FOCUS 2 helpful with creating your plan: Build Your Action Plan (see Create an Action Plan section) and Academic Strengths & Your Personal Development Needs (see Career Readiness section).

Everyone’s plan will be a bit different. Remember what we learned when we studied time management. You want to be sure you are realistic about the time required to complete tasks. For example, when you are working full time, you cannot expect yourself to also study full-time. If you are a parent, you might have other constraints on your time that make a “two-year” degree take much longer.

In Part Three you will:

• Demonstrate a plan with the my Student Success Planner that shows a realistic timeline for completing all of the courses required for your degree while taking into consideration any developmental coursework you are required to complete, as well as a realistic number of classes each semester.
• Identify when you need to apply for graduation.
• Identify when to submit a letter of intent, if required, to the four-year institution you are considering.
• Express two things you can do while at NOVA to better prepare for your career choice.
• Analyze three challenges you anticipate encountering while trying to achieve your plan. Determine possible solutions to address these challenges.

Make your plan as comprehensive as possible and catered to the demands that you balance in your life. As you continue your studies at NOVA, you should intend to review your plan regularly, communicate with your faculty advisor about your plan, and address any questions or concerns you have about achieving your academic goals prior to enrolling in a future semester.

Submitting Your Project:

Refer to grading rubric for information about how your project will be graded. You will submit your project in the final week of this class.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me. At this point you have put a lot of research into finding a career that matches your personality, learning style, interests, skills, and values. You have checked your advisement report to be sure you are in the appropriate program. You have researched information about your program of study at NOVA. You have determined if you will transfer to a four-year school or enter the workforce after graduation. Now, let’s create a plan for success!