Assignment Instructions

INDIVIDUAL CAREER PLAN

For this assignment, you will reflect on the Work Values Card Sort and Career Skills Inventory exercises you completed in Week 6, articulate your professional goals and career plans, and write an action plan for implementing those goals and plans.

Instructions

Write a 5–6 page paper in which you complete the following:

• Create a title page: Give your paper a title that reflects the purpose of your work. Use the  to format your paper according to the APA manual (sixth edition).
• Write an introduction: For the introduction section of your paper, include the title at the top of the first page, and begin your introduction two spaces beneath your title. (In APA format, the word Introduction is not used as a heading.) Briefly summarize the key components of your paper.
• Create a heading titled Assessment and Inventory Results: Summarize the results of the required self-assessment and self-inventory exercises. Use critical thinking and your knowledge of psychological theories and concepts to analyze the meaning and significance of the results. This summary can help guide your career direction.
• Create a heading titled Goals and Career Plans:
  • Describe your professional philosophy, including your goals and career plans.
  • Describe how your professional goals and career choices align with your values and life interests.
  • Explain how your values relate to professional behaviors and practices.
• Create a heading titled Motivation: Analyze how psychological principles can be used to motivate you to overcome obstacles to reach your professional goals.
• Create a heading titled Action Plan: Develop a  for implementing your career goals. This will serve as a road map to help you take concrete steps to fulfill your goals. For example, describe the steps you are planning to take to apply for a job or apply to graduate school. Discuss realistic ideas about how to implement psychological knowledge and skills in occupational pursuits that meet personal and professional goals.
• Create a heading titled Conclusion: Briefly summarize the key points of your paper and make a statement about your future career aspirations.

Keep in mind throughout this assignment that while your writing must conform to APA standards, you must explain all information in a manner that can be easily understood by a nonacademic or nonscientific audience.

Refer to the Individual Career Plan Scoring Guide to ensure you meet the grading criteria for this assignment.

Submission Requirements

Your paper should meet the following requirements:

• Written communication: Written communication is free from errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA format: Comply with current .
• Number of resources: A minimum of three academic resources.
• Length of paper: 5–6 typed, double-spaced pages, excluding cover page and references.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Portfolio Prompt: You are encouraged to save this learning activity to your .

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Apply psychological theory and concepts to individual, organizational, and social issues.
  • Analyze career inventory results based on psychological theories and concepts.
• Competency 4: Solve problems in the field of psychology through critical and scientific analysis, and innovative thinking.
  • Analyze how psychological principles can motivate progress toward professional goals.
• Competency 6: Integrate knowledge of psychology with personal values and goals to guide personal, collaborative, and professional behavior.
  • Describe how professional goals and plans align with values and life interests.
  • Develop an action plan to implement psychological knowledge and skills to pursue professional goals.
• Competency 7: Communicate effectively with diverse recipients in a manner that is consistent with expectations for psychology professionals.
  • Communicate clearly supporting a central idea with good organization of thought, and correct grammar and sentence structure.
  • Apply APA style and formatting to written work.