Career Research Essay
Writing your Essay
Use the research you have gathered to write a seven paragraph essay about your chosen career. Review theseAPAresources to help you format your essay and references.
Click HERE to watch this video for help setting up your paper with APA.(Links to an external site.)
- Begin with an introductory paragraph stating who you are and your career plans. Explain why you are interested in your career. When did you become interested in this career? What events in your life have led you to have this career goal? What major will help you reach your career goal? Explain your choice of career and what qualifications you feel you have for your chosen career?
- Using the information you received from the any of the assessments you took in this course, (multiple intelligences survey,learning styles,Career Coach,Human Metrics personality assessment(Links to an external site.))explain how your results might help you as you pursue your career and as you enter your profession.
* Extra Credit Option: Gain some experience with your field. Complete any of the following andinclude it at the end of your essay or attach your an artifact to your essay (see your professor for details).
- Upload a Resume inCareerHubLinks to an external site.for Career Services Review
- Attend an overview of servicesappointmentLinks to an external site.with Career Services
- Attend an HCCCareer FairLinks to an external site.
- Complete a Mock Interview inCareerHubLinks to an external site.for Career Services staff to review
Click Here to learn how to access the CareerHub(Links to an external site.)
3. Your third paragraph shouldsummarizeandcomparethe career information you found in theOccupational Outlook Handbook (OOH)(Links to an external site.),Career Coach,Career One Stop(Links to an external site.), or another reputable source forboththe United States (national averages) and the Houston area (local averages). Compare the annual salary, job outlook, a brief description of the job’s responsibilities and the required educationboth locally and nationally. Describe your educational goals, will you need a certificate, bachelors, master or doctorate degree? What are the skills you will need to reach this career goal? Include your plans for financing your education. Please note this information is to be written in your own words. You are required to cite this information in your research paper and on the reference page.
4. Now it’s time to talk about your financial future according to theTexas Reality Check(Links to an external site.)report. Use the information from your financial assignment to write a paragraph that addresses the following. Give the amount of money you will need to earn to maintain the lifestyle you desire to live in the future. Describe the lifestyle you intend to live and explain whether the expected annual salary (local or national) for your career will allow you to live that lifestyle. If it doesn’t, describe what steps you will take to deal with this situation. If you will have excess income, discuss what this will mean for your future.
5. Compare the annual salary you will need to live in Houston to the salary you wouldneed to livethe same lifestyle in two other cities. Use the information your financial assignment and theCNN Money Calculator.(Links to an external site.)Discuss the differences in the cost of living in the two other locations versus the cost of living in Houston. Identify and report the largest percentage differences between the cities. Discuss whether family, groceries, housing or transportation are significant factors. Discuss whether your career is dependent upon location. Based upon your analysis, write a final statement that explains where might you decide to live.
6. Think about how you can help your community as you learn the transferable “soft skills” employers find valuable as you study. Findtwo placeswhere you could possibly volunteer in the future that could use the skills you will acquire from studying and working in your profession. Use the information you found atVolunteer Houston(Links to an external site.)or another volunteer website to write this paragraph. List the two places and explain what type of help they are requesting. Finally, explain how this volunteer experience could help you build your professional network.What personal characteristics, skills, etc. will enhance your prospects for success in this career? What specific experiences (including work experiences) have furthered this interest? What impact do I want to have on society?
7. In conclusion, write your long-term career goal as a SMART goal. Refer to Goal Setting in Chapter 1 (Section 1.2/Pages 9-12) State your goal and what date you plan to achieve it. Tell the reader three specific steps you will take to make the goal a reality. Acknowledge obstacles that will get in your way and say what you plan to do about those obstacles. End your essay with a narrative statement describing how your life will look and how you will feel when you reach your goal. What are my short-term and long-term career goals? Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Your essay must be typed, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and formatted according to APA style. You must create a reference page according to APA style. When you use data from your research, you must follow that data with in-text citations. See the examples provided and use the citation generators suggested.
Click Here to View a Student Example of the Career Essay in APA 1
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Click Here to View a Student Example of the Career Essay in APA 2
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Click Here to View a Student Example of the Career Essay in MLA
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