It is mandatory to use the attached template for the assignment.

 

Course: WRK100: Preparing for the Future of Work

Assignment 2: Reflecting on Your Skills, Goals, and Accomplishments

Note about this assignment: To ensure students are properly placed into the English courses that will best set them up for successful college writing, it is customary for students to have their writing skills assessed. For students without transfer credit for college-level English courses, the writing you provide in Assignment 2 will be assessed to determine whether you should be placed into ENG090 or into ENG116. This review of your writing will not affect your grade on the assignment or the overall course; your instructor will grade Assignment 2 based on the rubric for the course, which is separate from the writing review.

What to submit/deliverables: Word document that contains Parts 1‐3 of the Assignment 2 Template.

What is the value of doing this assignment? In this assignment, you will reflect on the qualities, values, strengths, areas of improvement, and accomplishments that capture who you are and how they connect to the 10 Skills and your personal, academic, and professional goals. You‘ll then practice your communication skill by writing about what you‘ve identified in ways appropriate for a CV or résumé (you will not need to complete a résumé). You‘ll use this information in Assignment 3 to create an action plan for developing skills that will help you reach your future goals. After completing this assignment, you will have a document you can bring to the Career Center where counselors can help you further develop your career strategy.

Your goal for this assignment is to: Reflect on and communicate your skills, goals, and accomplishments. To truly develop your communication skill it is important that you write using your own words and do not cut and paste from the Skills Definition table or any other source.

Steps to complete: In Week 4, complete and submit your assignment using the following steps:

STEP 1: Complete the four questions in Part 1: About Me, reflecting on your values, aspirations, key qualities, goals, strengths, and areas of growth.

• For questions 2, 3, and 4 in Part 1, make sure to write five or more complete sentences for each.

STEP 2: Complete the three steps in Part 2: Accomplishment Statements by reflecting on your past accomplishments, using the template to identify the challenges, actions, results, and details, and then writing two series of concise statements using the example accomplishments formatting provided.

STEP 3: Complete the four-question reflection in Part 3: Reflect on Your Experiences, considering Parts 1 and 2 of this assignment and the connections you have made to the 10 Skills.

To help make sure you are properly citing your sources, please review

Assignment 2 Rubric

WRK100

 

Assignment 2 Template: Reflecting on Your Skills, Goals, and Accomplishments

Part 1: About Me

Answer the following questions to capture how you see yourself in terms of values, aspirations, key qualities, goals, strengths, and areas of growth:

 

1) Describe your values, motivations or aspirations in your own words.

 

2) Describe some of your main personal, academic, and professional goals. Make sure to write five or more complete sentences.

 

3) What are some of your strength areas? Think about the top 2–3 skills you would advertise about yourself, or consider what others come to you for advice about. Make sure to write five or more complete sentences.

 

4) What are some areas you would like to grow and improve in? Make sure to write five or more complete sentences.

 

 

Part 2: Accomplishment Statements

Accomplishments don’t have to be as large as climbing the top of Mount Everest or starting your own company. We accomplish many things in our lives every day that have meaning. For example, perhaps you organized volunteers for your school’s food drive or made an extremely profitable sale. Or, if you’re more advanced in your career, perhaps you’ve received a promotion or special recognition.

In this part of the assignment, you’ll identify two accomplishments from work, school, volunteering, or other activities. You’ll then practice communicating these in ways appropriate for a résumé.

To begin, brainstorm accomplishments from your work, school, volunteering, or other activities. Read the Accomplishment Categories section for a list. After you’ve identified two accomplishments, write statements for each accomplishment using the information below:

Step 1: Think about each of your accomplishments in these terms:

Challenge	Situation, problem, or requirement.
Action	Specific actions you took to resolve or meet the challenge.
Result	The benefit created in specific and measurable terms. Be sure to tie results to the organization’s goals when possible.
Details	Clarifying details, such as numbers or percentages, to provide context (consider answering how many, how much, how long, or how often).

Consider the example below of someone with experience as a retail manager:

Challenge	An increase in customer complaints about the helpfulness of staff.
Action	Developed a new training program for staff, got approval from district manager, and once approved implemented it with a regular review process.
Result	After 3 months, customer complaints decreased.
Details	Previously, customer complaints averaged 4 per week. After 3 months, complaints averaged 1 or less per week.

Step 2: Write two accomplishment statements to practice using this format:

Challenge
Action
Result
Details

 

Challenge
Action
Result
Details

 

 

Step 3: Now, try writing your two accomplishment statements concisely for a résumé (you will not be completing a resume). Use either example format below to write your accomplishments:

Accomplishment Statement 1: Result + action + brief description including clarifying details.

Example: Decreased customer complaints from 3 per week to 1 or less per week by training staff and implementing a regular review process.

 

Accomplishment Statement 2: Action + brief description with clarifying details + results.

Example: Trained retail staff in customer-service techniques and implemented a regular review process, decreasing customer complaints from 3 per week to 1 or less per week.

 

 

Accomplishment Statement 1

 

 

Accomplishment Statement 2

 

 

 

 

Note: Delete this section before handing in your completed template.

Accomplishment Categories

Saving Time: shortening a procedure optimizing a process establishing a new procedure investing in new technology retraining staff identifying inefficiencies changing a schedule recommending new systems Saving Money: using supplies more effectively eliminating unneeded reports contracting with a new vendor reducing underperforming programs properly scheduling staff recruiting volunteers creating something from scratch finding cost-effective solutions Making Money: increasing sales/profits/market share enlarging a market finding a new market expanding class offerings developing new services inventing something winning a grant enrolling new participants retaining clients/customers/students developing partnerships upselling customers extending contracts

Reducing Risk: meeting government requirements improving testing fixing a problem ensuring safety standards are met decreasing negative behaviors increasing positive behaviors protecting against a hazard developing policies Improving Quality: upgrading a system or software updating a course facilitating employee training instating best practices implementing new procedures Recognition: winning an award securing a promotion achieving a certification/degree boosting customer satisfaction improving employee engagement increasing teamwork reducing errors receiving positive feedback · earning a bonus · accepting a board position Creating Positive Outcomes: implementing successful intervention teaching life skills observing behavioral change fostering therapeutic relationships

 

Part 3: Reflect on Your Experiences

1) How has reflecting on your goals, strengths, areas of growth, and accomplishments been valuable for you?

 

2) What are ways you can build in a regular practice of reflection?

 

3) In your current understanding of the 10 Skills, identify 1–2 skills that you believe have helped you reach the accomplishments listed in Part 2. Briefly explain how.

 

4) After practicing writing your accomplishments in a résumé-appropriate style, do you feel more confident in expressing your accomplishments to an employer? Briefly explain.

 

© 2020 Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

Page 6 of 6