“My Career Journey: A Reflection on Personal and Professional Development”

Career Development Autobiography (Should be comprehensive but not more than 10 pages)
This paper builds on your Career Factors Checklist assignment and will make up a large chunk of your portfolio. It should convey who you are and how you got there. Because the best individual contributors, managers, and leaders truly know themselves, each student will write a paper including:
●      Career socialization autobiography – What factors, influences, and events have shaped your career development? What specific factors (See Career Factor Checklist), people, and events make your career development different from any other person? This portion of the paper should capture a personal and career analysis of your life from the values, attitudes, and behaviors that you have developed up to this point of your life.
●      A personal mission statement – what do you want to accomplish personally and professionally over the next 5 to 10 years
●      Core values – what are the principles, beliefs, and standards that guide your life (both work and non-work related)
●      Career aspirations – short-term (2-5 years) and long-term (10+ years)
●      Planned legacy – what do you want to be remembered for at the end of your professional career (i.e., how would you like to be described by colleagues at your retirement party)  and at the end of your life (i.e., how would you like your eulogy to read)
Your paper should specifically address all of the above listed. Your content is your own knowledge about yourself and about how you have been socialized. Personal reflection, discussions with others, and a conscious awareness of your past and present are prerequisites for completing this assignment. This is not a paper that can be written in a couple days or without considerable thought. Please use APA style of writing in essay form. Proofreading is a must. Papers are to be typed (double-spaced, 12 pt font) and should not exceed 10 pages.