BIS 300Fall 2016

Reflection and Exploration Essay (20 points)

Due: October 18

Hardcopy to your instructor and posted on Class Blog

This assignment is designed to help you develop your reflective skills and your college-level writing, and to introduce you to library and career resources as you research topics related to you BIS Program. Through careful analysis of the topics, you will explore how your background and previous experiences will contribute to your work in the BIS program.

This paper will deepen your understanding of your personal and professional goals and styles as learners in order to ground your work in the BIS program. You will explain how your previous experiences have contributed to your desire to earn your degree and how these experiences may help or hinder your progress in the BIS program. Using resources from the libraries and the Career Service Center library and website, you will explore either your chosen career or one that is of interest to you.

Topics to Discuss

Who You Are

  • Your personal biography in relation to how you came to the BIS program (no more than two pages).
  • Your learning style/personality style and how it may help or hinder your work in the program (you will fill this in after you do Strengths Finder).
  • Your self-perceived weaknesses and strengths and your plans for addressing those that relate to your success in college. (Explore GMU's web site for information on student support such as study skills, counseling center, student groups, etc.)

Your Intended BIS Program

  • Your educational goals, particularly as they relate to your decision to enter the BIS Program.
  • An overview of your intended work in the BIS program- what will your concentration work be in?
  • How will your previous experiences/strengths/weakness support your success in the concentration you are considering?
  • Which aspects of your course work will be most challenging? How do you plan to overcome these challenges in order to succeed?
  • How will you meet faculty to select a faculty advisor for your project? What would an “ideal” faculty advisor be able to help you with? What strengths do you bring to the advisor/student relationship?

Your Intended Career or One of Interest

  • Describe the career as it is generally understood by practitioners.
  • Name and describe the role of any governing bodies or associations.
  • Outline any required training and the general career path. Describe where you are on this path.
  • Explain how engaging in this career will benefit yourself, your profession, and your community.
  • Describe the job opportunities for this career both now and in the future.
  • Try to explain how your work in the BIS program will further your career goals.

Note: It is not necessary to share deeply personal or private information. This essay is intended to provide a foundation for your course work in the BIS program and should relate to your educational goals. Only include information you feel comfortable sharing.

Bibliography: This essay should include a bibliographyof 5 – 7sources (not including assigned course readings) related to your concentration and intended career with citations. Remember to review the sources Career Services and Christal Ferrance showed you at our Career Services and JC Library visits including ProQuest, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook(Bureau of Labor Statistics),Passport Career, Career Shift, and Vault, the latter four on the CareerResources page.Christal Ferrance’s BIS 300 Info Guide is a key resource for relevant databases. See the Career Exploration tab at the top.

Format for Essays

Page Setup: Typed, double spaced, with one-inch margins in an 11- or 12-point standard font, such as Times New Roman.

Page Length: 7-10 pages (not including bibliography).

Style: MLA, APA, CMS, or CSE (the style you select should be identified on the first page, under your name).

Writing Expectations: The essay should follow the standard format of introduction, body, and conclusion. Your introduction should include a basic “argument” for your essay.The body should include paragraphs with clear topic sentences. The overall order of the information presented should make sense to a new reader who is not familiar with you or your career.

For more on writing the college essay, see the guidelines at Mason’s Writing CenterQuick Guides. Also note that with a documented tutoring session (including your statement on who you met with, when, what you went over, and what you changed) will add two points to your grade.

Once posted on the class blog, you need to comment on at least 1-2 of your colleagues’ papers. Make sure everyone in your group gets feedback and engage in an insightful and thoughtful discussion with them. Compare and contrast your experiences and views and look carefully at the details on careers and study plans they have developed using the resources you were introduced to at our visits to the Library and Career Services.