Syllabus: BA 353 -- Professional Development

Prerequisites: BA 101; WR 222 or WR 323 or WR 327; Junior standing

Credits: 4, course meets twice per week
Required Texts:
Excellence in Business Communications, 7th Ed., by John V. Thill and Courtland L. Bovée
(Publisher: Prentice Hall)
OSU Career Guide 2007 – 2008 by OSU Career Services

Other Required Readings:

20 MOST COMMON ERRORS: A GUIDE FOR WRITERS IN BUSINESS

http://wic.oregonstate.edu/BusinessGrammarErrors.html

Recommended Reference Texts:

A Writer’s Reference, 6th Ed., by Diana Hacker and Barbara Fister (Publisher:
Bedford / St. Martin’s)
Easy Writer , 3rd Ed., by Andrea Lunsford (Publisher: Bedford / St. Martin’s)

Course Description:
The Professional Development course is designed to improve the ability of students to describe
their accomplishments and sell their ideas in situations like professional networking, company
meetings, response to proposals for services, and interviews. It teaches writing skills and
workplace integration for new jobs. Particular emphasis is put on verbal communication and
preparation for verbal communication. Students will learn to create career plans that require them
to research career options and potential employers, and prepare a developmental roadmap that
will lead them success within the chosen profession.
Teaching methods include reading assignments, lecture, classroom discussion, and simulation
exercises. A high emphasis is placed on participation in simulation exercises with subsequent
coaching and feedback by both the instructor as well as fellow classmates.
Writing Intensive Course:
BA 353 is a University-approved Writing Intensive Course (WIC). As such, you will be doing a
considerable amount of graded and ungraded writing in this course. The course is intended to
guide you through the process of creating formal business documents, including revisions of
documents after receiving feedback and constructive criticism. Types of business documents
examined in this course include memos, letters, resumes, executive summaries, and position
papers.
More information about WIC and services and information available to students is available at
http://wic.oregonstate.edu/survivalguide. Please refer to that page before handing in any
assignments.
Learning Outcomes:
Students completing BA 353 should be able to:
  Communicate effectively and professionally in business situations through writing, speaking,
and listening.
 Construct a career development plan (roadmap) that outlines a path to a chosen career by
delineating the skills required for the type of job, recognizing individual skill strengths and
gaps, and identify activities that can be used to acquire the skills associated with the gaps.
 Explain the value of networking strategies relevant to professional
development; apply networking strategies to demonstrate effective
networking conversations and written communications.
 Demonstrate the skills needed to create, format and tailor a professional
resume.
 Demonstrate understanding of behavioral interview process by preparing
interview questions and participating in practice behavioral interviews.
 Perform research on companies identifying major products and markets, size, and growth
potential within the industry.
 Understand how to get a successful start in a job by demonstrating awareness of
behavioral norms within a business in relationship to communication,
appearance, business etiquette, and day-to-day business functions.

Classroom Procedures and Protocols

Simulations: Students are expected to actively participate in discussions and simulation

exercises. They are expected to offer help and support to other students during simulations and to
provide useful feedback.

Notebooks: Each student will keep a spiral or softbound notebook or journal in which they will
write exercises when asked and keep classroom notes. This notebook will be graded and is
intended to be a useful future reference (especially the final exam).

Portfolio: Each student will develop a career portfolio that will include graded writing assigned
during the term. The portfolio will include:
 Self Assessment (500-750 words)
 Discipline Assessment (250-375 words)
 Company Analysis (500-625)
 Interview of Business Professional (250-375 words)
 Industry Controversial Issue Analysis (1000-1250 words)
 Career Plan – gap analysis (750-1000 words)
 Cover Letter (250-375 words)
 Resume (250-500 words)

As part of the WIC requirement, you will offer peer reviews of other students’ portfolio
components. Students then have the opportunity to revise their papers based on this feedback.
The peer review is not expected to perform a rewrite of the paper. Rather, the peer review is
expected to identify typos, mistakes in grammar, and mistakes in fact/reasoning, as well as offer
suggestions for improving the prose and structure of the written assignment. Peer review will be
evaluated as a component of the “participation” grade for the course.

Grading:

Item Points
Portfolio 550
Notebook 100
Participation 200
Final Exam 150

Total 1000

Two points will be deducted from classroom participation for each of the first two missed
classes. After that 5 points per incident will be deducted.
Grades will be assigned as follows:
Grade Points Grade Points
A 93 -100 C 73 -76
A- 90 – 92 C- 70 -72
B+ 87 – 89 D+ 67 -69
B 83 – 86 D 62 - 66
B- 80 – 82 D- 60 - 62
C+ 77 – 79 F 00 – 59

Points will be rounded to the nearest integer.

Students with Special Needs

Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Services for Students
with Disabilities (SSD). Students with accommodations approved through SSD are responsible
for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the
term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but
who have not yet obtained approval through SSD should contact SSD immediately at 737-4098.

Expectations for Student Conduct

All students will be expected to abide by the university rules on academic honesty which forbid
cheating or plagiarism. Violation of this policy will result in automatic failure of the course per
the process in Academic Regulation AR-15 and violations will be reported to the University. For
additional information on expectations for student conduct, please see the Student Conduct and
Community Standards web page at: http://oregonstate.edu/admin/stucon/index.htm
Lesson Schedule

Week 1 Introduction, Learning Competency Model, The Notebook, Term Project

Personal Profile, Skills List

Week 2 Me in 30 Seconds

Me in 30 Seconds

Week 3 Networking, Power Statements

Networking, Power Statements

Week 4 Networking Conversations

Resume Part 1

Week 5 Resume Part 2

Preparation for Interviews

Week 6 Mock Interviews

Mock Interviews

Week 7 Mock Interviews

Researching Jobs and Designing a Career

Week 8 Work 101 – First Impressions, Business Etiquette, Meetings

Work 101 – Business Communication, Relationship Building, Managing Your

Manager

Week 9 Work 101 – Self Promotion, Performance Reviews

Special Guest

Week 10 Presentation Skills

Presentation Skills: Case Study

Portfolio Assignment (5250 – 7750 words).
For each of the sections of the portfolio must be grammatically correct, free of typos and spelling
errors, and properly punctuated. Writing style must be professional using proper language (no
slang) and free of wordy or meaningless expressions whose only contribution is to add to the
word count. I will be harsh on grading where “bloat” is used rather than meaningful content.
Word counts must be within the listed ranges and will be checked.

 Part 1) Self Assessment – 50 Points

Write a letter to the professor of your course that provides an assessment of your interests,
abilities, and values. Clearly comment on each of the three topics. The abilities portion must
support your claims to any skills or talents with concrete evidence of why you can make such a
claim by giving at least one example of something that you have done that demonstrates what
you claim. More than one example is good. It must be clear why your example links to your
claim. For example, if your assessment is that you are creative, it must be clear from you
supporting example that creativity was involved. Examples may be drawn from employment
experiences, hobbies, school, community service, or life in your home.
For information regarding the format, content and style of a business letter, please see:
Online Technical Writing: Business Correspondence: Overview, David A. McMurrey
(http://www.io.com/~hcexres/textbook/genlett.html#)
Word Count: 500-750; Page Count: 2-3

 Part 2) Discipline Assessment – 25 Points

Write an Executive Summary that provides an assessment of disciplines that fit you using the
Discovery tool available through the Career Services Center. Present the output from Discovery
plus a commentary on how that Discovery’s suggestions compares to your own opinion arrived at
via your previously submitted assessment. If Discovery makes no suggestion then pick a
discipline or field that fits you through research that you have done and explain why it fits. You
may also choose a field that Discovery just did not suggest because you prefer to explore it rather
than the Discovery suggestion. You still must use the Discovery tool and present its output.
Explain why you chose what you did.
For information regarding the format, content and style of an executive summary, please see:
Writing @ CSU, Writing Guides, Writing Executive Summaries
(http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/execsum/)
Word Count 250-375; Page Count: 1- 1½; The print out of Discovery’s suggestions does not get
included in the word count

 Part 3) Company Analysis – 50 Points

Prepare a business memorandum that summarizes research you performed on two companies,
institutions, or agencies in the field that you chose. Give the name of the company or entity and a
profile of its major products or function. Indicate the size of the organization in dollars and
people, and its geographic reach. Comment on the growth potential of the company based on its
industry and strengths. Explain why you chose these particular companies. If you use quoted
text, including test that is cut and pasted from a web site, you must indicate the source in a
footnote. Quoted text does not count towards your word count.
 For information regarding the format, content and style of a memorandum, please see:
Writing @ CSU, Writing Guides, Writing Business Memos
(http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/documents/memo/)
Word Count: 500-625; Page Count: 2-3

 Part 4) Interview of Business Professional – 25 Points

Interview a person working in your chosen field and write a summary of the interview. Include
the questions asked and a summary of their responses. Utilize the internet, your career services
resource, or other handout material to help design a good interview. This exercise grade will be
based on the meaningfulness of the questions, the quality of the information gathered, as well as
the quality of the write-up.
Word Count 250-375; Page Count: 1- 1½;

 Part 5) Industry Controversial Issue Analysis – 100 Points

You must analyze a controversial issue within your professional field and prepare a position
paper. The target audience for your paper is your immediate supervisor who has asked you to
research the issue and present a position for the organization. That position paper should:
a. Define an issue that is relevant within the field you have chosen to pursue for your career.
b. Provide research on the background of the issue, discussing the merits of each side of the
issue. You must summarize information from a minimum of four authoritative sources,
providing appropriate references for your sources of information. Two of these sources must
be a journal related to the issue and/or the discipline. The other two sources may include
newspapers, books, magazines, news portals, databases, online libraries, websites, blogs, etc.
Your sources may also include interviews with appropriate individuals from industry.
c. Provide a conclusion about the issue from the sources of information. Do not just regurgitate
the opinions of your sources – analyze the information gathered to form and state your own
opinion. However, you opinion should be backed by facts and evidence gathered from your
sources. Show how and why you arrived at that opinion based on the information cited.
d. Potential topics include:
o Impact of the credit crisis on employment opportunities within your field.
o Impact of Sarbanes-Oxley on the Accounting profession.
o How web 2.0 impacts your field.
o Legal issues related to the use of cell phones and personal email at work.
o Employee benefit issues. For example, can companies require that employees do not
smoke – or charge them a higher premium if they do smoke?
o Legal issues related to the employee selection process.
o The role of social networking web sites (MySpace, Facebook) in the workplace.
How can they be used to develop professional networks, etc.
o The role of professional certifications within the discipline.

For information regarding the format, content and style of a position paper, please see:
 Writing & Learning Center, University of Hawaii – West Oahu, Writing a Position Paper
(http://homepages.uhwo.hawaii.edu/~writing/position.htm)
Word Count 1000-1250; Page Count: 4-5;

 Part 6) Gap Analysis – 100 Points

The gap analysis is a critical part of this project and will be graded on thoughtfulness,
thoroughness, practicality, and specificity.
Write an analysis of how you will prepare yourself to succeed within this career field. Your
analysis should be based on information previously gathered in parts 1 through 5 that define the
characteristics important to success within the field. Indicate the qualities that you are trying to
acquire or demonstrate that an employer would expect of an entry-level employee. Indicate how
your choice of coursework and other activities can prepare you to meet these expectations. For
example, employers might seek candidates with the following:

 Leadership experience
 Community involvement
 Campus involvement
 Problem solving skill
 Teamwork skill
 High energy level
 Personal discipline
 Demonstrated interested in, knowledge of, and involvement in the field
 Writing skill
 Initiative
 Speaking and presentation skill
 Sales skill
 Creativity
 Interpersonal skills (i.e. dealing with people)
 Critical thinking skill (the ability to analyze situations and create strategy or solve
problems)
 Ability to complete tasks and deliver results
This is only a list of suggestions. You answer could include things like:

 Summer internships
 Work study
 Join a campus professional club
 Work or volunteer for a community organization
 Lead a campus project
 Tutor other students
 Work at the university
 Attend career fairs
 Attend lectures by prominent guests of the university
Be specific. Do not just say “join a club.” Which club? Why that club? What companies will you
target for an internship? What specific steps will you take to get an internship? When will you
launch your search? How will you proceed on your search (use Career Services, etc)? What
 networking tactics can you use? Explain how what you propose fulfills a specific need. Indicate
your planned timing.
Word Count: 750-1000; Page Count: 3-4

 Part 6) Cover Letter – 50 points

Create a cover letter for a specific job advertisement (part-time, internship, full-time, etc.). The
letter should highlight the most important and relevant accomplishments, skills and experience
listed in your resume as they relate to the stated qualifications for the position.
For information regarding the format, content and style of a cover letter, please see:
Business Writing Center, Michael G. Foster School of Business, University of Washington
(http://bschool.washington.edu/bwrite/business_doc.shtml)
Word Count: 250-375; One page.

 Part 7) Resume – 100 Points

Create a resume to summarize the qualifications, skills and background you have to offer a
potential employer. The resume should be:

 Accomplishment-oriented
 Brief and easy to read.
 Comprised of concise action phrases (rather than complete sentences.)
 Devoid of personal pronouns.
 Well-organized with headings and presentation that encourage the reader's attention.
 Balanced with the use of blank space and margins.
 Limited to that information which is pertinent to the desired employment.
For information regarding the format, content and style of a resume, please see:
Business Writing Center, Michael G. Foster School of Business, University of Washington
(http://bschool.washington.edu/bwrite/business_doc.shtml)
Word Count: 250-500; One page.

 Grading Criteria for Portfolio

Quality of Thinking, Critical Thinking

 Essay is comprehensible over all

 Purpose is clearly focused; everything relates
 Main point is fully developed, not superficial
 Claims are supported with enough. credible specific concrete details, examples, and
evidence
 Material is well integrated with introduction signal phrases, followed by exit sentence
Organization and Coherence

 Ideas are clearly and logically sequenced — transitions between ideas and between
paragraphs
 Introduction situates argument well
  Paragraphs have topic sentences, as needed
Style, Technique, and Voice / Tone

 Words are carefully chosen and appropriate to audience

 Tone is appropriate, formal, academic not slang, casual, or stilted
 Sentences vary in length and complexity
Grammar, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary

 Finished draft has few errors (less than 2 per page)

 Errors do not impede readability
Meets the Assignment Specifications

 Correct general type of essay, correct length

 Correct number and types of sources
 Correct citation - According to, in-text parenthesis, and works cited page
 Overall page format — margins, format, etc