Step 1: Choose a Topic

Choose a topic that can help you enhance your professional development endeavors. This should be a topic that inspires, fascinates, and speaks to you. To make this assignment relevant, approach it from your current role or a position you are looking to fill in the future. Decide on a topic of interest from any of the following, or contact your professor to propose a new topic:

• career exploration strategies,
• career satisfaction,
• career transitions,
• conducting interviews,
• cover letters,
• career portfolio,
• dress for success,
• ethics and the interview process,
• how to conduct an interview,
• interview anxiety,
• interview follow-up strategies,
• interview questions,
• interview types,
• interviewing skills for job seekers,
• leadership development,
• mentoring,
• networking,
• nonverbal communication in interviews,
• personal branding,
• professional development for the self-employed,
• rejecting job applicants,
• resignation strategies,
• resumes, or
• salary negotiation.

Step 2: Choose a Source

Find a credible source that provides useful information about your topic of interest (minimum of one source required). You will explain how the information from your source can be used to enhance your own professional development endeavors. Your source can be taken from any of the following locations:

• an article from the CSU Online Library,
• a resource or link found on the CSU Career Services Department website, and
• Unit VII Lessons 1-4.

Step 3: Analysis and Organization

Explain how information/concepts from your source can enhance your development as a professional.

• Paragraph 1: Describe your current role or a position you want to obtain in the future, and discuss why the topic is relevant to you.
• Paragraph(s) 2+: Explain how content from your source is relevant to you and how it can enhance your professional development efforts.
• Final paragraph: Summarize your main ideas, and end with a strong closing statement.

Here are some questions to consider to get you started:

• What information from your source can be used to enhance your professional development endeavors?
• How can you apply what you learned from your source?
• Why information in this source is important to your career success or professional development efforts?
• What have you learned about yourself from this source?
• Are there any points you agree or disagree with? Why?

Your source must be referenced in APA style, and paraphrased and/or quoted content from the source should be cited using APA style citations.