The Development Plan is comprised of an industry outlook and SMART goals. The purpose of this assignment is to enable you to research your target industry, better understand the requirements and expectations of the field, and to develop strategies for achieving your professional goals.
I. Industry Outlook
You will write a two paragraph overview of your target position and industry. This information will include employment outlooks and projections, required education and licensure, and average salary ranges for entry level professionals. It is necessary to use external sources (see below) and cite this information. There should be two other resources used besides the BLS website.
· Occupational Outlook Handbook (Dept of Labor) http://www.bls.gov/OCO/
· Occupational Information Network/O*Net http://online.onetcenter.org/
· Vault Career Insider [e-resource via Hagerty Library]
II. SMART Goals
You will use the SMART goal format to address four categories (two required and two additional categories) from the list below.
Required Categories:
· Networking
· Industry/Technical Skills
Additional Categories:
· Identifying a Mentor
· Personal Growth
· Social Integration within Company
· Financial Planning
· Community Integration
· Cross Cultural Awareness
· Leadership Skills
· Advanced Education/Professional Licensure
· Other (you can create a category more relevant to your career goals)
Specific-The goal should define specific results and provide concrete details
Measurable-When writing the goal, define how you can measure success
Attainable-Goals should be challenging but realistic
Relevant-State the results to be achieved
Time-Bound-Establish a time limit
Example of a SMART goal statement (please note the level of detail written):
Category
SMART Goal Statement
Networking
Complete three informational interviews, during the fall of 2013, with mid to high level professionals working in economic development, public policy, or international economics working for the federal government or applicable agency within the Washington D.C. area to identify:
· Viable career paths and entry level positions
· Recommendations for advanced degrees and development of admission strategies, highlighting topics including:
· Differentiators amongst programs (MS, MPA, MPP, MAIEF or PhD)
· Application process
· Creation of candidate profiles and interest statements
· Recommended universities and colleges
· Insight into the federal government’s job search process:
· Navigating USAJOBS
· Creation of federal resume
· Overview of salary schedule (GS grades)