Career Research Essay
Use the research you have gathered to write a seven-paragraph essay about your chosen career. Review these MLA resources to help you format your essay and references.
Click HERE to watch this video for help setting up your paper with MLA. Links to an external site.
Begin with an introductory paragraph stating who you are and your career plans. Explain why you are interested in your career. When did you become interested in this career? What events in your life have led you to have this career goal? What major will help you reach your career goal? Explain your choice of career and what qualifications you feel you have for your chosen career.
Using the information you received from any of the assessments you took in this course, )Links to an external site. explain how your results might help you as you pursue your career and as you enter your profession.
* Extra Credit Option: Gain some experience with your field. Complete any of the following and include it at the end of your essay or attach your artifact to your essay (see your professor for details).
Upload a Resume in CareerHub for Career Services Review
Attend an overview of services appointment with Career Services
Attend an HCC Career Fair
Complete a Mock Interview in CareerHub for Career Services staff to review
Click Here to learn how to access the CareerHubLinks to an external site.
3. Your third paragraph should summarize and compare the career information you found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOHLinks to an external site.), Career Coach, Career One StopLinks to an external site., or another reputable source for both the United States (national averages) and the Houston area (local averages). Compare the annual salary, job outlook, a brief description of the job’s responsibilities, and the required education both locally and nationally. Describe your educational goals, will you need a certificate, bachelor’s, master or doctorate degree? What are the skills you will need to reach this career goal? Include your plans for financing your education. Please note this information is to be written in your own words. You are required to cite this information in your research paper and on the reference page.
4. Now it’s time to talk about your financial future according to the Texas Reality CheckLinks to an external site. report. Use the information from your financial assignment to write a paragraph that addresses the following. Give the amount of money you will need to earn to maintain the lifestyle you desire to live in the future. Describe the lifestyle you intend to live and explain whether the expected annual salary (local or national) for your career will allow you to live that lifestyle. If it doesn’t, describe what steps you will take to deal with this situation. If you will have excess income, discuss what this will mean for your future.
5. Compare the annual salary you will need to live in Houston to the salary you would need to live the same lifestyle in two other cities. Use the information from the CNN Money Calculator.Links to an external site. Discuss the differences in the cost of living in the two other locations versus the cost of living in Houston. Identify and report the largest percentage differences between the cities. Discuss whether family, groceries, housing, or transportation are significant factors. Discuss whether your career is dependent upon location. Based on your analysis, write a final statement that explains where might you decide to live.
6. Think about how you can help your community as you learn the transferable “soft skills” employers find valuable as you study. Find two places where you could possibly volunteer in the future that could use the skills you will acquire from studying and working in your profession. Use the information you found at Volunteer HoustonLinks to an external site. or another volunteer website to write this paragraph. List the two places and explain what type of help they are requesting. Finally, explain how this volunteer experience could help you build your professional network. What personal characteristics, skills, etc. will enhance your prospects for success in this career? What specific experiences have furthered this interest? What impact do I want to have on society?
7. In conclusion, write your long-term career goal as a SMART goal. Refer to Goal Setting in Chapter 1 State your goal and what date you plan to achieve it. Tell the reader three specific steps you will take to make the goal a reality. Acknowledge obstacles that will get in your way and say what you plan to do about those obstacles. End your essay with a narrative statement describing how your life will look and how you will feel when you reach your goal. What are my short-term and long-term career goals? Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Your essay must be typed, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and formatted according to MLA 9th edition. When you use data from your research, you must follow that data with in-text citations and a Works Cited page in MLA 9th edition format. See the example provided and use the citation generators suggested.
**ALL STUDENTS MUST submit their rough draft to an HCC Tutor). Once you receive your rough draft back from the tutor, you will make corrections to your original document, finally, upload both the rough draft with the tutor remarks & tutor signature along with your final corrected essay into CANVAS for grading. Please note that submitting your rough draft to UpSwing for tutoring can take a day or several days to receive it back from the online tutor, so you should submit your rough draft a week before the assignment’s due date. Please do not use virtual tutoring, only in-person or UpSwing tutoring will be accepted!
