Career Research Essay
Writing your Essay
Use the research you have gathered to write a seven paragraph essay about your chosen career. Review this APA resources to help you format your essay and references.
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? What is unique about your background?
2. Using the information you received from any of the assessments you have taken (multiple intelligence survey (Links to an external site.), learning styles (Links to an external site.), Career Coach (Links to an external site.), or Personality Assessments (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 an artifact to your essay.
Upload a Resume in Career Hub Links to an external site. for Career Services Review
Attend an overview of services appointment Links to an external site. with Career Services
Attend an HCC Career Fair Links to an external site.
Complete a Mock Interview in Career Hub Links to an external site. for Career Services staff to review
Click Here to learn how to access the Career Hub (Links to an external site.)
3. (Links to an external site.)Your third paragraph should summarize and compare the career information you found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) (Links to an external site.), Career Coach, Career One Stop (Links to an external site.) (Links 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, bachelors, 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 in APA style.
4. Now it’s time to talk about your financial future according to the Texas Reality Check (Links to an external site.) report. 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.
To write the paragraph, click on the Texas Reality Check link to go to the website. Look into the future and consider what your life will be like after you have finished your studies. Complete the Lifestyle Calculator, and you will have a budget that provides an estimate of the amount you will need in order to maintain the lifestyle you desire. Next, scroll through the career options the system lists for you. The options listed will all pay you enough to maintain your desired standard of living.
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 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 three cities. Discuss whether family, groceries, housing or transportation are significant factors. Discuss whether your career is dependent upon location. Based upon your analysis, write a final statement that explains where might you decide to live.
To write the paragraph, click on the CNN Money Calculator link to go to the website. Consider how the cost of living differs by location. Once you know what it will cost to live in Houston, do some research and find out what it would cost to live elsewhere. Remember, you are not comparing what your job will pay; you are comparing 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.
1) Using the CNN Money Calculator , first, select Houston, Texas as the city where you live. Next, slide the black dot left or right to the salary amount that best represents the Annual Salary Needed amount listed on your Texas Reality Check Budget report ($93K = $95K). Finally, select the state and city where you would like to consider moving once you begin your career.
(2) Record “how far your salary will go” or the salary you would NEED to live in that city as shown on the calculator. Do this for at least three cities.
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. The two places you choose to volunteer do not have to relate to your career. Use the information you found at Volunteer Houston (Links to an external site.) (Links 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 (including work 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 the Goal Setting assignment. 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 APA style, 6th edition. You must create a reference page according to APA style. When you use data from your research, you must follow that data with APA in-text citations. See the examples provided and use the citation generators suggested.
Click Here to View an Student Example of the Career Essay in APA
Actions
Click Here for Career Essay Rubric
Actions
Click below to watch these videos for help setting up your paper with APA:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghwFNMluMXU&list=PL51885A65658E9560&index=5&t=0s (Links to an external site.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm27m8kc0bY&list=PL51885A65658E9560&index=5 (Links to an external site.)
