Hotel and Restaurant Management
PART 1: EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER GOALS
PART 2: EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND APPLICATIONS OF APPLIED LEARNING
PART 3: CONTINUING EDUCATION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT PART 4: JOB APPLICATION DETAILS
This project-based assignment is designed to help you define and communicate your goals related to your field of study. This project will help you understand
the process of locating potential employers who might want to hire graduates with formal instruction in this career field. You?ll focus on the skills, training, and personal traits that those employers look for when recruiting job applicants. You?ll also investigate and describe potential paths for continuing education, career development, and enrichment. Finally, you?ll complete a sample application and simulate the experience of formally responding to an employment opening.
One objective of this project is to help you organize your thoughts on why you?re interested in this specific career field. Portions of this project can be used as a dry-run for an interview that you might have as you look for employment after graduation. Another objective is to develop an appreciation for education as a lifelong process. In order to truly become a professional in your chosen career, you need to view your graduation from this program as the starting point in
your education, not the conclusion. That?s why graduation ceremonies are called commencements. It?s the beginning of the process, not the end.
Like the other assignments in your program, this assignment is also open book. Not only is it open book in terms of your study materials, you?re encouraged
to use the Internet and any other research tool available to you to develop your responses. You should enjoy the process of investigation, and along the way you?ll become better prepared to look for job opportunities and to grow throughout your career.
You can write outlines or drafts of your responses on the spaces provided in this booklet. Once you?ve completed all the parts of the project, you?ll need to create an electronic version of your assignment, preferably as a Microsoft Word file. Name your file with your student number_program code_graded project and submit your finished assignment using the Drop Box in the Student Portal. Detailed instructions are provided at the end of this booklet.
This project consists of four parts. Each part is worth a specific amount of points as described below. Your total grade will be equal to the sum of your totals for each part. Grading of this project will be as follows:
? Part 1: 20 points ? Part 2: 30 points ? Part 3: 25 points ? Part 4: 25 points
Total Possible Score: 100 points
Now that you understand the basic goals of your project, let?s get started.
When you decided to enroll in this program you had a goal or objective in mind. You may have been interested in gaining employment, changing careers, or perhaps starting your own business. Or your goal may have involved personal enrichment. Or maybe the education obtained from this program is one small component of a larger career development plan that you have designed for yourself. In two to three paragraphs describe your reasons for participating in this career education program.
There are no right or wrong answers in this assignment. You should attempt to describe the factors that sparked your interest in the particular career and the factors that influenced you to seek formal education.
Here are some questions to consider while you develop your response to Part 1 of this assignment:
? Did a family member, friend, or mentor introduce you to this career?
? Did you develop an interest in this career because of courses you took in
? What attracts you most to this career? Possible financial rewards or the satisfaction of seeing the end result of your efforts?
? Is there something about the working conditions or potential clients that you find interesting?
? What is your ideal employment situation? Do you want to be your own boss or do you want to be a valued employee?
Draft your response below.
PART 2: EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND
APPLICATIONS OF APPLIED LEARNING
Now that you?ve considered some of the reasons why you?re attracted to your career, your next step is to locate potential employers or identify clients or customers that might be interested in your new skills and knowledge. Locate
any five employment ads related to your particular area of study. The ads can
be from online job-search sites, newspapers, trade publications, or any other legitimate source. Try to find a range of employment descriptions and employers. Provide the name of the potential employer if available, but most importantly
list the job skills and employee characteristics the employer is looking for. List any certifications or professional affiliations required to apply for employment. If salary information is provided, include that as well. If your source is computer- based, you can copy and paste the ad into your document.
In addition to potential employers, research and identify three clients or potential customers in your local area that you could market your new skills to if you were to be self-employed. You can also identify three other situations where you might be able to apply the skills you have obtained.
PART 3: CONTINUING EDUCATION AND
In Part 3 of this assignment, you will investigate potential resources and opportunities for continuing education and professional development in your chosen area of study. You should look for educational programs that provide instruction at a more advanced level than the program you are enrolled in now. List the names of the institutions you find that offer these programs, the entrance requirements (if any), and the objectives of the program. Research certifications that are related to your field of study and instructional programs and products that you can help you prepare for and pass required certification exams. Identify trade and professional organizations that support professionals employed in your field or who provide similar services. List the requirements for application and continued membership.
PART 4: JOB APPLICATION DETAILS
In the final part of this project, you?ll complete a sample job application that you can use as a quick-reference fact sheet when you apply for actual employment. Many times applicants present a poor image to potential employers because of missing or incomplete information on their application. If they?re not prepared, they might have sloppy or illegible entries, misspellings, and other errors that could cause their application to be viewed unfavorably. This assignment will give you the opportunity to practice the process and to identify the key people, dates, and information you?ll need to thoroughly complete an application. You?re not required to supply any information on this sample that you feel is sensitive (for example, you shouldn?t use your actual Social Security number). You can make up certain information for the purpose of this exercise, but remember to create a real version after you receive feedback from the school. You?ll want to have a final accurate copy that you can use when you apply for an actual position. Pay careful attention to the directions on the application and provide any information in the order requested. Review the dates provided for your education and work history and make sure they make sense.