Instruction
Assignment Content
[This assignment is adapted from Dr K. Mark, PSY 200, Illinois State University Summer 2013]
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to start you on the process of connecting your personal characteristics with your career plans. It will also allow the Instructor to assess your competency in clear and effective written communication.
Topic: You will write a paper telling a concrete story based on real-life experiences that describes you at your best and illustrates your highest personal strength. The story itself should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Conclude with an extra paragraph identifying what strength(s) this essay illustrates about you and how you might connect this strength in guiding your career choice. If you already have identified career options to pursue, how does this strength relate to these careers? If you have not yet decided on a career path, what careers might be related to your identified strength? How can you apply this strength in the career(s) that you are considering? While your story might include an example of an accomplishment, the true intent of this assignment is to identify an example from your life that illustrates a strong personal characteristic. [Please be aware that “Psychology” is not a “career”—rather, it is an area of study or a broad field in which many careers exist. Be sure to write about how your strength connects to a career rather than to the Psychology major.]
Grading: To receive an "A" grade, your paper must:
Be a well-developed essay about a life experience that illustrates a personal strength
Identify that characteristic and its connection to your career choice
Provide clear and complete answers to the stated questions
Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Adhere to the formatting guidelines stated in the syllabus
Deficiencies in one or more of the above elements will be reflected in a lower grade.