Choose one of the following options for your Unit 4 assignment.

Option A: Unit 4 IP Task Assignment (A Choice) : The Value of You Paper or the Footraces

Option B: Footrace Option (150 possible points)

1.Unit 4 IP is an option for you of doing the footraces or the paper titled “The Value of You”. The instructions for how to sign up for the footrace is below if you choose that option. If you do eight rounds in the footraces and you are profitable by the eighth round you will get full points for the assignment. If you do all eight rounds and are not profitable by then you lose 10 points. Profitable just means you are not losing money, it does not matter how profitable you are. If you do up to four you will get 75 points. The footraces are great practice for the CompXM final exam coming up in week 5. If you choose the footraces, you don’t have to do the paper.

2. To register for the footrace you need to:

1. Go to www.capsim.com <http://www.capsim.com/>
2. Click on ///”Log in or Register///” in the top right.
3. Next, click the ///”Student Registration///” button.
4. If you agree to the terms of usage on step one then select ///”I Agree///” and continue with initial registration.
5. On step two, enter your industry ID C68622_000 (Industry number changes each physical year) and then continue to step three.
6. Enter your account information on step three.  Continue to step four.
7. At this point, you can return to www.capsim.com get started playing the footrace whenever you are ready.  NOTE: When it asks you to name a company and contact your instructor, just name it whatever you want as you will be running Andrews either way.
8. You should only register one account in the footrace industry.  If you finish the simulation and wish to have your simulation reset then please email [email protected] and they will restart your simulation for you.

Paper Option (The Value of You – 150 possible points)

1. Using Indeed.com, identify three current positions in your field that interest you.
2. Using Careeronestop.org and/or BLS.gov, conduct research on the three positions you are interested in and answer the following questions.
3. Reflection: Choose one of the positions you researched that you are most interested in and answer the following questions in paragraph form.Assignment Questions
4. What are the job titles that you found in your research of job descriptions? Briefly summarize what employers are asking for in terms of experience, education, and other qualifications.
5. How do you match up with what employers say they need? What qualifications do you have that align? What are the gaps between what you currently have to offer and what the employer expects? What will you do to overcome those gaps? (Please note: Obviously few people will have everything an employer advertises, so aim to have about 60-70% of the stated qualifications. If you find that you have less than that, and you are not qualified for the jobs you identified, then go back again and search for new jobs that you are qualified for. You might need to look for more entry-level jobs. If you don’t have experience in your field, where do you need to start to get experience?)
6. Look for themes among the job ads. List at least 3 core competencies that someone needs to do that job effectively. In other words, what are the skills, characteristics, and abilities that a successful candidate must have (analysis, forecasting, budgeting, complex decision making, ethics or compliance, persistence, number orientation, communication, specific software knowledge, etc.)?
7. For each of the three core competencies, write at least one specific story that demonstrates how you have proven that you possess that competency. In other words, think about times when you have demonstrated those skills and characteristics. What did you do? How well did you do it? What was the result? What specific, detailed, concrete examples can you provide to your future employer that demonstrates your value? Consider this a personal success “story” you can tell to prove your ability. Your stories can come from your work experience, education, volunteer work, even personal life (if those stories are professional and relevant). See examples of stories in Resources.
8. For each story you have written, condense each story into one powerful accomplishment action bullet that you can use on your resume. See examples of action bullets in Resources. If you had to describe the value you gained from this course to your future employer in an interview, how would you do that? What story would you tell about this educational experience? What have you learned from running your own simulated business that will help you add value to your future employer? Write an answer for how you might tell that story on your next interview?
9. If you had to describe the value you gained from this course to your future employer in an interview, how would you do that? What story would you tell about this educational experience? What have you learned from running your own simulated business that will help you add value to your future employer? Write an answer for how you might tell that story on your next interview?

Next Steps

1. You have begun to create the book of stories to use in your career search and advancement, but this is just the start. Where you take your stories from here is up to you. It is not enough to just have experience or education in your field. You also need to know how to communicate your value.
2. As you move your career forward, consider further how you might use these stories to demonstrate your value. Find ways to add to your book of stories. Use them to write your resume, network, see your own value, prepare for your next interview, and more.
3. As you graduate and build your career, CTU is here to support you. You have your own dedicated career coach assigned to you to help you make sure that you are telling your personal success stories in a way that will set you apart in the job marketplace. You can contact your career coach to schedule an appointment by e-mailing [email protected].