Deck 19: Appendix B: Personal Career Plan

Question 1

The tools and techniques used in creating a business plan are not useful in designing a personalized career plan.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

One of the goals of developing a personal career plan is to organize and structure the data and information you collect about job prospects, the overall job market, and your competition.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

If you do not possess a strength in a given area, it is important to stretch one of your skills to cover that area.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

If you choose to write a summary, do so before you have written the entire career plan.

Question 5

In regard to economic conditions, it is important to evaluate whether potential employers are optimistic or pessimistic about the economy.

Question 6

Developing a career plan will enable you to do all of the following EXCEPT

A) learn new skills and train for your future career.
B) develop goals and objectives that will capitalize on your strengths.
C) develop a personalized strategy that will give you a competitive advantage.
D) recognize the opportunities and threats that exist in your career development.
E) outline a plan for implementing your personalized career strategy.

Question 7

Chloe has recently graduated from college and is trying to decide which career path to follow. Which of the following will help her understand her personal strengths and weaknesses?

A) developing goals and objectives
B) recognizing the opportunities and threats that exist in her career development
C) compiling a list of careers that look promising to her
D) collecting data and information about job prospects, the overall job market, and her competition
E) evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of various job prospects

Question 8

What is extremely important to do while developing a career plan?

A) Find creative ways to hide your weaknesses.
B) Be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses.
C) Emphasize your weaknesses to ensure that you address them.
D) Fabricate strengths in any area where you lack them.
E) Downplay the strengths and weaknesses of your competition to psyche yourself up.

Question 9

All of the following are true regarding a career plan summary EXCEPT it should

A) be written after you have written the entire career plan.
B) provide a brief overview of your career strategy.
C) include in-depth details about your career strategy.
D) state your career objectives.
E) explain the means you will use to achieve your career objectives.

Question 10

Miles is pursuing a career in medicine. All of the following are things he should consider about his competition EXCEPT

A) the key strengths and weaknesses of the total pool of potential employees.
B) what other college graduates are doing in terms of developing skills.
C) the current trends in terms of work experience and getting an advanced degree.
D) the characteristics of employers who are looking for employees like him.
E) what other college graduates are doing in terms of networking and promoting themselves to potential employers.

Question 11

Which of the following is a competitor you should consider?

A) peers at different colleges
B) seasoned professionals who are already in the workforce
C) people who are looking to change fields
D) employers who want to hire people with more experience
E) peers who already have jobs

Question 12

Cathy recently graduated from college as a business major. When determining what type of career to pursue in her field, which economic condition would most likely impact her decision?

A) which jobs best match her skills and thus will give her best promotion opportunities
B) which jobs have the best raise potential
C) which jobs come with hefty annual bonuses
D) which jobs offer the best benefits package
E) which jobs will offer her the best starting salary

Question 13

Political, legal, and regulatory factors have all of the following impacts on career planning EXCEPT

A) certain laws can freeze the ability to hire new employees in specific industries and companies.
B) elections can change the political landscape so that certain industries or companies become more or less attractive as potential employers.
C) court decisions can make it easier or harder to find employment.
D) changes in international, federal, state, or local laws and regulations can affect job or career prospects.
E) global trade agreements can change in ways that make certain industries or companies more or less attractive as potential employers.

Question 14

Tate is a recent college graduate who is working with a career counselor to determine which career path he wants to follow. In their discussion, his career counselor asks him how he thinks changes in technology will impact his career. All of the following are questions that they would most likely address in their discussion EXCEPT

A) What technological changes will affect the way you market your skills and abilities to potential employers?
B) What impact has changing technology had on potential employers in terms of their need for employees?
C) How do technological advances threaten to make your skills and abilities obsolete?
D) How can you use technological changes to your advantage once you get a job?
E) What technological changes will affect the way you will have to work and compete for employment in the future?

Question 15

When considering how society's demographics and values are changing, you might consider the effects these changes will have on all of the following EXCEPT your

A) ability to market yourself.
B) skills and abilities.
C) willingness to relocate.
D) required minimum salary.
E) willingness to commute.

Question 16

Cameron wants to get a job in the publishing field. What characteristic should he consider regarding potential employers?

A) the organizational culture
B) society's general attitude about the company
C) his perception of how an ideal company operates
D) the types of technology the company uses
E) the skills, abilities, and talents the company embraces

Question 17

All of the following are characteristics potential employers look for in new employees EXCEPT

A) certain basic or specific skills and abilities.
B) how well potential employees' skills and abilities meet their needs.
C) whether potential employees have worked for their competitors.
D) skills and abilities that will meet their changing needs in the future.
E) how the skills and abilities of various potential employees compare to each other.

Question 18

Jenna has a paralegal certificate, and she is trying to determine how difficult it will be for her to get a job in her field. She should consider all of the following hiring practices of potential employers EXCEPT

A) the typical timing of hiring new employees.
B) how many employees are being hired.
C) whether the growth or decline in hiring is related to recent expansion or downsizing of markets.
D) whether there are major hiring differences between large and small companies.
E) the combination of skills and abilities new hires possess.

Question 19

All of the following are avenues through which potential employers make contact with new employees EXCEPT

A) college placement offices.
B) career fairs.
C) the Internet.
D) headhunting firms.
E) office holiday parties.

Question 20

Miranda recently graduated from college with a humanities degree. When trying to determine which career path to choose, what should she consider regarding her personal assessment?

A) how her performance would compare with current employees
B) whether her personal goals are consistent with the realities of the labor market
C) whether her personal goals are professional enough for certain industries
D) where her interests and skills intersect to form her optimal job opportunity
E) her willingness to work long hours for little pay at first

Question 21

Shaheed is taking an inventory of his personal skills, trying to determine his marketable skills. All of the following are skill sets he should focus on EXCEPT

A) study skills.
B) interpersonal skills.
C) technological skills.
D) communication skills.
E) teambuilding skills.

Question 22

Greg considers his best career-enhancing resources to be his family name and the prestige of the university he attended. These are examples of

A) personal skills.
B) connections.
C) tangible resources.
D) intangible resources.
E) financial resources.

Question 23

What is a tool you can use to evaluate your personal strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats that may impact your career?

A) a situation analysis
B) a skills and resources inventory
C) a personal assessment
D) a competitive analysis
E) a SWOT analysis

Question 24

Cara is working on her personal SWOT analysis. Once she determines her key strengths and weaknesses, what is something she should consider?

A) how her strengths compare to her weaknesses
B) whether her strengths give her an advantage relative to her peers
C) whether her weaknesses can be converted into strengths
D) whether her weaknesses motivate her to work harder to meet the needs of potential employers
E) whether her strengths are strong enough to make her weaknesses obsolete

Question 25

Javier is completing his personal SWOT analysis. After determining his three key career opportunities and his three key career threats, he should consider all of the following EXCEPT

A) the actions he must take to ensure that nothing can threaten his career opportunities.
B) how his opportunities are related to serving the needs of his potential employers.
C) how his threats are related to serving the needs of his potential employers.
D) the actions he must take to prevent his threats from limiting his capabilities.
E) the actions he must take to capitalize on his opportunities.

Question 26

Once your personal SWOT analysis is complete, you should determine all of the following EXCEPT how to

A) convert your weaknesses into strengths.
B) match your strengths to your opportunities.
C) embrace your weaknesses and use them to create new opportunities.
D) convert your threats into opportunities.
E) minimize or avoid weaknesses and threats that cannot be converted successfully.

Question 27

Which financial resource is necessary to successfully undertake a career plan?

A) job availability
B) proper attire for interviewing
C) previous experience
D) expertise or skills
E) adequate references

Question 28

Carlos worked as an office assistant every summer during college. His tasks included scheduling business trips, preparing meeting agendas, and communicating with customers. Which type of resources does this scenario relate to?

A) intangible
B) financial
C) human
D) expertise
E) experience

Question 29

What is true regarding financial projections and budgets?

A) You shouldn't let your budgetary requirements bar you from taking a job, even if the salary is less than desirable.
B) You should only apply to jobs that have salaries large enough to cover all your expenses.
C) You should reduce your budgetary requirements to give you more flexibility in your job search.
D) You should have a clear idea of your budgetary requirements.
E) You should find a company that is willing to compromise on salary, so you can afford your budgetary requirements.

Question 30

All of the following are performance standards you should consider EXCEPT

A) what you have to offer.
B) whether you are worth it.
C) whether you can bring competitive information.
D) where you want to go.
E) how you will stand out among the crowd.

Question 31

To successfully implement a career plan, you should do all of the following EXCEPT

A) make sure potential employers are hiring.
B) communicate your career needs to employers, even if they aren't currently hiring.
C) ensure that you have adequate training and education.
D) participate in an internship program.
E) attend career fairs.

Question 32

Dexter is committed to his career plan. He has done extensive research on potential employers and determined which ones are hiring. He has completed an internship, attended career fairs, and worked with a career counselor at his school to determine which career path is right for him. Which element of career planning does this scenario best describe?

A) personal assessment
B) employer assessment
C) performance standards
D) a SWOT analysis
E) monitoring procedures

Question 33

Explain what creating a career plan enables you to do.

Question 34

Briefly discuss the elements involved in analyzing the external environment.

Question 35

Explain what a personal SWOT analysis includes.