Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

The tools and techniques used in creating a business plan are just as useful in designing a plan to help sell yourself to potential employers. You can use the same format to write a personalized plan that will help you achieve your career goals.

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.

Accepted Answer

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. You can use this information to better understand your own personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as recognize the opportunities and threats that exist in your career development.

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.

Accepted Answer

If you do not possess a strength in a given area, it is important to recognize that fact. Similarly, do not overlook your weaknesses.

Question 4

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

Accepted Answer

If you choose to write a summary, do so after you have written the entire career plan. It should provide a brief overview of the strategy for your career.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

In regard to economic conditions, one consideration is whether potential employers are optimistic or pessimistic about the economy. Other economic considerations include the general economic conditions of the country, region, state, or local area in which you live; the overall outlook for major job or career categories; and the trend in terms of starting salaries for major job or career categories.

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.

Accepted Answer

Developing a career plan will enable you to: (1) Organize and structure the data and information you collect about job prospects, the overall job market, and your competition. (2) Use this information to better understand your own personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as recognize the opportunities and threats that exist in your career development. (3) Develop goals and objectives that will capitalize on your strengths. (4) Develop a personalized strategy that will give you a competitive advantage. (5) Outline a plan for implementing your personalized 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

Accepted Answer

As part of Chloe's career planning, she should organize and structure the data she collects about job prospects, the overall job market, and her competition. She can use this information to better understand her own personal strengths and weaknesses, as well as recognize the opportunities and threats that exist in her career development.

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.

Accepted Answer

When developing a career plan, it is very important that you be honest with yourself. If you do not possess a strength in a given area, it is important to recognize that fact. Similarly, do not overlook your weaknesses.

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.

Accepted Answer

If you choose to write a summary, do so after you have written the entire career plan. It should provide a brief overview of the strategy for your career. State your career objectives and what means you will use to achieve those 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.

Accepted Answer

In regards to competition, Miles should consider the following: (1) Who are his major competitors and what are their characteristics? (2) What are the key strengths and weaknesses of the total pool of potential employees? (3) What are other college graduates doing in terms of developing skills, networking, showing a willingness to relocate, and promoting themselves to potential employers? (4) What are the current trends in terms of work experience versus getting an advanced degree? (5) Is his competitive set likely to change in the future? If so, how? Who are these new competitors likely to be?

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

Accepted Answer

Competitors to consider include peers at the same college or in the same degree field; peers at different colleges or in different degree fields; and graduates of trade, technical, or community colleges.

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

Accepted Answer

When determining which career to pursue in her field, Cathy would consider the trend in terms of starting salaries for different job categories. She might also consider the general economic conditions of the country, region, state, and local area in which she lives; whether potential employers are optimistic or pessimistic about the economy; and where employers seem to be placing their recruitment and hiring emphasis.

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.

Accepted Answer

Political, legal, and regulatory factors that affect career planning include: (1) Have recent elections changed the political landscape so that certain industries or companies are now more or less attractive as potential employers? (2) What changes in international, federal, state, or local laws and regulations are being proposed that would affect your job/career prospects? (3) Have recent court decisions made it easier or harder for you to find employment? (4) Have global trade agreements changed in any way that makes 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?

Accepted Answer

In this scenario, the questions they would address in their discussion about changes in technology include: (1) What impact has changing technology had on potential employers in terms of their need for employees? (2) What technological changes will affect the way you will have to work and compete for employment in the future? (3) What technological changes will affect the way you market your skills and abilities to potential employers? (4) How do technological advances threaten to make your skills and abilities obsolete?

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.

Accepted Answer

When considering how society's demographics and values are changing, you might consider the effect these changes will have on your skills and abilities, career and lifestyle choices, ability to market yourself, willingness to relocate, and required minimum salary.

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

Accepted Answer

When considering potential employers, Cameron should consider identifying characteristics (such as industry, products, size, growth, profitability, hiring practices, union/nonunion, and employee needs), geographic characteristics (such as home office, local offices, global sites, and expansion), organizational culture (such as a mission statement, values, priorities, and employee training), and who in the organization is responsible for recruiting and selecting new employees.

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.

Accepted Answer

Potential employers are looking for the following characteristics in new employees: (1) What are the basic or specific skills and abilities that employers are looking for in new employees? (2) What are the basic or specific needs abilities that you currently possess and that other potential employees currently possess? (3) How well do your skills and abilities (and those of your competitors) currently meet the needs of potential employers? (4) How are the needs of potential employers expected to change in the future?

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.

Accepted Answer

In regard to the hiring practices of potential employers, Jenna should consider how many employees are being hired, the combination of skills and abilities the new hires possess, whether the growth or decline in hiring is related to a recent expansion or downsizing of markets or territories or changes in technology, and whether there are major hiring differences between large and small companies.

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.

Accepted Answer

Employees often make contact with potential employees through college placement offices, career fairs, internship programs, headhunting firms, unsolicited applications, and the Internet.

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

Accepted Answer

In regard to personal assessment, Miranda should consider her personal goals and objectives in terms of employment, career, lifestyle, and geographic preferences. She should also consider whether her personal goals and objectives are consistent with the realities of the labor market and recent changes in the external or employer environments. Further, she should consider how her current strategies for success are working in areas such as course performance, internships, networking, job leads, career development, and interviewing skills as well as how her current performance in those areas compares to how her peers are performing.

Quiz 19: Appendix B: Personal Career Plan

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

Which of the following is a competitor you should consider?

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?