Professional Identity

Post ID: 3480063

Scenario

Bahar Career Coaching

After several years at your current company, you are ready for the next big challenge in your career. Although you have enjoyed your job duties and have a very good relationship with your coworkers and managers, you have decided that it is time to move forward with your career in the field you have dreamed of. Since you were unsure about where to start, a colleague of yours recommended you contact Bahar Career Coaching, a talent acquisition company that offers coaching and job placement to professionals seeking to advance or change their careers.

Directions

Part One: Resume and Cover Letter

After contacting Bahar Career Coaching, you were paired with Priya Dahir, a career coach who will help you through your job search. After a number of meetings to discuss your professional goals and aspirations, she sent you this follow-up email with the next actionable steps:

From: Priya Dahir

Date: xx/xx/xxxx 2:00 p.m.

Subject: Re: Follow Up

Good afternoon,

It was very nice to meet with you this morning to talk about our next steps! We have made great progress discussing your career goals. I am very excited that you are looking to build your own professional identity, and I am happy to support you through this journey. As we discussed today, you should start writing your resume and cover letter for the job you are interested in. Remember that these documents will be your introduction to your next employer, and so you should follow all the best practices we have discussed so far.

When you are done with your resume and cover letter, do not apply to the job just yet! Instead, send them to me so I can give you feedback. In addition to providing your resume and cover letter, identify two work samples for your portfolio and explain how they could help you demonstrate your skills and reflect your professional identity. Send me everything in a single Word document. We will move forward from there.

Best of luck!

Priya Dahir

Career Coach

Find a job description for a job you would like to obtain in the next two years. If you need assistance finding a career search engine, refer to the SNHU Career website. Copy and paste the job description at the end of the Microsoft Word document in which you are submitting your resume, cover letter, and explanation to Priya.
Once you have identified a job you would like to pursue in the future, create a resume and cover letter specific to the job description. Review the Resume and Cover Letter Guide document in the Supporting Materials section for additional guidance on key points to address. Make sure that you address the following:
- Create a professional-looking resume that accurately depicts your professional identity and follows best practices. Your resume should be 1–2 pages in length.
- Create a professional cover letter that explains why you are a good fit for the job and the company, highlighting specific skills and qualifications. Your cover letter should be 1 page in length.
After you have completed your resume and cover letter, identify two samples of your work that you could include in a portfolio. You may select materials or artifacts you have created for school or work, such as samples of your writing, communication pieces, proposals, performance evaluations, customer reviews, credentials, professional social media profiles, and so on. Then, write a 1- to 2-paragraph explanation for your coach that addresses the following:
- Explain how specific work samples reflect your professional identity and demonstrate your skills and knowledge.
  - What are two examples of your best work that could provide evidence of your skills and knowledge? You are not required to submit the samples, but you should provide a brief description of each.
  - Why do you believe these samples are a good demonstration of your skills and knowledge?
  - How do these samples reflect your professional identity?

Part Two: Prerecorded Interview

With the advent of video technology, more employers are asking applicants to complete prerecorded interviews before moving forward with their applications. To help you prepare for this kind of situation, Priya wants you to complete a practice interview before you apply for the job you previously identified. She has sent you a set of five questions that you will need to answer in video format.

Review the Prerecorded Interview Questions document located in the Supporting Materials section. Take time to prepare and practice your answers. You might want to write down key points you want to cover in each answer, and practice in front of friends or family members. You can also do a practice recording. Refer to the guides in the Supporting Materials section if you need help with the audio and video components of this project.
When you feel confident and well-prepared, record your answers. Your face and torso should be visible in the video. You do not have to read the questions, but you should respond to each of them individually and in the order presented. You will have two minutes to reply to each question. In your answers, make sure that you address the following:
- Clearly articulate your professional identity to your potential employer, utilizing appropriate verbal communication strategies.
  - Do your answers reflect how you want to be seen by your potential employer?
  - Did you use storytelling strategies? Do your answers convey passion and interest?
  - Did you speak clearly and with confidence? Are your answers concise?
  - Were you mindful of your surroundings and your appearance?

What to Submit

Every project has a deliverable or deliverables, which are the files that must be submitted before your project can be assessed. For this project, you must submit the following:

Resume and Cover Letter
Your career coach has asked you to submit a single document containing your resume (1–2 pages), cover letter (1 page), and an explanation of two samples you could include in a portfolio (1–2 paragraphs). You should also include the job description at the end of the document for your coach’s reference.
Prerecorded Interview
To help you prepare for future job applications, your career coach wants you to complete a practice interview. She has sent you a set of five questions, which you can find in the Prerecorded Interview Questions document in the Supporting Materials section. You will record yourself answering the questions, and your face and torso should be visible. You have two minutes to answer to each question.

Supporting Materials

The following resource(s) may help support your work on the project:

Citation Help Need help citing your sources? Use the CfA Citation Guide and Citation Maker.

Resume and Cover Letter Guide This document provides additional guidance on what to include (and key points to address) in your resume and cover letter. You are not required to address each question directly.

Prerecorded Interview Questions Priya has sent you these five questions that you will need to answer in video format.

Reading: Audio Guide Review the tutorials and resources in this document if you need help with the audio components of this project.

Reading: Video Guide Review the tutorials and resources in this document if you need help with the video components of this