Career Skills

Career Skills for IT Professionals

Syllabus

About your instructor

*Name*	John Ross
*E-mail Address*	ross@fvtc.edu
*Web Site*	http://cis.fvtc.edu/rossj

Office

*Campus*	Appleton
*Office*	D110E
*Office Phone*	(920) 735-4812
*Office Hours*	Tuesday 10:30 – 11:20 AM Tuesday 1:30 – 3:20 PM Thursday 10:30 – 11:20 AM Thursday 2:30 – 3:20 PM

About this class

*Title*	Career Skills for IT Professionals
*Number of Weeks*	(18 ) January 11 – May 27, 2006
*Course Number*	10-107-110
*Credits*	2
*Meeting Times/Location*	Unique# 30099 Time: Wednesdays 6-9 p.m. Room: A154 Except on these dates: March 01, 2006 BPA SLC - I am not on campus May 10, 2006 BPA NLC – Orlando You will either have a guest lecturer or assignments to work on

Course Description

This course examines and identifies job-seeking, job-keeping and interviewing techniques, strategies for identifying and meeting external and internal customer needs as well as good listening skills and techniques for dealing with difficult customers. Also covers time management, team dynamics and continual improvement processes.

Textbooks

Bonnie Heimlich. Career Skills for IT Professionals. Publisher: Fox Valley Technical College.

Year: May 2004. This text is required.

Harry Dahlstrom. The Job Hunting Handbook. Publisher: Dahlstrom & Company. Year: 2004. This text is required.

Harry Dahlstrom. Stop Thinking Like an Employee. Publisher: Dahlstrom & Company. Year: 2002. This text is required.

How your performance will be graded

Grading details

Grades are based on assignments, participation and attendance. This includes participation in career building activities that may occur outside of regularly scheduled class times. The college grading scale will be used to determine grades as follows:

Grading scale

A	95.0% - 100% based on the points in the class.
A-	92.00% - 94.99% based on the points in the class.
B+	90.00% - 91.99% based on the points in the class.
B	88.00% - 89.99% based on the points in the class.
B-	86.00% - 87.99% based on the points in the class.
C+	83.00% - 85.99% based on the points in the class.
C	80.00% - 82.99% based on the points in the class.
C-	77.00% - 79.99% based on the points in the class.
D+	75.00% - 76.99% based on the points in the class.
D	72.00% - 74.99% based on the points in the class.
D-	70.00% - 71.99% based on the points in the class.
F	Less than 70.00% based on the points in the class.

Graded Assignments

Module 1 Job Finding lists 75 points

Module 2 Multiple resumes and letters 85 points

Module 3 Multiple Minute Papers 20 points

Module 4 Interview Process Minute Paper 10 points

Interview Question/Responses 20 points

Module 5 Memory Matrix Paper and Presentation 60 points

Module 6 Company Quality Research 80 points

Module 7 Customer Service Assignment 55 points

Module 8 Business Communication Presentation 85 points

Module 9 Effective Team Minute Paper 10 points

Total Points 500 points (77%)

Graded Attendance

Class attendance 50 points

Employment Expo March 28 / 29 25 points

Mock Interview April 13 25 points

Job Fair March 1^st 50 points

Total Points 150 points (23%)

All assignments are due on or before the due date given by your instructor. Assignment grades are decreased for each school day that the assignment is late. Late assignments are only accepted up to 2 weeks after due date.

All assignments will be submitted in a typed, professional looking document. Since the goal of this class is to guide your success in obtaining and keeping a job in the IT field, I would suggest you create a binder or folder that will allow you to organize the research you do in this class for use at a later date.

Due to the content of this class assignments may not have right and wrong answers. In this case assignments will be graded on the presentation, (i.e. neatness, spelling, organization, attention to detail) application of information and timely submission of the material. Make each assignment reflect what you have learned from the unit. Points will be deducted for negative attitudes reflected in assignments.

How to succeed in this course

ADA Statement

FVTC fully complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and its amendments, all of which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in the admissions, access to, or participation in programs or activities. FVTC provides a wide range of supplemental services to insure reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of qualified individuals with disabilities.

To obtain more information or request accommodations, contact the Student Services Special Needs Center. The telephone number is (920) 735-2569 voice/tty.

Attendance

Class attendance is expected. Getting to class on time is also very important. It is your responsibility to get the course notes, handouts, and assignments should you miss class or be late. I suggest you buddy up with a class mate and exchange phone numbers or e-mail addresses. Since there isn’t a textbook for this class it is even more important to attend all classes to learn about the topics through information presented by the instructor as well as input from the others in the class and guest speakers.

When guest speakers are invited to our class I expect everyone to attend the class and treat the speaker with utmost respect, including arriving to class on time and participating in the session.

Students missing more than two (2) consecutive weeks of classes without notifying their instructor will be withdrawn from the class. If the withdrawal occurs in the second half of the semester an "F" will be reported for a grade.

Note: The Instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus at their discretion.