COMM 289 Syllabus
Outcomes
Our objective in this course is simple and straightforward: to help prepare you for an internship and entry-level employment or graduate studies after graduation. We will accomplish this in the following ways:
- Produce effective career materials - resume, LinkedIn profile and portfolio - targeting for Communication internships, professional positions or graduate programs.
- Orient students to BYU-Idaho’s Career Services center and provide training how to access and use its services. Complete a Resume Review with instructor and other class members and a Practice Interview through Career Services.
- Develop a base of knowledge of strategies and opportunity to begin systematic development of a personal professional network, including the use of informational interviews and LinkedIn for networking.
- Provide resources and strategies to assist in the search for internships or jobs across Communicationn students' respective areas of interest and skills.
The structure of this course will feature brief introductory video presentations, then time for you to work on your projects, conduct searches and research, and consult with the instructor and your colleagues.
As a class member in Comm 289, you will become part of a team charged with helping each other as you strive to achieve your own goals. When you learn something new that could help others in our class, you will be invited and expected to share it with the rest of us. We will teach each other and your successes will be everyone’s successes.
Description
This course will provide students with information on internships and careers within their chosen field. Students will learn how to position themselves and successfully apply for these opportunities. Students will attend campus and other career events and workshops to help them develop a resume, portfolio, and professional network database that will aid them in their post-graduation objectives, as well as learn about professional expectations and conduct.
Prerequisites
Communication Career Workshop, Comm 289, is intended for sophomore through senior Comm majors preparing for an internship, job or grad school application process. You should have completed an entry-level emphasis course (230, 235, 240, 250, 260 or 300) before enrolling in this class. This course is a core requirement for all Comm majors.
Block-Long Activities
This course has several activities that you can complete anytime during the block before the indicated deadlines. These include Networking Events, Practice Interview, Informational Interview, and a Mentor Visit. Please plan ahead to make sure you allow enough time to make the necessary appointments and allow sufficient time to be able to complete your assignments on time. Some Networking Events you'll want to attend may be several weeks ahead of the deadline - you'll just be that much more ahead.
Grading Policies
This is a project-based course, so you will be evaluated solely on timely and satisfactory completion of a list of projects and assignments. The quality of your work will not be letter-graded, but assessed as “full credit,” “passing credit,” “partial credit” or “no credit.”
- Full Credit means you followed instructions and met or exceeded project expectations.
- Passing or half credit means the assignment wasn't fully completed or did not meet quality standards.
- No credit means you did not turn in the assignment or submitted it late.
We assume you want to progress in your career and earn good internships and jobs, and this will motivate you to do good work in this class. Satisfactory completion of all the projects and activities by the indicated deadlines will earn you full credit – it’s that simple.
The grading scale is as follows for each project or activity:
Full Credit: 100%
Passing Credit: 75%
Partial Credit: 50%
No Credit: 0%
Assignments & Projects Checklist
|
Projects & Activities |
Grade |
Points Possible |
| Syllabus Quiz | Pass/Fail | 10 |
| Building Blocks of the Resume | Pass/Fail | 20 |
| Submit Your Resume | Pass/Fail | 40 |
| CPC Practice Interview | Pass/Fail | 20 |
| LinkedIn Profile - Follow 20 | Pass/Fail | 40 |
| LinkedIn Profile Completion | Pass/Fail | 20 |
| Networking Event | Pass/Fail | 20 |
| Mentor Visit Report | Pass/Fail | 20 |
| Informational Interview Report | Pass/Fail | 20 |
| Final Portfolio | Pass/Fail | 40 |
| Discussion Boards (5 points for each, 8 total) | Pass/Fail | 40 |
| Preparation Activities (5 points for each, 10 total) | Pass/Fail | 50 |
| Extra Credit | 20 | |
| TOTAL POINTS: | 360 |
Extra credit
Completing extra credit is optional. You can earn extra credit by completing additional Networking Events or Informational Interviews beyond those required. You can also receive extra credit by connecting a colleague with an internship or job opportunity. Submit the usual 200-word-minimum summary describing your extra credit activity. There's a maximum of two extra credit submissions that can be submitted in the Extra Credit: Networking/Professional Contacts One or Two slots on I-Learn anytime during the semester. Each extra credit compensates for an incomplete assignment; two extra credits compensate for a late or not submitted assignment.
Other Information
Discussion in the Forums:Throughout this course there will be discussions in online forums about various subjects. They substitute for live, in-class discussion and interaction. Each student is required to make an initial post by Wednesday at midnight and then a follow-up post by Saturday at midnight. We have noticed that some students turn into “Saturday’s Warriors” and don’t log in until Saturday night, a few hours before the deadline and complete their posts. This doesn’t provide any time for other students to respond or actively engage in the class discussion. Some students also neglect the due-by-Wednesday-night required initial post. Both posts are required, as are responses to classmates. Failure to complete all requirements will result in an incomplete or failing grade for that discussion.
Minimum Lengths:Each assignment has a minimum word count to receive full credit. This minimum does not include the assignment question. In other words, the word minimum includes just your writing. We also take note of obvious attempts to “pad” responses to meet these minimums. Communication majors should be able to develop complete, quality work of any length.
Networking Event:Everyone will be required to attend one Networking Event, whether on or off campus and submit a report on it. Please start making plans to attend this early in the block; not every event you might attend is considered a Networking Event, and they are somewhat limited in number.
Practice Interview with Career Services:At the beginning of the course, whether you are on or away from campus, you will be required to schedule a practice interview with Career Services. After the experience, you will then report on it. The interview will need to be completed, and a summary write up will be due by the end of Lesson 4. Please get this scheduled and completed as soon as possible.
Major Class Projects
Project #1: "Comm" Resume.Each of you will be required to submit an updated professional resume suitable for application to a Communication internship or job. This will be due in Lesson 4.
Project #2: Complete LinkedIn Profile.Each of you will submit a LinkedIn Profile containing the following requirements: a photo, headline, summary, completed Work Experience section, completed Education section, 20 groups you have joined and at least 20 contacts or contact invites. Your LinkedIn Profile must be created on the full-version website (www.linkedin.com); profiles created and turned in on a mobile device or tablet won’t receive credit. This assignment is due in Lesson 2.
Project #3: Digital Professional Portfolio.You will submit a Professional Portfolio suitable for submission for a Communication internship or job. This portfolio needs to be accessible in a digital location. It should include, at minimum (you’re welcome to put more there), a landing/introduction page, two or more categories illustrating your content or experience, and a contact page. Your Professional Portfolio will be due in Lesson 7.
Additionally, you will occasionally see a note like this during the course: If you wish to use a past portfolio from a class such as Comm 100 or 111, you must remodel those portfolios. You can use the same URL and platform, but take out class notes or other materials produced just for those courses. This Professional Portfolio should only contain materials that would show off your experience and skills and be useful for a hiring manager to consider you for an internship or job.