Outcomes

The objective in this course is simple and straightforward: to help prepare students for internships and entry-level employment or graduate studies. Students will accomplish this by doing the following:

1. Produce effective career materials - résumé, LinkedIn profile and portfolio - targeted for Communication internships, professional positions or graduate programs.
2. Orient students to the career services offered by the Academic Discovery Center and provide training as to how to access and use them. Complete a résumé review and practice interview through the ADC.
3. 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.
4. Provide resources and strategies to assist in the search for internships or jobs across Communication students' respective areas of interest and skills.

The structure of this course will feature brief introductory video presentations and time for students to work on their projects, conduct research and consult with the instructor and their colleagues.

As class members in COMM 289, students will become part of a team of people charged with helping each other as they strive to achieve their own goals. When students learn something new that could help others in the class, they will be invited and expected to share it with their classmates. Students will teach one another, and individual successes will be everyone’s successes.

Description

This course will provide students with information on internships and careers within their chosen fields. 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 résumés, portfolios, and professional network databases that will aid them in their post-graduation objectives and help them learn about professional expectations and conduct.

Prerequisites

Communication Career Workshop (COMM 289) is intended for sophomore through senior communication majors preparing for internships, jobs, or graduate school application. Every student should complete 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 communication majors.

Block-Long Activities

This course has several activities that students can complete any time during the block before the indicated deadlines. These include networking events, practice interviews, informational interviews, and mentor visits. Students should plan ahead to allow enough time to make the necessary appointments and complete assignments punctually. Some students will want to attend networking events several weeks ahead of the deadline—they'll just be that much further ahead.

Grading Policies

This is a project-based course, so students will be evaluated solely on timely and satisfactory completion of a list of projects and assignments.  All grading criteria can be found in the assignment rubrics.

Assignments & Projects Checklist

Extra Credit

Completing extra credit activities is optional. Students can earn extra credit by completing additional networking events or informational interviews beyond those required. Students can also receive extra credit by connecting colleagues with internships or job opportunities. Students can submit the usual 200-word (minimum) summary describing their extra credit activity. There is a maximum of two extra credit submissions: 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

• Teaching Assistant
  
  • A teaching assistant (TA) will be assisting the instructor in this class.
• 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 a follow-up post by Saturday at midnight. Some students turn into “Saturday’s Warriors” and don’t log in to complete their posts until Saturday night, a few hours before the deadline. This doesn’t provide any time for other students to respond or actively engage in the discussion. Some students also neglect the required initial post due by Wednesday night. 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. Instructors 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. Students should start making plans to attend this early in the block; not every event students might attend is considered a networking event, and the events are somewhat limited in number.

Major Class Projects

• Project #1: "Comm" Résumé
  • Each student will be required to submit an updated professional résumé suitable for application to a communication internship or job. This will be due in Week 04.
• Project #2: Complete LinkedIn Profile
  • Each student will submit a LinkedIn profile containing the following requirements: a photo, a headline, a summary, a completed work experience section, a completed education section, 20 groups joined and at least 20 contacts or contact invites. These LinkedIn profiles must be created on the full-version LinkedIn website (www.linkedin.com); profiles created and turned in on a mobile device or tablet won’t receive credit. This assignment is due in Week 02.
• Project #3: Digital Professional Portfolio
  • Each student will submit a professional portfolio suitable for submission to a communication internship or job. This portfolio needs to be accessible in a digital location. It should include, at minimum (students are welcome to include more information), a landing/introduction page, two or more categories illustrating students' content or experience, and a contact page. Students' professional portfolios will be due in Week 06.

If you wish to use a past portfolio from a class such as COMM 100 or 111, you must remodel those portfolios to meet the assignment criteria. You can use the same URL and platform, but you must take out class notes or other materials produced just for those courses. This professional portfolio should only contain materials that show off your experience and skills and will be useful for hiring managers considering you for internships or jobs.

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course may require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

• Student Honor
  • Academic Honesty
  • Student Conduct
    • Sexual Harassment
• Student with Disabilities
• Complaints and Grievances
• Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.