Information management (copy this folder with templates)

• In here, keep track of companies you’d love to work at, people you talked to and notes, job posts, inspiring things, and start a habit of looking for these things
• You can also use a note-taking app like Evernote or OneNote
• About professional journals (can we schedule time for this in the DataWorks calendar? Or maybe in the beginning of the Monday sessions we take 5 minutes):
  • About Brag Documents
  • Documenting your successes
  • Career Journal Template
  • Career Plan Template
  • Career Narratives

Write down your strengths, interests, skills, and values (link to values list) (5 min)

Setting the stage with your career story and vision (1hr max)

• No right or wrong answers, just to get you thinking of ideas! All of this will change, and you can update it as it does.
• These should be MESSY and fast – don’t try to be perfect or thorough, you just want to get lots of information down and think big! (see below image)
• Eventually we will look back at these and think, what of all of this do I want to highlight when I am interviewing for a job?
  • Bishal’s slides for example – there is lots more to his story, but he only chose a few things to share.

Activity 1.1: Your Story, Backwards and Forwards

Learning Event	Activity	Timing
Set Goals	Discussion: Do you think it is important to have a vision for your career, and generally things you do in life? If you have a vision, how did you come up with it? Are there drawbacks to having a vision?    We are going to do some exercises to start developing a vision for our careers with some self-exploration	10 min
Connect to Prior Knowledge	Today, backwards – on the timeline sheet provided, make a list of events that got you to this point – what is your story? Add all kinds of content, from professional happenings (e.g. started at DataWorks) to tough personal times (COVID…) to exciting personal times (made a friend!)	10 min
Present and Organize Content Information	Future, backwards, three ways – on the next three timeline sheets provided under resources, you will map out possible scenarios 5 years into the future:  – The path I’m on   – If money, location, family etc. was no concern  – A mix of the two – incorporate themes from #2 with the reasonableness of #1  Give each plan a 5-6 word title that sounds like a story title    Share plans	35 min and 10 min for sharing
Take Action and Monitor Progress	Now, pick one of these plans to look at in more detail. What are some steps you need to take, information or resources you need, or questions you have?    Share back	5 min each
Synthesize and Evaluate	Pick a trusted person in your life, outside of work, and tell them your story – incorporate your backwards plan and looking into the future. Ask them for feedback on your story.    In a document, write down the main points of your story, then reflect on this process. Did anything surprise you in these exercises? What excited you, and what disappointed you? What feedback did you get from the trusted person; was it helpful, or not? How has your vision for the future changed during this exercise?	1 hr, Independently throughout the week
Extend and Transfer	Think of one potential short-term goal (within the next year) and one long term goal (within 5 years) to share in Skillshare. Write it in your career journal to update later.	15 min, during Skillshare