Preamble
- Course Title: Career Preparation (crd 200)
- CRN: 12042
- Credits: 1
- Prerequisites: None
- Days: Mondays
- Time: 3:45 – 4:35 pm
- Room: 316, Charles A Dana Hall (map )
- Dates: 24 January – 2 May 2022
- Professor: Roy Vanegas (pronounced “vuh-nay-gus”)
- Email: vanegas at hartford dot edu
- Phone: 860.768.5925
- Office: Charles A Dana Hall, 310B
- Office hours: Because of the massive spread of covid-19’s Omicron variant, I am not meeting anyone in my office. Instead, I am meeting students via Zoom (click here for details) on the following days:
- Monday and Wednesday: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
- Tuesday: 12:00 – 3:00 pm
Description
Career Preparation helps students explore the most common career and graduate school options for cs/cse/mwd majors. Job seekers learn how to locate the most appropriate entry-level jobs in the tech sector, while students wishing to pursue graduate studies understand how to find the best fit at the research, academics, faculty, and scholarship levels. Students also learn to prepare a polished résumé or cv, establish a professional online presence, and develop best interviewing practices — for the tech sector and academic institutions. Additionally, students learn — with the support of Career Services — how to use job-searching tools, such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed. We’ll also discuss how to network with others, how to obtain internships, and how to perform a personal “gap analysis.”
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will understand...
- how to use web sites such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor to secure employment;
- how to locate the most ideal academic fit for graduate school;
- how to author and shape cover letters specific to job titles;
- how to compose and improve a personal statement for graduate school;
- how to maintain and increase social and professional networks for job-gain purposes;
- how to deconstruct your yearly salary in order to calculate your private sector/freelance hourly salaries;
- and, how to create and maintain a professional and up-to-date résumé/cv.
Schedule
Important Notes
The University treats absences related to covid-19 as excused absences. Consequently, you’ll need to get notes from someone in class, as mentioned in the section of this syllabus marked Advice on Succeeding in Class. There will not be a streaming video option for anyone missing class.
In addition to attending class, Career Studio publishes a list of events in their calendar that are crucial to your success in this class. These events are marked as ⎨career studio⎬ below. You can register by finding the events on their calendar and clicking the event’s title.
Important Dates
Résumé: Get started (Explore) ⎨career studio⎬: Friday, 21 January, 1:00 – 1:30 pm; held virtually.
Résumé: Refined (Prepare) ⎨career studio⎬: Wednesday, 2 February, 10:30 – 11:00 am; held virtually.
UHart Career Summit (Career Fair) ⎨career studio⎬: Thursday, 3 March, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm; held virtually.
No class (spring recess): Monday, 14 March, and Wednesday, 16 March.
Career Readiness Academy ⎨career studio⎬: Tuesday, 12 April, 5:30 – 6:45 pm; held virtually and required of all students enrolled in the various sections of Career Preparation.
Last class: Monday, 2 May 2022.
Week | Topics | Homework |
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One | We do not meet this week, but you do have an assignment. | Attend Résumé: Get started (Explore) ⎨career studio⎬. |
Two |
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Three |
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Four |
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Five |
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Six |
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Seven |
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Eight |
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Polish up your GitHub profile and the code hosted there. |
Nine |
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Ten |
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Have third draft of résumé/cv ready to share for next week’s class. |
Eleven | Calculating salaries for working in the private sector as a full-time employee or a contractor. | Prepare deliverables for next week: Update résumé/cv, per feedback; create a cover letter/personal statement; and, finish LinkedIn profile, complete with a profile picture. |
Twelve |
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Research backup/redundancy options, like Time Machine, File History, and Backblaze, to ensure your data, including all the deliverables for this course, are never lost. |
Thirteen | The importance of backing up your work and keeping detailed notes about your job search. | Attend Career Readiness Academy ⎨career studio⎬ |
Fourteen | Job searching advice. | Have last draft of résumé/cv ready to share for next week’s class. |
Fifteen | Final crit of deliverables; Q&A. | Put finishing touches on all deliverables for our last class. |
Sixteen | Evaluations and closing notes. | Submit deliverables: a final résumé/cv, cover letter/personal statement, LinkedIn profile, GitHub profile, and a post-graduation action plan. |
Class Policies
- Masks. As of spring 2022,
all students… [and]…employees…are now required to wear three-ply disposable, KN95, or N95 masks on campus. If you wear a cloth mask, it must be worn over one of the other approved mask styles. Masks must completely cover your nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides of your face without gaps.
This policy is unbending in my classes. You may read more about the policy regarding face coverings here. - Digital devices. Unless you’re expecting an important call, your phones must be turned off before class starts. Not silent, but off. Your final grade will be diminished by 10% for every occurrence of using your phone during class.
- Consuming food in class. There is no eating inside our classroom, either during class or while on break. Eat before or after class. Drinks in covered containers, however, are allowed.
Advice on Succeeding in Class
Read over the following to understand procedures for maximizing your chance of succeeding in class.
- Advice for Succeeding in Class (in Markdown)
- Advice for Succeeding in Class (in pdf)
Grading
There is no grade for this course; it’s pass/fail. In order to pass, students must meet all three of the following criteria:
- Participate in the course. This means attending every lecture.
- Attend the virtual Career Readiness Academy event on 12 April.
- Complete a résumé (for employment) or cv (for graduate school); a cover letter (for employment) or personal statement (for graduate school); and, establish a post-graduation action plan.
Students with Disabilities
Read about how The University of Hartford supports students with disabilities: https://www.hartford.edu/academics/academic-support/accessibility-services/default.aspx
Contact
Nowadays, I only use email for emergency situations, such as a pet emergencies, personal tragedies, etc. For matters related to our course, you’re advised to see me before or after class, during my office hours, or by appointment. My contact info is listed in the Preamble.
Office Hours
- Office: Charles A Dana Hall, 310B
- Office hours: Because of the massive spread of covid-19’s Omicron variant, I am not meeting anyone in my office. Instead, I am meeting students via Zoom (click here for details) on the following days:
- Monday and Wednesday: 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
- Tuesday: 12:00 – 3:00 pm
If neither of the aforementioned times agrees with your schedule, we can make alternate arrangements to meet.