NAME: _____________________________HCEC Career Development Portfolio

SOPHOMORE PORTFOLIO

In the Sophomore portfolio students will explore their ideal career and the steps to attaining their goals. The development of entries for this project is also a lesson in following directions and preparing a good portfolio. The information you provide in this portfolio is your choice but will focus on your career interests and planning the steps necessary to achieve this dream. Keep in mind that you will be asked to share your entries at the Student Showcase during the Spring Semester. It is important to keep your entries suitable for your audience which will be your classmates, teachers, parents and visitors from Henderson County Public Schools, Blue Ridge Community College and the rest of the community. You are expected to choose appropriate language and content for your entries.

Each year, you will be preparing a portfolio: Freshman year: Self-assessment Sophomore year: College and Career

During your Junior year you will select a topic for your Graduation Project that may be related to a career interest and write a research paper. The Sophomore Project will help you in this process by helping you learn more about career options, decide on an internship, and understand the education that is needed to work in your chosen profession. This portfolio supports the learning skills to help you develop the best portfolio and research paper you can produce. The Showcase will help you be better prepared to give your presentation for your Graduation Project. The Graduation Project will be judged by a team of adult judges and is a graduation requirement for all Henderson County Public School students.

In addition to the portfolio assignments listed in the following pages, you will also be required to create a presentation for the Student Showcase on Tuesday, March 27, 2018. Your presentation will need to be eye-catching to draw the audience to see what you have created. The project will also need to be informative, clear, and concise. Examples of presentations created by former sophomores are tri-fold boards, Powerpoint presentations, and three dimensional models. You are encouraged to work on these presentations and portfolio assignments at home as well as in Study Group. Remember that your audience will be fellow students, teachers, parents and other members of the community. ALL Freshmen and Sophomores are REQUIRED to be at the Student Showcase. Parents must sign the parent letter verifying that they are aware of this requirement. A copy of the Sophomore Portfolio and the Parent Letter is available on our website.

Due dates and assignments are found within this handbook. They will be posted on the whiteboard in Mrs. Beddingfield’s room 102 for all students participating in a project and will be updated regularly. It is suggested that you check the whiteboard at least once per week. Mrs. Beddingfield and Ms. Willingham are available to answer any questions you may have regarding the Freshmen Portfolio, Sophomore Portfolio or Graduation projects. The following chart gives the deadlines for portfolio entries:

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First Check-in Parent Letter Signed August 11

Second Check-in Entries 1-2 August 25

Third Check-in Entries 3-4 September 8

Fourth Check-in Entries 5-6 September 29

Fifth Check-in Entries 7-8 October 13

Sixth Check-in Entries 9-11 November 3

Final Check-in Final COMPLETED Portfolio December 1

Showcase Check-in 3 ideas for showcase March 9

Student Showcase Showcase Completed March 27

All assignment entries should be turned in to Ms. Willingham and/or Mrs. Beddingfield. Mrs. Beddingfield will keep a copy of all portfolio assignments turned in, but it is also important to save a copy for yourself either electronically, or physical copies or both. It is always recommended that you save electronic copies in more than one place, for instance your M Drive, a flash drive, as an attachment to an email to yourself, etc

Every portfolio entry should be:

A thoughtful response to the topics you select Typed and edited as needed to reflect your personality

o Artistic illustrations, videos, or other creative representations are acceptable In booklet format with entries in order as outlined in the following pages Titled on the first line of the entry Numbered by entry at the top of the page

There are 15 entries you are required to complete 12.

The first 8 entries are required, you may then choose 3.

Every student is required to complete #12.

Completeness counts, but your writing should also demonstrate appropriate word usage, sentence structure, spelling, capitalization and punctuation.

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Grading: This project will be part of your grade for Study Group each quarter. Failure to meet deadlines will result in Academic Probation: Loss of privileges (Student Lounge, Late Arrival/Early Dismissal, scheduled to Study Group while not in class, assigned seats, etc).

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Portfolio Entries**The following 8 entries are REQUIRED!**

1. CFNC Scavenger HuntFollow Ms. Willingham’s instructions to create a CFNC account and complete the Scavenger Hunt Worksheet.

2. The Next StepResearch 5 colleges you’re interested in – one must be a public NC university, one must be a private university and one must be a public out-of-state university. Then answer the following questions for each school:1 – Name of College2 – Type of College (public, private, in/out-of-state)3 – Location4 – Number of students enrolled5 – Total cost (tuition, housing, dining, etc.)6 – GPA needed for admittance7 – SAT/ACT scores needed for admittance

3. Value/Interest/Career Assessments and InventoriesMs. Willingham will go over instructions for this entry.

4. Notable QuoteChoose a quote that represents you or your dream career. Make an artistic version of the quote to hang on the wall in 102. Be sure your name is on it, too. On a separate paper, write a paragraph or two describing what the quote means to you and why you chose it.

5. Can I afford my dream career?Research to answer the following questions:

Area where I want to live Average rent or mortgage (if you hope to own your house) payment per month in that

area Cost of College Tuition for your dream career (keep in mind that certain careers require

advanced degrees) Annual Salary for your career

Name the Colleges you hope to attend and the career your hope to have. Write a paragraph or two describing what you learned while doing this research. Cite all your sources at the end of the paper.

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6. Job Family TreeMs. Willingham will go over the instructions for this entry.

7. Resume Ms. Willingham will go over how to create a resumé. Then look for a resume’ template online. Use these tools to create a resume’ to help you land your dream job. Include job experience and education that qualify you for your dream career. As a high school student you may want to add leadership experience, volunteer activities, school activities, awards, etc. This will be a great tool when you actually start applying for colleges and scholarships.

8. Interview YouResearch job interview questions, and then create AND answer a list of 8-10 questions you could be asked at a job interview for your dream career OR for a scholarship.

**You may choose from the following entries for your next 4 entries**

Likes / DislikesMake two columns. In one column, list at least 10 careers that you like. In the other column list at least ten careers that you dislike. Pick one career from each column and write a paragraph comparing the two. BE detailed in what you like or dislike about the career.

Live Backwards Create a timeline starting at the peak of your career sometime in the future and working your way back to today. You must include either the date of the accomplishment or your age. Include at least 7 steps.

Job SearchPerform some research on job openings that fit some or all of your dream career requirements. Copy and paste the job openings onto a word document. Find at least 7. Write a paragraph about what you discover. Do they all require the same level of education and experience? Are pay rates listed or are they similar? If you had your pick, which would you choose? How much more do you need to do to be qualified for that job?

Ad it all upCreate a TV or radio commercial, a magazine or newspaper spread, a website ad or a billboard advertisement for the career of your choice.

The history of my dream careerWrite a short essay about your dream career’s history. Include facts such as when the first person began this career, why it was created, was it at any point geared toward a particular gender or ethnicity? How has the career progressed through the ages? Where do you think it will be in the future? Write at least 5 paragraphs. Cite your sources.

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Forever? Really?Find out how long most people perform the career you have chosen and why. Do they do it until retirement or even longer than that? Do they keep the same job only for a few years? If so, why? Burn out? Death? Lack of need? Chart your findings.

Interview a ProfessionalFind a professional in the field you hope to one day work in and interview them. This is for you to get first-hand information about your desired job. The questions you ask them are up to you, think about what you would like to know. Questions should be school appropriate and respectful! You will type up your questions and the professional’s answers to turn in.

ALL Students complete this entry:

12) Final Entry

COVER/TITLE PAGE: Your cover should include your selected title, your name, and an illustration appropriate to your portfolio. Be creative!

TABLE OF CONTENTS: List the entry number and title of all entries in your portfolio on the Table of Contents page.

EPILOGUE (last page): Imagine that a stranger picked up your portfolio. The stranger reads it from the first page to the last. How would this stranger perceive the author? What kind of person appears to have filled these pages? Write a Character Sketch of the person captured in these pages from the stranger’s point of view that covers what’s important to you (this should therefore be done in 3rd person). Refer to specific entries if needed to support the stranger’s impression of the author: YOU!

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