PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The main reason most of us go to college is to prepare ourselves for the job market. People once attended college…or as better stated in those early years as ‘Institutions of Higher Learning’…to become ‘enlightened.’ Either way the result becomes the same. Those who once attended ‘Institutions of Higher Learning’ to become ‘enlightened’ most often returned to society to lead others in opportunities within the job market. Now we have individuals who purposely attend college to become competitive in the job market, and in the process become ‘enlightened.’ Or, do they?

In a technical sense individuals who attend college certainly become enlightened about the nature of things specific to their academic major; but an argument exists as to whether, or not, they truly become as enlightened as they should related to a full development of the ‘self.’ Too many of today’s generation, it is often argued, come away from college without the deep awareness of human relations and leadership dynamics. For this reason I am laying out a plan in this chapter to help readers get a head start on those areas critical to forging a strong human relations and leadership foundation.

Brian Tracy, international leadership expert, and author of GOALS! emphasizes the importance of always thinking in terms of, “How will what I am doing today impact what I will be doing ten or twenty years from now.” He refers to it as having a ‘longer-time perspective.’ Here are three (3) of his basic tenets:


 Think long-term. Sit down today and write out a
description of your ideal life ten and twenty years into the
future. This crystallizes longer-time perspective.

‚ Look at everything you do in terms of its long-term
potential impact on your life. Do more of the things that
have greater long-term value to you.

ƒ Develop the habit of delaying gratification in small things,
small expenditures, small pleasures, so that you can
enjoy greater satisfaction in the future.



What better time to begin this ‘longer-time perspective’ thinking than while in college? Although it will seem as you could never be any busier than you are while in college, the truth of the matter is you will never again have that amount of leisure time available to you…until the day of your retirement. Take some of this extra time and begin to develop your ‘leadership self.’ The plan that follows is a strong suggestion of some of the things you can begin doing to move yourself forward. Over the years I have trained and coached thousands of professionals to become ‘Strategic Partners.’ To a person they would tell you that if they had it to do over again, they would have initiated the process of personal development much earlier in their lives.

THE PLAN


Research specific career opportunities within the accounting major.



Research performance expectations related to an entry-level position within accounting.



Research cities/regions where opportunities exist.



Locate employers who offer opportunities in the accounting field.



Research those employers:
· Primary recruiting contact.
· Reputation of firm / company.
· Financial health of firm / company.
· Request informational brochure/recruiting literature.
· Internship opportunities at some point?

Focus on a 3.5 GPA – 3.25 minimum.


Elective classes you should consider:
· Psychology of human behavior or organizational psychology
· American History
· English Comp
· American Literature
· Ethics
· Oral presentation
· Marketing
· Philosophy (great thinkers)



Design a Contact List (electronic ‘Rolodex’) of your personal network.

Update your Contact List each week.


Look into whether your campus offers a “Toastmasters” chapter. If not, organize one.

Be a regular participant in “Toastmasters.”



Begin to think about extra-curricular involvement.

Become involved in extra-curricular activities:
· Greek Organization
· Student Government
· Academic Fraternities
· Community Involvement
· Intramural Sports
· Debate Team
· Academic Clubs
· Drama Club
· Band
· Choir
· Etc.

Begin reading one book per month (48 by graduation). *Suggested reading list provided.


Focus on Executive Presence and how to enhance image.

Meet with academic advisor/career counselor to discuss areas in which you might strengthen yourself.

Review “Impact Interviewing” manual to prepare for part-time campus jobs, summer jobs, internships. (Available via my e-mail address.)

Begin to learn one new word per week (various sources available for this purpose). Fully learn the word, and use it during the week in some way (200 by graduation).

Begin/Continue a fitness program – 2 days per week minimum.


Apply for a part-time job, internship, or line up a summer job.

Assume responsibility for a portion of your college costs – scholarships or work-supported.

Read current events – 20 minutes per day – or watch national news each evening.


Enroll in a music appreciation class.


Enroll in an art appreciation class.


Play golf (if you are not a golfer, take lessons).




Suggested Reading/Listening List (1 Per Month)


Lead The Field
Nightingale


7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Covey

True Professionalism
Maister

The New Professional Image
Bixler

How To Win Friends/Influence People
Carnegie

101 Ways To Conduct Business With Charm And Savvy
Sabath

How To Work A Room
Roane

The Exceptional Presenter
Koegel

Elements Of Style
Strunk & White

Integrity
Carter

Civility
Carter

Emotional Intelligence
Goleman

Care Of The Soul
Moore

Leading Change
Kotter

Living The Platinum Rule
Alessandra

Swim With The Sharks
Mackay

Winning
Welch

First Things First
Merrill, Merrill, Covey

Managing The Professional Service Firm
Maister

First, Break All the Rules
Buckingham

The Purpose Driven Life
Warren

The Servant
Hunter

Good To Great
Collins

The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership
Maxwell

Principle-Centered Leadership
Covey

Impact Interviewing
Bagley

The Audacity of Hope
Obama

Biographies:

Franklin Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt

Helen Keller

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Billy Graham

Mahatma Gandhi

Winston Churchill

Robert Kennedy

Harry Truman

Dwight Eisenhower

Theodore Roosevelt

Abraham Lincoln

Great Works:

One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich
Solzhenitsyn

To Kill A Mockingbird
Lee

Crime And Punishment
Dostoevsky