"Choosing Best Career Course for Professional Growth"

How to Choose the Best Professional Development Course for Your Career

This week, we are going to explore a possible scenario you will face in the future. As a successful employee in your ideal career, you have been called upon to prove your worth as a lifelong learner. With your fabulous education from Georgian College, you were well prepared for your position when you were hired, but a number of years have passed, and your company needs you to stay current in your field.

Numerous training courses/seminars are available to enhance your expertise in your industry. Your task is to research and recommend the best course for you to attend to benefit your company.

1. Complete a preliminary assessment: what area of study is required (technology, practical skills, communication, leadership, teamwork, etc.), how much time you can commit, what is the cost

2. Decide on the type of training course/seminar you would like to attend.(live, online, professional organization associated, charitable/for profit associated)

3. Complete your research, finding at least three reputable courses/seminars of the type chosen Consider the following while evaluating the researched information:

• host organization/presenter for the course/seminar

• reputation in the industry

• relevance to your needs

Formulate your content as a persuasive memo in the following manner:

• Provide a clear introduction, gaining interest and previewing the content to come

• Fully develop your assessment to build interest

• Compile your research in an understandable way to reduce resistance

• Conclude with your recommendation that will motivate action by selecting which of the three you selected to attend and convincing your boss to send you

4. Present your research, including any relevant data you accumulated. See the information on pages 320-324 of the textbook (6th edition 318-322).

Present your information in a persuasive memo format; follow the outline provided on pages 335 of the textbook (6th edition 332). Keep in mind that you do NOT need to provide citations for this assignment.

	4	3	2	1	0
Content	Contains persuasive relevant content that thoroughly supports recommendation	Contains persuasive relevant content that supports purpose statement	Contains content that attempts to persuade and support purpose statement	Content does not persuade or support purpose statement	No relevant content
Organization	Information is effectively organized into an intro, body and conclusion	Information is organized into an intro, body and conclusion	Information is inconsistently organized	Organization is not discernible	No organization
Conclusion	Clear selection of choice and convincing argument	Clear selection of choice and somewhat convincing argument	Unclear selection of choice and convincing argument	Unclear selection of choice and/or unconvincing argument	No selection or argument
Format for memo	Memo format uses headings, graphic highlighting and effective paragraphs throughout	Memo format uses headings, graphic highlighting and one idea per paragraph throughout	Memo format uses some headings and graphic highlighting with some effective paragraphs	Memo lacks proper headings and/or graphic highlighting; paragraphs are ineffectively written	Does not use headings and/or graphic highlighting; does not use proper paragraph structure
Writing/ Speaking Conventions	All writing is virtually free of grammar and spelling errors	Writing contains minimal grammar/spelling errors (3 or fewer) that do not interfere with understanding	Writing contains numerous grammar/spelling errors (4 or more) that do not interfere with understanding	Writing contains grammar and spelling errors that interfere with understanding	Writing has many grammar and spelling errors