Marketing 484: Internship SYLLABUS Spring 2014 An online course

Transcription

1 Marketing 484: Internship SYLLABUS Spring 2014 An online course The Texas A&M Career Center reports that almost 70% of interns are extended job offers. Companies focus on internships as the most preferred pipeline to full-time positions. Course Purpose: Internships are a proven way to gain relevant knowledge, skills, and experience while establishing important connections in the field. MKTG 484 is on online class intended to provide students with meaningful, reflective assignments that encourage self-awareness, assessment and deeper understanding of workplace professional behavior. Students will earn (3) hours of marketing elective credit for their internship experiences. Course Objectives: To positively compliment a student s internship experience through supplemental learning and assignments. The assignments allow students the opportunity to reflect on their work experience, engage with supervisors, and develop career skills. More fully understand the activities and functions of marketing professionals Develop and refine professional writing skills Increased confidence in dealing with supervisors Build understanding of professional development resources in their industry Build valuable contacts and establish a professional, online presence It is hoped students finish their internships better able to assess their workplace strengths & weaknesses, thereby helping the student select future career paths A successful internship will include: direct and regular guidance and supervision, direct access to a supervisor, meaningful projects and responsibilities that require accountability on the student s part. Paid or unpaid internships are eligible. Instructor: Mrs. Kelli G. Hollinger Office Location: Center for Retailing Studies, Wehner 201-D [email protected] Office Hours: By appointment only, Monday-Friday

2 Required Text: When Reality Hits: What Employers Want Recent College Graduates to Know A digital PDF copy will be provided to you from your instructor with permission to use by students enrolled in MKTG 484. Additional distribution is not allowed. Recommended Text: Getting from College to Career by Lindsey Pollak (2012) Prerequisite: MKTG 321 and permission of instructor * It is the student s responsibility to identify, interview for and secure a professional internship. Contact the TAMU Career Center for more information. * Students must obtain instructor s permission to enroll in the course prior to participating in the internship experience. Not all internships are approved for credit. Internship work duties must compliment the marketing degree plan. * 2.5 GPR required in major and overall course performance Internship Requirements: I. Duration: Internships must be no less than 8 weeks and 300 hours in duration; 20 hours per week during the 15 week Fall semester. II. III. IV. Timing: An internship must be completed during the semester you are enrolled in MKTG 484. No credit is offered for past work experience. Job Assignment: No more than 25% of job duties will be clerical or otherwise not related to the development of professional work skills. Function Area: To earn credit for MKTG Internship, a student must complete work in one of the below function areas: i. Retail store management ii. Retail buying or merchandising iii. Advertising iv. Event planning to promote products/services for your company v. Sales vi. Sports marketing for a professional, recognized organization vii. Graphic design and website development viii. Advertising with an agency ix. Social media management at professional level x. Specialized marketing and communication, such as TV/radio production or research V. Not allowed: student ambassador programs or work in family businesses.

3 Summary of Course Assignments: I. LinkedIn II. Interviews. Students will conduct TWO interviews with supervisors, managers, executives or customers. i. Interview #1: Interview your supervisor. ONE & HALF page, single spaced, plus a numbered list of learning objectives. ii. Interview #2: Interview with senior executive. TWO pages single spaced III. Request for professional development IV. Book Analysis. This comprehensive paper is the course s major assignment. It requires students to read the required text, evaluate its six themes & recommendations for professional conduct, and apply them to their internship workplace. THREE to FOUR pages single spaced. V. Internship Summary: Students will complete a THREE-page, single spaced review of their internship experience. A template will be provided for this assignment. Grading Policy: MKTG 484 will record a letter grade. It is not a pass/fail course. LinkedIn account 5 points off final grade if not completed Supervisor interview 20% Professional Development Request 10 % Book Analysis 30% Executive interview 25% Employer Evaluation 15% Internship Summary 5 points off final grade if not completed 100% Penalty for Late Assignments: Due dates are the final date in which a paper can be turned in. Since you are working, you are encouraged to evaluate if you should turn in your work early based on your workplace obligations. For example, if your business has a major gala, pitch to a new client or sale weekend the day before your paper is due, consider turning it in early. You are responsible for managing your schedule to balance this course with your workplace responsibilities. Do not ask for extensions for work-related reasons. Since students may turn in papers any time, a late penalty of one letter grade will be assessed starting at 5:01 PM (Central Time) the date the paper is due. Grades will be reduced another letter for each additional 48 hour period afterward. Do not turn in papers late. Students can expect assignments about every three weeks.

4 Assignment Due Dates: LinkedIn Account Monday, January 27 Interview #1 Monday, February 3 Professional Development Request Monday. February 24 Book Analysis Monday, March 24 Interview #2 Monday, April 14 Employer Evaluation Monday, April 21 Summary Monday, April 28 LinkedIn Account Monday, April 28 Pending extenuating circumstances and instructor approval, an incomplete grade (I) will be given for coursework deficiency and not for performance deficiency. Texas A&M's regulations state: A temporary grade of 'I' (Incomplete) at the end of a semester or Fall term indicates that the student (graduate or undergraduate) has completed the course with the exception of a major quiz, final examination, or other work. The instructor shall give this grade only when the deficiency is due to an authorized absence or other cause beyond the control of the student. Paper Submissions submit your assignments via ecampus. Communication for this course will be conducted via and ecampus. It is students responsibility to regularly check these methods of communication for instructor directions. It is also your responsibility to have access to computer equipment in order to submit assignments on time. Termination from Internship or unsatisfactory work performance: If you are terminated from your internship for workplace performance, your grade will be no higher than a C, and likely a D or F. The final grade will take into account grades on submitted assignments, hours completed at the internship, and employer evaluation. An employer evaluation is part of the grade for this course. If you receive an unsatisfactory evaluation (the lowest of four metrics), your grade will be no higher than a C, and could merit a D or F. The final grade will take into account grades on submitted assignments and hours completed at the internship. Getting Help with Writing This course emphasizes business writing. Resources are available to help you in Mays Business School to provide additional feedback. Please use the Mays Communication Lab in 339 Wehner. It has outstanding services and consultants who are trained to help you identify strengths and weaknesses of your written and oral communication, and you will leave your consultation with the tools you need to keep improving on your own. mays.tamu.edu/commlab

5 Academic Integrity This class emphasizes business writing. It also requires original writing. Any information used from websites, training manuals, books, articles or other sources should be quoted and correctly attributed. **Text copied from websites will be considered plagiarism if not attributed. Excess text that is quoted and attributed will be penalized for laziness. Overall, if you think you copied too much, you likely did. Conceptualize and communicate your own ideas. An Aggie Does Not Lie, Cheat or Steal Or Tolerate Those Who Do For additional information please visit Scholastic dishonesty WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. All policies concerning scholastic dishonesty found in the current Texas A&M University Regulations apply and will be enforced. ADA Statement: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact Disability Services, in Cain Hall, Room B118, or call For additional information visit <<<End Syllabus>>>

6 MKTG 484 Writing Assignments: Spring 2014 Description of assignments: I. LinkedIn Account II. Supervisor Interview II. Memo to Supervisor III. Using the book, When Reality Hits, evaluate six themes of professional success and make recommendation to future Aggie interns IV. Interview with Senior Executive V. Internship Summary I. Create a LinkedIn Account It is increasingly important for you to develop an online, professional presence. Depending on your career aspirations, hiring may be done through social media. This class helps build your professional relationships and gives you opportunity to contribute to professional online discussions. Quotes from some of our business partners include, LinkedIn is our #1 channel for recruitment. said a national grocery chain. A consultant commented, I could not do my job without LinkedIn. The site is used to build a list of contacts, connect to others through your connections, search job boards, participate in professional discussion groups, and post your resume. Directions: If you do not have one, create a LinkedIn web profile complete with your professional picture, resume information, education, and experience. Note: the picture is a headshot only. You do not have to have one professionally made, but it should be a nice, formal picture. This page should be as perfect as your resume. In fact, you should upload your resume to LinkedIn. Your audience includes clients, employers, and colleagues. Build connections with colleagues and clients throughout your internship. Professors and friends are okay, but this is your professional database. Your contacts should be people who can help you down the road. It is a tangible outcome of networking! On September 2nd, I will review your account and record the number of connections you have (it is okay to have zero). I will provide you with feedback on your profile. You must add 30 connections above what you currently have by end of semester. (So if you have zero today, you need 30 by April 28; if you have 50, you need 80.) You must be a member of at least 3 groups. The required book for this class emphasizes, It s not what you know, but who you know. LinkedIn shows the world who you know, who knows you, and what they know about you. LinkedIn is online. There is no assignment to turn in. I will view your work on the web. Account must be set-up by Monday, January 27. Your new 30 connections will be reviewed on Monday, April 28 Two students who took MKTG 484 in summer 2012 were contacted by recruiters who viewed their LinkedIn accounts. This assignment can help you get a job!

7 *Hint: Some business professionals do not promptly reply to LinkedIn requests to connect. And, not everyone will accept your invitation. Do not wait until the end of your internship to begin building your 30 connections. II. Interview #1. Submit a one & a half-page single-spaced paper about an interview with you supervisor. Conclude with a list of 8-10 learning objectives for your internship. The learning goals of this assignment are: 1) Build an open dialogue with your supervisor to understand his/her management style and expectations of you as an intern. 3) Develop professional conversation skills 2) Practice reflective writing 4) Define your personal goals for the internship Assignment Description: Interview your supervisor with the goal of learning about your company s culture, expectations and career opportunities. Ask questions that address: How your supervisor started in the company; what is his/her career path and long-term goal. What expectations does he/she have for you as an intern? Ask open-ended questions, such as Tell me about a time a new employee impressed you, to learn what makes for a good employee in your boss eyes. Try to discover how your work and communication styles are similar and different. Ask him to describe his management style. Try to go beyond buzzwords of hand-off, micromanager, etc by asking for an example or elaboration. Please develop additional questions prior to the interview that will help guide your discussion. Initiative on your part to go beyond the provided questions is expected. *Review Chapter 1 of When Reality Hits for additional direction on this assignment. It should be very clear from your paper what you do day-today as an intern. Your reader should be able to visualize you in action at your workplace. As your instructor, I need to gain context for your workplace. Reflection is a three step process involving the whats. 1) The basic what inform your reader of the facts (your above questions) a. Ex: Our office s casual and highly creative culture enables us to relate well to our target market of twenty-something buyers. 2) So what? now infer why the fact is important a. Ex: This demographic is open to change and eager to embrace the new technologies my marketing agency offers. (Be sure to say what the technologies or services are. This is a great detail.) 3) Now What? - How can you act on this information? Interpret its meaning through analysis and higher level thinking that draw conclusions.

8 a. Ex: As an intern, I can uniquely offer fresh perspectives (which include ) that address my client s unique needs of XYZ, and foster the mission of our organization, which is ABC. b. Several sentences would address these answers. You are evaluating your skills, showing understanding of your client s needs, and recapping your organization s mission. This is the higher level discussion you aim for in reflective writing. You do not need to report the interview verbatim. Use your notes to reminisce about the interview then craft a paper that addresses the assignment s goals of learning about the company s culture, expectations and career opportunities. Build in 24 hours between each paper draft. This time is valuable to give you reflection time and distance from a first draft. After your paper s main content, and not part of the body of your paper, create a numbered list of 8-10 learning objectives for your internship. These can come from many areas, such as: 1) Review of expectations from your supervisor. (Limit 3) 2) Apply classroom theories to your workplace 3) Develop job-specific skills, such as learning a software, gaining confidence in public speaking, or writing engaging press releases 4) Personal development, such as learning to professionally communicate with supervisors or work independently. *Keep this list handy. You will be asked to reassess your progress on these learning objectives as part of your final internship summary. DUE February 3 III. Professional Development Request to your supervisor Craft a letter to your supervisor requesting permission to attend professional development conference. This is a likely scenario you will face in your career. Your request will be no more than a few short paragraphs. Talk with your supervisor about skills you should build to be more effective in the workplace. Next, research what workshops or conferences specific to your industry are available; this should be a real event. I will Google it. You may also include professional peer networks that offer regular meetings and have annual dues. The professional development request should include: What you want What will it cost your employer ( cost will cover more than just financial expenses) How will it benefit your employer What skills or information you will learn Any other factors that will help your employer approve this request

9 Be very specific in your request, because it is unlikely you will be able to turn a no into a yes if your employer declines it. Remember, your workplace development is not about you. It is about what you can contribute to your organization. Also remember, that you are the biggest champion of your own career. If you don t speak up about what you want and how you can grow, you should not expect to move far. DUE February 24 IV. Mentoring others This assignment asks you to relate the book When Reality Hits by Nancy Barry to your internship. Read the book, think about the above six themes, discuss hope they apply to your workplace, evaluate which are the most important, and Imagine a group of sophomore business majors from Mays will visit your company for a classroom field trip. You are asked to help host the group. You can relate to them, and honestly discuss the transition from college to the workforce. Barry describes six soft skills that are essential to workplace success, but often not explicitly mentioned during the application process. They are: Professional image Positive attitude Strong work ethic Communication skills Being a team player The ability to build and nurture relationships For your industry, identify from her many examples what you think is the #1 most important recommendation about professional image. This challenges you to evaluate your workplace, analyze its unique culture, and interpret for a prospective intern what is appropriate in your workplace. Professional image is about much more than business attire, and communication is about much more than proper phone skills. Support your recommendations by using multiple examples for each theme. Tattoos may be fine in an ad agency, but not appropriate in an insurance sales office. Why? Barry poses questions like: How have you been a team player? Give examples. How have you been a breath of fresh air? Ex: What traits make someone a go-to person? Use the style of your workplace for this assignment. For example, the brand & style of Sewell Automotive is more formal that the ra-ra style of a start-up ad agency, or even the Houston Astros. Communicate in a manner that fits your brand. You may turn in materials as a formal paper, or elect a paper that is a script of what you would say to the interns. The length and content of these formats would be similar, but the tone may be quite different. This assignment is worth 30% of your grade. Take it seriously.

10 Your goal is to be able to effectively give direction on six topics to a sophomore student (potential intern) or to a younger employee, and support your recommendation with detailed examples. While you do not need to cite Barry s page numbers, it should be clear that you read the book and are applying it to your workplace. Grading for this assignment will be based on: Depth and diversity of examples; aim to provide 3 or more examples from your internship per theme Clear reflection of the book s themes in your examples Professional presentation of your material DUE March 24 V. Interview #2: Submit a one & a half or two-page single-spaced paper about an interview with your boss s boss or another high ranking executive (the higher the better). If you work in single store/agency, where the owner is your supervisor, you may interview a vendor or high profile customer. If you work for a non-profit where the CEO/Director is your supervisor, consider interviewing another non-profit leader, city official, or Chamber officer. Please call me to discuss who would be a good person to interview if you have any concerns. Assignment Description: You are encouraged to ask questions that address: The company s strategic plan and growth prospects. What is your company s social media strategy? Has it been effective? How will it change over the next few years? What lasting effects did the recession have on your company? Which areas or divisions will grow rapidly and which will grow slowly? Why? What problems might negatively affect the company in the future? What are some career paths for a recent college graduate entering the company? What is the most important piece of advice you can give to a young person like me? Please develop additional questions prior to the interview that will help guide your discussion. Initiative on your part to go beyond the provided questions is expected. You do not need to report the interview verbatim. Use your notes to craft a paper that addresses the assignment s goals of learning about the company s strategic goals and challenges, and career paths. This is another reflective writing paper. You are expected to carefully record the content of the interview ( the what factor), draw inference from that discussion (answering the so what? factor), and then interpret and draw conclusions about your company/growth prospects/career possibilities/etc (address the now what? factor). (See assignment #1 for a review of reflective paper guidelines).

11 DUE April 14 A practical goal of this exercise is to build your relationship with a senior executive in the company and to understand the company s strategic goals. VI. Internship Summary: Please submit a three-page single-spaced evaluation of your internship experience. I will provide a template by April 14 that you should follow. However, to prepare early, be ready to discuss: Description of several key projects or work areas Evaluation of management/training/learning opportunities with this internship program What learning objectives did this internship fulfill? (Review list from first interview). Did it fall short in any areas? The best thing about your internship Your recommendations for how this internship could be improved How did this work experience shape your career goals Tips you want to share with other Aggies about finding or being successful in an internship DUE April 28 Your summary will not be shared with employers, recruiters or companies. You are encouraged to be thoughtful, honest and detailed in this final writing assignment.