OGL 482 Pro-Seminar II

Unit 3 Assignment:
Networking Plan Template
Section 1: The Career Decision Matrix
As you move through the data-gathering phase and begin to generate options for potential jobs
and potential employers, this is when you can build and use a Career Decision Matrix. Following
the information from Harrington & Hall text, Career Management & Worklife Integration,
Chapter 4, pages 92-94, you will research, gather, and analyze information from your self-
assessments (i.e. the Kuder assessments in Unit 1, in particular), thematic analysis (themes),
career resources and more to create your Career Decision Matrix.

Career options are broader than jobs. They are paths you can take to get to where you want to be.
Here is a resource that can assist you in determing:
https://careerwise.minnstate.edu/careers/pathways.html

Answer the following:

1) As you have gathered your data take the time to share and fully describe your top
four (4) possible career options. You want to be specific, as this creates a more
meaningful matrix. Describe each career with as much detail as possible. Consider
the following to be used in your 2-3 paragraph response per career option: career
field / organization / job-related responsibilities / opportunities for advancement /
future outlook of the career field. These responses need to demonstrate that you
have gathered your research and analyzed it, so there should be citations referencing
where you got your information, using APA standards. Remember to include why you
are choosing each career option.

a. Manager if a virtual team , I want to continue to manage a team of people but in a

different setting, I no longer want to be in a clinical setting. Still in the healthcare
field. It’s pretty much what I do now. I would like to continue in this for awile in
another healthcare sector, maybe womens health, or non profit. Other areas would
be training manager but I want to get out of Value Based Care with Seniors.

b. Manager, Medicare Operations – This type of job I would be helping companies

manage medicare value based care initiatives. I would get to stay in value based
care but not in a clinical setting as this is a remote job.

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 c. Health AI Strategist – use technology to improve healthcare by diving into
complex data to foster change, identify new opportunities to use AI solutions.

d. Career Option 4 – Nursing, this is my last option because my life would have to
drastically change for me to be able to achieve it. I would need to go back for my
clincials. And to do my clinicals I would have to quit my job as a leader for a
period of time. This isn’t something I can afford to do right now. A nursing career
in the hospital is what I would like to do, as a nurse in the ER I would have hands
on experience but my end game would be Triage nurse working remotely. As a
triage nurse I would take calls from patients that are not feeling well and tell them
what course of treatment they can take. I would also consult with the doctors to
make sure they agree to it. For me the job is satisfying because I would get to use
my expertise and help patients feel better.

Now that you have determined these four options, take a step back and share a fifth
UNTHINKABLE (UT) career option, that you would never do, but are trained for
by what you have learned by earning your degree. Think about skills you have
acquired while earning your degree, which would be transferable to something
completely different.

e. Outreach and Engagement Operations Manager, I cannot imagine working in

sales I think it is the worst profession ever. Even though it sounds enticing and
they often make good money I feel like it would suck the soul out of me.

2) Using the information you have gathered and shared above it is time to fill in your
Career Decision Matrix. You can find an example in Table 4.2 on page 93 of our
text. When you complete the matrix below, be sure to remove any unnecessary
labels.

Virtual Team Manager, Health AI Nurse

Manager Medicare strategist
Operations

My Children H M M L

My M M M M
Spirituality

Motherhood M M M L

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 Developmen H H H H
t

Change H H H H

Adveristy H H H H

Optimism H H H H

Self care H H M M

Learning H H H H

Reflection H H H H

CTCP 46 44 42 38
(Summary)

3) Now that you have determined these career options in relation to your life themes:
a. Reflect to what extent your Career Decision Matrix development process has
helped your career development decisions.

I picked jobs that will still align with all my values and my needs. Nirsing is
something that I know will take a lot of time away from my family as will as time
from church. I do not want to go to nursing school because of this reason but its still a
desire I have. The other jobs are remote which would continue to help me be present
for my family. The best career for me would be the first one I chose a virtual manager
to a health care team.

b. Share which career option(s) you feel would be worth researching more and
pursuing as you begin to think about your networking plan.

The career that I think is worth researching more and pursuing is the Health AI
strategist. It is something that is being done now and the industry is growing. I am
extremely interested in it because I feel like AI can help patients in a new way.

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Section 2: Networking Plan
Now that you have completed your Career Decision Matrix we now need to move forward and
develop a networking plan that you can use to help you reach your career goals. Review
Harrington & Hall text, Career Management & Worklife Integration, Chapter 4, pages 77-83.
Developing and managing your network of people who can help you is an important ongoing
process whether or not you are currently happy in your career.

The purpose of this activity is to:

• Help you assess and enhance (extend or strengthen) your developmental network relative
to major challenges you will face in the next 1-3 years
• Help you develop a networking strategy that will work for you
• Help you develop a specific plan to pursue over the next 6 months to 1 year
• Create an accountability mechanism

Research on leadership development has demonstrated that people benefit from a variety of
developmental relationships, including short-term and long-term alliances with bosses, peers,
senior executives, coaches, subordinates, and family members, the more diversity and depth
there is in your developmental network, the better. Depending on our dominant learning tactics,
we are more or less likely to pay attention to the quality of our developmental network.
This assignment was adapted by Professor Kathy E. Kram from a worksheet developed by
Professor Deborah Kolb, Simmons Graduate School of Management. Adapted by permission.

Answer the following:

1) As you think about the major changes that are likely to take place at your place of
work in the next few years, what major challenges and opportunities do you foresee
that you will need to deal with in the next 1-3 years?

Describe and explain why these are your top three (3) of Challenges here:
a. One challenge for me would be getting a Project Management certificate I want to
get my six sigma black belt so I will be working on that.
b. Another challenge I will be facing is finding a remote job. Jobs are hard to come
by right now. I hear that hundreds of applications need to be sent out now and it’s
the best condidates applying for the roles so it’s competitive. I had held off on
looking for any remote jobs because they the ones I wanted required a Bachelors
so I figured waiting would be a good idea.
c. Another challenge will be a learning new things. I have been in value based care
for the last almost 8 years now. Anything I do outside of value based care is going
to be hard and If its something outside of working with seniors it will be even
harder for me. Also leaving the clinical setting will be hard for me because now I
can still jump into patient care, I can draw blood, give injections and take vitals
on patients but working remotely I will not be able to do that.

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 Describe and explain why these are your top three (3) of Opportunities here:
d. To get my project management certificate
e. Work from home , no having to commute
f. Learning new things

2) Given these challenges and opportunities, what type of help are you most likely to
need? Check one and explain why.
a. Help in getting the job done ______
b. Help in advancing my career ______
c. Emotional support __x____
d. All of the above ______
I really don’t feel like I will need help in anything I have done all this before.

3) If your major challenge or opportunity is related to your work, how well positioned
are you to get information, advice, and resources about new opportunities and
possibilities? Check one and explain who can help you and why.
Very Well _x_____ Okay ______ Need to Expand My Network ______

I have a lot of connections and resources and I am good at navigating and finding things
that I want to help me.

4) If your major challenge or opportunity means making a move into a leadership

position, do you have relationships with people who can give you advice and
effectively advocate or champion you for important assignments or other
developmental activities? Check one and explain who can help you and why.
Yes __x____ No ______

I am currently in a leadership position and making a transition into what I want I have
other leaders I have met that are entering into AI and remote work that I can turn to for
advice.

5) If your challenge or opportunity means that you will need emotional support, to
what extent do you have people who can give you support? Check one and explain
who can help you and why.

a. I have a strong support network to help me. __x___

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 b. I don’t have people to help me through changes I will have to make. ____

I have always had network support and I have an elder son that helps me!

6) If your challenge or opportunity means that you will need help getting the job done,
advancing your career, or getting emotional support, do you have people in your
network who can fulfill these functions? Check one and explain who can help you
and why.
Yes ___x___ No ______

I have people that can help me like my current leaders and my past leaders.

7) What is your approach to building relationships? How are you at initiating

relationships? In what settings are you most comfortable meeting people?

a. Joint or shared work, projects, and committees _x_____

b. One-on-one appointments, with specific agendas ______
c. Informal “no agenda” social settings _x_____
d. Going for coffee, lunch, or drinks ___x___
e. Leisure activities such as golf, tennin, or theater _x_____
f. Other ______

I mostly meet people at work and build on the relationships outside of work and through
social networks.

8) What is your preferred style?

a. Occasional phone calls or e-mails just to ask “how are you?” ______
b. Phone calls, e-mails, or visits with specific requests or questions ______
c. Holiday cards and letters ______
d. Dropping in or calling when you’re in the neighborhood ______
e. Arranging in advance to get together at professional meetings __x____
f. Relying on the chance that your paths will cross ___x___
g. Inviting people to join you for lunch, coffee, golf, and so on __x____
h. Contacting people when you find some information, an article, or an opportunity that
might interest them __x____
i. Other ______

I do all of these things above also social media.

9) Now turn your attention to the “Action Planning” part of the exercise (top of page 82).
Respond to the following questions:

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 a. What are your goals in developing a professional network? Be specific.

I already have a professional network on linkedin and in just everyday life. I have
developed relationships over the years.

b. How will a well-developed network of contacts help you achieve your career goals?

They have helped by getting me all the jobs I have ever has except my first one. It was
though connections that I was given a chance for most of them.

c. What are some of the characteristics of the people you are looking to include in your
network?

People who are interested in changing health care and doing it differently. People who
have a start – up mentality.

d. Where might you come in contact with these people? How will you grow your network /
initiate contact with new potential networking contacts?

I am in contact with a lot of these types of people though linkedin but I see their
connections as well and link up.

e. Who in your network are you looking to enhance your relationship with? How will you go
about enhancing these relationships?

I am looking to enhance relatioships in the AI sector.

f. How can you leverage your existing network? Might some of your existing networking
contacts know others who you should be in contact with?

I leverage it through linked in and working these things into conversations I have with
connections.

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Section 3: SMART Career and Networkings
Using a SMART goals-based approach, as well as project planning and management skill best
practices, create a detailed project plan for at least two specific goals. At least one must be
related to your Career Plan, and the other related to your Networking Plan. Both of these goals
need to be things that you are passionate about accomplishing.
Your selected goals and SMART plan (see SMART goal information provided in the Unit)
should be structured based on a one to two-year timeline. It should include specific milestones,
action items, sub-tasks as well as task-related interdependencies as applicable. With respect to
each goal, critically think about what specifically are the things you will do in the next one to
two years to achieve these goals.

Develop a clear and detailed SMART plan, with facilitating goals and steps/actions required
to accomplish your selected goals. It should be evident, by looking at the format and structure
of your plan, that you have developed some significant skills respect to project management.
Include Gantt charts or other visual project representations as you see fit, and be sure to address
your approach to tracking/measuring your progress.

1) What is your Career Goal?

(Insert your Career Goal above and provide short answers below describing your Career
Goal in terms of the SMART model. Finally, provide a Gantt Chart using the tools
provided).

a. Specific my goal is to work remote as a manage

b. Measurable I will submit applications after May

c. Attainable its possible because eventually I should get something

d. Relevant it matters to me because I need to get out of the clinical setting

e. Time-Based 8- months

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 Career Goal
1/1/24 2/20/24 4/10/24 5/30/24 7/19/24 9/7/24 10/27/24 12/16/24

update linkedin Feb 18

follow people Feb 18

update on conncection Mar 1

2) What is your Networking Goal

(Insert your Networking Goal above and provide short answers below describing your
goal in terms of the SMART model. Finally, provide a Gantt chart using the tools
provided).

a. S – update my linked in

b. M – measure the amount of looks I have and new networks I develop

c. A – Its attanable because I can do it

d. R – it is something I need to become marketable

e. T 1-2 months

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 NetworkingGoal
1/1/24 2/20/24 4/10/24 5/30/24 7/19/24 9/7/24 10/27/24 12/16/24

update linkedin Feb 18

follow people Feb 18

update on conncection Mar 1

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