****1…. For this week’s blog, you will compose a Professional Philosophy Statement, sometimes referred to as a work statement. This can be a valuable document to include with an application or portfolio, but it is also helpful preparation for interview questions.  This statement will be included as part of your final e-Portfolio that is due in Week Four. Your Professional Philosophy Statement should be 250-500 words.

As you consider what to include in your statement, keep in mind the things that employers find valuable: organization, resourcefulness, work ethic, creativity, motivation, perseverance, adaptability, strong written and verbal communication, and so on. You can address technical skills that you possess, but do not overlook “soft” skills like solid time-management and those listed above. 

Do not simply detail your work experience; that is what your resume is for. Instead, the Professional Philosophy Statement should encapsulate your personal perspective or approach to work—any kind. What do you believe in? What do you bring to the workplace? What is unique to you? What will you do to help you and your colleagues succeed? 

Considerations

Put your best foot forward, but always present an authentic picture of yourself. Do not fabricate or exaggerate. This is also not a cover letter, so don’t pretend you are applying for a job. This is an articulation of who you are and what you believe in.

Many find it helpful to share a brief anecdote that highlights a personal viewpoint towards hard work. This I Believe is a website that calls itself a “public dialog about belief.” Note how many of the essays focus on a story and highlight one’s core philosophies.

See some of these examples:

This I Believe: That Through Hard Work, Anything Can Be Achieved

A Duty to Family, Heritage and Country

We Make Our Own Destiny

You may also consider touching on current trends within your field and how you keep up with such trends. For example, do you belong to a professional organization? Do you subscribe to a specific trade journal, or have you been to any professional conferences or workshops? If so, what is one piece of knowledge or a specific skill you acquired that you have utilized, or plan to utilize, in your day to day work? 

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***2……As part of your e-portfolio that is due in Week Four, you will include a statement of ethics. In this week’s blog post, please compose a statement of ethics of 250-500 words.

Whereas the Professional Philosophy Statement (work statement) from Week One focused on specific knowledge, skills and experience, the primary focus of the Statement of Ethics is to share a little about the values that define you. For the purpose of this assignment, a general Statement of Ethics based on your field is fine, but feel free to imagine you are applying to a specific business and tailor the statement accordingly.

Consider some examples from the corporate world:

Walmart Statement of Ethics

Compliance and Ethics at Microsoft

About Memorial Healthcare System

Note how none of these examples have essays about their ethics. Rather, they employ attractive images, bolded topic sentences, and brief but focused discussions. For this assignment, create an infographic that conveys your ethic. You can use

Microsoft Office and its SmartArt function

. Alternatively, you can try out a free Infographic Maker like

Piktochart

or

Adobe Spark

.

Ethical strengths to consider:

Industriousness

Reliability

Cooperation

Honesty

Flexibility

Professionalism

Resourcefulness

Consider the following questions to help guide you:

What are some of your deepest values, and how have these impacted your life and career choices?

Why do you feel drawn to your particular career field? What makes you passionate about it? How do you show, in tangible terms, enthusiasm for your work?

Who do you hope you can help through your career and in what way?

Can you point to specific examples of how your values or ethics influenced important life or career decisions? 

A few additional points:

Maintain a professional tone. While you are encouraged to share personal values, the tone of the document should not be too casual. Remember, this Statement of Ethics should not be presented as a large block of text. It should be presented in

Infographic format

.

While it is fine to show passion and conviction, avoid a tone that feels dogmatic or contentious. Remember that others may share a different perspective. Focus heavily on visuals for this assignment rather than paragraphing or an essay.

Double-check grammar and spelling. This statement reflects your professionalism.  

Blogs should include a visual presence. Consider adding a graphic, photo, or other visual element to your blogs to earn full credit on the rubric. Remember, do not attach files. Type and insert media directly into the textbox.