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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
College of Merchandising, Hospitality & Tourism
Spring 2013
MDSE 3790 Merchandising Pre-Internship Seminar
Section 001 TR 2:00p-3:20p Business Leadership Bldg 070
Mrs. Dee Wilson, M.Ed. Office Hours
940-369-7270 Mondays 9:00a-11:00a
Tuesdays & Thursdays 4:00p-5:00p
Chilton Hall, 355A or by Appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
3 credit hours. Course examines the impact of business environments on personal and career effectiveness in the merchandising field. Topics include effective business communication, ethical decision making, and leadership development. Prerequisite(s): DRTL 2090, HFMD 2400, or MDSE 2490 (may be taken concurrently); major in Merchandising; and active UNT computer account. Students must present a copy of their transcript by the second class meeting indicating completion of either DRTL 2090, HFMD 2400, or MDSE 2490 with at least a grade of “C” or better or be enrolled in one of these classes during the Fall 2011 semester. Please highlight the relevant classes on your transcript.
REQUIRED TEXT
Anderson, L.E., and Bolt, S.B. Professionalism: Real Skills for Workplace Success, Third Edition.
INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS
As students enter their internship, they must be able to work independently and professionally with a range of employers. Through lecture, class presentations, industry dialogue, web-based modules, role play, case studies, and other experiential activities, students will develop a set of highly valued skills that will prepare them for their capstone internship experience.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Develop their professional writing and selling skills by composing a professional resume
2. Develop their interviewing skills and learn effective methods to conduct a job search
3. Understand the value of networking strategies relevant to professional development
4. Understand how to effectively research companies
5. Understand how cultures vary among different types of employers
6. Evaluate effective and ineffective interpersonal business communication
7. Examine workplace problems through ethical decision making
8. Understand aspects of working in the professional world through teamwork, leadership, and decision making
9. Discuss principles of effective stress and financial management
10. Understand problem-solving and conflict resolution techniques
11. Understand the importance of professionalism, attitude, and accountability in the workplace and how it can affect career success
Class Date(s) / Topics/AssignmentsTues, Jan 15 / Review Course Syllabus and Assignments
Thurs, Jan 17 / The Exceptional Employee and Cover Letters
Tues, Jan 22 / Resumes (Chapter 14)
Thurs, Jan 24 / Resumes Continued (Chapter 14)
Tues, Jan 29 / Preparing for Job Interviews (Chapter 15)
*Discussion Question 1 released on Monday, January 28 – Due by Sunday, February 3*
Thurs, Jan 31 / Preparing for Job Interviews Continued (Chapter 15)
Tues, Feb 5 / Guidelines for Senior Internship (SMHM 4790)
*Discussion Question 2 released on Monday, February 4 - Due by Sunday, February 10*
Thurs, Feb 7 / Job Search Strategies (Chapter 13)
*Employer Research Assignment Due Today*
Tues, Feb 12 / Job Search Strategies Continued (Chapter 13)
*Discussion Question 3 released on Monday, February 11 – Due by Sunday, February 17*
Career Center Career Fair – Wed, Feb 13, 3:00p-7:00p, Coliseum (not required for class)
Thurs, Feb 14 / How to Work a Career Fair
Tues, Feb 19 / Elevator Speech/Personal Commercial
*Discussion Question 4 released on Monday, February 18 – Due by Sunday, February 24*
Thurs, Feb 21 / Personal Financial Management (Chapter 2) – Guest Speaker
Merchandising & Digital Retailing Career Expo Today – 9:30a-12:00p, Union-Silver Eagle-mandatory for all MDR students
*Deadline to Sign Up for Resume Review Appointment–Wednesday, February 27 by 5:00pm*
Tues, Feb 26 / Salary Negotiation
*Discussion Questions 5 released on Monday, February 25 – Due by Sunday, March 3*
*Career Center Extra Credit Summary Due*
Thurs, Feb 28 / EXAM 1
Tues, March 5 / Goal Setting (Chapter 1)
*Discussion Question 6 released Monday, March 4 – Due by Sunday, March 10*
*Resume Review Appointment Week (March 4, 5, and 6)
*Personality Assessment Due Today*
Thurs, March 7 / Preparing and Giving Presentations
March 11 – 15 / Spring Break Week – No Classes
Tues, March 19 / Understanding Company Cultures (Chapter 5)
*Discussion Question 7 released Monday, March 18 – Due by Sunday, March 24*
*Deadline to Sign Up for Mock Interview Appointment – Friday, March 29 by 5:00pm*
Thurs, March 21 / Business Etiquette (Chapter 4)
Tues, March 26 / Values/Ethics in the Workplace (Chapter 5)
*Discussion Question 8 released Monday, March 25 – Due by Sunday, March 31*
Thurs, March 28 / Communication/Soft Skills (Chapter 9) – Guest Speaker
CMHT Consumer Experiences Symposium, 9a-12p, Union-Silver Eagle Suite
Tues, April 2 / Accountability & Workplace Relationships (Chapter 6)
*Discussion Question 9 released Monday, April 1 – Due by Sunday, April 7*
*Resume Review Assignment Due Today*
Thurs, April 4 / EXAM 2
*Mock Interview Appointment Day (April 5)*
Tues, April 9 / Leadership (Chapter 11)
*Discussion Question 10 released Monday, April 8 – Due by Sunday, April 14*
*Mock Interview Appointment Week (April 8-11)*
Thurs, April 11 / Teamwork (Chapter 11)
*Mock Interview Appointment Week (April 8-11)*
Tues, April 16 / Teamwork Continued (Chapter 11)
*Mock Interview Employer Thank You Card Due*
Thurs, April 18 / Conflict and Negotiation (Chapter 12)
Tues, April 23 / Generational Differences Among Co-Workers
Thurs, April 25 / Decision Making and Problem Solving
Tues, April 30 / Dealing with Change in a Work Environment
Thurs, May 2 / Attitude in the Workplace
Thurs, May 9 / FINAL EXAM
Final Exam from 1:30p-3:30p
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS: I strongly believe that it is your responsibility as a student and a future career professional to complete all assigned work and meet deadlines for this class. Therefore, all assignments must be submitted in class on the assigned due dates which are very well established in this syllabus and in our Blackboard Learn class calendar. Late assignments will not be accepted and will result in a “0”, except for the case of a documented and approved excuse. Do not assume that a “late” assignment will be accepted. Additional assignment(s) may be added, if deemed appropriate by instructor. If you are not in class and miss information on assignments such as changes and/or additions, it is your responsibility to seek out this information.
Blackboard Discussion Questions/Scenarios (50 points – 10 questions at 5 points each)
Starting the week of January 29, you will have questions or scenarios to respond to each week for 10 weeks in Blackboard under the Course Content link in the Weekly Questions/Scenarios folder. You will need to provide your opinion/comments to each of the posted questions/scenarios with a minimum of 150 words or more. Questions/scenarios will be posted for 10 weeks on Mondays. You will have until the Sunday of each week to respond to the question/ scenario that is posted. If you do not respond during the assigned timeframe for each question/scenario, you will lose the points for the question/scenario for that week. Refer to the Blackboard calendar for our class and pages 2 & 3 of this syllabus for release and due dates for each of the 10 questions/scenarios.
Employer Research (50 points)
Answer the questions on the employer research assignment sheet to research a company of your choosing within your chosen career field. This assignment should be typed, double-spaced, 12 point font, stapled and include a cover page. (Due in Class: Thurs, February 7)
Personality Assessment (50 points)
You will be provided an assignment sheet by the instructor with a list of instructions for this assignment. You will then access an online assessment test and complete the “yes” or “no” assessment questions. After the questions have all been answered, you will receive a page telling you what your personality type is. After completion of the test, you will respond to the questions on the assignment page. Your responses should relate to being in a work environment. This assignment should be at least 4 pages typed, double-spaced, 12 point font, stapled and include a cover page along with a printed copy of the personality test results page. (Due in Class: Tuesday, March 5)
Resume Review (50 points)
Schedule a 30 minute appointment with the Career Center on either March 4, 5, and 6 to have your resume professionally reviewed by an employer. You will need to sign up online for your appointment time in the Eagle Network system at careercenter.unt.edu by Wednesday, February 27 no later than 5:00pm. If you do not sign up by the deadline, you will not have an appointment for the resume review assignment. If you cancel the day of or do not show up to your scheduled resume review, you will be expected to write a letter of apology and email it to the employer. This should be emailed no later than Thursday, March 7 to the employer/career center advisor with a blind copy to me. Twenty points will be deducted from your final grade if this e-mail is not sent by Thursday, March 7. Please dress in professional business attire for this appointment. You will need to prepare your resume to have your most current information for the employer to review and provide feedback on. After meeting with the employer, you will then need to revise your resume based on the comments that were provided by the employer you met with. You should also keep in mind the lecture content shared in class regarding resumes when preparing your resume to have it reviewed. I will be returning your resumes with the comments from the employers back to you in class on Tuesday, March 19. You will then need to revise your resume and turn in the original resume with comments from the employer, your revised resume, a cover page, and a handwritten thank you written on a professional thank you card to the employer you met with. (Due in Class: Tuesday, April 2)
Mock Interview (50 points)
Schedule a 30 minute appointment with the Career Center during the week of April 5, 8-11 to participate in a practice mock interview. You will need to sign up online in the Eagle Network system at careercenter.unt.edu by Friday, March 29 no later than 5:00pm to schedule your mock interview. If you do not sign up by the deadline, you will not have an appointment for the mock interview assignment. A career advisor or industry employer will ask you specific interview questions which will be provided to you prior to the mock interview. Written comments will be provided based on your appearance, answers to questions, communication skills, professionalism, etc. If you cancel the day of or do not show up to your scheduled mock interview, you will be expected to write a letter of apology and email it to the employer. This should be emailed no later than Monday, April 15 to the employer/career center advisor with a blind copy to me. Twenty points will be deducted from your final grade if this e-mail is not sent by Monday, April 15.
Please dress in professional business attire for this mock interview and treat as if it were a real interview. You will need to write a hand-written thank you on a professional business thank you card to the employer that you had your mock interview with. This professional handwritten thank you card in an envelope will be due in class on Tuesday, April 16.
In-Class Discussions/Activities:
In-class discussion and assignments will be conducted in various lectures during the semester. The instructor may add additional points for those students who are present on the day that the discussions/activities happen. If you are not in class during these times, you will not be eligible to receive or make up these points.
Extra Credit Opportunities:
At this time, there are two opportunities for extra credit this semester. If you meet all of the requirements for the extra credit, it will be worth 5 points toward your final grade at the end of the semester.
(1) If you attend a total of 19 lecture classes for the entire class period (between January 29 – April 30), you will be eligible to receive 5 points of extra credit. Exam days are not included in the 19 days. You must be on time to class and attend the entire class period for each of the 19 lecture classes to also receive the extra credit.
(2) Merchandising & Digital Retailing will be hosting the Career Expo on Thursday, February 21 from 9:30a-12:00p in the Union, Silver Eagle Suite. This event is mandatory for all MDR majors and is also an extra credit opportunity worth up to 5 points. You must attend the Expo and talk to at least 5 companies, as well as write a two page summary (typed, double spaced, 1” margins) of what you learned about the employers you talked to (what they do, products they have, employment opportunities available, etc).. The summary will be due on Tuesday, February 26.
Other extra credit opportunities might be offered if it is deemed by the instructor to be appropriate for the class.
Exam Policy: The three exams will be divided purposefully between items to assess the students’ experience with the reading material and their familiarity with the materials presented in class. You are expected to be in attendance for all three exams at the date and time listed on the syllabus. If you are late to an exam, extra time will not be provided. You must contact me as soon as possible before a scheduled exam (not the day of) to let me know why you cannot take the exam on the date and time it is scheduled.
Make-up exams will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will not be automatic. You must provide documentation (i.e. medical documentation from a hospital, program from a funeral of a family member) to provide a reason for needing to miss an exam. Taking a make-up exam is a privilege, not a right, and will be granted only in rare and extreme circumstances. Make-up exams will not be given before the scheduled exam. Only one make-up exam will be allowed during the semester.
Final exams will be administered at the designated time during finals week of each long semester and during the specific day of each summer term. Final exams will not be given early. Please check the course calendar early in the semester to avoid any schedule conflicts.