RESEARCH ESSAY: CAREER FOCUS Im currently going to school to be a Kindergarten teacher The Career Focus centers on developing an organized, fully-realized essay about a career of your choice. You’ll

RESEARCH ESSAY: CAREER FOCUS

Im currently going to school to be a Kindergarten teacher

The Career Focus centers on developing an organized, fully-realized essay about a career of your choice.  You’ll work on finding information, data, statistics, and facts, then using that research to apply your own assertions and evaluation on not only the career, but how well you are suited for said career and how you plan to pursue said career.

The Researched Career Essay is both explanatory and exploratory, making for an interesting and compelling mix of information and narrative elements that will illuminate your career choice for yourself and the reader.

--Contributed by Sheree Greer

Create your essay following the guidelines below. You will write 4 paragraphs, an Introduction, 2 body paragraphs, and a conclusion. You may include your own opinions about the career field, but you may only use 1st person “I” in the last paragraph of the essay.

Requirements:

• 4 paragraphs
• 600+ words from introduction to conclusion (this includes documentation in your paragraphs but does not include the Works Cited page)
• MLA documentation style throughout
• Minimal use of direct quotes! Quotes should not be used if content can be paraphrased. If a quote is used it should not span more than 1 line of your World document. Excessive use of quotes could significantly reduce the paper grade.
• A minimum of 2 sources from the SPC college database. One of your sources must be used in Par 1. At least one other source should be used in Par 2 or Par 3. You may use more than 2 sources if needed. You may use a source in every paragraph if needed.
• Use of 3rd person academic in Par 1 – 3 except in the Par 4 where 1st person is permitted
• Utilization of the essay structure below

Essay Structure:

Follow the template below to create your essay

1. Introduction - This paragraph should cover the following content: State the career the paper will cover. Give statistics on the career such as educational requirements, median pay, potential career growth, etc. Include a thesis statement as the last sentence of the introduction. Use of a current source is required in this section for statistics. Do not use a source that is more than 5 years old for statistics. This section should be 4-5 sentences total.
2. Choose ONE of the following two options below. Do not do both! This section should be 8-10 sentences total.
   1. Traits: What are the personality traits that make a successful person in your chosen career? What qualities are needed for success? For instance, a good teacher needs to exhibit patience, which is a personality trait. Discuss several of these traits and why they are necessary in your career field.
   2. Why is this career needed in our society? What does this career contribute to our society? Where would we be without people working in this field?

NOTES: Focus on A or B, but do not do both for Par 2 of your essay. This may be written with a mixture of research and your own opinions, but do not use 1st person “I”. Include MLA documentation so it’s clear where your research vs your opinion appears.

1. Introduce an inspirational figure in your field. This could be a famous figure from history or someone who is still alive and working in the field today. This could be a person many people have heard of or someone who is significant in your own life. Talk about why this person is an inspiration and someone people should look up to. Discuss their contributions to the field. This section should be 8-10 sentences total.
2. Conclusion – Wrap up your essay with a final discussion of why you chose this field for your future career. You may shift to using 1st person “I” as you conclude your essay on a personal note. This section should be 4-5 sentences total.