CFA Assignment Objectives

1‐ Create new or enhance existing occupation knowledge and vocational outlooks by researching one, two, or three occupations in‐depth.

2‐ Strengthen research abilities to collect accurate occupational data and observe trends in occupations of interest using a variety of career resources, which may include local career centers, professionals in the field, employer published literature, social media, and/or popular career websites.

3‐ Write a formal research paper, including professional in‐text citations and a bibliography reference.

After successful completion of this assignment, you will have strengthened your ability to locate and collect valuable career information in addition to analyzing and reflecting on occupation information of most interest to you.

CFA Procedures

1. Select ONE option from the following three options (A, B, or C) below:

Option A: Choose one occupation and address 17 pre‐selected occupational topics

Option B: Choose two occupations and address 9 pre‐selected occupational topics for each of the two occupations of interest to you (9 topics x 2 occupations = 18 topics total)

Option C: Choose three occupations and address 7 pre‐selected occupational topics for each of the three occupations of interest to you (7 topics x 3 occupations = 21 topics total)

• Prepare a typed research narrative, 6‐8 pages minimum (page totals should not include title page, table of contents, bibliography reference page, or any extra [non‐required] embedded tables/graphs you elected to include). Use the following guidelines:
  • Double‐space the document using 1‐inch margins
  • Use the pre‐selected topic subheadings to guide the reader through your paper (see pg. 3 below for subtopics)
  • Incorporate professional citation procedures for all facts and data. We prefer APA citation/formatting, but will accept any format so long as your paper consistently uses only one formatting style (i.e., MLA throughout or APA throughout).
  • There is no page maximum for this assignment (example CFA papers located on our course website may have different page lengths, all are acceptable)

• Your research paper must include the following elements:
  • Title Page: Include your name, UFID, career coach, title of research paper, and date

b.  Table of Contents

Identify occupation(s), section topics and page numbers within each occupation

c.  Bibliography Page and Embedded References

Proper in‐text citation (APA or MLA) and a bibliography reference page at the end of document

• Select a minimum of five different information sources to use as primary references for your research. Some of the most popular resources former students have utilized, many of which were discussed in our Chapter 3 lecture, are listed here:
  • Computer‐Assisted Career Guidance Systems (you may need to visit your local career center)

i.e., Strong’s Assessment, Choices, MBTI

• Reference Books

i.e., Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH), etc…

• Professionals in the Field (Resource Persons)

i.e., Occupational interviewees, graduate/law school admissions officers, academic advisors, career resource center advisors, etc..

• Employer‐Published Literature

i.e., Annual company reports, etc..

• Government Websites, Reports and/or Publications (Google the items below)

US Department of Labor

• Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
  • O*Net
  • Occupational Outlook Quarterly
  • Career‐One‐Stop
  • Current News Feeds Across a Variety of Media Channels

i.e., Magazine articles, newspapers, television news reports, etc…

• Job Announcements/Postings

I.e., Classified ads, popular job posting websites

• Professional Conferences Attended
  • Academic Journals and/or Industry Trade Journals (try a Goggle search on these)
  • Popular and Trendy Careering Websites

CareerBuilder.com, Glassdoor.com, Monster.com, Salary.com, etc…

• Social Media Websites (these are excellent options for company specific information!)

i.e., LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

Option A

Select one occupation to analyze addressing all 17 of the specified topics below for the chosen occupation.

1. Introduction: Provide a brief, basic description of the occupation (eg: typical work setting, type of work done)
2. Typical Career Path: Describe a typical career path in this field from entry level to the highest position
3. Trends: Describe how trends, such as technology, new organizational structures, diversified training, and other management or economic trends are affecting the occupation
4. Salary Information: Provide a range of salary expectations, based on position level and geographic location
5. Skills Used: Describe skills or abilities typically used by persons
6. Employing Organizations: Explain what types of organizations hire persons in this occupation, what industries and/or associations are involved, and any level of self‐employment opportunities
7. Women and Minorities: Explain if employment diversity is increasing, what trends are impacting the demographics of the occupation and if this occupation is dominated by a specific gender or group
8. Becoming Employed: Describe how to find employment; the typical breadth and depth of a job search required in this field; whether internships, faculty, job fairs, or other means are more valuable to acquire a job in this industry
9. Typical Job Notices: Review and describe one or two typical job postings for this occupation; what knowledge/education/training/skills are required; describe one posting you found which specifically interests you; what attracts you to this type of position?
10. Work Conditions: Describe the physical and cultural work environment within this occupation; include suggested stress levels, types of supervision, customer/client contact, travel required, hours; describe the Strong “type” affiliated with this type (hint: use your Strong/MBTI Assessment Report)
11. Education/Training: Describe academic majors/minors of study related for preparation in this occupation; identify any required or preferred advanced degrees/certifications in this field
12. Certificate/Licensure: Identify any licenses, certificates, or continuing education relevant to this occupation; are there requirements to sustain training; are there state‐level or national‐ level requirements; are their specific geographic requirements in the state you wish to reside
13. Affiliations: Specify professional organizations or union memberships typically attended or required by persons in this occupation; describe the history of major organizations in this industry and indicate scope (international, local)
14. Outlook: Describe any current and future projected openings in this occupation or industry; what regional, national, or international industry changes or influences are taking place impacting demand for this occupation
15. Lifestyle Impact: Discuss how working within this occupation affects family roles, marriage, leisure, etc.
16. Conclusions: Use a 4‐6 sentence summary of your key findings. Include statements such as, “What I took away from this occupation was….X, Y, and Z”, “What stuck out to me after I analyzed this occupation was… X”, “I liked/did not like Y and Z about this occupation…”

1. Create 4‐6 Occupational and/or Educationally‐Focused Questions: From all the data you collected above, compose four to six questions you could (1) ask in an actual job interview, and/or (2) ask on a graduate/professional school interview or essay application, and/or (3) discuss or ask during an upcoming networking opportunity… i.e., after your student organization speaker series, on a company social, on location with your internship/part‐time job, use in a future occupational interview, etc…

A few examples:

Question #1: “I read in Forbes magazine recently about upcoming trends A and B. How do you foresee these impacting your organization or the finance industry?

Question #2: “I recently completed an occupation interview with a financial planner which really got me excited about working in finance. One point raised in the interview was X. How do you see this playing our in your day‐to‐day activities in your current position?

Question #3: “My occupational interviews with individuals from X and Y companies affirmed my interest to pursue a finance master’s program. In addition, through my CFA in my career course as an undergraduate I learned about X, Y, and Z, which I hope to develop more in your master’s program. What type of courses cover topics X, Y, and Z should I be accepted into your master’s program?

Option B

Select two occupations to analyze addressing all 9 of the specified topics below for your chosen occupations.

1. Introduction: Provide a brief, basic description of the occupation (eg: typical work setting, type of work done)

• Skills Used: Describe skills or abilities typically used by persons

• Work Conditions: Describe the physical and cultural environment within this occupation, including suggested stress levels, types of supervision, customer/client contact, travel required, hours; describe the Strong “type” affiliated with this type (hint: use your Strong/MBTI Assessment Report)

• Becoming Employed: Describe how to find employment; the typical breadth and depth of a job search required in this field; whether internships, faculty, job fairs, or other means are more valuable to acquire a job in this industry

• Education/Training/Licensure: Describe the major fields of study related to preparation for this occupation, describe required or preferred advanced degrees/certifications when applicable, licenses, certificates, or continuing education relevant to this occupation, are there requirements to sustain training, are there state‐level or national‐level requirements, what are the specific requirements for the state you wish to reside in

• Outlook and Salary: Provide a range of salary expectations, based on level and geographic location, describe any current and projected openings in the occupation, regional or economic influences, industry changes, etc.

• Lifestyle Impact: Discuss how working within this occupation affects family roles, marriage, leisure, etc.

• Conclusions: Use a 4‐6 sentence summary of the key findings. Include statements such as, “What I took away from this occupation was….X, Y, and Z”, “What stuck out to me after I analyzed this occupation was… X”, “I liked/did not like Y and Z about this occupation…”

• Create 4‐6 Occupational and/or Educationally‐Focused Questions: From all the data you collected above, write two to three questions for each occupation (totaling 4‐6 questions combined) you could (1) ask in an actual job interview, and/or (2) ask on a graduate/professional school interview or essay application, and/or (3) discuss or ask during an upcoming networking opportunity… i.e., after your student organization speaker series, on a company social, on location with your internship/part‐time job, use in a future occupational interview, etc…

A few examples:

Question #1: “I read in Forbes magazine recently about upcoming trends A and B. How do you foresee these impacting your organization or the finance industry?

Question #2: “I recently completed an occupation interview with a financial planner which really got me excited about working in finance. One point raised in the interview was X. How do you see this playing our in your day‐to‐day activities in your current position?

Question #3: “My occupational interviews with individuals from X and Y companies affirmed my interest to pursue a finance master’s program. In addition, through my CFA in my career course as an undergraduate I learned about X, Y, and Z, which I hope to develop more in your master’s program. What type of courses cover topics X, Y, and Z should I be accepted into your master’s program?

Option C

Select three occupations to analyze addressing all 7 of the specified topics below for your chosen occupations.

1. Introduction: Provide a brief, basic description of the occupation (eg: typical work setting, type of work done)

• Skills Used: Describe skills or abilities typically used by persons

• Work Conditions: Describe the physical and cultural environment within this occupation, including suggested stress levels, types of supervision, customer/client contact, travel required, hours; describe the Strong “type” affiliated with this type (hint: use your Strong/MBTI Assessment Report)

• Education/Training/Licensure: Describe the major fields of study related to preparation for this occupation, describe required or preferred advanced degrees/certifications when applicable, licenses, certificates, or continuing education relevant to this occupation, are there requirements to sustain training, are there state‐level or national‐level requirements, what are the specific requirements for the state you wish to reside in

• Outlook/Salary: Provide a range of salary expectations, based on level and geographic location, describe any current and projected openings in the occupation, regional or economic influences, industry changes, etc.

• Conclusions: Use a 4‐6 sentence summary of the key findings. Include statements such as, “What I took away from this occupation was….X, Y, and Z”, “What stuck out to me after I analyzed this occupation was… X”, “I liked/did not like Y and Z about this occupation…”

• Create 6 Occupational and/or Educationally‐Focused Questions: From all the data you collected above, write at least two questions for each occupation selected you could (1) ask in an actual job interview, and/or (2) ask on a graduate/professional school interview or essay application, and/or (3) discuss or ask during an upcoming networking opportunity… i.e., after your student organization speaker series, on a company social, on location with your internship/part‐time job, use in a future occupational interview, etc…

A few examples:

Question #1: “I read in Forbes magazine recently about upcoming trends A and B. How do you foresee these impacting your organization or the finance industry?

Question #2: “I recently completed an occupation interview with a financial planner which really got me excited about working in finance. One point raised in the interview was X. How do you see this playing our in your day‐to‐day activities in your current position?

Question #3: “My occupational interviews with individuals from X and Y companies affirmed my interest to pursue a finance master’s program. In addition, through my CFA in my career course as an undergraduate I learned about X, Y, and Z, which I hope to develop more in your master’s program. What type of courses cover topics X, Y, and Z should I be accepted into your master’s program?

Frequently Asked Questions – CFA Assignment

1. Entrepreneur or Small Business Owner Occupations: Must I include the industry/type of business if I choose one of these occupations? Will I receive a point deduction if I am too specific or general about one of these lines of work?
   1. Answer: No. There are entrepreneurs and small business owners across all industries and fields. In general, it is better to perform research on a targeted industry if possible (music, medical equipment, restaurants, etc…). The goal is to create new or enhance existing occupation knowledge.

• Options B and C – Number of Sources Needed: Under options B and C, do we need (5) different sources for each occupation researched or is it a (5) source minimum for the entire paper?
  • Answer: Students need (5) different resources total regardless of which option (A, B, or C) selected. For example, if a student elects to research two occupations, it is acceptable to use the same resource to learn about two different occupations. The student would then need to find only four other resources for the remainder of their paper.

It is preferred, however, to use as many different resources as possible for this assignment to acquire a robust occupation knowledge.